Turkey

The Istanbul landmark has long been hailed as a symbol of the coexistence of Christianity and Islam, a cultural junction between East and West.

The Byzantine-era architectural marvel has been used as a museum since 1934 and is widely regarded as a symbol of peaceful religious coexistence. A court ruling Friday revoked its museum status.

As Harvard and MIT challenge a new visa requirement that doesn't allow for online-only curricula, students face difficult choices.

Dozens of Kurdish families fled to the northeast Syrian village of Tal Tamr last fall, escaping a Turkish invasion. U.S. forces help provide some security, but the families face an uncertain future.

Turkey is one of the hardest-hit countries in the Middle East, often reporting 4,000 or more new COVID-19 cases per day. The government hopes short-term stay-home measures will curb the outbreak.

The order was announced shortly before it took effect midnight Friday, drawing crowds of last-minute shoppers in cities such as Istanbul. Turkey has reported over 47,000 confirmed cases of the virus.

Sales of Turkish-made cologne are skyrocketing. Some colognes, made with 80% alcohol, are being embraced for disinfectant properties. Cologne is traditionally offered to house guests to rub on hands.

Their parents are missing back home in China, likely in prison or detention. "We want them to know they belong to a family that's much bigger than the one they have lost," the school's founder says.

Once viewed as a refuge by members of the Muslim minority group, Turkey has detained Uighurs and told them to hush criticism about the Chinese government. Some have already been deported.

Turkey and Russia agreed to the cease-fire after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Thursday in Moscow.

Four million Syrian refugees are living in Turkey, and another million displaced Syrians are trapped between Russian-backed Syrian forces and the Turkish border. Turkey says to head for Europe.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone Friday.