Asia

Coronavirus death toll reaches 25, as World Health Organisation stopped short of declaring a global health emergency

At least 25 people are dead in China and more than 800 infected as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread throughout Asia and across the world. The Wuhan coronavirus does not yet…

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UN health emergency committee to re-convene on global threat posed by China virus outbreak

Experts convened in Geneva by the World Health Organization (WHO) will meet again on Thursday to determine whether novel coronavirus is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Members of the WHO Emergency Committee deliberated until late on Wednesday evening, as…

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World Court orders Myanmar to take steps to protect Rohingya

The International Court of Justice on Thursday ordered Myanmar to take urgent measures to protect its Muslim Rohingya population from persecution and atrocities and preserve evidence of alleged crimes against…

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Photo Story: Full dress rehearsals for Republic Day celebration parade in New Delhi

Indian fighter planes participate during the full-dress rehearsals for the Republic Day celebration parade in New Delhi, India, 23 January 2020. India will mark its Republic Day on 26 January.…

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Third Chinese city put under lock-down because of virus outbreak

A third Chinese city will go into lock-down in an effort to control the spread of a new virus which has left 17 dead in the country. Authorities have suspended…

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China shows interest in the port of Catania in Sicily

A delegation of Chinese investors has recently visited the Sicilian port of Catania to discuss the possibility of the port developing intermodal capacities for Chinese cargo. ANSA reports that the…

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Italy puts family doctors on alert over Chinese virus outbreak, sets up crisis unit

Italy has stepped up its precautionary measures after the outbreak of a new SARS-like coronavirus in China, with alerts being sent out to family doctors and the launch of a…

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Chinese city of Wuhan put in isolation over virus outbreak

China closed off a city of more than 11 million people Thursday, halting transportation and warning against public gatherings, to try to stop the spread of a deadly new virus…

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Photo Story: Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations

Thais dressed in Chinese god character costumes perform dancing to mark the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at Siam Tai Tien Kong shrine in Samut Prakan province, on the outskirts…

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China advises against travel to Wuhan over mystery virus outbreak

Chinese authorities have urged people to stop travelling in and out of Wuhan, the city at the centre of a new virus outbreak that has killed nine. Those living in…

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Heathrow to create separate arrival area because of Chinese virus outbreak

People arriving at Heathrow from the Chinese city hit by a coronavirus outbreak will enter through a separate area in an attempt to prevent the virus from reaching the UK,…

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Turkish authorities prepared to quarantine infected patients from China

The coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China is not of any particular risk to Turkey, the country's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday. Turkish authorities will quarantine infected patients from…

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Warning that China virus outbreak could hurt oil prices

Goldman Sachs said a potential drop in oil demand from top energy consumer China due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus could hurt crude prices by about $3 per…

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Chinese virus outbreak prompts extra checks at airports, fever scanners to be set up at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport

Many countries are checking the temperatures of arriving airline passengers and adopting precautionary quarantine procedures in response to a new virus as cases have been reported in the USA, Thailand…

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Photo Story: Light show at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

Visitors watch a light show on the Supertree Grove at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, 21 January 2019. The Gardens by the Bay opened in 2012 and has…

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First case of mystery Chinese virus diagnosed in US

A man returning from China has become the first person in the US to be diagnosed with a mystery new virus. Chinese state media say the latest strain in different from those…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Pokhara, Nepal

The Shanti Stupa, the first World Peace Pagoda in Nepal, is engulfed in fog during the early morning hours in Pokhara, Nepal. Photo: EPA-EFE/HEMANTA SHRESTHA

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Mitsubishi Electric data likely compromised in massive cyberattack blamed on Chinese group

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said Monday it has been targeted in a massive cyberattack, and that information regarding government agencies and other business partners may have been compromised, with a Chinese…

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Tough-talking military veteran new North Korean foreign minister

North Korea’s new foreign minister is a former defense commander with little diplomatic experience, spotlighting leader Kim Jong Un’s reliance on party and military loyalists at a sensitive time amid…

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Japan announces creation of space force in face of new threats

Japan's prime minister has announced his country will create a space defence force, in an effort to protect it from technological threats. Working closely with US President Donald Trump, the…

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Photo Story: Preparations for Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok

Two women dressed up in Chinese costumes take souvenir photos ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, inside a shopping mall ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Bangkok,…

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Malaysia refuses plastic waste from rich countries

Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mainly rich countries since the third quarter last year, with the environment minster warning on Monday that those who…

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Photo Story: Japanese Emperor Naruhito presents his opening address to parliament members

Japan's Emperor Naruhito attends the opening of a regular parliamentary session at the upper house of the Diet in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2020. Emperor Naruhito presented his opening address…

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China confirms sharp rise in cases of SARS-like virus across the country

China on Monday reported a mysterious SARS-like virus had spread across the country, including to Beijing, raising concerns as millions begin trips for the Lunar New Year. A third person…

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Reports that North Korean Foreign Minister has been replaced

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho has been replaced, Seoul-based NK News reported. The usually well-informed outlet, citing multiple unnamed sources in Pyongyang, said Ri would be replaced by…

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China to ban plastic bags and other plastic items

China, one of the world's biggest users of plastic, has unveiled a major plan to reduce single-use plastics across the country. Non-degradable bags will be banned in major cities by…

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World’s shortest man dies aged 27

The world's shortest man who could walk, as verified by Guinness World Records (GWR), has died at a hospital in Nepal at the age of 27. Khagendra Thapa Magar, from…

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Experts warn over scale of China mystery virus as US airports start screening

The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, scientists have warned, as countries ramp up measures to prevent…

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China’s economic growth hits 30-year low

China's economy grew last year at the slowest pace in almost three decades. Official figures show that the world's second largest economy expanded by 6.1% in 2019 from the year…

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Second person dies from mystery Chinese virus

A second person has died in China from a mystery virus that has stricken dozens and appeared in two other Asian countries, officials said late on Thursday. The news comes…

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Photo Story: Victims increase as severe weather continues to grip Pakistan

An aerial view of snow-covered areas in Baluchistan province, Pakistan, 16 January 2020. At least 89 people were killed in weather related incidents in Pakistani administered Kashmir and Baluchistan province…

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Photo Story: The 25th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake in Japan remembered

Residents offer prayers for victims of the Great Hanshin (Kobe) Earthquake, in Kobe, western Japan, 17 January 2020. The event marked the 25th anniversary of the disaster, a 7.3 magnitude…

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Philippine volcano shows signs of calming, but danger remains

A Philippine volcano that has been spewing ash for days appeared to be calming down on Thursday, but seismologists said the danger of an eruption remained high and authorities warned…

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Girl buried under Pakistan avalanche for 18 hours is found alive

A 12-year-old girl was found alive on Tuesday after being buried for 18 hours when an avalanche in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir engulfed the family house, her mother said. Samina Bibi recalled…

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Photo Story: Queen in South Korea

Brian May of Queen, vocalist Adam Lambert and Roger Taylor of Queen attend a press conference ahead of the Rhapsody Tour at the Conrad Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 16…

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Japan confirms first case of new China coronavirus strain

Japan has confirmed its first case of infection from the new China coronavirus that has killed one person and prompted a travel alert from the US state department. A…

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Photo Story: Pongal celebration in Bangalore

An Indian man pulls a cow over a bonfire as part of the Makara Sankranthi or Pongal festival celebrations in Bangalore, India. Cows and bulls are decorated with bright colors…

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US and China sign deal to ease trade war

The US and China have signed an agreement aimed at easing a trade war that has rattled markets and weighed on the global economy. Speaking in Washington, US President Donald…

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U.S. issues warning about pneumonia outbreak in China

The U.S. State Department warned Americans in China about an outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan believed to be caused by a new strain of coronavirus, and…

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Photo Story: Life in Kabul

An Afghan balloon vendor looks for customers on a hilltop in Kabul, Afghanistan, 15 January 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/HEDAYATULLAH AMID

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U.S. imposes sanctions on two North Korean entities over labour export

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two North Korean entities that it said are involved in sending North Koreans to work abroad in violation of United Nations…

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Extreme cold weather kills 70 more people in Pakistan, Afghanistan

Severe winter weather has claimed more lives as avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall killed 55 people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir while 15 died in neighboring Afghanistan, officials said. The latest deaths…

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US drops China’s designation as currency manipulator

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday dropped its designation of China as a currency manipulator days before top officials of the world's two largest economies were due to sign a…

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China and EU may hold summit in Beijing at end of March

China and the EU are expected to hold their annual summit at the end of March, two weeks before Beijing hosts a high-profile meeting with the leaders of Central and…

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Chinese mystery virus outbreak not spreading at present

An outbreak of pneumonia that has killed one person in China and infected 40 others appears to be linked to a single seafood market in the central city of Wuhan…

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Photo Story: Photos from the Taal Volcano eruption in Philippines

A series of photos after a volcano eruption in Talisay, Batangas, Philippines, 13 January 2020. Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as authorities in the Philippines raised the…

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Evacuations as lava gushes from Philippine volcano, ash reaches capital Manila

Red-hot lava gushed out of a Philippine volcano Monday after a sudden eruption of ash and steam that forced villagers to flee and shut down Manila’s international airport, offices and…

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Photo Story: Scores gather in Bangladesh for annual Bishwa Ijtema

Muslim devotees leave on an overcrowded train after attending the Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims in the world, in Tongi, about 30 kilometres north of Dhaka, Bangladesh,…

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Photo Story: Evacuations underway as Taal Volcano spews giant ash column in the Philippines

An ash column from erupting Taal Volcano looms over Tagaytay city, Philippines, 12 January 2020. According to media reports, evacuations are underway as the volcano spewed ash as high as…

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Photo Story: Daily life in South Korea

A woman examines a row of sun-dried fish in Yeonggwang, South Korea, 12 January 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/YONHAP

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Penumbral lunar eclipse in Myanmar

The full moon pictured during the penumbral lunar eclipse on the evening of 11 January 2020 in Yangon, Myanmar. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon becomes dipped in…

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Photo Story: New Year ice water bathing ceremony in Tokyo

A man kisses a block of ice during an ice-cold water bathing ceremony at the Teppozu Inari Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, 12 January 2020. Men and women participants took part…

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First death from China mystery illness outbreak

A 61-year-old man has died from pneumonia in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in an outbreak of a yet to be identified virus while seven others are in critical…

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Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen re-elected

Tsai Ing-Wen has been re-elected as Taiwan’s president, as voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Beijing by choosing a leader who had campaigned on protecting their country from China. Tsai,…

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ISIS claim responsibility for Pakistan Mosque bombing that killed 15 and wounded 20

The death toll from a suicide bombing at of the Quetta mosque, in the southwestern Pakistan, rose to 15. The explosion happened during the Friday evening prayers. 20 other persons…

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Photo Story: Tragic ending to a robbery in Thailand, three killed including toddler

A photo grab from surveillance camera shows a gold robbery crime suspect wearing balaclava, camouflage pant and carrying a handgun with suppressor as they open fire during a robbery at…

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WHO fears China’s mysterious outbreak could be new virus

Chinese state media said on Thursday that an outbreak of more than 50 pneumonia cases in the central city of Wuhan could be caused by a new strain of coronavirus.…

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