Asia

China locks down two cities to curb virus outbreak

  by Hector RETAMAL and Sebastien RICCI Agence France Presse WUHAN, China (AFP) — China locked down two major cities in a province at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak on Thursday, banning planes and trains from leaving in an unprecedented move aimed at containing the disease which has already spread to other countries. The respiratory virus has claimed 17 lives since emerging from a seafood and animal market in Wuhan, infected hundreds of […]

China locks down city at centre of virus outbreak

  by Hector RETAMAL Agence France Presse WUHAN, China (AFP) — China banned trains and planes from leaving a major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on Thursday, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed 17 lives, infected hundreds and spread to other countries. Authorities in Wuhan, a major transport hub, also suspended public buses and subways, and said residents should not leave “without […]

Hong Kong reports first ‘preliminary positive’ case of new virus

  Hong Kong reported its first suspected case of the new SARS-like virus Wednesday in a man who arrived in the city from Wuhan via the cross-border high-speed railway. Health secretary Sophia Chan said the 39-year-old man was “preliminarily positive”, but a final test result would only be known on Thursday. “We decided to announced the case (early) due to heavy public concern,” Chan said. The man and four family members had taken the high-speed […]

China quarantines city at center of virus outbreak

by Eva XIAO / Laurent Thomet with Dario Thuburn in Geneva BEIJING, China (AFP) — China placed the city at the center of a virus outbreak under effective quarantine on Thursday, suspending outward flights and trains in a drastic step to contain a contagious disease that has killed 17, stricken hundreds and reached other countries. Authorities in Wuhan, a major transport hub, also suspended public buses and subways, and said residents should not leave the […]

Trump to add a ‘couple of countries’ to US travel ban

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration was preparing to add a “couple of countries” to the controversial list of states whose citizens are subject to travel bans or severe restrictions on entry to the United States. “We are adding a couple of countries to it. We have to be safe. Our country has to be safe,” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, adding that the names […]

China virus city in transport shutdown as WHO extends talks

by Laurent Thomet with Dario Thuburn in Geneva BEIJING, China (AFP) — China said it was halting flights and trains from Thursday out of Wuhan, the city of 11 million people at the center of a deadly SARS-like virus outbreak, as the UN extended emergency talks on the disease. The central city’s special command center against the virus also said that residents should not leave without a special reason and that the measures would be […]

Bangladesh factories ordered shut to save key river

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) – Sam JAHAN Bangladesh’s high court has ordered the shutdown of 231 factories that have contributed to Dhaka’s main river becoming one of the world’s most polluted, a lawyer said Tuesday. The country is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, but a recent industrial boom, including the emergence of the world’s second biggest garment industry, has prompted officials to turn a blind eye to the industrial waste they dump into rivers. In a landmark […]

China warns virus could mutate, spread as death toll rises

by Beiyi SEOW Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — A new virus that has killed nine people, infected hundreds and already reached the United States could mutate and spread, China warned Wednesday, as authorities scrambled to contain the disease during the Lunar New Year travel season. The coronavirus has caused alarm for its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. In Wuhan, […]

Forming a new government in Lebanon: What’s the snag?

by Hashem Osseiran and Bachir El-Khoury Agence France-Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis since its civil war, an unprecedented protest movement and mounting international pressure for reform, yet under-fire politicians have yet to form a government. This raises questions about what is holding up the creation of a new cabinet and what comes next for a crumbling country that can ill-afford delays. – What’s the holdup? – Lebanon has […]

Hundreds wounded in weekend of Lebanon clashes

by Rouba El-Husseini and Tony Gamal-Gabriel BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanese anti-riot police dispersed stone-throwing protesters with tear gas in Lebanon’s capital on Sunday, as heavy rain capped a weekend of rare violence that wounded hundreds. Medics said 145 people were wounded in the latest clashes, taking the casualty toll to more than 530 in two days. Thick clouds of white tear gas billowed in central Beirut, as police pushed protesters out of a flashpoint […]

S. Korea confirms first case of SARS-like virus from China

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea on Monday confirmed its first case of the SARS-like virus that is spreading in China, as concerns mount about a wider outbreak. A 35-year-old Chinese woman who flew in from Wuhan, the apparent epicenter of the outbreak, was confirmed to have the new coronavirus strain, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. She went to the hospital in Wuhan on Saturday with symptoms of a […]

UPDATED: China reports SARS-like virus spreads across country, nearly 140 new cases

BEIJING, China (AFP) — BEIJING, China (AFP) –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 was confirmed to have died, authorities said, as nearly 140 cases were announced. The new coronavirus strain has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and […]