Qatar accuses Saudi Arabia of hampering its access to Gulf meet on coronavirus
Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of allowing a protracted dispute to hinder Gulf Arab coordination over the coronavirus outbreak by denying the Qatari health minister timely access to a meeting of regional health ministers in Riyadh.
Iran’s election vetting body spokesman says honored to be blacklisted by U.S.
Iran’s election vetting body spokesman said he was honored to be blacklisted by the United States, which sanctioned five members of the Guardian Council for preventing free and fair elections in the Islamic Republic.
Factbox: Choices curtailed – Iran’s parliamentary election
Iranians voted on Friday in a parliamentary election likely to reinforce the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid mounting U.S. pressure over the nuclear program and as discontent grows at home.
Honda delays plans to restart operations at Wuhan plant to March 11
Honda Motor Co on Friday said it would push back plans to resume operations at its vehicle plant in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, after government authorities asked firms to keep workers away through March 11.
Australia to spend $726 million to upgrade strategic northern airbase
Australia will spend A$1.1 billion ($725.9 million) to upgrade an airbase in the country’s tropical north, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, a development that increases Canberra’s military armory in the Pacific.
Upstart Thai opposition party faces ban over loan from founder
Thailand’s Constitutional Court will on Friday rule whether to dissolve an upstart opposition political party that has challenged the military establishment, over accusations it benefited from an illicit loan from its wealthy founder.
China’s Hubei revises Thursday’s tally of new coronavirus cases upward
China’s central province of Hubei said on Friday it has revised the number of new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Thursday upward to 631 from 411 after including cases in the province’s prison system.
China finds spike in coronavirus cases in jails, officials fired
The new coronavirus has infected 234 people in two prisons outside the province at the center of the epidemic and top officials deemed responsible for the outbreaks have been fired, authorities said on Friday.
Coronavirus on G20 agenda as China reports uptick in cases
China reported an uptick in new cases of coronavirus on Friday, boosted by more than 200 people testing positive for the disease in two prisons outside of Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Mexico extradites son of powerful cartel leader to United States
Mexico extradited the son of one of its most wanted drug lords to the United States on Thursday, a source in the attorney general’s office said.
