China says will punish officials who slack off in fighting virus
China’s anti-corruption watchdog said on Thursday it will severely punish officials who slack off on the job in fighting a new virus that is spreading across the country.
Heatwave and high winds threaten to rekindle Australian wildfires
Large swathes of southeast Australia were bracing on Thursday for a days-long heatwave that threatens to stoke bushfires that have been burning for months.
Factbox: Commodity market impact from the coronavirus in China
A new coronavirus that has killed 170 people in China and spread to over a dozen other countries has roiled global commodity markets, raising fears of weaker demand and disrupting raw material supply chains in the world’s most populous country.
Hong Kong unions threaten strikes in push for border closure to curb virus
Trade unions in Hong Kong, including hospital and rail workers, are threatening to go on strike unless the government closes the border with mainland China to stop the spread of a new coronavirus that has sent jitters around the world.
China virus toll rises to 170 as countries isolate citizens to stop global spread
Countries began isolating hundreds of citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan in an effort to stop the global spread of an epidemic that has killed 170, with South Korea calling for calm in the face of protests at a quarantine center.
China regulator approves charter flights to bring home Wuhan tourists
China’s aviation authority has approved chartered flights to bring home from overseas trips some residents of the central city of Wuhan, the site of an epidemic caused by a new virus, state television said on Thursday.
Tokyo prosecutors issue arrest warrants for Ghosn, ex-U.S. soldier: Kyodo
Tokyo prosecutors on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former U.S. special forces soldier and another person suspected of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of Japan, Kyodo news reported.
Japan’s former emperor briefly loses consciousness, but has recovered: palace
Japan’s former emperor Akihito, who stepped down last year, briefly lost consciousness on Wednesday but has recovered, a palace spokesman said.
China halts domestic soccer to contain coronavirus spread
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) said on Thursday it is postponing all domestic games due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus epidemic as the total number of confirmed deaths from the newly identified pathogen in the country rose to 170.
Factbox: Latest on the coronavirus spreading in China and beyond
A coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan, the capital of China’s central province of Hubei, has spread to more than 9,320 people globally, surpassing the total from the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic. The new virus has killed 212 people.
