Tehran - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged the InternationalMonetary Fund on Wednesday to give the sanctions-hit country a $5 billion emergency loan to combat its novel coronavirus outbreak.

Almaty - A three-man space crew finished preparations on Wednesday for a mission to the International Space Station, which is going ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Kabul - The Afghan government will release 100 Taliban prisoners on Wednesday, an official told AFP, a day after the insurgents said they were walking out of talks with Kabul.

Santiago - A Chilean man accused of murdering a Japanese student in a French city in 2016 has appealed a court decision to extradite him to face trial in France, his lawyer said.

Tehran - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani appealed to the International Monetary Fund Wednesday to approve a $5 billion emergency loan request to combat its novel coronavirus outbreak.

London - Prime Minister Boris Johnson began a third day in intensive care on Wednesday battling the coronavirus, which has struck at the heart of the British government, infected more than 55,000 people across the country and killed nearly 6,200.

Playform, an AI-driven “creative soulmate”, has a new addition - a ‘Sketch-to-Image’ tool, which transforms simple sketches into full-fledged images with color, texture, and rich detail. Dr. Ahmed Elgammal explains more.

Fpo - Here are the latest developments from Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic: - Joy as exodus from Wuhan begins -Voicing joy and excitement from behind face masks, tens of thousands of people fled Wuhan after a more than two-month travel ban on...

Wuhan - Thousands of relieved citizens streamed out of China's Wuhan city on Wednesday after authorities lifted months of lockdown at the coronavirus epicentre, offering some hope to the world despite record deaths in Europe and the United States.

Suva - A deadly Pacific storm slammed into Fiji on Wednesday, tearing off roofs and flooding towns, after leaving a trail of destruction in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Bejing - An outspoken Chinese Communist Party critic and millionaire property tycoon, Ren Zhiqiang, has been placed under investigation for "serious violations of discipline and law", an anti-graft watchdog said.

Kuala Lumpur - A global condom shortage is looming as the coronavirus pandemic shutters factories and disrupts supply chains, the world's top maker of the contraceptives said, with the United Nations warning of "devastating" consequences.

Seoul - For decades, Thae Yong Ho served the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, rising to become Pyongyang's deputy ambassador to London before defecting.Now he is standing for election in South Korea's multi-party democracy.

Wuhan - Voicing joy and excitement from behind face masks, tens of thousands of people fled Wuhan on Wednesday after a 76-day travel ban was lifted on the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged.

Ashgabat - Authoritarian Turkmenistan gathered thousands of citizens for mass exercise events to mark World Health Day, state media said, ignoring the global trend for social distancing to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Istanbul - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up measures to stem rapidly growing coronavirus cases in Turkey but his refusal to impose a full lockdown to keep the economy afloat is drawing criticism.

Fpo - As the coronavirus pandemic sparks global lockdowns, life has continued comparatively unhindered in places like Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong after their governments and citizens took decisive early action against the unfolding crisis.

New York - John Prine, an American folk legend widely considered one of his generation's most influential songwriters, died following complications of coronavirus Tuesday, his publicist told AFP on behalf of his family. He was 73 years old.

Seoul - South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air will put 70 percent of its 19,000 staff on furlough, it said, as it scrambles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic that has brought global aviation to a standstill.

Acclaimed actor and rising pop star Asher Angel ("Andi Mack") chatted with Digital Journal about his new music, which includes his "All Day" single.