Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SHANGHAI, Jan 28 (NNN-ANTARA) – APP (China), a subsidiary of Indonesia-based Sinar Mars Group, donated 100 million yuan (14.4 million U.S. dollars) on Monday, to help curb the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), in China.

The funds were transferred to the Overseas Chinese Charity Foundation of China.

Meanwhile, Gold Hong Ye Paper Group, under APP (China), has started the emergency manufacturing of protective products for the epidemic and delivered 350,000 yuan’s worth of hygiene wipes, directly to central China’s Hubei Province.

BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday said the WHO speaks highly of the decisive measures the Chinese government has taken and is confident in China's epidemic prevention and control ability.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the remarks when meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares skidded again Tuesday on deepening worries over the expanding outbreak of a new virus in China.

Markets in Hong Kong and mainland China were closed Tuesday for Lunar New Year holidays, while South Korea’s benchmark tumbled 3.4% to 2,170.88 as it reopened after its own holidays.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.9% to 23,128.24, while Australia’s S&P ASX/200 slipped 1.4% to 6,988.60. Shares also fell in Taiwan, Jakarta and Singapore.

BEIJING (AP) — Deaths from a new viral disease that is causing mounting global concern rose by 25 to at least 106 in China on Tuesday as the United States and other governments prepared to fly their citizens out of the locked-down city at center of the outbreak.

The total includes the first death in Beijing, the Chinese capital, and 24 more fatalities in Hubei province, where the first illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus occurred in December.

Asian stock markets tumbled for a second day, dragged down by worries about the virus’s global economic impact.

27 Jan 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud said on Monday the kingdom was closely monitoring developments in global oil markets resulting from “gloomy expectations” over the impact of the new coronavirus on the Chinese and global economy and oil market fundamentals, Reuters reports.

Prince Abdulaziz said he was confident the Chinese government and international community could contain the spread of the virus and fully eradicate it.

27 January 2020; AFP: The rapid spread of a deadly virus in China caused growing global alarm on Monday, with Germany advising citizens to avoid the country, Mongolia closing its border and other nations racing to evacuate citizens trapped at the epicentre of the health emergency.

XI’AN, Jan 27 (NNN-XINHUA) – A China-Kazakhstan joint archaeological research, unveiled the ruins of a city on the ancient Silk Road.

The Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute in northwest China, said that, its cooperation with the Issyk State Historical-Cultural Museum, in Kazakhstan, on the excavation of the ancient city of Rahat, entered its third phase in 2019.

BEIJING, Jan 27 (NNN-ASIAONE) – China said today (Monday), the death toll from the deadly viral outbreak spiked to 80, as the hard-hit epicentre province of Hubei suffered 24 new fatalities, while total confirmed cases nationwide rose sharply to 2,744.

While there were no new deaths confirmed outside of Hubei, the national tally of verified infections rose by 769, around half of them in Hubei, the National Health Commission said. It said, 461 of those infected were in serious condition.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities temporarily banned the trade of wild animals Sunday following a viral outbreak in Wuhan, saying they will “severely investigate and punish” violators.

Local authorities will “strengthen inspections and severely investigate and punish those who are found in violation of the provisions of this announcement,” read the the ban issued by three government agencies.

BEIJING (AP) — A new viral illness being watched with a wary eye around the globe accelerated its spread in China with 80 deaths so far, while the U.S. Consulate in the city at the epicenter announced it will evacuate its personnel and some other Americans aboard a charter flight.

China’s health minister said the country was entering a “crucial stage” as “it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger.”