Asia

Three cases of the deadly Chinese Coronavirus have been confirmed in France, the first in Europe, as the Chinese government moves to lockdown whole cities impacted by the disease, where an estimated 56 million people are now subjected to travel restrictions. The first cases in Europe have been confirmed in …

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 hit eastern Turkey on Friday, leaving at least four people dead and causing buildings to collapse. The quake shook the Sivrice district in the eastern province of Elazig at around 8.55 pm (1755 GMT), the government’s disaster and emergency management agency said. The US Geological …

China has locked down nine more cities in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus which has now claimed the lives of at least 26 people. The city of Wuhan, where the virus started, had been effectively quarantined for days, with all train and bus stations closed and …

China locked down some 20 million people at the epicenter 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 …

In a major legal victory for members of the Rohingya Muslim minority, the United Nations’ top court on Thursday ordered Myanmar to take all measures in its power to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people. The court’s president, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said the International Court of Justice “is of …

Asian countries on Tuesday ramped up measures to block the spread of a new virus as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300, raising concerns in the middle of a major holiday travel rush. From Australia to Thailand and as …

There are now 205 people confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV as it is being referred to after Chinese officials confirmed a spike in new cases over the weekend. This included one case in Shenzhen and two cases in Beijing, according to WHO China. South Korea …

China reported four more cases of pneumonia believed to be caused by a new coronavirus strain, causing rising concern globally that disease health officials do not yet fully understand could spread during a key holiday period. The new virus, which was discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, belongs …

At least 61 people were killed and scores of others trapped after avalanches hit Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday, media reported citing a disaster management official. The Neelum Valley area is the worst hit with 57 people killed, while four others were killed in Rawalakot and Kotli areas, according to the …

Severe winter weather has struck parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with heavy snowfall, rains and flash floods that left at least 48 people dead, officials said Monday as authorities struggled to clear and reopen highways and evacuate people to safer places. In Pakistan, where 30 people were reported killed, much …

Defense Minister issued an order to implement information gathering operations in the Middle East. Japan Self Defense Forces will conduct the operation by deploying MSDF destroyer Takanami and leveraging DAPE P-3C patrol aircraft to ensure the safety of navigation for Japan-affiliated vessels. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Takanami-class destroyer …

A volcano south of the Philippine capital Manila has spewed a giant ash plume accompanied by rumbling sounds and tremors, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and order the evacuation of about 8000 residents. The Philippine airport authority also suspended flights at Manila’s international airport. “Flight operations at the …

Two U.S. service members were killed and two others wounded when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission said in a statement on Saturday. The service members were conducting operations when their armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in …

The Indian Navy has deployed its sole aircraft carrier to the Arabian Sea to keep an eye on a joint military drill between China and regional rival Pakistan. The INS Vikramaditya, with a fleet of MiG-29K fighter jets on board, has arrived to monitor large nine-day naval exercise ‘Sea Guardians …

The death toll from the bombing of a mosque in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta rose to 15 on Saturday, officials said, in an escalation of militant violence. An improvised explosive device ripped through the mosque during Friday evening prayers, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20, police …

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is set to win re-election on Saturday, with figures from the election commission showing her leading her main opponent by more than two million votes with more than 86% of votes counted. Tsai is expected to hold a news conference in Taipei shortly.

Lunar New Year might still be two weeks away, but China is already bracing itself for an annual homecoming of epic proportions. Considered the largest human migration on the planet, Chunyun — the 40-day period when Chinese people head home to celebrate the Lunar New Year Spring Festival with their …

The Taliban have attacked a convoy of US troops in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, a couple of days after American airstrikes killed a commander of the militant group and several other militants in the country. A roadside bomb struck one of the armored vehicles of the US forces in …

India has approved its third lunar mission months after its last one failed to successfully land on the moon, its space agency said on Wednesday, the latest effort in its ambitions to become a low-cost space power. The Chandrayaan-3 mission will have a lander and a rover, but not an …

Flash floods inundated swathes of Indonesia’s capital and nearby towns on the first day of the New Year after torrential rainfall overnight, killing at least nine people and forcing thousands of people to evacuate, authorities said on Wednesday. “As of 4 pm today, there are 19,079 displaced residents who have …