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Testing the waters: South Korea's waterparks open under new anti-virus measures
Only a handful of rubber floats tumbled down the giant slide at South Korea's largest waterpark on Friday, its first day back in business since the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Germany's Merkel, China's Li to hold video conference - spokesman
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will hold a video conference on Thursday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, economic policy and international issues, a German government spokesman said on Friday.
Dutch PM now says 'Black Pete' tradition will disappear
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his attitude towards "Black Pete", a figure from pre-Christmas celebrations that has been criticised as a racist caricature, had undergone "great changes" in recent years.
Malaysia reports 19 new coronavirus cases, one new death
Malaysia reported 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the cumulative total to 8,266 infections.
India set to reopen temples, malls but no sprinkling of holy water
India will throw open shopping malls, restaurants and places of worship that typically attract large crowds next week, officials said, even though coronavirus infections are rising at the fastest daily rate than at any time in the past three months.
U.S. military commander says China pushing territorial claims under cover of coronavirus
China is using the coronavirus as a cover to push territorial claims in the South China Sea through a surge in naval activity meant to intimidate other countries that claim the waters, the commander of U.S. Forces in Japan said on Friday.
Fuel leak risk at Arctic mining site flagged by Russia years before spill: RBC
A Russian safety watchdog warned a subsidiary of mining giant Norilsk Nickel in 2017-2018 about dozens of violations at a fuel site in the Arctic where a huge leak of diesel fuel occurred last week, the RBC media portal reported on Friday.
Erdogan nixes weekend lockdown over public backlash, cases rise
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he decided to cancel a weekend lockdown announced late on Thursday after a public backlash, but he warned of a rise in the number of daily coronavirus cases.
Macron demands release of French-Iranian academic Adelkhah
France demanded on Friday that Franco-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, whom Tehran has sentenced to six years in prison, be released immediately, saying her detention was harming trust between the two countries.
Indonesia reports 703 new coronavirus infections, 49 new deaths: official
Indonesia reported 703 new coronavirus infections on Friday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 29,521.
Air traffic at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport halted in coronavirus worker dispute
All air traffic at Israel's principal airport was shut down on Friday after workers walked off the job to demand compensation for wages lost due to the coronavirus crisis, an airport spokeswoman and union official said.
Philippines reports 3 new coronavirus deaths, 244 more cases
The Philippines' health ministry on Friday confirmed three new coronavirus deaths and 244 more infections, the lowest single-day increase in cases in two weeks.
Libyan government says it has entered Haftar stronghold Tarhouna
Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government said on Friday they had entered Tarhouna, the last major stronghold of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar near Tripoli, capping the sudden collapse of his 14-month offensive.
Traditional owners say Rio Tinto knew importance of caves razed for mine
Rio Tinto Ltd knew the cultural and historical significance of two caves in Western Australia years before it blew them up last month as part of an iron ore mine expansion, traditional owners said on Friday.
Beijing city govt to further cut COVID-19 emergency response level
Beijing's municipal government said on Friday it will lower its COVID-19 emergency response from level II to level III effective from Saturday, state media reported.
U.S. ship back at sea after virus outbreak and captain fired
A U.S. aircraft carrier ship whose captain was removed for scathing remarks about a coronavirus outbreak onboard has returned to service in the Pacific Ocean, authorities said.
Thailand to tout 'trusted' tourism in coronavirus era
Thailand is positioning itself as a trusted destination for international tourists after travel restrictions ease, capitalising on its relative success in containing the coronavirus outbreak, industry officials say.
Once targeted by officials, street vendors make unexpected comeback in China
Three weeks ago, Beijing authorities swooped in on Shan Peng and her makeshift street stall, seizing her merchandise - yogurt and casual pants - and even her electric tricycle.
Japan's Dentsu evacuates Tokyo HQ after bomb threat
Japan's largest advertising agency, Dentsu Group Inc, has evacuated its Tokyo headquarters after receiving a bomb threat, an internal company email reviewed by Reuters showed on Friday.
Russia's coronavirus infections near 450,000
Russia reported 8,726 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, pushing the total number of infections to 449,834.