Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday welcomed moves by US President Donald Trump to sanction any International Criminal Court officials who investigate US troops, as the tribunal examines alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. "This court is politicised and obsessed with carrying out a headhunt against Israel and the United States as well as other democratic countries that respect human rights, but turns a blind eye to the world s worst human rights offenders, including the terrorist regime in Iran," Netanyahu said at a press conference. He accused the ICC of fabricating accusations against Israel by claiming that Jews living in their historic homeland constitutes a war crime. "This is ridiculous. Shame on them." Trump, ramping up pressure for the Hague-based court to stop its investigation of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, issued an executive order Thursday to block all US property and assets of anyone involved in investigating or prosecuting American forces. Washington has never accepted the jurisdiction of the ICC, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration would not let US forces be "threatened by a kangaroo court". But the US and Israel, its top Middle East ally, have refused to sign up to the ICC since its creation in 2002. A decision from the Hague-based court s chief prosecutor in December 2019 to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories sparked a furious reaction from Israel and condemnation from the US. Netanyahu said the decision made it a "political tool" against the Jewish state. The Palestinians had joined the court in 2015. The Trump administration has been livid over the ICC s investigation into alleged atrocities in Afghanistan, the longest-running war of the United States. ICC judges had initially refused to authorise the investigation after Washington threatened sanctions. In The Hague, a spokesperson said the court was "aware" of the announcement from Washington and would react after examining it.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas travelled to Jerusalem on Wednesday where he was set to voice European "concern" over Israel s controversial annexation plans in the occupied West Bank. Maas, the first high-level European visitor to touch down in Israel since the coronavirus pandemic hit, on arrival touched elbows with his Israeli counterpart, both wearing face masks. The focal point of talks will be Israel s proposed annexation of West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley, with initial steps slated to begin from July 1, the same day Germany takes the rotating EU presidency. The European Union opposes the move although it remains divided on how to react, with Maas s visit seen as an opportunity by Israel to tone down the bloc s response. The German foreign ministry said on its website that "in the Middle East conflict, Germany and its European Union partners are committed to the resumption of negotiations and a two-state solution. "In Israel, Foreign Minister Maas will also express European concern about the possible consequences of annexation, as announced by the Israeli government." Germany s top diplomat held talks with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz. Israeli annexation forms part of a US peace plan unveiled in January, which paves the way for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state. But it excludes core Palestinian demands such as a capital in east Jerusalem and has been rejected by the Palestinian Authority. Palestinians have sent a counter-proposal for the creation of a "sovereign Palestinian state, independent and demilitarised" to the Quartet, made up of the UN, US, EU and Russia, Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Tuesday. "We want Israel to feel international pressure," Shtayyeh said. Maas is due to travel on to Jordan, from where he will hold a video conference with Shtayyeh and meet with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. Last month Jordan s King Abdullah II warned that Israeli annexation risked sparking a "conflict" with his country, speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel. - EU weighs response - While Berlin shares Amman s opposition to annexation, the EU is yet to outline retaliatory measures and sanctions would need the approval of all 27 member states. Europe holds significant financial clout in Israel as the country s top business partner, with trade totalling 30 billion euros ($34 billion) last year, according to EU figures. Some European countries could formally recognise a Palestinian state but, according to an Israeli official, Germany would not be one of them. "Germany even with annexation would not recognise a Palestinian state and is not going to support sanctions against Israel," he told AFP. Looking beyond the West Bank, other matters on Maas s Jerusalem agenda include Israeli foe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. Berlin was one of the European parties to a landmark 2015 accord with Iran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. But US President Donald Trump s decision to pull out of the deal and reimpose crippling economic penalties -- a move praised by Israel -- has led Tehran to suspend its compliance with some of the curbs. Germany won praise from Israel in April for announcing a ban on all Hezbollah activities after previously tolerating the militant group s political wing. Israel occupied a swathe of southern Lebanon from 1978 to 2000 and went on to fight a war with Hezbollah in 2006.

Turkish authorities have ordered the detention of 414 people, mainly military personnel, over suspected links to the network that Ankara says orchestrated a failed coup in 2016, prosecutors and state media said on Tuesday. Authorities have carried out a sustained crackdown on alleged followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of President Tayyip Erdogan, since the coup attempt, when 250 people were killed. Gulen denies any involvement. One police operation to detain 191 suspects was coordinated from the western city of Izmir and targeted people in 22 provinces, state-owned Anadolu news agency said. The police have already detained 160 of the suspects, it said. Separately, an Istanbul prosecutor ordered the detention of 158 people including military personnel, doctors and teachers, out of which 86 people were so far detained, Anadolu said. Anadolu said detention warrants were issued for 32 people as part of another operation targeting members of air force with suspected links. Turkish authorities were also seeking to detain 33 people from gendarmerie forces and others, it said. In a separate operation, police detained 16 military personnel the southeastern city Diyarbakir over the weekend, security sources said. On Tuesday, a local court jailed six of them pending trial and freed 10 others, the sources added. Since the coup attempt, about 80,000 people have been held pending trial and some 150,000 civil servants, military personnel and others sacked or suspended. Turkey s Western allies have criticised the scale of the crackdown, while Ankara has defended the measures as a necessary response to the security threat. Erdogan has for years accused Gulen s supporters of establishing a "parallel state" by infiltrating the police, judiciary, military and other state institutions. Gulen has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999.

A jihadist group active in northwest Syria launched an offensive Monday, capturing two villages and killing 19 regime forces, a war monitor said. "Jihadist factions led by Hurras al-Deen launched an assault on two villages in Sahl al-Ghab," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. They seized the villages of Al-Fatatra and Al-Manara, in Hama province, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. He said the clashes left 19 government soldiers and six jihadists dead. The area from which the offensive was launched lies in the broad Idlib region, which is controlled by jihadists and rebels and is the last bastion of resistance to Damascus. A truce reached on March 6 has largely stemmed the fighting in the region, which President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to fully retake. Hurras al-Deen is a relatively small but powerful armed group led by Al-Qaeda loyalists, the closest thing to the mother organisation s franchise in Syria. Although they cooperate at times, it is a rival of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of Islamist factions dominated by former members of Al-Qaeda s ex-Syria affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. The Idlib truce brokered by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey has largely kept Syrian and Russian warplanes out of the region s skies. Aid groups had warned that an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Idlib region could cause a humanitarian disaster of previously unseen proportions if the fighting did not cease.

Lebanon s President Michel Aoun called for national unity on Sunday after violence erupted in parts of Beirut between supporters of rival sectarian political parties. Lebanon maintains a fragile sectarian balance since its many religious sects fought a 1975-1990 civil war with factions often backed by regional rivals. A financial crisis that began late last year, rooted in decades of state waste and corruption, is seen as the biggest threat to the country s stability since the war. "Our strength remains in our national unity...What happened last night is a warning bell," Aoun s office quoted him as saying on Twitter. "We must put our political disputes aside and hurry to work together to revive our country from the depth of the successive crises." Gunfire was heard in some Beirut neighbourhoods and suburbs on Saturday night during scuffles between supporters of rival parties, local media reported. Security forces deployed in large numbers. Calm returned after a tense standoff in a Christian-Shi ite district linked to the start of the civil war, along a former frontline, local media said. Earlier on Saturday, security forces had fired tear gas at protesters who threw rocks, angry at the ruling elite and its handling of the crisis.

Forces fighting for Libya s internationally recognised government said on Thursday they had regained control over Tripoli and a military source with the eastern forces that have been attacking the capital said they were withdrawing. The Government of National Accord (GNA) military operations room said in a statement it had control over all borders of the Tripoli city administrative area. Separately, a military source in the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) said it would complete its withdrawal on Thursday from the Tripoli districts of Ain Zara, Abu Salim and Qasr Ben Gashir towards a town near its stronghold of Tarhouna.

Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, spokesperson of the Libyan National Army (LNA), has said that combatting terrorism and ending foreign intervention in Libyan affairs is the responsibility of Libyans themselves, not the international community. Speaking to Egyptian media outlets in a video conference Tuesday, Al-Mismari argued that the international community “did not give the right description for the Libyan case.” “Libya is now engaged in a war on terrorism, not a conflict over power or wealth as claimed by terrorist groups such the [Muslim] Brotherhood, Turkey and Fayez Al-Sarraj,” he said. “On Monday, we reached victory in the Asbiah battle, south of the capital Tripoli, and now Arab Libyan troops are bombing Al-Gharyan from both southern and southwestern sides.” The Libyan military spokesman added that the LNA achieved victory in a number of battles around Tripoli in an “eight-day battle.” “Fighting took place continuously for 155 hours. We successfully targeted large numbers of terrorists, whether Syrian mercenaries or Libyans, and many of them were leading figures,” Al-Mismari explained. “Through redeployment around Tripoli and the cities that surround it, we are seeking to target terrorist militias, many of which are affiliated to Al-Qaeda, Daesh, or the Muslim Brotherhood, and get them out of their fortifications. We want to defeat them easily without having civilian casualties.” Al-Mismari stressed that the situation remains calm in eastern Misrata, though some artillery skirmishes occurred. Al-Mismari noted that this war, “in which we are using new tactics to exhaust the enemy,” requires patience. Al-Mismari, meanwhile, believes that Qatari money will not help Turkey in having a strong base in Libya. “Watch what will happen in the coming days and weeks,” he said. Al-Mismari confirmed the presence of Islamic State (IS) militants in southern Libya, though not on a large scale. “Given the vast spaces, some of them managed to escape to Niger, Mali and Sahel and Saharan countries,” he revealed. “Yet, we cornered them till we eradicated them. But there is a new variable, which is the presence of those who have white skin, not Africans as it used to be in the past. Those are mercenaries that the Turks brought to take our army’s attention away from fighting around Tripoli.” On the political level, Al-Mismari announced that the LNA has accepted the UN invitation for a 5+5 talks because “they want peace, although I know that a political settlement is still unsuccessful in Libya.” “We have three conditions to start negotiations with Al-Sarraj, including the complete withdrawal of Turkey and its mercenaries from the Libyan scene, excluding terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Deash from the final deal, and dissolving militias and disarming them,” Al-Mismari said. When asked further about a political solution for the Libyan conflict, Al-Mismari said that the Muslim Brotherhood and the militias that affiliated to it “believe that they made the revolution against Muammar Gaddafi, and accordingly they don’t accept any party to negotiate with them.” “Secondly, which is more important, revolutions were a conspiracy against the Arab armies so as to facilitate the Muslim Brotherhood’s path to power. This is why they will not accept the Libyan Arab army, no matter what the price is,” he pointed out. Al-Mismari noted that Al-Sarraj “is a prisoner of these terrorist groups” and their backers, mainly Turkey and Qatar. “He (Al-Sarraj) only consults with Al-Salaby, Abdel Hakeem Belhag and other terrorists. He is a puppet in their hands,” argued the LNA spokesperson. Concerning the US and Russian positions towards the Libyan crisis, Al-Mismari said Russia did not interfere during the events of 2011 and accordingly did not “sell Libya for the Brotherhood and the terrorists,” adding that “we have old, military ties with Moscow.” “All our weaponry has come from Russia since 1970, and we cannot move to the West because this will take a long period of time.” Al-Mismari stated that the arms embargo on the LNA remains in place, while after its end the LNA will have arms deals with Russia. He added that the Americans decided to take action and get in touch with Al-Sarraj after Turkey has declared that it will search for gas and oil in western Libya. The aim for the United States, said Al-Mismari, is to “maintain the interests of the US oil companies.” “We will not allow or accept Turkish plans in that aspect. Firstly, they don’t have international expertise in this field. Secondly, since 1957, we have contracts with US, Italian, French and British companies, and we will not violate any of them, whether conducted with companies or states,” he warned. Meanwhile, Al-Mismari said that Egypt trusts the LNA and understands the situation. “It is enough to say that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi always stresses that Libya is engaged in a war on terrorism, and not a conflict over power. Others don’t say it,” he said. “Regarding Algeria, I don’t understand its position yet, while there is division in Tunisia. The majority of our Tunisian brothers back the Libyans, while Ghannouchi supports the Brotherhood and the terrorists,” Al-Mismari concluded.

Australia is investigating a US police attack on two Australian television journalists outside the White House, the foreign minister said Tuesday, expressing "strong concerns" about the assault caught live on camera. "We have asked the Australian embassy in Washington, DC to investigate this incident," Marise Payne said after the journalists were slammed with a riot shield, punched and hit with a baton while broadcasting from the protest. "I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia s strong concerns with the responsible local authorities in Washington," she said, indicating a formal complaint would follow. Footage showed 7NEWS reporter Amelia Brace being clubbed with a truncheon and cameraman Tim Myers being hit with a riot shield and punched in the face by police clearing Washington s Lafayette Square of protesters on Monday. The journalists said they were later shot with rubber bullets and tear-gassed, which Brace said left the pair "a bit sore". The incident was widely broadcast in Australia, causing consternation in a country that has been a close US ally. US police -- with support from military personnel -- had forcibly cleared the square of peaceful protesters to allow President Donald Trump to leave the White House for a photo opportunity. Trump has faced fierce criticism for his handling of week-long protests over the death in custody of an unarmed African-American man in Minneapolis. George Floyd died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. In several cities, the demonstrations have spiralled into rioting, violent confrontations with police and looting, prompting National Guard deployments to around two dozen US states and strictly enforced curfews. Payne steered clear of criticising Trump directly, highlighting the delicate balancing act US allies face when registering unease with his administration. "This is obviously a very troubling period in the United States and a very tough period at so many levels," she told ABC radio. "We are always supportive of people s right to peaceful protest and we encourage all involved on both sides to exercise restraint and avoid violence."

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.