Who is at risk? Persons living in or near Wuhan City, China, persons traveling in that area in the past two weeks or who have had contact with someone who has been in that area or contact with someone diagnosed with Coronavirus infection. Current Virginia Risk Level: Low — no identified cases in Virginia as … Continue reading
KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) — Australian tourists who complained about being stranded on tropical Bali when volcanic ash closed its airport have been roasted online as out of touch with the hardships faced by Indonesians forced to flee their homes. Bali’s airport reopened Wednesday after being closed for 2 1/2 days and thousands of tourists are … Continue reading
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on the global response to North Korea’s latest missile launch (all times local): 10:30 a.m. South Korea’s military says North Korea’s new intercontinental ballistic missile is potentially capable of striking targets as far as 13,000 kilometers (8,100 miles) away when fired at an operational angle, which would put … Continue reading
By CALEB JONES and JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Just days after North Korea tested its most powerful missile yet, Hawaii is dusting off a relic not heard on the islands since the end of the Cold War. The monthly test of Hawaii’s siren warning system for tsunamis and other natural disasters will … Continue reading
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani Islamists celebrated their victory over the government and called off their sit-in on Monday after the country’s law minister resigned, caving in to the fundamentalist protesters who have been demanding his ouster in a three-week-long rally. After Zahid Hamid’s resignation, the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party, which was behind the sit-in … Continue reading
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Pope Francis opened a diplomatically fraught trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh on Monday by immediately diving into the crisis over Myanmar’s crackdown on Rohingya Muslims: He met with the country’s military chief, even before beginning the official program of his trip. The Vatican didn’t provide details of the contents of Francis’ … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. declaration of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism (all times local): 2 p.m. The United States has issued new sanctions on four Chinese trading companies and a Chinese national said to have conducted hundreds of millions of dollars in business with North Korea. The Treasury … Continue reading
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — President Donald Trump is winding down his lengthy Asia trip with an international summit and a trio of meetings with Pacific Rim allies, including his host in the Philippines who is overseeing a bloody drug war. Trump, in Manila, attended the opening ceremonies of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations conference, … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia are nearing an agreement on Syria for how they hope to resolve the Arab country’s civil war once the Islamic State group is defeated, officials said Thursday. If clinched, the deal could be announced by President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after a meeting in … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Thursday ordered its citizens out of Lebanon in its first concrete action against the Mediterranean country, while officials in Beirut demanded the immediate return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who abruptly announced his resignation last week in a television appearance from the kingdom, where he has been holed up … Continue reading
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Two U.S. supersonic bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula for bombing exercises that are also a show of force against North Korea ahead of President Donald Trump’s first official visit to Asia. A South Korean military official said Friday the B-1B bombers based in Guam were escorted by two South … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — With solemn faces and outright tears, black-clad Thais said farewell to their king and longtime father figure Thursday on Bangkok’s streets and at viewing areas around the nation, capping a year of mourning with funeral ceremonies steeped in centuries of tradition. Three processions involving the royal family, thousands of troops, a golden … Continue reading
CLARK, Philippines (AP) — Japan’s defense minister asserted Monday that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities have grown to an “unprecedented, critical and imminent” level, requiring “different responses” to the threat. The minister, Itsunori Odonera, said that this rising threat compels his country to endorse the U.S. view that “all options” must be considered, … Continue reading
HONG KONG (AP) — When the propaganda film, “The Founding of an Army,” hit theaters in China recently, the reaction wasn’t quite what the ruling Communist Party might have hoped for. Instead of inspiring an outpouring of nationalism and self-sacrifice for the state, it was roundly mocked for trying to lure a younger audience by … Continue reading
MARAWI, Philippines (AP) — Smoke wafted from the smoldering carcasses of buildings and houses, with the dome of a mosque blasted out with holes, as Philippine troops battled Thursday to defeat a final stand by the last dozens of pro-Islamic State group militants in a southern city. The desolate war scene, witnessed by Associated Press … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will ask U.S. allies to pressure North Korea on its nuclear program in an upcoming trip to the Asia-Pacific region. He’ll also meet with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Trump has praised Duterte for his deadly war on drugs that has left thousands dead, according to a leaked transcript … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — Thais marked one year since the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej with solemn ceremonies and acts of personal devotion Friday before an elaborate five-day funeral later this month. Official commemorations of Bhumibol were organized at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital, where he died, and at Government House and the ornate royal palace. But many … Continue reading
MUMBAI, India (AP) — A stampede broke out on a crowded pedestrian bridge connecting two railway stations in Mumbai during the Friday morning rush, killing at least 22 people and injuring 32 others, Indian officials said. Police were investigating what caused the stampede on the bridge, which led some commuters to leap over the railing. … Continue reading
By HYUNG-JIN KIM, Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The U.S. military flew advanced bombers and stealth jets over the Korean Peninsula and near Japan in drills with South Korean and Japanese warplanes on Monday, three days after North Korea fired a missile over Japan. The United States often sends powerful military aircraft in a … Continue reading
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — More than 10,000 Muslims in Bangladesh have marched toward Myanmar’s embassy to protest the country’s crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. At least 412,000 ethnic Rohingya have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar in the past month and are living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. Many say their homes were burned by Myanmar’s military … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — The Latest on violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and the flood of ethnic Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh (all times local): 7 p.m. Myanmar’s presidential spokesman says 176 ethnic Rohingya villages are now empty after all of their residents fled during recent violence in Rakhine state. Zaw Htay said there had been a … Continue reading
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — Myanmar’s military has been accused of planting land mines in the path of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in its western Rakhine state, with Amnesty International reporting two people wounded Sunday. Refugee accounts of the latest spasm of violence in Rakhine have typically described shootings by soldiers and arson attacks on … Continue reading
NEW DELHI (AP) — The killing of an Indian journalist provoked outrage and anguish across the country on Wednesday, with thousands protesting what they saw as an effort to silence a critic of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party. Even as police promise to hunt down the assailants who gunned down Gauri Lankesh outside her Bangalore … Continue reading
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — Three boats carrying ethnic Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar capsized in Bangladesh and 26 bodies of women and children have been recovered, officials said Thursday. Bangladesh border guard commander Lt. Col. S.M. Ariful Islam said at least three boats carrying an unknown number of Rohingya Muslims sank in the Naf … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — Several hundred Buddhist nationalists, including monks, rallied in Myanmar’s largest city on Wednesday to urge stronger action against insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority for attacks on police last week. The attacks in Rakhine state in western Myanmar have spiraled into chaotic violence, with more than 100 dead and villages torched. … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 