Taiwan to send plane to evacuate citizens from virus-hit ship in Japan
Taiwan plans to send a chartered flight this week to evacuate its citizens from a virus-hit cruise ship in Japan, the Taiwan government said on Wednesday.
Japan government conducts emergency survey on banks amid China virus outbreak
Japan’s financial watchdog has begun conducting an emergency survey on domestic financial institutions with business operations in China to gauge how the coronavirus outbreak could affect credit costs, government sources said on Wednesday.
Beijing says firmly opposes new U.S. rules on China state-backed media
China said on Wednesday it firmly opposes new rules imposed by the United States against five Chinese government and ruling Communist Party-backed media entities and warned it reserved the right to respond to Washington’s actions.
Mongolia to shut schools until March 30 to curb virus outbreak
Mongolia will keep all its schools shut until March 30 in order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in the country, the government said on Wednesday.
Foreign visitors to Japan fall for fourth straight month in January
The number of foreign visitors to Japan fell for the fourth straight month in January as the impact of a South Korean boycott continued to weigh, with further, sharper falls expected ahead as the coronavirus keeps away Chinese travelers.
Last passengers leave cruise ship in Cambodia after virus clearance
Remaining passengers who were stuck onboard a cruise ship docked in Cambodia for almost a week left the vessel on Wednesday after they tested negative for the coronavirus, a government official said.
Pakistan probes link between soybean dust and deaths in port city of Karachi
Authorities in Pakistan are investigating if exposure to soybean dust, which can cause severe allergic reactions, is responsible for at least 14 deaths and dozens of illnesses in the southern port city of Karachi.
South Korean church services seen as center of spike in coronavirus cases
South Korea reported 15 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, including 10 people involved in a surprise outbreak traced to several church services in the central city of Daegu.
India cracks down on use of VPNs in Kashmir to get around social media ban
Authorities in Indian Kashmir are cracking down on virtual private network (VPN) apps used to circumvent a months-long ban on social media, police said, as part of a broader effort to quell unrest over the withdrawal of the region’s autonomy.
WHO says no indication of coronavirus cases in North Korea
There are no indications that there are cases of the new coronavirus in North Korea, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said, despite South Korean media reports suggesting the outbreak had spread to the isolated country.
