Headlines- After talks in Washington on Tuesday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a "historic opportunity" for peace, Israel and Lebanon agreed to hold direct talks.
- Iran talks could resume "over the next two days," according to US President Donald Trump, after the failure of last weekend's first round in Pakistan.
- Six merchant ships turned around after "direction from US forces," according to the US, and no ships were able to pass through the blockade in the first 24 hours.
- According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, there were at least 35 deaths and 159 injuries in Lebanon on Tuesday.
- The southern Lebanon district of Bint Jbeil has been hit by an Israeli airstrike.
- "The short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea is set to expire in a few days and will not be renewed," according to the US Treasury Department.
Tag: Turkey Coronavirus
Erdogan Leads in the Earthquake Zone...
Anger over the deaths and destruction was expected to sway the May 14 elections in favour of the opposition in Turkey’s earthquake disaster zone. However, as Turkey heads for a runoff, the region is more supportive of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan than all of Turkey is.
COVID-19:Turkish Bubble Dining
Covid restrictions are forcing people to live in their own personal or familial bubble. Even as governments start to slowly loosen COVID restrictions, some customers are nervous about being in crowded areas. One restaurant in Turkey’s Istanbul city are making people more comfortable by taking the bubble idea literally
COVID-19: Turkey ‘Downplays’ True Infection Rate
Doctors and local politicians in Turkey are voicing concern that the government is downplaying the scale of the resurgent coronavirus outbreak. The latest official figures suggest there are around 1,700 new infections and around 60 deaths every day across the country – but doctors say the numbers don’t add up
COVID-19: Focus Turkey
Turkey is seeking to save its vital tourism sector amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the easing of restrictions as part of the government’s return to normalcy is leading to a surge in infections
Turkey Outperforms Much of Europe in...
Turkey claims to have one of the lowest COVID mortality rates in Europe, surpassing many more wealthy countries. But doctors warn complacency could spoil that record
A Nurse With a Mission
In Istanbul, a 36-year-old woman is a one-person traveling medical unit treating some of Turkey’s most vulnerable refugees at a time when, for many people, hospitals are not an option. Some refugees do not have their papers in order. Others cannot afford care or fear getting the coronavirus at a hospital
Escaping War, Surviving a Pandemic: Turkey’s...
The Turkish city of Sanliurfa, close to the southern border, is home to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the city’s migrants, as jobs have all but dried up and there is little aid money to help them through
Turkey Opens Mosques for Friday Prayers...
Turkey joins other countries in relaxing its strict lockdown measure because of the coronavirus pandemic by letting people go to mosques across the country to perform Friday prayers. Although this lifting of restrictions did not allow people older than 65 to participate in the Friday prayers, many of them nonetheless were seen at mosques
COVID-19: Love for Animals
Istanbul, like all of Turkey’s main cities, has a witnessed a series of lockdowns , as the government seeks to suppress COVID 19. The shutdown is not only difficult for the Istanbul’s inhabitants but also for the large populations of street dogs and cats that have been an integral part of the city for centuries. But as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, help is at hand~VOA NEWS
Pandemic Pushes Turkey Further to Autocracy
For years, international observers, western governments, and opposition politicians in Turkey have warned of the country’s slide to what one commentator called “an elected autocracy” under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Now,as coronavirus infections and deaths drop,the government has tightened already stringent controls on social media. Critics say the pandemic is accelerating Turkey’s descent from democratic freedoms