Asia

JUST IN: Kuwait, Bahrain announce first coronavirus cases

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Kuwait and Bahrain confirmed on Monday their first novel coronavirus cases, health ministries in the two Gulf states announced, adding all had come from Iran. Kuwait reported three infections and Bahrain one. “Tests conducted on those coming from the Iranian city of Mashhad showed there were three confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19),” the Kuwaiti health ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter. It said the cases were […]

China considers ‘complete ban’ on wildlife trade

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s top legislative committee on Monday began deliberating a proposal to ban all trade and consumption of wild animals, a practice believed responsible for the country’s deadly coronavirus outbreak. The official Xinhua news agency said the proposal was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC). “It aims to completely ban the eating of wild animals and crackdown on illegal wildlife trade,” it said. The report added that […]

China reports 150 more virus deaths

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 2,592 on Monday, after the National Health Commission reported 150 more fatalities, all but one in the epicenter of Hubei province. Monday’s death toll was a jump on the 97 deaths reported Sunday. The commission also confirmed a total of 409 new cases in China, with all but 11 in Hubei. Multiple provinces have reported zero new infections for several days in […]

S. Korea becomes biggest coronavirus center outside China

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea reported 161 more coronavirus cases Monday, taking the nationwide total to 763 and making it the world’s largest total outside China. The country has seen a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases since a cluster of infections emerged from a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu last week. Most of the country’s cases are connected to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southern […]

Israeli warplanes hit Gaza, Syria after Palestinian rocket barrage

JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israeli aircraft hit what the military said were Islamic Jihad sites in the Gaza Strip and Syria late Sunday, after the Palestinian militant group fired a barrage of rockets at Israel. In a new flareup a week ahead of a fresh general election in the Jewish state, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on “Islamic Jihad terror sites” throughout Gaza and near the Syrian capital Damascus, a military statement said. […]

Israel confirms second coronavirus case among cruise returnees

by Jonah MANDEL JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israel confirmed its second case of the new coronavirus Sunday — a second returned citizen from the stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess. “Another passenger who returned from the cruise ship in Japan has tested positive,” a health ministry statement said. “The patient is in isolation and under the supervision and was not infected in Israel,” it said. The first case was announced on Friday. The two were among […]

Mega rally to kick off Trump’s first official visit to India

by Jérôme CARTILLIER / Bhuvan BAGGA AHMEDABAD, India (AFP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to welcome his US counterpart Donald Trump to India with a massive rally on Monday, kicking off a two-day visit likely to be more about pomp and ceremony than concrete agreements. The American president, in his first official visit to India, will deliver a speech at the world’s biggest cricket stadium at a “Namaste Trump” rally watched by at […]

Japan says 23 passengers mistakenly left virus ship before testing

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Around 100 more passengers were allowed to disembark from the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship on Saturday as Japan’s health minister apologized after 23 others were allowed to leave without being properly tested. The news came as a Japanese woman who left the ship on Wednesday tested positive for the virus after returning home to Tochigi Prefecture, Kyodo news agency reported, citing the prefectural government. She is the first person to […]

Third passenger from Japan cruise ship dies: health ministry

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A third passenger has died after contracting the coronavirus on a cruise ship that was quarantined off Japan, the country’s health ministry said on Sunday. In a statement, the ministry identified the victim as a Japanese man in his 80s who was also suffering from other ailments. He was removed from the Diamond Princess and taken to a local hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, the statement said, without giving details […]

Drop in new China virus cases as death toll reaches 2,345: govt

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — The death toll in China from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 109, the National Health Commission said Saturday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,345. Another 397 new cases were reported nationwide, down from nearly 900 officially reported Friday, bringing the total number of cases to over 76,000. The drop in new cases of the novel coronavirus came as officials in Hubei province — whose capital city Wuhan […]

US says, preparing to sign deal with Taliban on February 29

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — The United States is preparing to sign a deal with the Taliban on February 29, building on an agreement on reducing violence across Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday. “Upon successful implementation of this understanding, signing of the US-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward,” he said in a statement released after visiting Saudi Arabia. A week-long “reduction in violence” between the Taliban, the US and Afghan security […]

Iraq, Kuwait on alert as coronavirus deaths rise in Iran

by Salam FARAJ BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi and Kuwaiti authorities were on high alert Friday after banning travel the previous day to and from Iran, where authorities say the death toll from the new coronavirus has hit four. Iran’s health ministry Friday reported two more deaths among 13 newly diagnosed cases of the COVID-19 virus, doubling the total number of deaths in the Islamic republic and taking the total number of diagnosed infections there […]