Indian Ocean

A Sri Lankan airport worker stands next to a thermal scanner inside a terminal at the Katunayake International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. Sri Lanka's tourism minister said that the airports in the country will be reopened for tourists according to health guidelines from Jan.21. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Asia Today: Sri Lanka reopens to tourists after 10 months

Jan. 21, 2021 9:00 AM EST

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka reopened to foreign tourists on Thursday after a nearly 10-month pandemic closure that cut deeply into the Indian Ocean island nation's lucrative travel industry. Full operations also resumed Thursday at the island's two international airports, accommodating the...

In this photo released on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, a missile is launched in a drill in Iran. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard conducted a drill Saturday launching anti-warship ballistic missiles at a simulated target in the Indian Ocean, state television reported, amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and a U.S. pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic. (Iranian Revolutionary Guard/Sepahnews via AP)

Iranian Guard holds anti-warship ballistic missile drill

Jan. 16, 2021 6:30 AM EST

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard conducted a drill Saturday launching anti-warship ballistic missiles at a simulated target in the Indian Ocean, state television reported, amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and a U.S. pressure campaign against...

This image released Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, by the Iranian Army shows a helicopter on an Iranian-made Makran logistics vessel during a naval drill. Iran fired cruise missiles Thursday as part of the drill in the Gulf of Oman, state media reported, amid heightened tensions with the U.S. (Iranian Army via AP)

Iran tests missiles under apparent watch of US nuclear sub

Jan. 14, 2021 10:59 AM EST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran fired cruise missiles Thursday as part of a naval drill in the Gulf of Oman, state media reported, under surveillance of what appeared to be a U.S. nuclear submarine dispatched to the region amid heightened tensions between the countries. Helicopter footage of the...

Seychelles to start vaccinations with Chinese-made Sinopharm

Jan. 8, 2021 2:43 AM EST

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Indian Ocean island nation of the Seychelles says it will begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations on Sunday with the 50,000 doses it has of the Chinese-developed Sinopharm vaccine. Health Minister Peggy Vidot told reporters on Thursday that political leaders will be first to be...

Pedestrians wearing masks to protect against coronavirus pass a sign for doctors rooms in Johannesburg Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the wearing of masks compulsory and has reimposed a ban on the sales of alcohol and ordered the closure of all bars as part of new restrictions to help the country battle a resurgence of the coronavirus, including a new variant. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

The Latest: Louisiana congressman-elect dies from COVID-19

Dec. 29, 2020 10:29 PM EST

BATON ROUGE, La. — Luke Letlow, who was to have been Louisiana’s newest Republican member of the U.S. House, has died from complications related to COVID-19 only days before being sworn into office. He was 41. Letlow spokesman Andrew Bautsch confirmed the congressman-elect’s death Tuesday at...

This image released by Discovery shows David Attenborough who narrates a new TV show called “A Perfect Planet,” which celebrates the harmony of the natural world and warns of human disruption to this delicate ecosystem. “A Perfect Planet” launches the new service discovery+ on Jan. 4 and is showing on the U.K.’s BBC One and Canada’s BBC Earth on Jan. 3. (Silverback Films 2020/BBC/Discovery via AP)

From his home, Attenborough shows viewers 'A Perfect Planet'

Dec. 21, 2020 12:32 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — Sir David Attenborough is a globetrotter, discovering far-flung lands and exotic species for TV audiences since the 1950s. The pandemic may have kept him at home for much of 2020, but it hasn’t stopped the legendary host from continuing his work to get the world to act on climate...