A Thai taxi driver has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, health officials said Friday, in the kingdom's first case of human-to-human transmission of the deadly sickness which has sparked a global health alert.
The finding makes Thailand only the sixth country alongside China, Germany, Japan, France and the US with confirmed domestic infections.
It also comes as the Chinese death toll topped 200 on Friday and warnings intensified over the potential for the SARS-like virus to spread through countries with less well maintained public health systems.
"Today (Friday) there are five more patients with coronavirus, four are Chinese who came in from Wuhan," Sukhum Kanjanapimai, a Health Ministry official told reporters.
"The fifth was a Thai national - a taxi driver - who hasn't travelled to China... but may have had contact with Chinese tourists."
He stopped driving after falling ill "so passengers shouldn't be worried," Sukhum said, adding 13 people who had close contact with the taxi ...

Thai taxi driver is kingdom's first human-to-human transmission of virus

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A stubborn 80 not out from Sri Lankan opener Kusal Mendis frustrated Zimbabwe's hopes of squaring the two-Test series on Friday's fifth and final day of the second Test in Harare.
Set a challenging 361 to win, Sri Lanka dropped anchor, scoring just 51 runs in the afternoon session, to reach 156 for three at tea.
Sri Lanka lost captain Dimuth Karunaratne in the morning and Oshada Fernando for 47 just after lunch but Mendis batted though to tea, striking 10 fours in his 170-ball vigil.
Zimbabwe gained some renewed hope shortly before the interval when Angelo Mathews slapped a delivery from Victor Nyauchi straight to Craig Ervine at mid-on.
Sri Lanka require another 205 in the last session although with rain forecast, any result other than a draw would now be a surprise.
Rain and bad light had cut short Thursday's play but Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams chose not to declare on their overnight 241 for seven.
Instead they batted on briefly to reach 247 for seven before the declaration came 

Mendis holds firm as Zimbabwe press for victory

Tireless Dominic Thiem came from a set down to outlast German Alexander Zverev and make his first Australian Open final Friday, booking a showdown with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
The 26-year-old fifth seed, the first player from Austria ever to reach the Melbourne decider, battled past seventh-ranked Zverev 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) on a sweltering evening.
Defending champion Djokovic awaits him after the second seed ended Roger Federer's dreams in straight sets Thursday to make his eighth Melbourne Park final.
Thiem has his work cut out against the Serb who is on a 12-match unbeaten streak this season and has won all seven of the Australian Open deciders he has contested.
And if Djokovic needs extra motivation, winning on Sunday will see him reclaim the world number one ranking after Rafael Nadal crashed to Thiem in the last eight.
"It was an unreal match, two tie-breakers, so tough and so close. It was almost impossible to break him," said Thiem.
"Being in the ...

Thiem outlasts Zverev to make Australian Open final

Two Chinese citizens have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Russia's first cases since the deadly outbreak emerged in China, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday The two cases were registered in the Zabaikalsky and Tyumen regions of Siberia, Russian news agencies reported.
She also said Russia would evacuate citizens from China because of the virus.

Russia confirms first two coronavirus cases

Small toy figure is seen in front of UK and European Union displayed flags in this illustration picture, October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Britain's 47-year membership of the bloc will end on the stroke of 2300 GMT -- midnight Brussels time, three and a half years after a shock referendum vote to leave

Brexit: European Union chiefs hail 'new dawn for Europe' as UK quits

Press Trust of India

Singapore on Friday announced a sweeping ban on arrivals and transit passengers from mainland China as authorities toughened measures to prevent the spread of a deadly virus.
The move was a dramatic expansion of earlier measures by Singapore that affected only arrivals from central Hubei province and came after the World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus an international emergency.
"We are likely to see a sharper rise in the spread of the virus to Chinese cities beyond Hubei in the coming days... so the task force has decided to take additional measures now to restrict travel," Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said at a media briefing.
"All new visitors with recent travel history to China within the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter into Singapore or to transit through Singapore," added Wong, who co-chairs the government task force leading the response to the virus.
"We will suspend the issuance of all forms of new visas to those holding (China) ..

Singapore bars arrivals from China over virus fears

Mongolia said Friday it will ban Chinese nationals and foreigners coming from China by plane, train or road to prevent the spread of a deadly virus.
The ban will be enforced from Saturday until March 2, according to a government statement, which also said Mongolians will be prohibited from travelling to China for the same period of time.
Mongolians currently in China can return by normal routes until February 6.
After that they will be allowed to journey home through train or plane at only two points: the Zamiin Uud rail border and the airport in the capital city Ulaanbaatar.
There have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Mongolia.
Mongolia had already closed its border crossings with China to cars, temporarily shut schools and suspended public events to prevent the deadly virus which has rapidly spread across China and infected thousands.
The huge, landlocked country is the latest nation to place restrictions on Chinese travellers after the World Health Organization declared the .

Mongolia bans Chinese, foreigners arriving from China

A plane chartered by Britain to evacuate its citizens and other foreign nationals on Friday departed the Chinese city at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak with 110 people aboard.
The civilian aircraft left Wuhan in central China at around 9:45 am local time (0145 GMT) carrying 83 Britons and 27 foreign citizens, according to the Foreign Office.
A small number of medics were on the plane to provide support to passengers, it said.
The jet will land at Brize Norton Royal Air Force base in central England at around 1:00 pm (1300 GMT) local time, then head to Spain where the remaining EU nationals will disembark.
The returning Britons will be isolated for 14 days at a medical facility in the northwest of England.
"It's welcome news that our evacuation flight has now left Wuhan," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.
"We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe ...

UK evacuation plane leaves Wuhan with 110 people on board

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday expressed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine after he met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.
"Today I'm here with a clear message: the United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver," Pompeo told a press conference.
"The US understands that Ukraine is an important country," Pompeo said, in a clear reference to reports that he had told a US journalist that Americans did not care about the country.
Pompeo is the most senior US official to visit Ukraine since the start of the impeachment process against US President Donald Trump, who is accused of withholding military aid to push Kiev into investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Washington has been an important backer of Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow-backed separatists in the country's east, providing both military aid and diplomatic support.
Zelensky, who has taken .

US support for Ukraine 'will not waver': Pompeo

The Italian government declared a state of emergency on Friday to fast-track efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain after two cases were confirmed in Rome.
Italy had said Thursday it was stopping all flights to and from China following the news that two Chinese tourists holidaying in Italy had tested positive for the virus.
The couple was being treated in isolation in Rome's Spallanzani infectious diseases institute.
The state of emergency, which gives regional authorities special powers and cuts redtape, will last six months, according to Italian media.
Police sealed off the room where the couple had been staying at a hotel in the centre of the capital. Other Chinese tourists who had arrived in Italy as part of the same tour group were being tested for the virus.
A 42-year old Romanian who had been working at the hotel was also admitted for tests, media reports said.
Italy's civil aviation authority said all flights in the air before the suspension was ...

Italy declares state of emergency over coronavirus

Arsenal announced the signing of Portugal defender Cedric Soares on loan from Southampton until the end of the season on Friday.
The 28-year-old will be out of contract in June, having made more than 100 appearances for the Saints since joining them from Sporting Lisbon in 2015.
Right-back Soares, who had a loan spell at Inter Milan last season, is currently recovering from a knee problem, so his debut for the Gunners could be delayed until after the winter break.
Arsenal technical director Edu said on the club website: "Cedric is a defender with good experience of the Premier League, and of course at international level.
"He is another strong addition to our defensive unit who will provide our squad with quality." Southampton had brought in Kyle Walker-Peters on loan from Tottenham as cover.
"The club would like to thank Cedric for all his efforts during his time with the club and wish him luck for the rest of the campaign," a Southampton statement read.

Arsenal sign Southampton defender Cedric Soares on loan

Zimbabwe's hopes of squaring the two-Test series stalled when Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis shared an unbroken second wicket partnership of 79 on the final day on Friday to take Sri Lanka to 105 for one at lunch.
Chasing an imposing target of 361, Sri Lanka lost captain Dimuth Karunaratne early on but Fernando and Mendis batted though the rest of the session in some comfort, with both reaching 46 not out at lunch.
Sri Lanka require another 256 in the last two sessions although with rain forecast, any result other than a draw may be beyond both sides.
Rain and bad light had cut short Thursday's play but Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams chose not to declare on their overnight 240 for seven.
Instead they batted on briefly to reach 247 for seven before the declaration came with Williams, who made a century in the first innings, picking up the three runs he needed for another half-century to finish 53 not out.
Williams then chose to open the bowling with spinner Sikandar Raza who took ...

Zimbabwe victory push stalled by Sri Lanka batsmen

A girl detonated a bomb, killing three boys at an Islamic seminary in northeast Nigeria in an attack that bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, a local militia and residents said Friday.
The girl, aged around 12, detonated the device  late Thursday when open-air classes were on in Muna Dalti, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
She walked up to the group of boys who were just ending their lessons and "blew herself up in their midst," Mohammed Bola, head of the anti-jihadist militia in the area, told AFP.
"She killed three boys and injured four others," Bola said about the attack which happened around 1900 GMT.
Moments earlier, another young girl stormed into a house in the area and detonated her explosives, injuring one person, said resident Salisu Mohammed.
"The house was totally destroyed. Luckily, no one was killed as the occupants of the house were outside chatting with neighbours," he said.
The two bombers sneaked into the area together but split to attack ...

Three killed in Boko Haram suicide bombing in Nigeria

Zinedine Zidane has said he is "not contemplating" Gareth Bale leaving Real Madrid on Friday before the end of the January transfer window.
Bale came close to joining Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning last summer and English newspaper the Times reported on Friday the Welshman was in talks to rejoin his former club Tottenham.
But a source at Spurs has told AFP they are not in negotiations to sign Bale this month. Another source close to the player insisted earlier this week that "nothing has changed" and he would not be leaving Real Madrid in January.
Asked about the possibility of Bale being sold on Friday, Zidane said in a press conference: "Gareth is with us, I'm counting on him. I do not contemplate this possibility."
Bale was left out of the squad to face Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, having completed only one full training session following an ankle injury.
Zidane would not say if he would return for the city derby against Atletico Madrid at the Santiago .

Zidane not considering Bale exit on transfer deadline day

The European Union's three top officials gathered Friday to promise a new dawn for their bloc and warn Britain that it would lose the benefits of close ties after Brexit.
"We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership," EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.
"Our union has gained political impetus and has become a global economic powerhouse. Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union," she said.

EU chief warns UK there is no strength in 'splendid isolation'

A number of airlines say they are halting or reducing flights to China as the country struggles to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.
China has advised its citizens to postpone trips abroad and cancelled overseas group tours, while several countries have urged their citizens to avoid travel to China.
The World Health Organization declared an emergency over the virus but said it "does not recommend and actually opposes any restrictions" on travel and trade to China partly because it could disrupt needed aid.
The epidemic has killed 170 people, infected more than 7,000 worldwide including at least 80 outside China, Macau and Hong Kong, and spread to some 15 countries.  The following is a list of airlines that have announced changes:
- AirAsia -
AirAsia said a ban on flights from Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand to Wuhan, China has been extended until the end of February.
- Air Austral -
The airline is suspending flights between La Reunion and ...

Airlines curb or cancel China flights

A failure by Britain and the European Union to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by the end-of-year deadline would pose an "existential threat" to Ireland, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Friday.
"We have to be realistic about the dangers," the Irish leader said on the day Britain leaves the EU.
"A failure to secure a trade deal would be a major threat, and an existential threat to our economy in 2021, so we do need that deal.

Failure to reach post-Brexit trade deal 'existential threat' to Ireland: PM

Dhaka is awash with millions of plastic-laminated campaign posters ahead of elections in the Bangladeshi capital, and environmentalists are up in arms.
These posters -- of which there are an estimated 304 million  -- will likely end up in sewers, rivers and canals, says activist Sharif Jamil.
"If they are burnt, they will pollute the air," he adds.
The city's air quality has been ranked one of the worst in the world.
"The posters will take 400 years to decompose," says Jamil, who is general secretary of the Bangladesh Environment Movement, a campaign group.
Each contains about two grammes of polypropylene plastic, according to the Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO).
Spokesman Hossain Shahriar told AFP the plastics were non-biodegradable and non-recyclable.
"We will be choking under these plastics since we don't have proper recycling mechanisms in the city," he said.
Bangladesh's High Court last week ordered a halt to the production, display and disposal of ...

Bangladesh capital awash with plastic-coated posters

Members of the Brexit Party left the European Parliament on Friday, just hours before Britain was to exit the EU, waving the Union Jack and accompanied by a lone bagpiper.
"Goodbye! We won't be coming back," shouted Anne Widdecombe MEP as the delegation boarded a fleet of taxis to take them to the station and a train to London.
Party leader Nigel Farage had left Brussels on Wednesday after the parliament's historic vote to ratify Britain's EU divorce papers and end a 47-year relationship.
But his MEPs, brandishing umbrellas in the party's turquoise colours, were to join him outside the British parliament later in the day to celebrate their victory.

Brexit Party piped out of Brussels

The number of US troops injured by an Iranian missile strike in Iraq this month has risen to 64, according to new figures released by the Pentagon.
US President Donald Trump had initially said no Americans were hurt by the missiles fired on a base housing US soldiers in the country's west on January 8.
Democrats later accused Trump of trying to downplay the injuries.
The American personnel have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement Thursday.
The Pentagon said Wednesday that 50 soldiers were injured in the Iranian strike on the Ain al-Asad base. The latest total is an increase of 14 on those numbers.
Iran fired on Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for an American drone attack that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, raising fears of war.
Of those diagnosed with TBI, 39 troops have returned to duty, the Pentagon said, while the rest have either been sent back to the 

US soldiers hurt in Iran missile strike up to 64: Pentagon

More than 40,000 workers at a vast Chinese-controlled industrial complex in Indonesia have been quarantined over fears about the spread of a deadly coronavirus strain which has killed more than 200 people in China, it said Friday.
PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park has sealed off its nickel mining hub on Sulawesi island and is barring any of its 43,000 staff from entering or leaving without written permission.
There are some 5,000 guest workers from mainland China at the sprawling site which hosts nickel ore smelters and stainless steel production.
Employees at the 2,000-hectare (5,000 acre) facility, majority owned by China's Shanghai Decent Investment Group, are undergoing medical tests and none has been found to be infected so far, said company spokesman Dedy Kurniawan.
The firm has also imposed a ban on employees or guests from overseas entering the complex and installed thermal scanners at its entrance, he added.
"We have identified and screened foreign workers from Wuhan," ...

AFP

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