The Chinese province at the center of the coronavirus outbreak reported a record rise in deaths and thousands of more infections using a broader definition on Thursday, while Japan became the third place outside mainland China to suffer a fatality. The epidemic has given China’s ruling Communist Party one of …
Read More »Rohingya Refugees Boat Capsizes: At Least 16 Dead
At least 16 people drowned and dozens more were unaccounted for after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh early Tuesday, officials say. Some 130 people were packed on the fishing trawler that was trying to get across the Bay of Bengal to Malaysia, coast guard spokesman Hamidul …
Read More »Coronavirus cases outside China may be ‘tip of the iceberg’: WHO
People across China trickled back to work on Monday after an extended Lunar New Year holiday as the government eased restrictions imposed to counter the coronavirus, but the World Health Organization said the number of cases outside China could be just “the tip of the iceberg”. The death toll from …
Read More »US confirms 2 soldiers killed, 6 injured in Afghanistan
The US military says two American soldiers have been killed and six others wounded in an attack in eastern Afghanistan. Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for US forces, confirmed late on Saturday that the casualties took place in the Sherzad district of eastern Nangarhar Province after an individual in “Afghan …
Read More »Death toll from the mass shooting in Thailand hits 26
The death toll from a shooting spree by a soldier in northeastern Thailand has reached 26 people, as officials rule out ideological motives in the attack. Thai security forces shot and killed the rogue soldier behind the mass shooting in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima City, about 250 kilometers from the capital, …
Read More »Kashmir fighting kills two rebels, one Indian soldier
Two suspected rebels and an Indian paramilitary soldier were killed in brief fighting in disputed Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. Indian forces detained a suspected rebel after the fighting. Paramilitary officer Pankaj Singh said three rebels arrived on a motorbike and fired at a patrol on the outskirts of Kashmir’s …
Read More »Latest on the coronavirus spreading in China and beyond
China said it would welcome assistance from the United States to fight a coronavirus outbreak, a day after it accused Washington of scaremongering, and as the death toll in China rose on Tuesday by a new daily record to more than 420. ** First case of coronavirus confirmed in Belgium. …
Read More »One Dead, 300 Evacuated After Ammonia Gas Leak in Delhi Suburb
A 42-year-old worker died due to an ammonia gas leak at Indian confectionary major Haldiram’s building in the Delhi suburb of Noida, and nearly 300 people were evacuated to safety following the incident. Ammonia is a colorless and pungent-smelling gas, often used as a refrigerant, that can cause a burning …
Read More »Many countries tighten curbs on travel to China, virus toll hits 213
The United States and other countries tightened travel curbs on Friday and businesses said they were facing supply problems because of the coronavirus in China, a day after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency. With the death toll rising to 213, all of them in China, the …
Read More »Flash floods, landslides kill nine in Indonesia
Flash floods and landslides have killed at least nine people and forced thousands into temporary shelters on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, the local disaster agency said on Thursday (Jan 30). Torrential rain in North Sumatra this week sparked the disaster, with most victims drowning or hit by logs swept away in …
Read More »10 security personnel killed in Taliban attack in northern Afghanistan
At least 10 policemen have been killed in an attack by the Taliban militant group on a checkpoint in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan Province. “The Taliban attacked the police checkpoint from several directions. The fighting lasted several hours. Ten policemen were martyred. The Taliban also suffered casualties,” said provincial police spokesman …
Read More »Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake Hits Turkey, four dead
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 …
Read More »China extends lockdown to 10 cities as death toll rises to 26
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 …
Read More »UN orders Myanmar to prevent Rohingya genocide
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 …
Read More »Confirmed new coronavirus cases now over 200, China reports third death
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 …
Read More »At least 61 killed as avalanches hit Pakistan-controlled Kashmir
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 …
Read More »Video: Flights suspended, evacuations as Philippines volcano spews ash
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 …
Read More »Indian Navy deploys its sole aircraft carrier to the Arabian sea
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 …
Read More »Taiwan President Tsai set to win re-election
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.
Read More »World’s biggest human migration begins
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 …
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