South Korea says North Korea’s Kim may be trying to avoid coronavirus
Fear of catching the coronavirus could have kept North Korean leader Kim Jong Un away from state ceremonies for a key holiday in mid-April, a South Korean minister said on Tuesday as speculation swirled over Kim’s whereabouts and health.
Japan PM paying close attention to reports on North Korea’s Kim
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday he was aware of reports on the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and was paying close attention to developments.
300,000 coronavirus masks sent to pregnant women in Japan may be faulty: reports
Some 300,000 coronavirus masks sent to pregnant women in Japan as part of a government handout have been found to be faulty, media reports said, the latest in a string of complaints about how the government has dealt with the pandemic.
China says Indian criticism of coronavirus test kits is “irresponsible”
China has criticised India’s decision to stop using Chinese testing kits for the novel coronavirus because of quality issues as unfair and irresponsible in the latest strain in their ties.
China lab rejects COVID-19 conspiracy claims, but virus origins still a mystery
Claims that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan have no basis in fact, the head of the lab told Reuters, adding that there were still no conclusive answers as to where the disease started.
Thailand’s coronavirus medics feel strain even as cases decline
For Bangkok nurse Kanjana Kamoun, the coronavirus Intensive Care Ward is not only where she works all day, it is where she thinks she is when she wakes up in the middle of the night, anxious and afraid.
Thailand reports seven new coronavirus cases, two new deaths
Thailand on Tuesday reported seven more coronavirus cases and two new deaths, bringing the total number of infections since the outbreak began in January to 2,938 cases and 54 fatalities.
El Salvador lines up semi-naked gang members for grim prison photos
Right groups condemned El Salvador’s president on Monday for releasing startling photos of hundreds of jailed gang members stripped to underwear and pressed together in formation, part of a punishment for an outbreak of violence.
As Japan fights coronavirus with shutdowns, rats emerge onto deserted streets
As more Japanese restaurants shut down and people stay home during the country’s state of emergency to fight the coronavirus, experts say rats may be expanding their search for food to deserted streets once crowded with humans.
Freed from strict lockdown New Zealanders head to fast food outlets, beaches
New Zealanders queued for burgers, fries and coffee takeaway on Tuesday after they were freed from a month-long lockdown, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has credited with eliminating domestic transmission of the coronavirus.
