Russia to halt all international flights

Russian government officials announced that all international flights will be halted starting from Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic.An exception will be made for flights bringing Russians home from abroad, according to a statement published Thursday on the cabinet’s website.Earlier this month, Russian authorities limited its air traffic to regular flights to world capitals and charter flights.The new measure comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Russia rapidly grows. On Wednesday, the government reported a total of 658 cases, with 163 new cases registered since the previous day.