Israel election: Netanyahu seeks defectors after failing to secure majority

 JERUSALEM, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc appears to have failed to secure a parliamentary majority in Monday’s general election. With 99% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party was on track to win 36 seats, and allied right-wing and religious parties another 22. That would leave them three…

Afghan conflict: US conducts first air strike on Taliban since deal

Taliban fighters were celebrating the US deal earlier this week KABUL, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The US military has conducted an air strike against Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, just hours after President Donald Trump said he had had a “very good talk” with a leader of the group. The US signed a deal…

Turkey-Russia agreed ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib comes into force

MOSCOW/ANKARA/DAMASCUS, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A ceasefire in northern Syria agreed between Russia and Turkey came into force on Friday, aiming to halt intense fighting that has sparked a humanitarian disaster and raised fears of their armies clashing. The deal struck between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep…

Covid-19: UN’s first employee among Senegal infections

DAKAR, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A British United Nations employee is one of the four people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Senegal, the organisation said, confirming it was the UN’s first case worldwide. Senegal announced two new cases on Wednesday, one of which was a 33-year-old…

Covid-19: China reports 30 deaths, rise in new infections and imported cases

BEIJING, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China reported 30 more deaths from the new coronavirus outbreak on Friday, with fresh infections rising for a second straight day and 16 new cases imported from overseas. In total 3,042 people have died from the disease in China, the National Health Commission said, with…

US announces $8.3bn in coronavirus funding as cases surge

WASHINGTON, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US lawmakers passed an emergency $8.3 billion spending bill to combat the coronavirus as the number of cases surged in the country’s northwest and deaths reached 12. The Senate gave sweeping bipartisan support to the funding one day after the House passed the bill, so…

US accuses Russia of breaking ‘Open Skies’ treaty

WASHINGTON, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Defense Secretary Mark Esper accused Russia of violating the Open Skies Treaty designed to improve transparency and confidence between the militaries of the two superpowers. Esper told a congressional hearing Russia had been blocking the United States from conducting flights over the Baltic Sea…

Russian strikes kills 15 civilians in northwest Syria: monitor

BEIRUT, March 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Russian air strikes Thursday killed at least 15 civilians including a child in the last major opposition bastion of Idlib in northwestern Syria, a Britain-based war monitor said. The strikes after midnight targeted an area where displaced Syrians hadgathered outside the town of Maaret…

France coronavirus death toll rises to six, 92 new cases: official

PARIS, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The French health ministry reported two more deaths from coronavirus infections, bringing the country’s total to six, and 92 new cases since Wednesday. It was the biggest one-day jump in the number of French cases since the outbreak began, raising the total to 377. One…

First UK death in coronavirus outbreak: health authorities

LONDON, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain has recorded its first death in the new coronavirus outbreak, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said, as the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 115. “I am very sorry to report a patient in England who tested positive for COVID-19 has sadly…