World

Russia warned on Wednesday against traveling to Italy, South Korea and Iran to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading. Advertising Noting the spike in cases in the three countries, consumer safety regulator Rospotrebnadzor urged Russians to avoid traveling there’ until the epidemiological situation has stabilized.’ More than 1,100 people were infected in South Korea— the hardest-hit area outside China— and …

The new coronavirus epidemic swelled on Wednesday with cases in South Korea surging past 1,000 after deaths soared in Iran and infections appeared in previously untouched countries, prompting dire warnings that the world was not ready to contain it. The virus has rapidly spread in parts of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, even as the number of deaths and …

Indonesia’s Gojek denied a report that it’s discussing a merger with rival Grab Holdings Inc, a deal that would combine the leading ride-hailing businesses in Southeast Asia. “There are no plans for any sort of merger and recent media reports regarding discussions of this nature are not accurate,” Gojek said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Management teams from the two …

The Public Health Ministry on Tuesday announced two new Thai Covid-19 cases: a woman, 31, whose relative visited Guangzhou and a male driver of Chinese tourists, 29, as the total number of local cases rose to 37. Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary for health, said the woman was a maid and was initially diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown cause. Later, doctors …

China declared an immediate and “comprehensive” ban on wild animal trade and consumption, a practice believed to be responsible for the deadly coronavirus outbreak. The highest legislative committee in the country adopted a resolution “prohibiting the illegal trade in wildlife, abolishing the bad habit of overconsumption of wildlife and effectively protecting people’s lives and safety,” state television reported. Previous temporary …

Italy reported Monday its fourth death from the new coronavirus, an 84-year old man in the northern Lombardy region, as the number of people contracting the virus continued to mount. It was the third death in Lombardy, where villages have been put in lockdown and security measures enforced in a bid to stem the spread of the disease, the region’s …

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, at 94 the world’s oldest leader, submitted his resignation to the king Monday after a bid by his allies to bring down the government and block the succession of leader-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim. The coalition would reportedly have excluded Anwar, Mahathir’s presumptive successor, and most of the lawmakers from his party, which would have stopped him …

Four new coronavirus infections reported by Japanese authorities on Saturday as the number of cases outside China continued to climb. One of the new cases, according to a Prefectural Government official, is a woman in her 60s who is a junior high school teacher in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. The woman first showed symptoms on Feb. 12 and according …