The Afghan government has indefinitely delayed the start of the planned release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners after the militant group failed to guarantee that their fighters would not take up arms again, a development that could further complicate the recently signed peace deal to reduce violence in the country. ....

Amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus which has killed nearly 5,000 people in the world, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk appears to be dancing to his own tune, underplaying the danger from the threat time and again. ....

China on Saturday reported 11 new coronavirus cases and 13 deaths, taking its total number of infections to 80,824 and deaths to 3,189, while South Korea reported more recoveries than new infections for a second day in a row, raising hopes that Asia's biggest epidemic outside China may be slowing. ....

Europe is now the "epicentre" of the global coronavirus pandemic, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization said on Friday. ....

Pakistan has responded positively to a proposal made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he called on the leaders of South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries to discuss how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic via video conferencing, it was reported on Saturday. ....

US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in the country and reached an agreement with the Democrats on a relief package. ....

Police in Bangladesh has arrested two men for selling a fake coronavirus vaccine, it was reported on Friday. ....

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office has announced. ....

Countries outside China will likely see a peak in coronavirus infections in the May-June period before recovering towards normal by the end of third quarter and beginning of fourth quarter (October), a new report warned on Thursday. ....

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced the closure of all retail shops, coffee bars, pubs, restaurants and beauty salons, and called on the private sector to let employees take leave or work from home as much as possible. ....