Officials to reopen schools, hair salons
Government officials agreed to reopen schools and hairdressers in the coming weeks, while extending much of the country’s coronavirus lockdown until March 7 amid concern that new virus variants could reverse the decline in confirmed cases.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s 16 governors decided to leave in place many facets of the current lockdown that were due to expire Sunday, and set a new target of 35 weekly cases per 100,000 inhabitants before letting small stores, museums and other businesses reopen.
Houthi rebels from Yemen targeted an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, causing a civilian plane on the tarmac to catch fire, the kingdom’s state television reported. No one was hurt, but the attack threatened to escalate Yemen’s grinding war.
The Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for the assault, with spokesman Yehia Sarea saying the Houthis consider Abha airport a military, not civilian, target.