Pilgrims turn to prayer, kinship during coronavirus scare
JERUSALEM — A group of Christian pilgrims from Alabama is turning to prayer and positive thinking as they cope with an open-ended coronavirus quarantine, confined to their West Bank hotel rooms while they wait for clearance to return to the United States.
F1’s Bahrain Grand Prix to run without fans due to virus
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Formula One’s Bahrain Grand Prix will run this month without spectators as the island kingdom fights an outbreak of the new coronavirus, organizers announced Sunday. Mideast stock markets fell sharply amid a plummeting demand for crude oil.
MH17 relatives protest against Russia with 298 empty chairs
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The families of people killed when a missile shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 set out 298 white chairs outside the Russian Embassy on Sunday in a silent protest against Moscow’s lack of cooperation in the investigation into the downing of the passenger jet.
Portugal’s president self-isolates amid virus outbreak
LISBON, Portugal — The office of Portugal’s 71-year-old president said Sunday that he has canceled all public activities and will stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Italy quarantines north in drastic bid to slow virus spread
ROME — Italy took a page from China’s playbook Sunday, locking down around 16 million people — more than a quarter of its population — for nearly a month to halt the relentless march of the new coronavirus across Europe.
Tear gas sprayed across migrants at Turkey-Greece border
EDIRNE, Turkey — A group of migrants on Saturday tried to bring down a fence in a desperate attempt to bust through the border into Greece while others hurled rocks at Greek police. Greek authorities responded, firing volleys of tear gas at the youths.
Pope limits public blessings to help against virus spread
MILAN — Pope Francis is further limiting his public appearances to prevent crowds from gathering as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus, which by Saturday had reached the tiny Mediterranean island nation of Malta.
Egypt says cruise ship quarantined over new virus cluster
LUXOR, Egypt — A cruise ship on Egypt’s Nile River with over 150 tourists and local crew was in quarantine Saturday in the southern city of Luxor, as 45 people on board tested positive for the new coronavirus, authorities said.
Cruise ships taken off course as anti-virus controls widen
BEIJING — Cruise ships looked for safe harbor on four continents Saturday amid fears they’re spreading the new coronavirus that has infected more than 100,000 people and tightened its grip on day-to-day life around the world.
As virus outbreaks multiply, UN declines to declare pandemic
LONDON — As cases of the coronavirus surge in Italy, Iran, South Korea, the U.S. and elsewhere, many scientists say it’s plain that the world is in the grips of a pandemic — a serious global outbreak.
Ukraine prime minister ousted, president seeks ‘new brains’
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to accept the resignation of the nation’s prime minister after a six-month tenure in which his performance came under severe criticism from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Tensions between Greece and Turkey rise over migrant clashes
KASTANIES, Greece — Greece countered accusations from Turkey Wednesday that it was responsible for the death of a migrant, as its border authorities strove for a sixth day to keep thousands of migrants out by using tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons.
Red Cross: ‘Life without fear is overdue in Colombia’
BOGOTA, Colombia — The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Colombia warned Wednesday that ongoing human rights violations and the forced displacement of thousands from their homes because of violence mean many still live in fear.
Virus halts pilgrimages to Mecca, Friday prayers in Iran
TEHRAN, Iran — The coronavirus outbreak disrupted Islamic worship in the Middle East as Saudi Arabia on Wednesday banned its citizens and other residents of the kingdom from performing the pilgrimage in Mecca, while Iran canceled Friday prayers in major cities.
In Italy and beyond, virus outbreak reshapes work and play
ROME — Italy closed all schools and universities Wednesday and barred fans from all sporting events for the next few weeks, as governments trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus around the world resorted to increasingly sweeping measures that transformed the way people work, shop, pray and amuse themselves.
Mild now, wild later? UK prepares for severe virus spread
LONDON — British authorities laid out plans Tuesday to confront a COVID-19 epidemic, saying that the new coronavirus could spread within weeks from a few dozen confirmed cases to millions of infections, with thousands of people in the U.K. at risk of death.
France fights mask hoarding; Virus deaths soar in Italy
PARIS — France requisitioned protective masks and sent tens of thousands of students home from school, deaths in Italy soared and Spain isolated dozens of health workers Tuesday as the new coronavirus spread further into Europe.
Virus crisis ebbs in China, spreads fear across the West
PARIS — The coronavirus crisis shifted increasingly westward toward the Mideast, Europe and the United States on Tuesday, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of face masks and other supplies for front-line doctors and nurses.
4 Mexican bishops referred to superiors in sex abuse cases
MEXICO CITY — The Vatican’s representative in Mexico said Tuesday that four Catholic bishops had been referred to their superiors for alleged connections to cases of sexual abuse as part of the church’s efforts to gather information about efforts to cover up abuse.
Japan Olympic Minister: Games could be held any time in 2020
TOKYO — Japan’s Olympic minister said Tuesday the contract to hold the Tokyo Games only specifies the event has to be held during 2020.