TORONTO (JTA) – An Arabic-language newspaper in the greater Toronto area published an article falsely accusing Israel of burying Palestinians alive and stealing their organs, a Jewish group said. The Feb. 28 edition of al-Meshwar dedicates a half-page to “The Abuse of the Martyrs and the Manipulation of Their Bodies Are Jewish Commandments and Israeli […]

AMSTERDAM (JTA) — The rapid spread of the coronavirus throughout Europe may be affecting Jewish communities there, but it hasn’t dampened their sense of humor. On Friday, the Jewish community of Raalte in the eastern Netherlands shared a video of a French congregant showing off his invention: a kippah with elastic bands that can be […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Since breaking out of China, the coronavirus has breached the walls of the Vatican. It’s struck the Iranian holy city of Qom and contaminated a nursing home in Seattle. And around the world, it’s carrying not just sickness and death but also the anxiety and paralysis that can smother economic growth. From […]

BELGIUM (JTA) – Over the past two years, at least five parades featuring offensive depictions of Jews have taken place in EU member countries. The first happened in the Belgian city of Aalst, whose renowned carnival in 2019 featured effigies of grinning Jews holding bags of money. One of the figures had a rat on […]

BEIJING (AP) — At least 10 people were killed in the collapse of Chinese hotel that was being used to isolate people who had arrived from other parts of China hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, authorities said Sunday. The sudden collapse of the building in the southeastern city of Quanzhou on Saturday evening trapped […]

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The families of people killed when a missile shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 set out 298 white chairs outside the Russian embassy on Sunday in a silent protest against Moscow’s lack of cooperation in the investigation into the downing of the passenger jet. Each […]

ROME (AP) — Italy announced a sweeping quarantine early Sunday for its northern regions, igniting travel chaos as it restricted the movements of a quarter of its people in a bid to halt the new coronavirus’ relentless march across Europe. Shortly after midnight, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree affecting 16 million people […]

LONDON (AP) — As cases of the coronavirus surge in Italy, Iran, South Korea, the U.S. and elsewhere, many scientists say it’s plain that the world is in the grips of a pandemic — a serious global outbreak. The World Health Organization has so far resisted describing the crisis as such, saying the word “pandemic” […]

DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The escalating virus outbreak brought more disruption to the sporting world on Saturday, with games canceled or played without spectators and news of possible quarantine for some athletes. Saturday’s game between Strasbourg and Paris Saint-Germain in the French soccer league was postponed the day before, while players from Liverpool and Bournemouth […]

BEIJING (AP) — A hotel used for medical observation of people who had contact with coronavirus patients collapsed in southeastern China on Saturday, trapping some 70 people, state media reported. There were no immediate reports of deaths. At least 33 people were rescued from the wreckage of the Xinjia Express Hotel in Quanzhou, a city […]