Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Russian president made the announcement in a televised address, his second in eight days, as the government introduces additional measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic. President Vladimir Putin thanked doctors, volunteers and ordinary Russians for their efforts to battle and contain COVID-19, but stressed that Russia isn’t in the clear yet. “Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel are working hard, and they do not have it easy now. They are our frontline defenders, protecting us in hospitals and infectious wards from the advancing pandemic. They are treating and saving people,” Putin said in an address to the nation on…

The National Disaster Management Operations Room released its daily report on coronavirus in Lebanon. The report includes the epidemiological curve according to the daily number of infections, in addition to the distribution of confirmed cases according to districts, gender, age and nationality.

An international committee fighting against the ongoing Israeli-imposed land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip has called for a collective international action to lift the siege as humanitarian and health conditions are deteriorating in the Palestinian enclave amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, Zaher Birawi, in a statement demanded urgent international action to end the blockade on Gaza, and provide the coastal sliver with medicine and necessary medical supplies, especially in light of the new coronavirus pandemic. Birawi also warned about underestimating a looming crisis in Gaza, highlighting that…

US President Donald Trump has said he expects that Russia and Saudi Arabia could drastically curtail their oil output after a conversation between the two nations’ leaders. Moscow denies that any talks took place at all. Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to relay some “great” news for the oil and gas industry, as he expressed his hopes for some supposedly upcoming cuts in crude oil production by Saudi Arabia and Russia which could reverse the current plunge in oil prices. According to the president, oil production could be scaled back by as many as 10 million barrels in total – or…

The spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major-General Ahmad Al-Mismari, announced on Thursday that the death toll for the Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries had reached 500 after more than four months of fighting. Over the past week alone, the Syrian mercenaries have suffered dozens of casualties at the hands of the Libyan National Army. Many of these casualties in the ranks of the Syrian mercenaries came as a result of the Libyan National Army’s rapid advance through the southern outskirts of Tripoli, which has since come under the control of LNA. While the LNA reports 500 Syrian mercenaries killed, the…

The UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said on Thursday he was engaged in talks with the country’s warring parties to secure a nationwide ceasefire to help counter the threat of the coronavirus. The envoy’s office said he is discussing “concrete steps” with the warring sides despite a recent escalation in the long conflict. Yemen has so far not recorded any case of COVID-19. However, aid groups are concerned that when or if it does hit, the impact will be catastrophic for a country already facing what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, AFP said. Griffiths is in…

Syria’s Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Ja’afari has reiterated a call by his country for immediate and unconditional lifting of all US economic sanctions, a few days after the coronavirus killed the first patient in the Arab country. In a letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres and president of the UN Security Council Zhang Jun, Ja’afari lambasted remarks by US State Department official James Jeffrey who accused Damascus Monday of using “cynical ploys” and urged Syrians to “count” on Washington in “delivering humanitarian assistance to people in need”. Ja’afari said such “irresponsible and misleading” comments by US officials “are just an attempt to cover the US crimes…

At least two people have lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when Turkish military forces and allied militants launched barrages of mortar shells at residential neighborhoods in the western sector of Syria’s northeastern province of al-Hasakah. Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria’s official news agency SANA that Turkish troops and their proxies targeted buildings in the villages of Qabr al-Saqir and al-Abosh, which lie in the Tall Tamr district of the province, on Thursday afternoon, leaving two civilians dead and four others injured.  The sources added that the projectile inflicted material damage on people’s property in the targeted…

Syrian Kurds are not ready to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as no international body has provided help the requested by the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), SDC Representative in the US and member of Presidential Committee Bassam Saker says. “North and East Syria is in a very dangerous situation. We need aid and support from the international community, but so far we have received absolutely no aid or support”, Saker said. “Our region does not even have the capacity to test for coronavirus, let alone effectively treat or quarantine patients.” Saker said that due to poor living conditions, that have worsened…

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told his Saudi counterpart, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, that the United States backs UN special envoy Martin Griffiths’ efforts to negotiate a reduction in violence in Yemen’s civil war, the State Department said in a readout of their conversation. “Secretary Pompeo expressed support for the de-escalation efforts led by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, and the Secretary and the Foreign Minister agreed that an unstable Yemen only benefits the Iranian regime and that the regime’s destabilizing behavior there must be countered”, the readout said Wednesday. The two officials also discussed global…