The United Nations (UN) warned against a “Palestinian economic collapse” on Sunday due to financial and developmental challenges facing their political leadership as a result of coronavirus. In a paper published by the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Process’ (UNSCO) office, the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 on the Palestinian people was described as “immense.” “The Palestinian Authority needs increased financial and development assistance to address its public health needs, provide essential services, and respond to the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic,” said the paper said. The paper also added that “considerable concerns regarding the ability of the Palestinian health sector to cope with a surge in cases, especially in Gaza,” remain in place. According to figures provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 May, the occupied Palestinian territories have 627 cases of coronavirus. Some 523 people have recovered so far, while five others have lost their lives. The paper referred to the “relatively successful prevention efforts in the OPT” despite its other concerns. In the meantime, the UN document warned that “any move by Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank or any Palestinian withdrawal from bilateral agreements would dramatically shift local dynamics and most likely trigger conflict and instability in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.” “All sides must do their part in the coming weeks and months in order to preserve the prospect of a negotiated two-state resolution to the conflict, in line with relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements,” said UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenove. The recent agreement on the formation of a new coalition government in Israel — jointly created by Israel’s Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party — stipulates that Israel will claim sovereignty over the whole West Bank by 1 July and implement the controversial peace plan that was developed by US President Donald Trump’s administration. “A couple of months from now, I’m confident that that pledge will be honoured, that we will be able to celebrate another historic moment in the history of Zionism,” Netanyahu said on 27 April. Despite US backing, such plans have been criticised by both the Arab League and the European Union.

The number of coronavirus cases worldwide topped six million Sunday, with Brazil registering another record surge in daily infections as divisions deepened on how to deal with the pandemic. Latin American countries are bracing for difficult weeks ahead as the disease spreads rapidly across the region, even as much of the world exits lockdowns that have wrecked economies and stripped millions of their jobs. In Brazil -- the epicenter of South America s outbreak with nearly 500,000 confirmed cases, lagging only behind the United States -- disagreement among leaders over lockdown measures has hampered efforts to slow the virus as the number of fatalities in the country nears 30,000. President Jair Bolsonaro, who fears the economic fallout from stay-at-home measures will be worse than the virus, has berated governors and mayors for imposing what he calls "the tyranny of total quarantine." As the global death toll from the pandemic surpassed 368,000, US President Donald Trump s decision to permanently cut funding to the World Health Organization has been broadly criticized. The number of confirmed cases worldwide is more than six million, according to an AFP tally. "Now is the time for enhanced cooperation and common solutions," the European Union said in a statement, adding: "Actions that weaken international results must be avoided." Trump initially suspended funding to the WHO last month, accusing it of not doing enough to curb the early spread of the virus and being too lenient with China, where COVID-19 emerged late last year. On Friday he moved to make that decision permanent in a major blow to the agency. The US is the WHO s biggest contributor, supplying $400 million last year. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the "disappointing" decision was a setback for global health, while Chancellor Angela Merkel declined to attend an in-person G7 summit that Trump had suggested he would host. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet medical journal, said it was "madness and terrifying both at the same time." Lockdowns ease As the virus progresses at different speeds around the globe, there has been pressure in many countries to lift crippling lockdowns, despite experts warnings of a possible second wave of infections. In Britain, which is set to begin lifting its lockdown on Monday, senior advisors to the government warned that it was moving too quickly. "COVID-19 spreading too fast to lift lockdown in England," tweeted Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. India said Saturday it would begin relaxing the world s biggest lockdown in stages from early June, even as it marked another record daily rise in infections. Iran meanwhile announced that collective prayers would resume in mosques, despite infections ticking back upwards in the Middle East s hardest-hit country. Jerusalem s Al-Aqsa mosque compound -- the third-holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia -- reopened to worshippers on Sunday. With infection numbers falling in many of Europe s most affected countries, the push to restart economies was gaining steam. Italy s Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened on Saturday, while in Paris, parks and the famed Galeries Lafayette department store flung open their doors. In Austria, hotels and cinemas were allowed to take in customers, provided they wear masks. "It is very important that things return to normal," film buff Rotraud Turanitz said at Vienna s historic Admiral Kino cinema on trendy Burggasse. Across the Atlantic, the US capital Washington resumed outdoor dining, while on the West Coast, restaurants and hair salons in Los Angeles reopened. New York City, the worst-hit American city with about 21,500 coronavirus deaths, is on track to begin reopening the week of June 8. The overall US death toll has topped 103,000 out of more than 1.7 million cases of the virus. Global sport has also started to rev back into action, with Austria announcing it will host Formula One s delayed season-opener on July 5, and the NBA eyeing a July 31 return. Britain approved the return of domestic competitive sport on June 1 -- with no fans present. Sri Lanka s cricket team will resume training Monday under strict health measures. Economies shattered But the economic damage from weeks of lockdowns continues to pile up, with Chile and Peru securing credit lines worth billions from the IMF. India s economy grew at its slowest pace in two decades in the first quarter, while Canada, Brazil, France and Italy also saw their GDP figures shrink ahead of an expected worldwide recession. As the virus hits the world s poor particularly hard, Pope Francis called for a "more just and equitable society" in the post-coronavirus world and for people to act to "end the pandemic of poverty." "Without food donations, I ll have to fight harder for my family to survive," said motorcycle taxi driver Thanapat Noidee in the tiny hut he shares with his wife and children in Bangkok. Even the animal world has not been left untouched by the pandemic. Gibraltar has banned tourists from touching the British enclave s famous Barbary macaques over fears they could spread coronavirus. Singapore s beloved otters meanwhile have been popping up in unexpected places during the city-state s lockdown, but their increasingly daring antics have angered some and even sparked calls for a cull. "I simply don t understand anyone who could not like them. They are really cute," said 35-year-old Singaporean Pam Wong.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said it has recorded 208 COVID-19-related attacks against health workers and installations in 13 countries since March, a striking contrast to the cheers and clapping in gratitude for their work in many nations. Peter Maurer said Wednesday that health workers are being attacked and abused and health systems are being targeted at a time when they are most needed. ``The COVID-19 crisis is fast threatening to become a protection crisis,`` he told the U.N. Security Council. Maurer told reporters the ICRC compiled data from 13 countries in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa where it operates, and it s ``likely the actual numbers are much higher than what we calculated. He said the incidents range from verbal threats to burning down facilities reportedly housing COVID-19 patients. Maurer said 23% of incidents included physical assaults, 20% were discriminatory-related attacks on health workers, and the rest included the deliberate failure to provide or deny assistance, verbal assaults and threats, and a disregard for health personnel protective measures. Maurer said he was struck by the discrepancy with the outpouring of support for health personnel, ``while in reality what we see is that it remains an extremely delicate and sensitive issue within which attacks, ... violence, the whole panoply of adverse attitudes are visible or detectable, which demand our response. The ICRC and a dozen other global organizations representing millions of doctors, nurses and health care professionals issued a declaration Wednesday calling the recent displays of public support for COVID-19 responders ``heart-warming. But they said ``unfortunately, the sad reality is that health workers have for a long time been subject to many shocking forms of violence. The organizations pointed to harassment, stigmatization, physical violence and the killing of some health care professionals and the people they were caring for, as well as the 208 incidents reported by the ICRC since the beginning of the pandemic. ``We urge governments, communities and weapon bearers to respect and protect health care at all times, and to contribute to creating a protective environment in which health care can be provided safely, the groups including the International Council of Nurses, the International Hospital Federation, and Physicians for Human Rights said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also spoke at the council meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, saying that as the pandemic ``rages on, causing enormous human suffering and additional stress to health systems, people already weakened by years of fighting ``are particularly vulnerable. He lamented that support for his March 23 call for a global cease-fire to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic has not been translated into ``concrete action. ``In some cases, the pandemic may even create incentives for warring parties to press their advantage, or to strike hard while international attention is focused elsewhere, he said. ``Both scenarios could lead to increases in violence. And civilians always pay the price. He pointed to conflict-torn Libya where the U.N. mission documented at least 58 civilians killed and 190 injured between April 1 and May 18. With access to services and safety being curtailed, Guterres also said some leaders are exploiting the pandemic to adopt repressive measures and ``it has become even more difficult to protect the most vulnerable _ and ``this is particularly true in conflict zones, where civilians were already exposed to significant risks.

Iran s newly elected parliament convened on Wednesday, dominated by conservative lawmakers and under strict social distancing regulations, as the country struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus that has hit the nation hard. Iranian state TV said all 268 lawmakers who were in attendance had tested negative for the virus. The lawmakers were sworn in after many of them arrived for the opening ceremony wearing face masks and observing social distancing regulations. Temperatures were taken before they entered the parliament building. Iran is grappling with the deadliest outbreak in the Middle East, with more than 7,500 fatalities out of over 141,500 confirmed cases. Turkey has the region s largest outbreak, with 158,700 confirmed cases and more than 4,390 deaths. The Iranian parliamentary election in February saw a turnout of 42.57% _ the lowest since 1979 Islamic Revolution and a sign of widespread dissatisfaction and the state of the economy amid intense pressure from the United States after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of Iran s nuclear with world powers and reimposed sanctions on the country. At Wednesday s opening session, Iranian lawmakers chose a temporary speaker, based on age seniority, and listened to a message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, read by an aid. President Hassan Rouhani addressed the lawmakers, urging them to cooperate with his administration so that together Iranians can better ``confront sanctions and the disease`` in this ``very difficult year. The lawmakers were to elect a permanent parliament speaker on Thursday, for a one-year term. Because of the pandemic, a traditional visit by the newly elected lawmakers to the shrine of the founder of Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was postponed. After keeping its many shrines across the country, which are typically frequented by scores of visitors, open in the beginning of the outbreak, Iran later imposed lockdown measures, barring visitors from going inside the shrines. Iran s newly elected house is dominated by 220 conservative lawmakers, including more than 50 who are close allies of former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There are 38 independent lawmakers and 18 pro-reform and moderates, down from 136 in the previous parliament. In the vote in February, 278 parliament seats of the total of 290 seats were decided. Two elected lawmakers later died, including one from COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Eight newly elected lawmakers were absent from Wednesday s session; no explanation was given. The remaining 14 seats are to be decided in a by-election in 2021. More than 160 of the current lawmakers have had no previous parliamentary experience. There are 16 women lawmakers, one less than in the previous house. Iran s parliament does not have the power to dictate major policies, but it does debate the annual budget and the possible impeachment of ministers. Power in Iran ultimately rests with Khamenei, who has final say on all key matters. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday told an ally of Libya s eastern commander Khalifa Haftar that Moscow backed an immediate ceasefire and political talks that would culminate in united governing authorities. Lavrov conveyed that message to Aguila Saleh Issa, speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, in a phone call, Russia s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Issa is aligned to General Khalifa Haftar who controls the east of the country which opposes the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. The U.S. military earlier on Tuesday accused Russia of deploying fighter aircraft to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for eastern forces, adding to concerns of a new escalation in the conflict. There was no immediate response from the Russian Defence Ministry to a request for comment.

Israel will not miss a "historic opportunity" to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, calling the move one of his new government s top tasks. Palestinians consider such a step as illegal annexation of occupied land they seek for a future state. Last week, they declared an end to security cooperation with Israel and its ally, the United States, in protest at the territorial plan. Netanyahu has pledged to put Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty. He has set July 1 as a starting date for cabinet discussions on the issue, which has also raised alarm within the European Union. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called the matter complex and said it required coordination with Washington. Netanyahu s new political partner, centrist Benny Gantz, has been equivocal about de facto annexation. At a meeting of legislators of his right-wing Likud party on Monday, Netanyahu set land moves in the West Bank as "perhaps the first in importance in many respects" of the tasks to be undertaken by the government he and Gantz formed on May 17. "We have a historic opportunity, which hasn t existed since 1948, to apply sovereignty judiciously as a diplomatic...step in Judea and Samaria," he said, referring to the year of Israel s birth and using the biblical names for the West Bank. "It is a big opportunity and we will not let it pass by," he said a day after the start of his corruption trial. He denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu has cited US President Donald Trump s plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace as underpinning de facto annexation. The Palestinians have rejected the proposal, announced in January, under which most Jewish settlements would be incorporated into "contiguous Israeli territory". Palestinians and most countries view the settlements on land Israel took in the 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Israel disputes this. Israeli critics of annexation have voiced concern it could increase anti-Israeli violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was heading to court Sunday to face corruption charges in the first criminal trial ever against a sitting Israeli leader. Netanyahu is set to appear at the opening hearing at a Jerusalem district court, after his request to have his lawyers represent him instead was rejected. The courthouse was drawing crowds of supporters, protesters and media hoping to witness Netanyahu enter the building, where he will hear the arraignment against him. The dramatic scene comes just days after the long-serving leader swore in his new government, breaking more than a year of political stalemate following three inconclusive elections. Netanyahu held his first Cabinet meeting with the new government just hours before heading to court. Neither he nor any of his ministers addressed the looming trial but the countryby-ahram s outgoing religious affairs minister wished Netanyahu that ``God will bring the truth outby-ahram by-ahram at his trial. Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in a series of corruption cases stemming from ties to wealthy friends. He is accused of accepting lavish gifts and offering to grant favors to powerful media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of him and his family. He denies the charges and has lashed out at the media, police, prosecution and courts of forging a conspiracy to oust him. It comes after years of scandals swirling around the family. Netanyahu and his allies have spent months lashing out the countryby-ahram s law enforcement system, and the charges against him have deeply divided the nation. Ahead of the trial, two sets of protests and counter-protests gathered outside the courthouse and the prime ministerby-ahram s official residence in Jerusalem. Dozens of Netanyahu supporters outside the District Court in east Jerusalem wore masks with the prime ministerby-ahram s face and held posters lambasting the attorney general who indicted him. ``We wonby-ahram t allow an image of Netanyahu being humiliated,by-ahram by-ahram said Ran Carmi Buzaglo, one of the protesters at the court. ``The only reason that they forced him to come here, even though the law allows him to be absent, is to show an image of him in the defendantby-ahram s chair.by-ahram by-ahram Across town, several hundred anti-Netanyahu demonstrators gathered outside his residence wearing face masks and t-shirts with the words ``crime ministerby-ahram by-ahram and bearing posters calling for his resignation. They faced off across police barricades with the prime ministerby-ahram s backers. Several of Netanyahuby-ahram s Likud party ministers, including the newly appointed internal security minister who overseas the police, said they would arrive to the court to back him. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused them of fomenting violence and trying to intimidate the judges. ``Netanyahu is trying to drag us into a civil war to save himself from trial,by-ahram by-ahram he told the YNet website. Netanyahuby-ahram s court appearance Sunday caps a three-year investigation. It also comes after more than a year of political turmoil, with three inconclusive elections _ each seen as a referendum on Netanyahu _ finally ending last month when the Israeli leader and his main rival, former army chief Benny Gantz, came to a power-sharing deal. As part of their power-sharing deal, Netanyahu will remain prime minister for the next 18 months, and alternative prime minister for the 18 months after, and will not be legally required to step down during what is expected to be a lengthy trial. Netanyahuby-ahram s proceedings were supposed to begin in March, but were delayed by his justice minister who issued restrictions on the courts amid the coronavirus crisis.

Lebanon s prime minister is warning of a major food crisis in the Mediterranean country which is facing an unprecedented economic and financial crisis made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post late Wednesday, Prime Minister Hassan Diab also warns of eventual ``starvation in the Middle East that he says may spark a new migration flow to Europe. He urges the United States and the European Union to establish a dedicated emergency fund to help the conflict-prone region. Lebanon, one of the most indebted nations in the world, defaulted for the first time in March on its sovereign debt. Anti-government protests that erupted in October over widespread corruption subsided during a nationwide lockdown since mid-March to blunt the spread of the coronavirus, but sporadic protests continue. Diab s government is seeking a rescue program from the International Monetary Fund while grappling to deal with the financial crisis that saw the local currency crash, people s savings devastated and prices and inflation soar in the past few weeks. In a stark warning, Diab says many Lebanese may soon find it difficult to afford even bread.

As nations around the world loosen coronavirus restrictions, people are discovering that ``the new normal is anything but. Yet some realities have emerged: schools, offices, public transport, bars and restaurants are now on the front lines of post-lockdown life. How each of those key sectors manages social distancing and tamps down on expected new outbreaks will determine the shape of daily life for millions as researchers race to develop a vaccine that is still likely months, if not years, away from being available to all. What a return to normal looks like varies widely. For hungry migrant workers in India, it was finally being able to catch trains back to their home villages to farm while city jobs dried up. For hundreds of cruise ship workers stranded at sea for months, it was finally reaching shore Wednesday in Croatia. For wealthy shoppers, it was returning to the newly reopened boutiques of America s iconic Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. In Italy, where good food is an essential part of life itself, once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules. The losses are forecast to pile up to 30 billion euros ($32 billion) this year. ``We have to turn upside down all the activity that we did before, lamented chef Raffaele di Cristo, who now must wear a mask and latex gloves as he prepares food at the popular Corsi Trattoria in Rome. ``Everything is changed. Slowly, slowly, we will try to understand and to adapt to this coronavirus. Corsi reopened for business Monday with half its tables removed to ensure the mandated 1-meter (3-foot) spacing between tables. Hand sanitizing gel was placed at the entrance and a new ordering system was installed so customers can read the menu on their phones. Some shops in Italy have complained about a shortage of gloves keeping away customers. Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia said Wednesday he would change the rules on wearing gloves in clothing stores and shoe shops and substitute sanitizing gel instead. Slovakia reopened theaters, cinemas and shopping malls on Wednesday, all with new restrictions on visitor numbers, even though it has had only 28 deaths from COVID-19. The head of the Dutch hospitality industry welcomed a decision to allow bars and restaurants to reopen on June 1, but warned about the impact of mandatory social distancing rules. ``The restrictions are unfortunately unworkable for many businesses, said Rober Willemsen of Royal Hospitality Netherlands, adding that more government support is needed to ensure the survival of many bars and restaurants. Education is also facing a radical rethink. Cambridge became the first university in Britain to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the upcoming school year, saying they will be held virtually and streamed online until summer 2021. Other institutions have taken different tacks: the California State University system has announced that most classes will be online for the fall. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana will bring students back to campus but redesigned its calendar to start the semester early in August and end before Thanksgiving, along with ordering masks, testing and contact tracing. In South Korea, hundreds of thousands of high school seniors had their temperatures checked and used hand sanitizers as they returned Wednesday, many for the first time since late last year after their new term was repeatedly pushed back. Students and teachers were required wear masks and some schools installed plastic partitions around desks. France is limiting spaces in its primary schools, giving priority to the children of essential workers and those in need. Some younger students even go on alternating days, while high schools remain closed. In the new normal, people s gratitude at being able to shop or eat out again is mingling with worries about job security. Business was slow Wednesday at a Paris farmer s market with a mixed mood among the masked, gloved vendors. A man selling peonies and petunias said he was glad to get out and see shoppers again, while a woman selling asparagus and tomatoes behind a makeshift plastic screen grumbled that her customers were buying less than usual. Fears about job security are not unwarranted. Airline engine maker Rolls-Royce announced plans Wednesday to cut 9,000 workers as it grapples with the collapse in air travel due to the pandemic. In general, those jobs come with good pay and benefits, and losing them is a sharp blow to local communities. Some businesses are adapting quickly to new realities. In Kenya, safari operators have resorted to sharing live broadcasts on social media in hopes that attention to endangered and other species doesn t fade. Many governments, including those in scores of U.S. states, are in fierce disagreement over what the new normal should even be. As beaches reopened in Barcelona, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked lawmakers to back a plan to extend the nation s state of emergency by another two weeks until June 7. Spain s main opposition, the conservative Popular Party, rejected the move. ``You are like a headless chicken running around not knowing what to do, Popular Party leader Pablo Casado told Sanchez. ``To endorse your extension would be irresponsible. While infection rates have been falling in Asia and much of Europe, the pandemic is still spiking in Latin America. Brazil this week became the world s third worst-hit country with more than 250,000 confirmed cases despite limited testing. In Lima, the capital of Peru, coronavirus patients are filling up the city s intensive care beds. ``We re in bad shape, said Pilar Mazzetti, head of the Peruvian government s COVID-19 task force. ``This is war. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that the pandemic could push millions into extreme poverty in Africa, where the virus has reached every country. Guterres said Africa needs more than $200 billion and ``an across-the-board debt standstill for struggling nations. ``(This must be )followed by targeted debt relief and a comprehensive approach to structural issues in the international debt architecture to prevent defaults, he added. More than 4.9 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected by the virus, and over 323,000 deaths have been recorded, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that experts believe is too low for reasons that differ country by country. The United States has seen nearly 92,000 deaths and Europe has had nearly 165,000. Russia and Brazil are now behind only the United States in the number of reported infections, and cases are also spiking in India, South Africa and Mexico. Russia announced Wednesday that its coronavirus caseload has surpassed 300,000, with the death toll almost reaching 3,000.

Opposing sides in Syria s conflict have agreed to reconvene in Geneva for negotiations on the constitution, United Nations Special Envoy Geir Pedersen said on Tuesday, adding that a lull in fighting could provide an opportunity to start healing "deep, deep mistrust" between them. "As soon as the pandemic situation allows, they have agreed to come to Geneva and they have agreed on an agenda for the next meeting," he told journalists. He did not give a date and said that a virtual meeting of the constitutional committee would not be possible. In the same briefing, Pedersen also repeated a message made to the U.N. Security Council on Monday and urged the United States and Russia to talk about a push for peace.

China will provide $2 billion over two years to fight the coronavirus pandemic, President Xi Jinping said Monday, rallying around the World Health Organization and its efforts even as the Trump administration has slashed funding for the U.N. health agency. The European Union s 27-member bloc and other countries, meanwhile, called for an independent evaluation of WHO s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic ``to review experience gained and lessons learned. In a speech to the World Health Assembly, Xi said China had provided all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus genetic sequence, ``in a most timely fashion.`` ``We have shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation, Xi said. ``We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need. The $2 billion over the next two years will support COVID-19 response efforts, particularly in developing countries, Xi said. The EU resolution proposes that the independent evaluation should be initiated ``at the earliest appropriate moment and should, among other issues, examine ``the actions of WHO and their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO announced the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on Jan. 30, its highest level of alert. In the following weeks, WHO warned countries there was a narrowing ``window of opportunity to prevent the virus from spreading globally. WHO officials, however, repeatedly described the transmission of the virus as ``limited and said it wasn t as transmissible as flu; experts have since said COVID-19 spreads even faster. It declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after the virus had killed thousands globally and sparked large epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and elsewhere. Xi said he also supported the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19. ``This work should be based on science and professionalism, led by WHO and conducted in objective and impartial manner, he said.

Bombs hit a shelter for displaced people in Libya s capital Tripoli, killing at least seven people including a 5-year-old child from Bangladesh, health authorities said Sunday. The shelling of the facility in the city s Furnaj district late Saturday also wounded at least 17 people, including a 52-year-old Bengali migrant and his 5-year-old child, Malek Merset, a spokesman for the capital s ambulance services, said. The man is also the father of the dead child. It was the latest attack on civilians in the fighting over Tripoli between the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) led by military commander Khalifa Hifter and an array of militias loosely allied with the U.N.-supported but weak government in the capital. A fire broke out in parts of the shelter housing people displaced by previous clashes in Tripoli, Merset said. The ambulance services did not say which side was responsible for the shelling. The LAAF launched an offensive to take Tripoli in April last year. In recent weeks, the fighting has intensified as foreign backers of the two sides stepped up their military support. LAAF is backed by France and Russia, as well as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries. The Tripoli-allied militias are aided by Turkey, which deployed troops and mercenaries to help shore up their allies earlier this year, as well as by Italy and Qatar. Mercenaries, mainly from the Syria battlefield, are now fighting on both sides and complicating an already complex proxy war. Earlier this year, Tripoli-allied militias took several western towns from LAAF and stepped up their attacks using drones supplied by Turkey on a key military base and the town of Tarhuna. LAAF said Saturday it shot down a Turkish drone that was trying to attack the al-Watiya airbase. The Tripoli-allied militias claimed they destroyed a Russian-made anti-aircraft system, a claim dismissed by the LAAF. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled and later killed long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country has since split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and foreign countries. The Tripoli fighting has threatened to push Libya into a major conflagration on the scale of the 2011 civil war.

Businesses are going belly up, tens of millions have been laid off and, by some measures, the U.S. seems headed for another Great Depression. But Republicans surveying the wreckage aren t ready for another round of coronavirus aid, instead urging a ``pause. It s a position based on a confluence of factors. Polls show GOP voters think the government is already doing enough. Republicans on Capitol Hill are divided over the best approach. Billions approved by Congress have yet to be spent. And it s also unclear what President Donald Trump wants to do next, if anything, to juice the economy _ his payroll tax cut idea hasn t gained any traction on Capitol Hill. For these and other reasons, GOP leaders see an unfolding crisis that does not yet cry out for further action. ``There s just a pragmatic piece to this, which is, if we re going to do another bill, let s get into June and July so we know how people are re-emerging, said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who gave up his leadership post last year to take the top GOP job on the Financial Services Committee. The political balancing act comes as the long-dormant deficit-hawk wing of the GOP lumbers back to life, recoiling from the House Democratic proposal to spend another $3 trillion in taxpayer money. Yet many Republicans concede there is risk to standing pat at a time of massive unemployment, financial struggles for local governments and growing COVID-19 caseloads, particularly with the November election fast approaching. Despite their distaste for further negotiations with Democrats, many Republicans privately see passage of another coronavirus measure as inevitable. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a proponent of the ``pause, said Tuesday that Republicans are ``taking a look at what we ve already done. And we ve added about $3 trillion to the national debt, and assessing the effectiveness of that before deciding to go forward. Yet McConnell also cracked open the door, cautiously, to more legislation, provided that it is ``narrowly targeted. ``I m in discussion, we all are, with the administration. If we reach a decision along with the administration to move to another phase, that ll be the time to interact with the Democrats, he said. Still, recent polls show GOP voters are far more likely to be satisfied with the government s virus response than Democrats. They are less fearful of a second wave of cases as states loosen stay-at-home orders, and they are not clamoring for more aid. ``We re starting to hear grumbling against spending that I haven t heard for a while, said Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a conservative group that has helped promote demonstrations around the country demanding a relaxation of state lockdown orders. On Capitol Hill, the question of what to do next is sowing GOP division. Conservative senators from solidly red states argue that Washington has done enough, and they have been squaring off in meetings with GOP moderates and pragmatists siding with Democrats. The moderates are supportive of fiscal relief for states and local governments, help for the Postal Service, additional jobless aid, and further provisions on testing and tracing for the virus, which has already claimed more than 80,000 lives in the U.S. The conservative senators have influence with Trump, but he doesn t share their fiscal instincts. The president and deputies like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have signaled a willingness to deliver aid to state and local governments _ funding that is a core demand of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. And Trump at one point even floated a massive debt-financed effort on infrastructure, leaving many conservatives aghast. Trump himself has cautioned Republicans against drawing a red line against state and local aid. The president is talking to governors, noted a top House GOP leadership aide who requested anonymity to describe private conversations. The aide emphasized that the president remains extremely popular in most Republican congressional districts and still gives members a lot of cover by going along with him. ``As states begin to reopen we need to wait and see where and what the need is, but the policy process is ongoing at the White House, said a White House aide, requesting anonymity to describe internal dynamics. ``The president has said more help is coming. Many think the next coronavirus bill, when it passes, will be the last one for a while, with Congress likely to maintain an intermittent schedule as the election nears. ``I don t see us coming back before the election so I d rather us get this smart and right rather than shoveling more coal into the fire, and people saying we ll come back and do more, McHenry said. But it s clear that Republicans are dreading another round of negotiations with Democrats. While each of the four prior COVID-19 response measures passed by almost unanimous votes, the outcome required GOP leaders to accept significant legislative victories for Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. They fear another episode in which Mnuchin, a former Democrat, gives them even more. For now, negotiations are in neutral. The Senate is poised to push off the legislative debate until after the Memorial Day break, when Republicans hope the virus will finally begin to ease. ``We will be working in a bipartisan way and with the White House to make sure ... we re addressing the very serious needs of the American people when it becomes both to the health emergency and the economic emergency that they re experiencing right now, said No. 2 Senate Republican John Thune of South Dakota.

Austria said on Wednesday its border with Germany will fully reopen in a month, one of the first big steps to reopen land borders across the EU that have been shut to fight the coronavirus. Austria s conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is pushing for borders with countries that have similarly low infection rates to be reopened. Vienna is working on similar two-step reopenings with Switzerland, Liechtenstein and "neighbouring eastern European countries", his office said. "As of May 15 there will be only spot checks on the German-Austrian border. A full border opening will follow on June 15," Kurz s office said in a statement. Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger told broadcaster ORF the first loosening would allow family visits and business trips. Free movement across Europe is one of the hallmarks of the EU, vital for cultural ties and for reviving the tourism industry. The bloc s executive, the European Commission, is expected to urge member countries on Wednesday to take gradual steps to reopen borders. Austria and Germany both introduced lockdowns early in their outbreaks and have fared comparatively well, with lower death tolls per capita than many European peers. Kurz has been lobbying Germany and his office said the move followed a discussion with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Tourism accounts for about 8% of Austria s economic output and Germany is the biggest source of foreign visitors. Kurz said in a comments broadcast on Tuesday that checks at the Swiss border could be eased within days.

The world s tallest building, Dubai s 828-metre Burj Khalifa, has become a glowing charity donation box, raising money for food for United Arab Emirates residents suffering the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic. Each of the tower s 1.2 million external lights was sold for 10 dirhams ($2.70), enough to buy one meal. As donations came in, the tower filled up , and people could also bid to claim the light at the very top. As the region s tourism and business hub with the world s busiest international airport, Dubai s economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Many people have lost jobs or had incomes reduced. Tens of thousands of migrant workers, who often live in crowded shared accommodation where the virus spreads more easily, have registered to be repatriated. "Hope you have a good solid meal. We take things for granted but life has a way of teaching us how to wake up," said donor Shereen Harris in a public comment on the campaign s website. The UAE has recorded 19,661 cases of infection with COVID-19 and 203 deaths, the second highest death toll after Saudi Arabia of the six Gulf states. The donation box has raised funds for more than 1.2 million meals so far, organising body The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) said. The fundraising drive is part of a campaign to fund 10 million meals for low-income families during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan by MBRGI, patronised by Dubai s ruler and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

One Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an exercise, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iran s navy said on Monday. The incident took place during training in the Gulf of Oman, a sensitive waterway that connects to the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Iran regularly conducts exercises in the area. The frigate Jamaran fired at a training target released by a support ship, the Konarak. However, the support ship stayed too close to the target and was hit, state broadcaster IRIB said. "The incident took place in the perimeter of Iran’s southern Bandar-e Jask port on the Gulf of Oman during Iranian Navy drills on Sunday afternoon, in which 19 sailors were killed and 15 others were injured," state TV said, quoting the navy. Fars news agency quoted an unidentified military official as denying some Iranian media reports that the Konarak had sunk. The navy statement said investigations were undergoing regarding the cause of the incident, student news agency ISNA said. IRIB said the Dutch-made Konarak vessel, which was purchased before Iran s 1979 Islamic revolution, had been overhauled in 2018, and is equipped with four cruise missiles. The incident took place at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States since 2018, when the United States withdrew from a nuclear deal between major powers and Iran, and Washington re-imposed sanctions on Tehran. Animosity deepened in early January when a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. Iran retaliated on Jan. 9 by firing missiles at U.S. military bases in Iraq. Later that day, Iran s armed forces shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people aboard, in what the military later acknowledged was a mistake.

The number of coronavirus cases worldwide topped four million as some of the hardest-hit countries readied Sunday to lift lockdown restrictions despite concern about a second wave of infections. Governments around the world are trying to stop the spread of the deadly disease while scrambling for ways to relieve pressure on their economies, which are facing a historic downturn with millions pushed into unemployment. Despite the intense political pressure to reopen, nations are also keen to avoid second waves of infections that could overwhelm healthcare systems, with reminders over the weekend of the threat posed by the virus. In the United States, media reported Saturday that the nation s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, was among three members of the White House coronavirus task force who will self-isolate after potential exposure. And in South Korea, the capital Seoul shut all bars and clubs on Saturday as more than 50 cases were linked to a man who tested positive after spending time in one of the city s busiest nightlife districts. Despite the risks, some governments in hard-hit Europe have said are signs of progress that justify cautious steps towards normality. Officials in France on Saturday said the day s death toll of 80 was the lowest since early April, while nursing home fatalities also fell sharply as the nation prepared to relax curbs on public movement imposed eight weeks ago. The easing, to begin Monday, has brought mixed reactions. "I ve been scared to death" about the reopening, said Maya Flandin, a bookshop manager from Lyon. "It s a big responsibility to have to protect my staff and my customers." French health officials have warned that social distancing must be kept up even as restrictions are eased. In Spain, about half the population will be allowed out on Monday for limited socialisation, and restaurants will be able to offer some outdoor service as the country begins a phased transition set to last through June. With lingering fears of a resurgence, authorities excluded Madrid and Barcelona -- two COVID-19 hotspots -- from the first phase. Belgium is also easing some restrictions on Monday, and in some parts of Germany, bars and restaurants reopened on Saturday with further easing set for Monday. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected Sunday to lay out a plan for the nation to emerge out of its current lockdown. Media reports have suggested that Britain may introduce a mandatory 14-day quarantine for international arrivals to stop the spread of the virus. Absolute chaotic disaster Global economic figures are pointing to the most acute downturn in nearly a century, with businesses forced to shut and supply lines badly disrupted, and pressure is growing on leaders around the world to find a way out as the worldwide death toll topped 277,000 and infections crossed four million. In the United States, the country with the highest death toll and where more than 20 million people have lost their jobs, President Donald Trump has insisted that next year would be "phenomenal" for the economy, urging reopening despite the virus still claiming well over 1,000 lives daily in the country. The scale of the challenge was brought in sharp focus over the weekend as US media reported that top disease expert Anthony Fauci, who has become the trusted face of the government response to the pandemic, is going to self-isolate after possible exposure to an infected White House staffer. Fauci told CNN that he will undergo a "modified quarantine" as he had not been in close proximity to the staffer, the network reported. He will remain at home teleworking, and will wear a mask for two weeks. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, will also self-isolate, CNN added. All three will still testify at Tuesday s Senate coronavirus hearing, with Redfield and Hahn participating via video link, according to Senator Lamar Alexander, chairman of the chamber s health committee. It is believed Fauci will attend wearing a mask, CNN reported. President Trump has faced sharp criticism from his predecessor Barack Obama, who said on a leaked tape that Trump s handling of the crisis was an "absolute chaotic disaster". Complete nonsense With people wearying of being indoors and under economic pressure, anti-lockdown protests have been held in a number of countries in recent weeks, with some demonstrators arguing that such restrictions violate their rights and others promoting conspiracy theories about the pandemic. Ten people were arrested and a police officer injured in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday in the latest such protest, where around 150 people gathered to demand an end to the shutdown. Participants were promoting a number of conspiracy theories, such as linking 5G cellular communications to the disease. Australian chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said there was "a lot of very silly misinformation out there", including the 5G allegation. "I have unfortunately received a lot of communication from these conspiracy theorists myself," he said. "It is complete nonsense. 5G has got nothing at all to do with coronavirus."

North Africans say they are missing the taste of Ramadan, as coronavirus restrictions deprive them of traditional mealtime gatherings, evening outings and beloved sweets during the Muslim holy month. "It s not the usual Ramadan," said one woman shopping in Ariana, near the capital Tunis, looking desperately for the cakes and sweets that normally fill the stalls during the fasting month. Ramadan is traditionally a time for worship and socialising. The faithful refrain from consuming food and water during the day, breaking their fast at dusk with family and friends for a meal known as iftar, and often going out afterwards. But this year, social distancing measures have largely put a stop to the usual Ramadan traditions. Mosques in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have been closed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, preventing special evening prayers. There are no long nights of musical gatherings, and in the medina of Tunis, there are no Sufi-inspired "hadra" chants and no "stambali" -- a mystical trance dance ritual. The old cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Tunis, normally crowded after iftar, are like ghost towns. "Even the meals that bring all the family together around the same table are impossible -- I m afraid for my parents, who are elderly and sick", said Maissa, a 46-year-old teacher from Algiers. "The coronavirus has taken all the flavour out of the holy month this year," said the mother-of-four. - Unprecedented - In Morocco, dates -- a Ramadan staple -- and sweets are still available at the markets or in supermarkets. "But I can t travel to have iftar at my parents place" due to the night-time curfew, lamented one 35-year-old teacher who lives alone in Marrakesh. "No cafes, no people in the mosques... it s unprecedented", he said. In Algeria, after businesses were allowed to reopen at the start of Ramadan in April, crowding led authorities to reimpose closures in some areas. Some in the capital Algiers travelled to Boufarik -- around 30 kilometres (18 miles) away in Blida province, the epicentre of the country s virus outbreak in early March -- for a sugary sweet known as zlabia. One man, Salem, said that in 30 years he had never failed to have zlabia from Boufarik on the table for Ramadan, but this year he came back empty-handed. "Most of the stalls are closed and those that are open are crowded, so I turned back", the 51-year-old said. Authorities in Algeria have even prohibited community restaurants and soup kitchens where volunteers serve meals to the poor during the holy month. Fekhreddine Zerrouki said his charity organisation had planned to serve more than 1,500 meals a day, but was doing deliveries instead. Samir, a volunteer with the Algerian Red Crescent, said the number of people benefiting from such Ramadan charity initiatives was "very low compared to the number of people in need". "We are missing the taste of Ramadan because of the lack of zlabia or the lost evenings, but some people don t even have dates for breaking their fast", he said.

Lebanese must set aside their differences as the country has no time to lose in tackling its major financial crisis, Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned on Wednesday, saying a government recovery plan was not a sacred text and could be amended. The government approved the plan last week, announcing that it would form the basis of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for aid. Diab was speaking at a meeting of Lebanon s fractious sectarian leadership to review the plan, which maps out vast losses in the financial system. President Michel Aoun said the IMF was a "mandatory path" for recovery. The government proposals have encountered strong criticism from the commercial banking sector which, according to the plan, is set to sustain losses of some $83.2 billion. "Time is very precious. The accumulated losses are very big. The situation is very painful, and the chance to rectify (the situation) will not last long," Diab told the meeting convened at the presidential palace. He urged political parties, economic syndicates and the banks to set aside differences. There was no place for score-settling, he said, adding that trading accusations would be "costly for all". Diab s government was appointed in January with backing from the powerful, Iran-backed Shi ite group Hezbollah and its allies including the Christian Maronite head of state, President Michel Aoun. Leading Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri, a former prime minister and traditional ally of Gulf Arab and Western states, did not attend the meeting. Neither did Druze leader Walid Jumblatt though Aoun s Maronite rival, Samir Geagea, attended. The crisis is seen as the greatest risk to stability since the 1975-90 civil war. The local currency has lost more than half its value since October and depositors have largely been shut out of their savings as dollars have become ever more scarce. Inflation, unemployment and poverty have soared. Lebanon defaulted on its sovereign debt in March. Addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni said Lebanon had started negotiations to restructure its sovereign debt two weeks ago. The benefits of going to the IMF included boosting international confidence in Lebanon and the provision of financial support of $9-$10 billion for the treasury, he said. The plan adopts a flexible exchange rate in the coming phase but in "a gradual and studied" way, Wazni said. He said floating the exchange rate before restoring confidence and securing international support would lead to a big deterioration in the value of the pound, among other negative consequences.

Israeli airstrikes in eastern Syria killed 14 Iranian and Iraqi fighters and wounded others, some seriously, an opposition war monitoring group said Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the late Monday strikes in eastern Deir el-Zour province targeted positions of Iranian and Iran-backed fighters. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Syria s state news agency reported late Monday that Israeli strikes targeted military depots in the region of Safira, south of the northern city of Aleppo. It did not mention the strikes on Deir el-Zour province, which borders Iran. There have recently been several reports of suspected Israeli strikes inside Syria, the most recent one last week, when the Syrian military and state media said Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing three civilians. Israel rarely comments on such reports, although it has acknowledged carrying out airstrikes inside Syria on numerous occasions in the course of Syria s nine-year conflict, saying it was going after Iranian military targets in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in August that Iran has no immunity anywhere and that the Israeli military forces ``will act _ and currently are acting _ against them.

Iran s parliament has passed a bill allowing the government to slash four zeros from the rial, Iranian state media reported on Monday, after a sharp fall in the value of the currency as a result of crippling U.S. sanctions. Iran s national currency will be changed from the rial to the Toman, which is equal to 10,000 rials, under the bill. "The bill to remove four zeros from the national currency was approved by lawmakers," Iran s Students News Agency ISNA reported. The bill needs to be approved by the clerical body that vets legislation before it takes effect. Iran s state TV said the Central Bank of Iran will have two years to "pave the ground to change the currency to Toman". The idea of removing four zeros has been floated since 2008, but gained strength after 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump exited Iran s 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, as the rial lost more than 60% of its value. The Iranian currency was trading at about 156,000 rials per dollar on the unofficial market on Monday, according to foreign exchange websites. Iran s weak currency and high inflation have led to sporadic street protests since late 2017.