NEW DELHI: India will halt coronavirus vaccinations this weekend to upgrade software used to coordinate its campaign, the health ministry said on Friday (Feb 26), preparing to expand the programme after infections surged in some states. With the wor...

Sri Lanka on Friday ended forced cremations of people who have died of coronavirus, after visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Colombo to respect the funeral rites of the island's minority Muslims.

JAKARTA: Several regencies in the Indonesian province of Riau have raised their alert status for land and forest fires as a number of hotspots have been detected since the beginning of the year. Riau's deputy governor Edy Natar Nasution said in a s...

YANGON: Security forces in Myanmar's largest city on Friday (Feb 26) fired warning shots and beat truncheons against their shields while moving to disperse more than 1,000 anti-coup protesters. The demonstrators had gathered in front of a popular sh...

BANGKOK: A Thai court granted bail on Friday (Feb 26) to three ministers stripped this week of Cabinet posts after convictions for insurrection over anti-government protests that culminated in a 2014 military coup, their lawyer said. The three, and ...

Myanmar police detained a Japanese freelance journalist at a protest in the commercial capital of Yangon, one of his colleagues said on Friday (Feb 26), the first detention of a foreign reporter since a military coup on Feb 1. Japan's government lat...

NEW DELHI: India and China have agreed to set up a hotline between their foreign ministers as the two nuclear-armed neighbours look to reduce tensions along a disputed Himalayan border where their troops have been locked in confrontation since last s...

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is struggling to beat back his biggest political challenge in years from a protest movement which began with disgruntled farmers travelling to New Delhi on tractors and is now gaining wider support at ho...

TOKYO: Twenty-five years after Pokemon first began delighting children and adults alike, the phenomenon is still capturing hearts, with smartphone craze Pokemon Go enjoying record success in coronavirus-hit 2020. The augmented-reality game raked in ...

HONG KONG: The Chinese University of Hong Kong has withdrawn recognition of its student union, saying criticism of the city's national security law by newly elected union leaders may have been illegal. The move, accusing the union of having "exploit...

TOKYO: Nami Hamaura says she feels less lonely working from home thanks to her singing companion Charlie, one of a new generation of cute and clever Japanese robots whose sales are booming amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Smart home assistants such as Am...

TOKYO: A forest fire in a sparsely populated area 75km north of Tokyo continued to rage for a fifth day on Friday (Feb 26), as local officials were set to ask dozens more households to evacuate hillside villages. The fire in the vicinity of Ashikag...

Nearly half of Tokyo high schools ask students with hair that is wavy or not black to submit certificates confirming that their hair is not artificially altered, public broadcaster NHK has reported.

SEOUL: Two self-made South Korean billionaires have pledged in as many weeks to give away half their fortunes - a rarity in a country where business is dominated by family-controlled conglomerates and charity often begins and ends at home. Kim Beom-...

Public hospitals are deserted. Government offices left dark. And the trains don't leave the stations.

India finds boat adrift with Rohingya refugees; 8 dead

SEOUL: A group of Russian diplomats and family members used a hand-pushed rail trolley to leave North Korea this week, amid Pyongyang's strict anti-coronavirus measures, which include blocking most forms of passenger transport across the border. Nor...

Bangladesh has begun administering coronavirus vaccines to sex workers from the country's largest brothel, a vast warren of shacks home to around 1,900 prostitutes.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong began administering its first COVID-19 vaccines to the public on Friday (Feb 26), kicking off its programme offering free vaccinations to all 7.5 million residents. People age 60 and older and healthcare workers are among the 2....

WASHINGTON: A US court has ordered North Korea to pay damages to the crew and family of the spy ship USS Pueblo, who were tortured and mistreated for 11 months in 1968 after being captured by the North Korean navy. The Washington federal court said ...

The Japanese government will end a state of emergency in all but Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures at the end of this month, a week earlier than scheduled, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

AMSTERDAM: The Dutch parliament on Thursday (Feb 25) passed a non-binding motion saying the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in China amounts to genocide, the first such move by a European country. Activists and UN rights experts say at leas...

South Korea on Friday (Feb 26) administered its first available shots of coronavirus vaccines to people at long-term care facilities, launching a mass immunisation campaign that health authorities hope will restore some level of normalcy by the end o...

BANGKOK: Bottles of black liquid lined the bar, where cocktails would normally be concocted with different gins from around the world. But on this day, they contained black vinegar, used to complement the bar’s latest offering - dumplings. A few s...

BANGKOK: Thailand's prime minister said on Thursday (Feb 25) his meeting with Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister this week following a coup in the neighbouring country did not mean "endorsement". The meeting on Wednesday mainly saw him l...

LONDON: Britain announced on Thursday (Feb 25) further sanctions against members of Myanmar's military after it seized power in a coup at the start of this month. The British Foreign Office said it would sanction a further six military figures, addi...

NEW DELHI: India imposed tough new rules on social media platforms on Thursday (Feb 25) as it accused US tech giants of "double standards" in taking down disputed content. The regulations take effect in three months and will force social media, onli...

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is seeking $2.2 billion from Chinese banks, the government said on Thursday (Feb 25), in echoes of a borrowing binge more than a decade ago that resulted in the country having to give up a strategic port to China. Money and capit...

Thousands of Indonesia's religious figures gathered on Thursday (Feb 25) for mass COVID-19 inoculations for clergy and faith groups, with monks, priests, imams and nuns queuing to receive their first doses of vaccine.

MANILA: Philippine soldiers will be required to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the military said on Thursday (Feb 25), as the country prepares to receive its first doses and begin inoculations. Pressure is mounting on President Rodrigo Dute...

Pakistan and India on Thursday (Feb 25) pledged to end all firing along their disputed Kashmir frontier, according to a joint statement from their militaries, after months of violence between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The day the military seized power in Myanmar three weeks ago, Phyu delved into her company's emergency funds and gave her staff a one-month advance on their salaries. Phyu, who runs a market research firm, saw trouble ahead then, but is not sure how...

TAIPEI: Taiwan will begin slightly easing restrictions on foreign visitors coming to the island beginning on Monday (Mar 1). The Central Epidemic Command Center says foreign nationals wishing to come to Taiwan for business can apply for special perm...

BEIJING: China on Thursday (Feb 25) said it had never asked US diplomats to undergo COVID-19 anal swabs, following American media reports that State Department personnel had complained of being subjected to the intrusive test. China - which has larg...

NEW DELHI: India is struggling to convince its health and frontline workers to take a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine controversially approved without late-stage efficacy data, government data showed on Thursday (Feb 25), days ahead of a wider roll-out. ...

SEOUL: At six in the morning, Heo Kwang-eum tees off another day in Thailand in coronavirus quarantine - literally. He is one of dozens of South Korean visitors spending two weeks in isolation playing golf at a resort an hour north of Bangkok. The 6...

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian man on Thursday (Feb 25) won the country's first legal challenge against Islamic laws banning gay sex, a victory hailed as "monumental progress" in combating persecution of the LGBT community. He was charged in an Islamic c...

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers hunted for survivors Thursday (Feb 25) after an illegal gold mine collapsed killing at least three people, with more believed to be buried under the rubble, officials said. A landslide Wednesday evening buried the remot...

Some armed with knives and clubs, others firing slingshot and throwing stones, supporters of Myanmar's military attacked opponents of the coup in downtown Yangon on Thursday (Feb 25), while Southeast Asian governments groped for ways to end the crisi...

Helicopters, firefighters battle 2 forest fires in Japan

Indonesia will receive at least two million doses of a coronavirus vaccine produced by China's Sinopharm for use in a private vaccination scheme due to run alongside a national inoculation programme, a minister said on Thursday.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong residents are buying more houses and apartments to lease out for income in Britain, property agents say, a trend that coincides with what many expect to be a wave of emigration after China passed a national security law last year...

MANILA: The Philippines will take delivery of its first COVID-19 vaccines at the weekend, allowing it to kick off its inoculation programme from next week, a senior official said on Thursday (Feb 25). Despite having among the highest number of coron...

Audiences are cramming into Chinese cinemas to watch a sentimental comedy that has rapidly become one of the most popular films of all time in the country and marks a triumphant debut for its female director.

JAKARTA: Rescue teams in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province searched for survivors on Thursday (Feb 25) after a landslide in an illegal gold mining area killed six people, the search and rescue agency said. Teams comprised of police, military and...

The US Consulate in Hong Kong has completed a multi-million-dollar property sale that was previously put on ice after Beijing refused to grant permission, the buyer announced Thursday.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is enjoying an extended honeymoon with oil-rich Gulf nations, despite being criticised in the United States and Europe as a potential security threat.

SEOUL: South Korean politicians won't be the first in line when the country kicks off its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Friday (Feb 26), despite calls from the opposition party for the president to roll up his sleeve and take a shot to reassure vacci...

BEIJING: President Xi Jinping declared "complete victory" in China's effort to eradicate rural poverty at a ceremony on Thursday (Feb 25) in Beijing to celebrate what has been a signature initiative of his tenure. China credits Xi's leadership with ...

Japan is finalising plans to halt new development aid to Myanmar, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported on Thursday, as Western allies impose sanctions and threaten further action over the Southeast nation's military coup.

YANGON: Social media giant Facebook announced on Thursday (Feb 25) it was banning all accounts linked to Myanmar’s military as well as ads from military-controlled companies in the wake of the army’s seizure of power on Feb 1. Facebook said in ...

BEIJING: China's air quality targets for this year will be set at a slightly higher level than last year's average, an official said on Thursday (Feb 25), after pollution fell significantly in the early part of 2020 due to coronavirus-related lockdow...

Athletes are being encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics but it will not be compulsory, IOC Vice President John Coates said on Thursday.

The Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee said on Thursday they are asking spectators for the upcoming torch relay to support by clapping, and will broadcast the event live to avoid gatherings.

Australians will see the prospect of Brisbane hosting the Olympics in 2032 as a symbol of hope as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Thursday.

The United States expressed concern over Malaysia's deportation of nearly 1,100 Myanmar nationals and urged countries in the region to hold off on any repatriations in light of the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar, State Department spokesman Ned Price...

An Istanbul court on Wednesday sentenced three Turks to four years and two months in prison for helping smuggle former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn in a musical instrument case to Lebanon from Japan.

BANGKOK: Three Cabinet ministers in Thailand were forced to leave their posts on Wednesday (Feb 24) after a court found them guilty of sedition for taking part in sometimes-violent protests in 2013 and 2014 against the government then in power. The ...

BANGKOK: Indonesia is holding intensive talks with both the Myanmar military and representatives of the ousted elected government in a bid to end a crisis over a Feb 1 military coup, Indonesia's foreign minister said on Wednesday (Feb 24). Indonesi...

BANGKOK: The Myanmar junta's foreign minister visited Thailand on Wednesday (Feb 24) as regional powers tried to broker an end to three weeks of deadly unrest triggered by a military coup. Foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin held talks with his count...

BANGKOK: Thai authorities are preparing a plan to ease restrictions for travellers vaccinated against the coronavirus, senior officials said on Wednesday (Feb 24), as the country looks to revive a tourism industry battered by travel curbs. Measures ...

The Philippines' top diplomat on Wednesday defended a new order requiring all international aid for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be cleared with the foreign ministry, saying the aim was to stamp out funding for terrorism.

Vietnam received the first batch of 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday ahead of the planned rollout of the Southeast Asian country's vaccination programme from next month.

A Russian fugitive whose dramatic sprint out of an Indonesian immigration office was captured on CCTV has been caught again after two weeks on the run, authorities said Wednesday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah said on Wednesday (Feb 24) parliament can convene during a state of emergency, a move that could open the door for the opposition to launch a fresh confidence vote to challenge Prime Minister Muhyiddin...

KUALA LUMPUR: Several lawmakers and rights groups on Wednesday (Feb 24) called on Malaysia's government to explain its deportation of more than 1,000 Myanmar nationals, despite a court-ordered stay, with some saying the move could amount to contempt ...

BANGKOK: Amnesty International said it has found that a hacking group known as Ocean Lotus has been staging more spyware attacks on Vietnamese human rights activists in the latest blow to freedom of speech in the communist-ruled country. The human r...

SEOUL: South Korea's fertility rate fell to the lowest in the world last year, data showed on Wednesday (Feb 24), as uncertainty over the coronavirus discouraged couples from marrying and having children.  The number of expected babies per South Ko...

SEOUL: A North Korean defector wore a diving suit and fins during a daring six-hour swim around one of the world's most fortified borders, a Seoul official said, and was caught only after apparently falling asleep. Bungling South Korean forces did n...

NEW DELHI: India warned on Wednesday (Feb 24) that a breach of guidelines on testing and other measures to contain the coronavirus could worsen a recent spurt in infections in many states, particularly after it detected several variants. Nearly a mo...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong hiked stamp duty on stock trades on Wednesday (Feb 24) for the first time in almost three decades as it tries to plug a pandemic-induced record budget deficit, sending the local equity market tumbling. The business-friendly fina...

A Chinese man has been ordered to pay his ex-wife almost $8,000 for years of unpaid housework, in a landmark divorce case that has sparked furious debate in China.

MANILA: The Philippines health ministry said on Wednesday (Feb 24) it will investigate the illegal use of unauthorised COVID-19 vaccines, after a presidential adviser admitted to receiving shots of a Sinopharm vaccine smuggled into the country. Ramo...

BEIJING: China's commerce minister appealed to Washington for "joint efforts" to revive trade but gave no indication on Wednesday (Feb 24) when tariff war talks might resume or whether Beijing might offer concessions. "Cooperation is the only correc...

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia: The head of a controversial Malaysian "sugar daddy" dating website was charged on Wednesday (Feb 24) with causing public alarm after his claims that university students were using the service sparked an outcry. Sugarbook bills ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin received the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday (Feb 24), kicking off the national COVID-19 immunisation programme. Next in line to be vaccinated at the health office in Putra...

Early bird customers of a military-owned bank queued anxiously as dawn light crept over Yangon, after a strict new limit on daily cash withdrawals fuelled rumours of a money shortage in post-coup Myanmar.

Thailand received on Wednesday its first 200,000 doses of Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac, the country's first batch of coronavirus vaccines, with inoculations set to begin in a few days.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong will introduce HK$120 billion (US$15.4 billion) in fiscal measures to help businesses and residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, as it looks towards economic growth later this year following a recession in 2020. The mea...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may be ready for a general election once half of its 32 million population is vaccinated, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.  Speaking to CNA in an exclusive interview on the eve of the roll-o...

South Korea shipped its first doses of a coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, transferring AstraZeneca vaccines from a production facility in the country to a warehouse outside the capital of Seoul in preparation for this week's inoculation drive.

The number of deaths in China - excluding the coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan - fell slightly during the first three months of 2020, suggesting efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 reduced deaths from other causes, a new study showed.

A Hong Kong court said on Tuesday its denial of bail for media tycoon Jimmy Lai, the most high-profile person charged under a new the national security law, was due to the risk of his committing further offences.

JAKARTA: While Indonesia's foreign minister remains "open to the option" of visiting Myanmar, it is currently "not the right time", said the Indonesian foreign ministry on Wednesday (Feb 24). A leaked Myanmar government document earlier cited by Re...

TOKYO: Regional Japanese governments have requested emergency pandemic measures be lifted ahead of the Mar 7 scheduled end as new COVID-19 cases trend lower, the country's economy minister said, adding the government will seek expert views before agr...

Stronger words from Indonesia, Singapore and other ASEAN countries may seem new but do not supplant the important and consistent behind-the-scenes diplomatic work, says Dr Nehginpao Kipgen,

MANILA: The Philippines will let thousands of its healthcare workers, mostly nurses, take up jobs in the United Kingdom and Germany if the two countries agree to donate COVID-19 vaccines, a senior official said on Tuesday (Feb 23). Britain's heal...

NEW DELHI: India said on Tuesday (Feb 23) mutated versions of the coronavirus were not responsible for an upsurge in cases in two states, a potential relief for a country where mask-wearing and social distancing have largely disappeared. Maharashtra...

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's ex-president and his intelligence chiefs should be prosecuted for failing to prevent suicide bombings two years ago on Easter Sunday that killed 279 people, according to an investigation released on Tuesday (Feb 23). Maithripal...

MANILA: Philippine forces have arrested nine women who were related to Abu Sayyaf commanders and militants in the south and could have been “potential suicide bombers", the military said Tuesday (Feb 23). The women were captured Friday in raids on...

The leader of Myanmar's junta has called for energetic efforts to revive an ailing economy, state media reported on Tuesday (Feb 23), as Western countries considered more sanctions to press the generals to shun a violent crackdown on democracy protes...

Improper storage, use of explosives killed 10 Chinese miners

LUMUT, Malaysia: Malaysia on Tuesday (Feb 23) deported more than 1,000 Myanmar detainees back to their homeland just weeks after a coup, despite a court order halting the repatriation and a storm of criticism. The migrants, whom activists say includ...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's government will gazette a Bill later this week that will require community level district councils to pledge an oath of allegiance to the city's mini Constitution, further stifling democratic opposition. Secretary for Mainland...

BANGKOK: Thailand will start vaccinating priority groups including health workers against COVID-19 by the end of this week, its prime minister said on Tuesday (Feb 23), a day ahead of the arrival of the country's first coronavirus vaccines. Thailand...

JAKARTA: Ten orangutans have been airlifted back to their natural habitat on Indonesia's Borneo island, in the first release of the apes into the wild for a year due to the dangers of COVID-19 infection. The animals were flown by helicopter across t...

LONDON: Group of Seven (G7) countries said on Tuesday (Feb 23) they "firmly condemn" violence committed by Myanmar's security forces against protesters and urged them to "exercise utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law". The...

Staying in different lodgings each night to evade arrest, the lawyer representing Aung San Suu Kyi says her trial will help determine whether Myanmar's people again become "slaves" of the military.

HANOI: Vietnam's government said on Tuesday (Feb 23) health workers, diplomats and military personnel would be among the first to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when the country starts its inoculation programme next month. The country with a populat...

SEOUL: The first of three expert panels in South Korea reviewing a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech gave its recommendation on Tuesday (Feb 23) for the government to approve the vaccine. The national pharmaceutical panel is planning...