The “Islamic State” has taken advantage of a nationwide lockdown and withdrawal of US-led coalition troops to ramp up attacks. The remnants of the “Islamic State” (IS) terror group are becoming more active in Iraq and Syria amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Sunni Islamist rebel group was broadly defeated in 2017, but its sleeper cells have seen a spike in activity in the past month. On Saturday, IS killed 10 Iraqi paramilitaries in an ambush in a province close to the capital Baghdad. In the last week of April, a suicide bomber from the terror group killed three security guards outside a government building in Kirkuk. IS has also killed 32 Syrian soldiers and damaged two oil fields. “Combat operations have reached a level we haven t seen in a while,” Hisham al-Hashemi, a security expert on Iraq, told news agency AFP. He added that IS was also trying to re-establish its funding, smuggling routes and hideouts. US intelligence reports estimate that around 2,500-3,000 IS fighters remain operational in Iraq; intelligence officials in Baghdad say a further 500 fighters, some of whom had escaped from prison, recently slipped across the Syrian border. Qubad Talabani, the deputy prime minister of Iraq s Kurdish region, called a resurgence of IS a “real threat” in an interview with the Associated Press. “They are mobilizing and killing us in the north and they will start hitting Baghdad soon,” he said. IS taking advantage of redeployment of troops The resurgence of the IS comes at a time when US-led coalition forces have started to withdraw their forces from bases in Iraq and Iraqi troops are being redeployed to enforce a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Political uncertainty may also be playing a role, as Iraq is currently struggling to form a new government. However, according to some officials, the nature of the latest attacks have been “crude and elementary,” and do not necessarily point to the group being capable of reclaiming large chunks of territory as in 2014. Sam Heller, an independent analyst, told AFP that the recent activities were “seemingly indicative of the group s more aggressive posture, not necessarily new and impressive capabilities.” The “Islamic State” has taken advantage of a nationwide lockdown and withdrawal of US-led coalition troops to ramp up attacks. The remnants of the “Islamic State” (IS) terror group are becoming more active in Iraq and Syria amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Sunni Islamist rebel group was broadly defeated in 2017, but its sleeper cells have seen a spike in activity in the past month. On Saturday, IS killed 10 Iraqi paramilitaries in an ambush in a province close to the capital Baghdad. In the last week of April, a suicide bomber from the terror group killed three security guards outside a government building in Kirkuk. IS has also killed 32 Syrian soldiers and damaged two oil fields. “Combat operations have reached a level we haven t seen in a while,” Hisham al-Hashemi, a security expert on Iraq, told news agency AFP. He added that IS was also trying to re-establish its funding, smuggling routes and hideouts. US intelligence reports estimate that around 2,500-3,000 IS fighters remain operational in Iraq; intelligence officials in Baghdad say a further 500 fighters, some of whom had escaped from prison, recently slipped across the Syrian border. Qubad Talabani, the deputy prime minister of Iraq s Kurdish region, called a resurgence of IS a “real threat” in an interview with the Associated Press. “They are mobilizing and killing us in the north and they will start hitting Baghdad soon,” he said. IS taking advantage of redeployment of troops The resurgence of the IS comes at a time when US-led coalition forces have started to withdraw their forces from bases in Iraq and Iraqi troops are being redeployed to enforce a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Political uncertainty may also be playing a role, as Iraq is currently struggling to form a new government. However, according to some officials, the nature of the latest attacks have been “crude and elementary,” and do not necessarily point to the group being capable of reclaiming large chunks of territory as in 2014. Sam Heller, an independent analyst, told AFP that the recent activities were “seemingly indicative of the group s more aggressive posture, not necessarily new and impressive capabilities.”

Egypt s Interior Ministry announced in a Sunday statement that 18 militants have been killed in North Sinai by Egyptian police forces in shootouts near North Sinai s city of Bir al-Abd. According to the statement, the group was planning to carry out terrorist attacks targeting army and police personnel. The National Security Agency had been tipped off regrading the hideout of a terrorist group on the outskirts of Bir al-Abd, which they were using to plot out the attacks. Security forces and the militants exchanged fire at the location, leading to the deaths of 18 terrorists, the statement described. Police seized six automatic guns, three improvised explosive devices, and two explosive belts according to the Interior Ministry s statement. The statement added that the Interior Ministry is continuing to track down militant extremist groups seeking to carry out attacks in Egypt and abroad. Police filed a report on the militants deaths and referred it to the Supreme State Security Prosecution for further investigation. On Thursday military spokesman Tamer al-Refai said that an explosive device targeted an armored vehicle south of the city of Bir al-Abd, causing 10 casualties. Refai stated that 10 soldiers were either killed or wounded in the incident, but did not specify how many had died. There was at least one officer in the group. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave his condolences in a post on Facebook, praising the soldiers as “heroes” and “martyrs.” The Egyptian military has for years been waging a bloody insurgency against Islamist militants in Egypt. Violence escalated in 2013, following the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi by the army. Scores of Egyptian security personnel have been killed in attacks, primarily by militants from a local affiliate of the Islamic State group. In 2018, Egyptian security forces launched a nationwide operation targeting militants, focusing on the restive North Sinai region. According to army data, at least 845 suspected militants have been killed in the region along with more than 60 security personnel.

Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Church announced Thursday it will allow marriage ceremonies with a limited number of attendees to be held in churches and conducted in homes. “Pope Tawadros II decided to allow marriage prayers to be held at churches and at home, after the bride and groom sign a statement that they are committed to allowing only six guests to attend, alongside one priest and a deacon,” the church said in a statement. The Coptic Orthodox Church ordered last month all its churches to shut their doors and suspend mass as part of measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak. The church said the new decision was taken as marriage ceremonies take place more often during the Holy 50 Days which follow the Holy Great Fast of the Coptic Church that lasts for 55 days, and is followed by the Apostles Fast for more than month. All health guidance and prevention and safety measures will be strictly followed during the ceremonies, it added. Christians make up around 10 percent of Egypt s population of 100 million. The vast majority of the country s Christians are orthodox. Earlier this week, the church announced two coronavirus cases among its clergymen. Egypt has 5,268 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 380 fatalities. Some 1,335 previously confirmed cases have recovered.

At least 46 people were killed by a fuel truck blast in northern Syria on Tuesday. The explosion took place in a market in Afrin, a city controlled by Turkish-backed rebel fighters. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least six Turkish-backed rebel fighters were among the dead. There are fears that the death toll could rise as 50 people are reported to be wounded, with some in critical condition. While it s not clear who was behind the blast, the Turkish Defense Ministry blamed the Kurdish People s Protection Units (YPG) in a statement posted on Twitter. The YPG is viewed as a “terrorist” offshoot of the Kurdistan Worker s Party (PKK), which has been waging a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. “The enemy of humanity PKK/YPG has once again targeted innocent civilians in Afrin,” the ministry said. According to activists, several people were burned to death in the blast, including some who were stuck inside their vehicles. Videos and photographs of the aftermath show charred bodies covered with blankets in ambulances and a hospital yard. Afrin, a mainly Kurdish enclave, was captured by the Turkish army and allied Syrian rebel fighters in 2018. In the last few months the city has witnessed a string of car bombings, but Tuesday s blast was one of the biggest.

BEIRUT (AP) — Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in northern Lebanon Monday amid a crash in the local currency and a surge in food prices. Dozens of young men smashed the fronts of local banks and set fire to an army vehicle, as the protests turned into riots. The Red Cross said its teams were working on evacuating wounded people in Tripoli, Lebanon s second largest city and one of the most neglected regions in Lebanon. Scattered anti-government protests resumed last week as the government began easing the weeks-long lockdown to limit the spread of the new coronavirus in Lebanon, which has reported 710 cases and 24 deaths so far. The number of registered cases has dropped over the past two weeks, leading to the shortening of the nighttime curfew by one hour and allowing some businesses to resume work on Monday. The virus outbreak has exacerbated a severe economic and financial crisis gripping the country since late last year, the most serious to hit Lebanon since the end of its 1975-90 civil war. The Lebanese national currency hit a new record low over the weekend, with 4,000 pounds to the dollar on the black market while the official price remained at 1,507 pounds. Tripoli is the capital of northern Lebanon, where unemployment is among the highest in the country and poverty is widespread. Earlier Monday, scattered anti-government protests broke out in several parts of the country, leading to road closures that prevented medical teams from setting out from Beirut to conduct coronavirus tests across the country. The Health Ministry said its teams would try again on Tuesday, urging protesters to let the paramedics work to evaluate the spread of the virus in the tiny country of five million people. Around noon Monday, Lebanese troops forcefully removed dozens of protesters from a major highway in Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut, and traffic resumed. Shortly afterward, it was blocked again with burning tires. The Lebanese army said it respects the people s right to protest as long as the protesters don t close roads or attack public and private property. “Our demands are simple and we are not asking for the impossible,” said protester George Ghanem in Zouk Mosbeh, citing early parliamentary elections and an independent judiciary. “We want to live in dignity […] we will continue and no one will remove us from the street.” A woman carried a placard reading: “My salary buys me two cartons of milk.” On Sunday night, the Central Bank of Lebanon issued a circular instructing currency exchange shops not to sell the dollar for more than 3,200 pounds. On Monday, most exchange shops were not selling dollars, saying clients who have dollars are refusing to exchange their hard currency at such a low price. Earlier over the weekend, several banks in northern and southern Lebanon were attacked, some with firebombs, reflecting rising public anger against banks that have imposed capital controls on people s accounts. In a sign of the deepening crisis, Lebanon s Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Friday accused the longtime Central Bank governor, Riad Salameh, of orchestrating the local currency s crash, and criticized what he called the governor s “opaque” policies that the premier said covered up major banking sector losses and capital flight. Also Monday, Lebanon s energy minister Raymond Ghajar said that initial results of drilling off the Lebanese coast show that there is gas on different depths in the first well ever dug in the country s waters. The minister added that it has not been proven yet if there is a reservoir in bloc 4 where drilling is taking place. Cash strapped-Lebanon has put high hopes on its first offshore exploratory drilling for oil and gas, launched in February. In 2017, Lebanon approved the licenses for an international consortium led by France s Total, Italy s ENI and Russia s Novatek to move forward with offshore oil and gas development for two of 10 blocks in the Mediterranean Sea, including one that is partly claimed by Israel. Lebanon is one of the world s most indebted countries and has been grappling with a liquidity crunch, an economic recession and rising unemployment.

Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Church has announced the first-ever coronavirus cases detected among its clergymen after two priests tested positive for the virus, church officials confirmed to Ahram Online. Church spokesman Boulis Halim told Ahram Online on Monday that Reverend Bishoy Naroz, a monk at Qena s Church of the Virgin Mary, tested positive for the virus. Father Amonious Fares, deputy of the Archbishopric of Qena, said in press statements that Naroz felt unwell and showed symptoms during Maundy Thursday, or the Thursday before Easter. He later isolated himself before testing positive for the virus, Fares said, adding that he is now in stable condition. Priest Bishoy, the media coordinator of Coptic Orthodox Damietta Diocese, told Ahram Online that the deputy archbishopric of Damietta, Sarabamon Mitry, also tested positive for the disease. He added that Mitry has been receiving treatment at a Kafr El-Sheikh isolation hospital since his admission a month ago. “No other cases were detected among the Archbishopric s priests,” he said. The source of infection remains unknown. The announcement comes nearly a month after Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Church confirmed that Reverend Yacob N. Ghaly of the Virgin Mary and St. Pachomius Coptic Orthodox Church in New York tested positive for the virus. The Church is continuing its shutdown of all churches nationwide and the suspension of masses as part of the preventative measures implemented by the state to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The measures also include the closure of church halls designated for funeral services and the limiting of funeral services to the family of the deceased only. The Church has also ordered that every diocese designates only one church for funerals and banned visits to monasteries. The restrictions disrupted Easter mass celebrations, with the mass held with no public participation. Coptic Orthodox Christians – who comprise a substantial majority of Christians in Egypt – celebrated at home due to a nationwide night-time curfew and the suspension of prayers and activities at all houses of worship. Egypt reported on Monday its highest single-day coronavirus death toll at 20, plus 248 new infections, bringing the total number of cases to 4,782 and 337 deaths.

A Coptic Christian carpenter from a Minya Governorate village surprised his Muslim neighbors by gifting them a giant hand-made lantern for Ramadan. Armanius Fawzy, from the village of al-Hataheta in Samalout city, dubbed his four-meter tall lantern the “Fanous al-Mahaba” (Lantern of Love). After the idea came to him Fawzy said he constructed the lantern at his own expense. He placed it in front of the mosque s village as a show of solidarity with his neighbors and friends. Fawzy added that he had completed the lantern one week before the start of Ramadan, and the idea was warmly welcomed by all villagers. “The motivation was that I found love from many people who deserved that I reproach them with the same love. Our village is an example of coexistence between Muslims and Coptic Christians,” he said. Fawzy added that the village s Coptic christian youth turned down transporting the lantern by car – instead, they carried it by hand over 300 meters from St. Mary Gerges Church to the eastern mosque in the village. The Muslim villagers were greatly pleased by the lantern and hailed it as a “great celebration” for Ramadan, Fawzy said. In a previous Ramadan, Fawzy said he had participated with some Muslim villagers to collect donations and distribute food to the poor. He hoped to push Copts to participate and donate as well. “I have succeeded in achieving my goal, which is to make the people of the village happy in the blessed month of Ramadan.”

BERLIN (AP) — Two former members of Syria s secret police appeared in court in Germany on Thursday accused of crimes against humanity for their role in a government-run detention center where thousands of opposition protesters were tortured. The trial of Anwar R. and Eyad A., whose last names weren t released because of German privacy rules, is the first time that representatives of the Syrian government have faced trial abroad for war crimes allegedly committed during the country s years-long conflict. The two men, who were arrested in Germany early last year, face testimony from several Syrian refugees who allege they were tortured at the detention center known as Al Khatib, or Branch 251, near Damascus. Federal prosecutors allege 57-year-old Anwar R. was in charge of the site and thereby responsible for crimes against humanity, rape and the murder of at least 58 people there. The indictment by German prosecutors accuses him of complicity in more than 4,000 cases of torture. Eyad A., 43, is accused of being part of a police squad that detained protesters and brought them back to Branch 251, where they were then mistreated. At least nine torture victims are represented as co-plaintiffs in the case, as allowed under German law. They and several others are expected to be called as witnesses. They are supported by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. If convicted, Anwar R. could face life imprisonment. Eyad A. could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted of complicity in crimes against humanity. The defendants lawyers declined to comment to reporters ahead of the trial, which is scheduled to last several months. The men, who themselves left Syria for Germany before their arrest in February 2019, remain in prison. The trial has been described as a pivotal moment in the effort to bring Syrian officials accused of crimes to justice. A United Nations expert panel published a report two years ago detailing the extent to which prisoner abuse is widespread in Syria, particularly in government detention centers. “The criminal trial starting today for crimes against humanity by the Syrian regime is historic,” said Germany s justice minister, Christine Lambrecht. “For the first time thousands of instances of torture and abuse are being prosecuted before an independent court in Germany,” she said. “This sends a clear message: War criminals must not feel safe anywhere.” Lambrecht said the trial would send a “signal of hope” to many who have fallen victim to crimes at the hands of the Syrian government. More than 700,000 Syrian asylum seekers have found refuge in Germany in recent years, including Wassim Mukdad, who plans to testify in court. “This trial is not only important for us personally” said Mukdad. “It is also important for the victims who are alive, who have also been in prison and also for the victims who are no longer alive.” “The first time in my life that I experienced a fair trial,” Hussein Ghrer, another co-plaintiff represented in Koblenz, said. “We want to reveal the truth about the system of torture in Syria.” The Koblenz regional court, where the trial is being held, has reduced the number of seats available to reporters and the general public by a third due to social distancing rules to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian attacker was shot and killed on Wednesday after he rammed his vehicle into an Israeli checkpoint and stabbed a police officer there, Israeli police said. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the attack took place near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and a sweep of the area found a pipe bomb at the scene. The Israeli policeman was moderately wounded, he said. Video footage of the incident shows a white van veering off a road onto the curb and ramming into the officer, hurtling him several feet back. The assailant is then seen jumping out of the vehicle with what looks like a pair of scissors and lunging at the injured policeman. A scuffle ensues with the policeman retreating and the assailant giving chase before other officers on the scene pursue him off camera. Police said the other officers on the scene eventually shot the attacker and killed him. There were no other details about the Palestinian s identity. Such Palestinian attacks on Israeli police and military positions in the West Bank have been a frequent occurrence in recent years but have tapered off significantly in recent months, especially since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the region pushed many indoors. However, earlier this week, Israeli forces thwarted a potential attack with Palestinians hurling firebombs at Israeli vehicles.

CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations on Monday warned of rapidly escalating violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Libya, which it said could amount to war crimes. While the UN Mission in Libya did not identify a perpetrator, it detailed a “dramatic increase” of indiscriminate shelling on densely populated civilian areas in the capital, Tripoli, that killed five civilians and wounded 28 over the past few days. Eastern-based forces under the command of Khalifa Hafter have been laying siege to Tripoli since last April, trying to wrest the city from the UN-backed government. The fighting has settled into a chaotic stalemate. Buttressed by Turkish air power, Western militias allied with the beleaguered Tripoli government, known as the Government of National Accord, have even reversed the tide in recent weeks and regained lost ground along the western coast. GNA forces over the weekend attacked Tarhuna, the main western stronghold and supply line of Hafter s forces 45 miles southeast of Tripoli. Over the past weeks, Hafter s forces have launched rockets at civilian targets, including health facilities. Intensified shelling of Tripoli has sent thousands of people fleeing from their homes despite a lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In the latest assault, Grad rockets launched by Hafter s forces struck two field hospitals, wounding five medical workers on Monday, according to the Tripoli-based health ministry. Last week, the UN said, artillery shells damaged the intensive care unit of Tripoli s Royal Hospital, a blow to an already strained health care system struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN also expressed concern about the fate of civilians in Tarhuna following the GNA s military offensive. Without naming Western-based forces, it lamented arbitrary arrests, abuse of civilians and fighters and electricity and gas supply cut-offs, which it said amounted to “collective punishment” in the strategic city. GNA forces claimed battlefield gains around Tarhuna, while Hafter s forces said they thwarted the attack. Both sides reported killing and capturing rival militiamen. The Tribal Council of Tarhuna released a statement on Monday that local official Sheikh Al-Abed Mohamed Al-Hadi and his sons had been shot dead when western militias stormed their home over the weekend, suggesting that fighters had committed other such crimes with impunity. The UN renewed its plea for a humanitarian truce so Libyan authorities can address the COVID-19 health emergency, urging a halt to the increasing “indiscriminate” and “flagrant” attacks.

A gunman who drove a mock-up police car killed at least 16 people including a female constable in a shooting rampage across Nova Scotia, Canadian federal police said Sunday, the worst case of its kind in the country’s history. The shooter, identified as Gabriel Wortman, 51, was shot dead by officers after a 12-hour manhunt across the eastern province ended Sunday morning. Among the victims was a veteran female constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which also handles municipal and provincial law enforcement in the province. Police said the suspect had been on the run since Saturday night, when officers were alerted to shots fired in the town of Portapique, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Halifax. Gun violence in Canada is far less frequent than in the neighboring United States, and weapons more strictly controlled, but the killings were the country’s worst ever, exceeding the toll in 1989 when a gunman murdered 14 female students at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique. “This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history,” said Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil. Public broadcaster CBC quoted RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki as saying police know of at least 16 victims, besides the shooter. “What has unfolded overnight and into this morning is incomprehensible and many families are experiencing the loss of a loved one,” Nova Scotia RCMP commanding officer, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, wrote on the force’s local Facebook page. Bergerman said the dead included Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the force. In addition to Stevenson, a mother of two, a male officer was injured and was in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Bergerman said. The National Post newspaper said another victim was an elementary school teacher, citing a Facebook post from the woman’s sister. Several victims were discovered both outside and inside a house in Portapique, sparking the manhunt through multiple communities, police said. “The search for the suspect ended this morning when the suspect was located. And I can confirm that he is deceased,” RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather told a press conference. Leather said that at one point, the suspect appeared to be wearing part of a police uniform and was driving a vehicle made to look like an RCMP cruiser. Fires burned RCMP tweeted several times that he was not an officer and warned he was considered “armed and dangerous.” “The initial search for the suspect led to multiple sites in the area, including structures that were on fire,” Leather told the news conference. He said: “There are several locations across the province where persons have been killed.” Leather said the gunman had exchanged fire with police at one point. “Our officers were involved in terminating the threat,” he said, adding that the independent Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), which probes certain incidents involving the province’s police, was now handling that part of the investigation. SiRT said in a statement that a confrontation had occurred in Enfield, which is near Halifax airport, “resulting in officers discharging their firearms. The suspect was found to be deceased at the scene.” Police said they had no indication of a motive and that the killer had acted alone. “We believe it to be one person who’s responsible for all the killings and that he alone moved across the northern part of the province and committed, it would appear, several homicides,” said Leather. Several of the victims did not appear to be related to the shooter, he said, but added that the “the fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act.” Leather said police would be investigating if there was any connection to the coronavirus, which has seen non-essential businesses closed under measures to combat the pandemic. “That certainly is an aspect that we will look at, we’ll examine, but we have not yet determined if there is any link to the COVID-19 crisis,” he said. Media reports said the shooter was a denturist with clinics in Halifax and Dartmouth. Dentists in Nova Scotia have been ordered to close unless needed for emergency procedures. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that he “was saddened to learn about the senseless violence in Nova Scotia,” and he hoped for a full recovery of the wounded. The National Post quoted Tom Taggart, a councilor who represents Portapique in the Municipality of Colchester, as saying the community was devastated. He described the community as a “subdivision in the woods where people have acre lots along the shore,” and where Wortman owned three properties. “It’s absolutely unbelievable this could happen in our community. I never dreamt this would happen here,” Taggart said.

CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian policeman and seven suspected militants were killed on Tuesday in an exchange of gunfire, the ministry of interior said in a statement late on Tuesday. It said three other policemen had also been wounded. The exchange took place in the al-Amiyira district of Cairo, the public prosecutor said in a statement. The ministry received information “that there is a terrorist cell, whose elements embrace Takfiri ideology, using several areas as a shelter in eastern and southern Cairo as a starting point to carry out terrorist operations,” the statement said. Egypt uses the term “takfiri” to refer to Islamist militants who often accuse their victims of being infidels. Two private television stations broadcast what they called footage of the shooting, which Reuters was not immediately able to verify, and asked residents to stay indoors. Weapons and ammunition were found with the suspects, the ministry said. The public prosecutor said a team of investigators has been dispatched to the scene of the attack. Egypt has been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. The military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in 2018, focusing on the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The last major attack was in November 2017 when militants killed more than 300 people in an attack on a mosque in north Sinai, the deadliest such incident in the Arab world s most populous country.

With all Holy Week prayers cancelled, Egypt s Coptic Christians have resorted to traditional celebrations and rituals to accompany their Holy Week occasion. A pastor at the Church of Anba Bishoy in New Minya, Usab Ezzay, said that the church is celebrating Holy Wednesday which sees the church remember Judas, the disciple of Jesus who sold him out to Jewish priests in exchange for 30 silver pieces. Starting Wednesday night until Saturday, the church forbids handshakes and kisses after the end of prayers to protest Judas s treacherous kiss. The occasion is also referred to as “Ayyoub Wednesday” because of the Prophet Ayyoub (Job), according to Ezzat, who explained how his story in the Old Testament would be read in prayers of this evening. This story, known also as “The Book of Job”, is studied by the church due to its similarities with Jesus s life – from the intense suffering he endured to the triumphant ending. Holy Wednesday celebrations also coincide with the appearance of the first wheat crop grains, which the Copts exchange in celebrations and make dolls out of symbolizing goodness and optimism. This habit extends back to Ancient Egypt and celebrates the success and abundances of crops. These dolls are then hung at the entrance of houses and gates at this time each year, and typically left there throughout the year until the next year, where they are replaced with new ones.

Perched over the gaping roof of Notre-Dame, a crane stands idle above the silent Paris cathedral, where repair work has ground to a halt one year after the monstrous blaze that nearly destroyed one of the world s most revered monuments. Millions around the world watched in horror last April 15 as firefighters battled through the night to save the 13th-century masterpiece from the fire, which ravaged its roof and toppled the steeple. French President Emmanuel Macron promised a herculean effort to have the UNESCO heritage site restored within five years, in time for the Paris Olympics of 2024. But France s lockdown to combat the coronavirus — which has forced a full suspension of work at the site — is making that goal even more unlikely than before. Work had already been delayed for months by decontamination efforts after more than 300 tonnes of lead from the roof melted in the blaze, covering the site in toxic particles that have proven hard to remove. And the fragile structure remains at risk despite the massive wooden beams propping up the arches and gables. Authorities had to halt work several times over the winter when winds surpassed 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour). The 60 to 70 workers normally on site have not even removed the tangled web of metal scaffolding tubes that fused together in the inferno, which erupted during renovation work on the roof. Until they do, they cannot install a more durable temporary roof to protect the church s priceless artworks from rain. Although investigators have still not determined the cause of the fire, prosecutors suspect faulty electrical wiring or a poorly extinguished cigarette. – Monumental tasks – Jean-Louis Georgelin, the five-star general and fervent Catholic in charge of the renovation, is hoping to resume work soon, perhaps by his “squirrels,” who hang by ropes to reach areas where it is too dangerous to walk. “For these technicians, these tightrope walkers, social distancing is part of the job,” Georgelin told AFP. Much of the debris has been removed from the nave, which allowed Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit to hold a small Good Friday ceremony in the church last week. But mounds of debris still have to be cleared above the massive vaulted roof, a more delicate operation that was supposed to be finished this summer. Notre-Dame s renowned organ must also be removed to have its nearly 8,000 pipes painstakingly cleaned from the layer of lead dust deposited by the melting of the roof and spire. Countless other cleaning and restoration operations await, and the project s chief architect Philippe Villeneuve has warned that new challenges could arise as the work progresses. Even the esplanade in front of Notre-Dame remains off limits, surrounded by a tall fence to keep tourists far from the worksite. Yet Georgelin said he remains confident the five-year goal will be met despite the coronavirus delay, promising that worshippers will hear a “Te Deum” sung in the cathedral in April 2024. “Lots of people said we d cut corners to finish in five years. These are malicious comments — It s a question of carrying out the work assiduously, without any hesitation,” he said. – Tough choices – Yet officials still have to decide a crucial question: Rebuild the cathedral exactly as it was, using traditional techniques and materials, or incorporate modern equipment and expertise? Macron has said he is in favour of adding a “contemporary” touch to the spire, which was itself a relatively modern touch, installed by the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. Villeneuve has refused to countenance any glass spire, rooftop garden or any other proposals that have emerged. Opinion polls suggest most French share his more conservative view. Macron has promised to “consult” the French on any choice for the steeple, and launched an international architectural competition for its reconstruction, though no timeline has been set. There is also the matter of replacing the lattice of oak beams that supported the roof — Georgelin raised hackles in January when he dismissed “lobbying” by the wood industry for an exact replica. Whatever the choices, money should not be a problem — more than 900 million euros (nearly $1 billion) has been given or pledged by some 340,000 companies and individuals worldwide. “Everything makes me think we will definitely need that money,” Georgelin said. Yet the funds won t help the restaurants, souvenir shops and other businesses on the island in the heart of Paris, said Patrice Lejeune, president of the Notre-Dame business alliance. They have seen two-thirds of their revenue evaporate on average over the past year, he told AFP. “You have people who have worked 50 years, and here they re on the brink after just one year,” he added. No commemorations are planned to mark the anniversary of the fire, in line with the ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus crisis.

Coptic Orthodox buildings across Egypt abroad have decorated black flags and curtains on their walls and entrances, showing sorrow over Christ s crucifixion, starting from April 12 and lasting for a week. A member of the General Congregation Council in Alexandria Mohsen George said that the Coptic Orthodox churches in Alexandria hung black curtains and flags starting with Palm Sunday, lasting until the end of the Holy Week. He added that these black curtains will be replaced with white ones starting on Good Friday and lasting for 50 days – a celebration of Christ s triumph and resurrection.. Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria headed the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Pishoy Monastery of Wadi al-Natroun without attendance as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. In a short speech during mass, Tawadros said that the gospel recounting the story of Zacchaeus shall console those Copts staying in their home who failed to attend the mass. The closure of the churches is for a temporary time due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide, Pope Tawadros II said. Very few priests, monks and deacons participated in the mass which was followed by prayers.

Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria headed the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Pishoy Monastery of Wadi al-Natroun without attendance as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. In a short speech during mass, Tawadros said that the gospel recounting the story of Zacchaeus shall consoles those Copts staying in their home who failed to attend the mass. The closure of the churches is for a temporary time due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide, Pope Tawadros II asserted. Few priests, monks and deacons participated in the mass which was followed by prayers. Spokesperson for the Coptic Orthodox Church s official page said the Christian TV channels will broadcast the prayers on air. Pope Tawadros II called on Copts to remotely participate in these prayers through the screens to instill the unity of heart and soul. The pope will perform the coming mass prayers including Easter Resurrection at the Saint Pishoy Monastery without attendance. The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt last month closed all churches and stopped all ritual services, masses and gatherings as part of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The church s decision came after a meeting by the Standing Committee of the Holy Synod, headed by Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, to discuss the latest developments of the coronavirus. A committee statement said that the decision came “given that gatherings represent the greatest danger leading to the rapid spread of the virus, out of the national and ecclesiastical responsibility of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and to preserve all the people of Egypt.”

BERLIN (AP) — As the Easter holiday approaches, world leaders and health officials are fervently warning that hard-won gains in the fight against the coronavirus must not be jeopardized by relaxing social distancing. A spike in deaths in Britain and New York and surges of reported new infections in Japan and in India s congested cities make it clear the battle is far from over. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top American infectious diseases expert, said the pandemic will demand permanent changes in people s behavior until a vaccine is developed. He said everyone should be constantly washing their hands and those sick should not go to school or work. “Don t anybody ever shake hands again,” he said. “I mean, it sounds crazy, but that s the way it s really got to be until we get to a point where we know the population is protected.” He also shot down hopes that warmer spring weather would bring an end to the crisis. “One should not assume that we are going to be rescued by a change in the weather,” he said Thursday. “You must assume that the virus will continue to do its thing.” The US has by far the most confirmed infections with over 430,000, three times the number of the next three countries combined. New York state on Wednesday recorded its highest one-day increase in deaths, 779, for an overall death toll of almost 6,300. New York has more than 40 percent of the US death total of around 15,000. “We are flattening the curve because we are rigorous about social distancing,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “But it s not a time to be complacent.” German Health Minister Jens Spahn cautioned that the positive trend in fewer new infections “must be cemented.” “It is right to remain consistent over Easter,” he told the Handelsblatt newspaper Thursday. “Even if it is difficult in this weather, we should stay home and refrain from family visits so that the infection curve does not rise again.” Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized that “even short trips inside Germany, to the seaside or the mountains or relatives, can t happen over Easter this year.” New Zealand police warned people not to drive to holiday homes over Easter or risk arrest, while Lithuania was imposing a lockdown on major cities over the holiday. Portugal halted commercial flights at the country s five international airports and set up checkpoints on major roads and junctions to stop Easter visits. Additional restrictions came into force Thursday for the next four days, including a ban on people leaving their local areas and on gatherings of more than five people. Greece also tightened restrictions ahead of next week s Orthodox Easter, increasing police roadblocks along highways, doubling fines for lockdown violations and banning travel between islands. Swiss police were setting roadblocks at the Gotthard tunnel, seeking to dissuade drivers from heading to the Italian-speaking Ticino region, the only part of Switzerland south of the Alps and one of the worst-hit by the pandemic. Iran s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested mass gatherings may be barred through the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which runs from late April through most of May. Khamenei urged Shia faithful to pray at home instead. Shias typically pray together and communities often share meals, especially during Ramadan. Iran has reported over 66,000 infections and over 4,100 deaths, although experts suspect those numbers under-report the country s outbreak. Indonesia s president banned civil servants, police officers, military personnel and employees of state-owned companies from returning to their hometowns to celebrate the end of Ramadan. The annual mass exodus usually involves tens millions of Indonesians crisscrossing the archipelago of 17,000 islands. Britain s Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a third night in intensive care with COVID-19 infection, where his spokesman said Thursday he “continues to improve.” Johnson is receiving oxygen but is not on a ventilator. Britain posted its highest death toll in a single day Wednesday, with 938 virus-related deaths. Japan reported more than 500 new cases for the first time Thursday, a worrisome rise since it has the world s oldest population and COVID-19 can be especially serious in the elderly. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency, but not a lockdown, in Tokyo and six other prefectures. Companies in the world s third-largest economy have been slow to embrace working from home and Abe appears concerned about keeping the economy going. Many commuters jammed Tokyo s streets as usual Thursday. But Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said the city cannot delay non-essential business shutdowns for two more weeks like Abe s government has proposed. “The spread of the infections is so fast in Tokyo that we cannot wait that long,” she said. India, whose 1.3 billion people are under a lockdown until next week, has sealed off dozens of hot spots in and around New Delhi, the capital. It will supply residents with food and medicine but not allow them to leave. The number of confirmed cases exceeds 5,000, with 166 deaths. New infections, hospitalizations and deaths have been leveling off in hard-hit Italy and Spain, which together have more than 32,000 deaths, but the daily tolls are still shocking. Spain reported 683 more deaths Thursday, bringing its total to 15,238. The latest figures were released as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez appeared before parliament to ask for a second two-week extension of a state of emergency. Sánchez acknowledged authorities were caught off guard by the crisis and failed to provide hospitals with critical supplies, including virus tests and protective clothing for medical workers. “Europe reacted late. All of the West reacted late, and Spain is no exception,” Sánchez said. Worldwide, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has climbed to nearly 1.5 million, with nearly 90,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are much higher, because of limited testing, different rules for counting the dead and the efforts of some governments to conceal the extent of their outbreaks. For most, the virus causes mild to moderate symptoms like fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and death. More than 330,000 people have recovered.

JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters) – Israel called on Tuesday for the immediate resumption of indirect talks on the return of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two soldiers held for years in Gaza, but the territory s Islamist rulers Hamas dismissed the overture. The Israeli appeal came in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s office after Hamas said last week it might be willing to move forward on the issue. Israel last week linked any future coronavirus-linked aid to neighboring Gaza on progress in efforts to recover the two soldiers — who it said were killed in the 2014 Gaza war — and the two civilians who separately slipped into the enclave. Hamas has said it holds all four. The Islamist group has never stated whether the soldiers are dead or alive, but neither has it provided a sign of life, as it has done in a previous similar case. The families of the two civilians said they suffered from mental health issues. Hamas has said that returning the four Israelis would require negotiating a prisoner swap and would not be done in exchange for humanitarian aid. In its statement, the Israeli prime minister s office said Netanyahu s national security team “stands ready to take constructive action with the goal of returning the fallen and the missing and of ending the affair, and are calling for an immediate dialogue via mediators.” In past rounds of talks, Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations have served as intermediaries. But Hamas official Moussa Dodin on Tuesday dismissed Netanyahu s offer to resume talks, saying it was not serious and warning the premier: “[The Israelis] may be forced to negotiate under more complicated conditions” in the future. Yehya al-Sinwar, Hamas chief in Gaza, had said last week that he saw “a possible initiative to revive [the] issue” of the four Israelis if Israel frees jailed Palestinians, though he rejected the linkage to coronavirus aid. “A prisoner swap will exact a big price” from Israel, he told Hamas s Al-Aqsa TV, saying that were it to start by releasing sick, old and female prisoners “we may offer something partial in return”. Hamas, which has 13 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in blockaded Gaza and hopes to curb its spread, wants Israel to ease economic conditions. Israel is also loath to deal with a new humanitarian crisis on its border with Gaza, now sealed by both sides. Israel in the past has freed hundreds of jailed Palestinians, including many militants, in exchange for the recovery of dead or captive Israelis. But rightists in Netanyahu s coalition government, including Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, oppose any further releases of Palestinian militants.

Muslims should fast during Ramadan regardless of the coronavirus outbreak, an Al-Azhar committee said in an urgent session on Tuesday, amid concerns that the pandemic would affect affect the Islamic fasting month, which is set to begin on April 23. Al-Azhar s jurisprudence committee said in an official statement that there was “no scientific evidence yet of a link between fasting and contracting the virus.”

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey said on Sunday it would minimize its troop movements in operation zones in neighboring Syria in response to the coronavirus outbreak as the Turkish death toll and infections in the country rose. Turkey s death toll from the COVID-19 disease has risen by 73 to 574 in the last 24 hours, with new confirmed cases jumping by 3,135 to total 27,069, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Turkey, which is ninth globally in coronavirus cases, has curbed much social movement, mostly sealed its borders and shuttered businesses. In the latest step, the defense ministry said it had set up a new unit to battle the spread of the disease. Troops deployed in Syria will now enter and exit operation areas only with the permission of the head of the army, the ministry said. “Thus, the movement of staff and troops is minimized, unless it is mandatory,” it added. Turkey s military backs Syrian rebels in the northwestern Idlib region where it ramped up a deployment earlier this year. Fighting has calmed since Ankara agreed a ceasefire with Moscow, which backs Syrian government forces, a month ago. In Idlib, where about a million people have been displaced by the conflict in recent months, doctors fear the worst if the coronavirus hits, given hospitals lie in ruins and camps overflow with people devastated by nine years of war. Turkey s defence ministry said doctors had been sent to operation areas in part to conduct training related to the severe respiratory disease. The Turkish military also oversees Syrian border regions to the east of Idlib. At home, Turkey s outbreak has surged in the last few weeks, with new cases climbing daily. On Friday the government issued a stay-at-home order for most Turks under 20, on top of the existing order for over-65s, plus one for mandatory mask use in crowded public places, shops and workplaces. On Sunday, the government said residents could apply online for five free masks per week delivered via mail.