Asia

The Japanese government, under fire for a limited number of coronavirus tests conducted, eased access to such tests on Friday and indicated that a new test supplementing the currently dominant polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test could be approved next week. The Health Ministry said it now wants people experiencing difficulty …

Hundreds of paramilitary forces have been deployed in coronavirus-hotspot Gujarat state as India on Friday faced a surge in the number of deaths and infections from the outbreak. Official data show the deadly disease is taking a growing toll in the country of 1.3 billion people even as it begins …

At least 13 people have been killed by a massive gas leak at a chemical plant in southern India, with 800 others taken to hospital. The leak from the LG Polymers plant in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state came as people slept. Doctors say patients have been …

Chinese youngsters in the global virus epicentre of Wuhan filed back to class on Wednesday, wearing masks and walking in single file past thermal scanners. Senior school students in 121 institutions were back in front of chalkboards and digital displays for the first time since their city — the ground …

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said today, Wednesday, that customs duties should not be used as a weapon, after US President Donald Trump threatened last week with new customs duties as a punitive measure in response to Beijing’s handling of the Corona virus crisis. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told …

An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck in the Banda Sea, off Indonesia on Wednesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 117 km (73 miles), EMSC said. The US Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.8. The earthquake is not capable of …

US secretary of state said there was ‘enormous evidence’ the virus emerged from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China’s state broadcaster CCTV has attacked recent remarks from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, calling them “insane and evasive”. Pompeo, speaking …

Three Indian soldiers were killed in a gunbattle with militants in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir on Monday, a day after a similar incident in which five were killed. Juniad Khan, a senior paramilitary force officer, told Reuters that militants attacked the men from the Central Reserve Police Force …

Two defector-turned-lawmakers in South Korea have apologized for publicly raising suspicions over the health of Kim Jong-un after a recent appearance by the North Korean leader ended global speculation about his well-being. Thae Yong-ho, who won a parliamentary seat during last month’s general elections, in a statement on Monday apologized …

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not undergo surgery during almost three weeks of absence from public life, a South Korean official said on Sunday, as the two Koreas exchanged gunfire at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two sides. The government official declined to provide reasons, but said …

Kim Jong-un’s well-being has been a matter of speculation over the past several weeks as the North Korean leader has been conspicuously absent from public events which led to rumours that he was either ill or even dead. A video of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a fertiliser plant in …

Coronavirus patients with light symptoms arriving to stay at several Tokyo hotels are likely to get a lift from a pleasant surprise – a robot greeter in the lobby. Japan is now using hotels to house patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus but whose symptoms are too light …

The national coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended beyond 4 May for another two weeks. New guidelines, outlined on Friday, update the country’s designated red, green, and orange zoning system. Red zones are considered hotspots, while considerable relaxations will be permitted in areas considered less dangerous. India has been …

The Forbidden City in Beijing reopens three months after it closed due to the coronavirus crisis — the latest signal that China is bringing the disease under control. The sprawling imperial palace sitting across Tiananmen Square was shut down on January 25 as authorities closed tourist attractions and took other …

India has seen its highest jump in deaths related to the novel coronavirus in a 24-hour period following its highest daily increase, the Health Ministry says. A total of 73 people affected by the virus had died since Tuesday morning, taking the country-wide toll to 1,007. The Wednesday daily increase …

At least 36 people have been killed in a fire at a warehouse that was under construction in the South Korean city of Icheon. The blaze was caused by an explosion of flammable material being used in the installation of insulation in a basement, South Korean media reported. All the …

Satellite imagery showing recent movements of luxury boats often used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his entourage near Wonsan provide further indications he has been at the coastal resort, according to experts who monitor the reclusive regime. Speculation about Kim’s health and location erupted after his unprecedented …

A bomb attack has left three people dead and 15 others injured near the Afghan capital, Kabul. “A suicide bomber detonated his explosives among civilians in the Reshkhor area of Char Asiab district of Kabul on Wednesday morning,” Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. Char Asiab is approximately 11 …

Over 1.37 billion Indians have entered the 33rd day of what is being called the world’s largest lockdown as a precaution against the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As total COVID-19 cases have exceeded the 29,000 marks, a lockdown extension after 3 May has been demanded by state chiefs, …

China has accused American politicians of telling “barefaced lies” in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, after US President Donald Trump threatened to seek damages from Beijing for the outbreak. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comment at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, stressing that the …