Taiwan reported 511 new domestic COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including 35 cases added to totals for recent days as authorities readjust infection numbers following delays in reporting positive tests.

India reported on Saturday 120,529 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,380.

China reported on Saturday 24 new coronavirus cases on the mainland for June 4, the same number as a day earlier, the country's health authority said in a statement.

HONG KONG: China on Saturday (Jun 5) berated the US and EU consulates in Hong Kong for displaying candles to commemorate the June Tiananmen crackdown, slamming it as a "clumsy political show" to destabilise the city. Candles were seen lit in the wi...

KALWA, India: When health worker Neelam Kumari knocks on doors in Indian villages the occupants sometimes run out the back, terrified that she wants to vaccinate them against COVID-19. With India's devastating recent virus surge easing in cities, t...

BEIJING: China has approved emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine in people aged between three and 17, its chairman Yin Weidong told state TV late on Friday (Jun 4). China's mass vaccination drive, which administered 723.5 million dose...

As Chinese millennials navigate through family planning, observers highlight on the programme Money Mind how China could try to keep its demographic transition on an even keel.

Simply allowing people to have more children without addressing some of the deeper socio-economic structures will yield little result, says an economics professor.

The 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in July makes it timely to assess whether it has accomplished its goal of ending endemic rural poverty, says the SMU’s John Donaldson.

From headcount cuts to restructuring and rebranding, regional carriers are trying all they can to stay viable. But when will things return to normal?

Investigations into the origins of COVID-19 are not just about scientific interest, but part of the competition for influence between the US and China, says Christian Le Miere.

Envoys from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held talks with Myanmar's junta Friday, with its top general reiterating he would only allow fresh elections once the coup-stricken country had returned to "normal."

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan is pushing for a political settlement in Afghanistan before foreign troops leave later this year, to reduce the risk of civil war in its western neighbour.

COLOMBO: Environmentalists on Friday (Jun 4) sued the Sri Lankan government and operators of a container ship loaded with chemicals and plastic that burnt offshore for almost two weeks, as international experts prepared to deal with a possible oil ...

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man was arrested in Thailand on Thursday (Jun 3) after he allegedly used a mail service to send drugs to Singapore. About 3kg of Ice and 1,320 ecstasy pills hidden in an air parcel were seized at the Suvarnabhumi Airport Pos...

LELLANA, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan fishermen have been left feeling helpless after a cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals and plastics caught fire and later sank, resulting in a ban on fishing along an 80km stretch of the island nation's west coast. ...

BEIJING: China on Friday (Jun 4) ripped into the United States' human rights record and told Washington to "look in the mirror" after America's top diplomat said he would honour those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen incident. Beijing urged the United S...

South Korean prosecutors are seeking a 50 million won (US$45,000) fine for Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee over an allegation of unlawful use of a prescription sedative, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

NEW DELHI: A rapid rise in cases of mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, has added to the challenges faced by India's healthcare system as it deals with a massive second wave of COVID-19 infections. Nepal on Thursday (Jun 3) also reported its f...

KUALA LUMPUR: Since the start of Malaysia’s total lockdown on Tuesday (Jun 1), a salt manufacturer in Selangor has cut its production line from over 18 types of products to a maximum of 10. Mr Seow Jun Ze, the business development manager of Qing...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong closed off a park where tens of thousands gather annually to commemorate China's 1989 Tiananmen incident and arrested the vigil's organiser, in what activists see as suppression of one of the city's main symbols of democratic hop...

NEW DELHI: The coronavirus variant first identified in India is highly infectious and can be caught by people who have already had the disease or been only partially vaccinated, a panel of Indian government scientists said in a report published on Fr...

A boat filled with dozens of Rohingya, mostly women and children, landed on an island off the Indonesian coast early Friday, according to an AFP reporter and the UN refugee agency.

TOKYO: The number of babies born in Japan hit a new record low last year, official data showed, highlighting concern over the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on one of the world's lowest fertility rates. In 2020, the greying country saw 840,832 births, a...

KATHMANDU: Nepal has reported its first death from mucormycosis or "black fungus", the highly deadly infection affecting thousands of COVID-19 patients in neighbouring India. Health ministry spokesman Krishna Prasad Poudel told AFP that there are no...

TOKYO: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cannot happen if no athletes can make it to Japan for the event, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee President Seiko Hashimoto said at a news briefing held on Friday (Jun 4). She said that the decision on whether to h...

TAIPEI: Major Taiwanese chip packager King Yuan Electronics said on Friday (Jun 4) it will halt production on the island for two days after several employees contracted COVID-19, the first time the pandemic has hit the global chip hub, as case numbe...

PHNOM PENH: Toxic home-brewed rice wine has killed more than 30 Cambodian villagers in three separate incidents in less than a month, authorities said on Friday (Jun 4). Seven women died and nearly 100 people were hospitalised in the latest poiso...

A possible panda pregnancy at a Tokyo zoo caused stocks of a nearby restaurant chain to briefly soar 30 per cent on Friday as the chance of a pandemic conception bred excitement among investors.

SEOUL: South Korea's air force chief resigned Friday (Jun 4) over the suicide of a woman master sergeant who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a colleague only to have her complaints ignored. The incident has caused an outcry in the South, which ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian health authorities said on Friday (Jun 4) conditional approval had been granted for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Siam Bioscience in Thailand. Health Ministry director-general, Noor Hisham Abdullah, said in ...

A senior British judge has announced that she will quit Hong Kong's top court when her term ends, stating that there were "all sorts of question marks" over Beijing's new national security law, media reported on Friday (Jun 4).

Foreign experts have been deployed to help Sri Lanka contain a potential oil leak from a burnt-out container ship partially sunk off Colombo, the ship's operator said Friday.

BANGKOK: Nervous laughter breaks out in Myanmar's eastern jungle as a young man training to overthrow the junta is knocked backwards by the kick of a rifle he has just fired at a target painted on a tree. Waiting behind him for their turn with the ...

A single car parking space has been sold for a whopping HK$10 million ($1.3 million) at a luxury Hong Kong apartment complex, local media reported on Friday.

Malaysian health authorities have raised concerns about a growing number of coronavirus deaths and serious cases involving children, after a surge in overall infections forced the Southeast Asian nation into a strict lockdown.

SINGAPORE: Singapore will tighten border control measures for travellers from Guangdong amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Chinese province, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (Jun 4).  From 11.59pm on Saturday, short-term travelle...

Vietnam has approved China's Sinopharm vaccine for use against COVID-19, local media reported on Friday.

Volunteer social worker Ashok Kurmi is helping an army of young fans fight the coronavirus in Mumbai's slums using an unusual accessory: A clown costume.

One of Japan's sporting heroes and a member of the local Olympic committee said on Friday (Jun 4) her nation had been "cornered" into pressing ahead with the 2020 Games despite public opposition during the coronavirus pandemic.

A panel of United Kingdom-based lawyers and rights experts investigating the plight of Uyghurs in China will begin hearing evidence from witnesses on Friday (Jun 4), as Beijing branded it a "machine producing lies".

TOKYO: Japan delivered to Taiwan 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine on Friday (Jun 4) for free, in a gesture that will more than double the amount of shots the island has received to date. Taiwan is battling a spike in domestic...

Mongolia once guaranteed free childcare for working mothers under communist rule but decades after the landlocked country transitioned to democracy, some have been forced to choose between bribing nurseries or leaving their jobs to look after their y...

BEIJING: China reported on Friday (Jun 4) 24 new coronavirus cases on the mainland for Thursday, the same number as a day earlier, the country's health authority said in a statement. Of the new infections, 15 were imported, the National Health Comm...

The trio behind Voice of Baceprot formed the band as young teens in 2014. They've since attracted international attention from stars such as Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

SHANGHAI: A decade ago, more than 110 million people tuned in from China to watch Li Na become the first Asian-born player to win a Grand Slam singles title. But now she is rarely seen on TV or in the country's media. Her big breakthrough for Chines...

From fake medicines to fire extinguishers disguised as oxygen cylinders and recycled personal protective equipment, India's coronavirus hell has been lucrative for its ever-inventive army of scammers, with sometimes deadly consequences.

Hong Kong police detained prominent democracy activist Chow Hang-tung on Friday morning, with authorities determined to prevent any protests on the anniversary of Beijing's deadly Tiananmen crackdown.

Japan's household spending soared in April, official figures showed on Friday, although the gains were mostly driven by base effects from last year's sharp fall due to the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

HONG KONG: Some global banks, funds and other financial services providers say they are stepping up hiring in Hong Kong, in a sign the city's unique position as a financial gateway to China is outweighing concerns about Beijing's tightening grip over...

World output will recover but the coming expansion will be unevenly distributed, economist Nouriel Roubini elaborates.

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is paying close attention to several provinces that have reported a significant increase in COVID-19 cases recently, including Riau Islands and North Kalimantan where there has been more imported cases from Mala...

China’s aggressive diplomatic tactics and wolf-warrior diplomacy have cost it dearly, but there’s some hope President Xi Jinping’s latest declaration signal change, says Professor Bo Zhiyue.

Amid growing calls for rules on mask-wearing in public areas to be relaxed among some quarters, South Korea has indicated those vaccinated can do so. But there’s good reason to think most will keep theirs on, says Steven Borowiec.

Chile's health ministry said Thursday it would raise the minimum age of men approved to receive the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to 45, from 18, until authorities complete an investigation into a young man who had a blood clot after his first shot...

LAHORE, Pakistan: A Pakistani court on Thursday (Jun 3) overturned the death sentence of a Christian couple in a blasphemy case, acquitting them for lack of evidence after they had spent seven years on death row, lawyers said. A lower court had sent...

Exiled Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei says the coronavirus pandemic, rather than slow him down, has spurred him on, as he prepares to open an exhibition of his art in Lisbon on Friday.

Twitter on Thursday introduced its first ever subscription service, which has been dubbed "Blue" and offers added features for prolific tweeters, as it seeks to diversity its revenue streams beyond advertising.

A shadow government in Myanmar on Thursday called on the Rohingya minority to help it overthrow the junta, promising citizenship and repatriation for the persecuted Muslim community in a future democratic Myanmar.

SINGAPORE: While Sri Lanka braces itself for a possible oil spill from a sunken Singapore-registered container ship, the vessel operator's chief executive on Thursday (Jun 3) expressed “deep regrets and apologies” for the impact that the incide...

The European Union will impose a new round of sanctions on Myanmar's military junta and its economic interests in the coming days, EU foreign affair chief Josep Borrell told Reuters on Thursday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 103 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday (Jun 3), marking a second consecutive day with more than 100 deaths. This brings the COVID-19 death toll to 3,096, said health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. The countr...

DHAKA: The United Nations refugee agency said it was concerned about reports that Bangladeshi police have arrested Rohingya refugees fleeing a controversial island camp and that others were hurt in a protest about conditions there. Bangladesh has ...

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday (Jun 3) and requested the resumption of ICRC prison visits and more humanitarian access to conflict areas, Nikkei Asia reported...

GEORGETOWN: State governments and private hospitals across Malaysia can purchase their own COVID-19 vaccines, including those which are not used in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) such as Moderna and Sinopharm, said vaccine coord...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong will open its COVID-19 vaccination programme to children aged 12 and above for the first time, the government said on Thursday (Jun 3), as it pursues a broader campaign across the city to incentivise its 7.5 million residents to ...

Taiwan is ramping up testing and vaccinations for tech industry workers in a bid to stop a sudden surge in coronavirus cases hitting its semiconductor industry at a time of global shortages.

Malaysia detains French conspiracist wanted for kidnapping

The president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee ruled out a cancellation or further postponement of the Olympics as doubts swirled among host cities and medical professionals whether the event can be held safely amid the pandemic.

TAIPEI: Taiwan reported 583 domestic COVID-19 infections on Thursday (Jun 3), including 219 cases added to recent days' totals as it reflected delays in reporting positive tests. The figure was an increase from the 549 cases reported on Wednesday. ...

TAIPEI: Taiwan urged China on Thursday (Jun 3) to return power to the people and embark on real political reform rather than avoid facing up to the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing. Friday marks 32 yea...

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Thursday (Jun 3) readied for the possibility of an oil spill after a cargo ship laden with chemicals sank off its western coast, in what is already the country's worst man-made environmental disaster.  The Singapore-registered...

BANGKOK: When restaurant owner Chirayu Na Ranong heard the Thai government announce new coronavirus restrictions in Bangkok in April, he burst into tears. The latest curbs were the final straw for his Chu Chocolate Bar & Cafe in the centre of the ci...

SEOUL: A member of the South Korean air force has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing and injuring a female colleague, which led to her taking her own life, the defence ministry said on Thursday (Jun 3).  The master sergeant, only identi...

WUWEI, Gansu: After a hard morning planting fresh shoots in the dunes on the edge of the Gobi Desert, 78-year-old farmer Wang Tianchang retrieves a three-stringed lute from his shed, sits down beneath the fiery midday sun, and starts to play. "If yo...

India's government said on Thursday it has inked a deal with domestic vaccine maker Biological-E for 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for 15 billion rupees (US$205.62 million).

HONG KONG: Hong Kongers are seeking innovative ways to commemorate the victims of China's deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown after authorities banned an annual vigil and vowed to stamp out any protests come Friday's anniversary. Discussion of tanks a...

Around 10,000 of 80,000 planned Tokyo 2020 Olympic volunteers have quit, organisers have revealed as they battle persistent doubts over the Games with just 50 days until the opening ceremony.

BANGKOK: From the moment he was dragged into a car in broad daylight on the streets of Phnom Penh on Jun 4 last year, nothing has been seen or heard of Thai activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit. Thai and Cambodian police insist they are investigating, but...

TOKYO :Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to call a snap election after the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, a media report said, showing his resolve to push ahead with the Games despite the country's struggle to contain the COVID-19...

SHANGHAI: China will invest in new desalination plants over the 2021 to 2025 period and raise capacity to 2.9 million tonnes a day in a bid to boost water supplies, the country's state planning agency said in a new "five-year plan" for the sector. A...

It is an uphill battle to track down the culprits, the programme Undercover Asia finds out. Meanwhile, experts urge greater protection of underwater cultural heritage.

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad said the state must focus on reducing the number of COVID-19 cases before discussions on reopening borders with Singapore.  Speaking to CNA in an exclusive interview on Monday (May 31), Mr Hasni sai...

Using geographical names for coronavirus variants can stoke racism and xenophobia, says a microbiologist.

More than 100 Jews from India's northeastern Manipur state have had to delay plans to emigrate to Israel as family members fell ill with COVID-19 and were placed in quarantine in New Delhi.

Climbers returning from Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks are struggling to find a return flight back home after Nepal banned most air travel to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, mountaineering operators and hikers said on Wednesday (Jun 2).

SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Wednesday (Jun 2) that operations are under way to minimise the environmental impact of a Singapore-registered container ship at risk of sinking off Sri Lanka. The X-Press Pearl h...

BEIJING: China on Wednesday (Jun 2) said it would suspend all sports competitions that lack national safety standards, after extreme weather at an ultramarathon killed 21 runners and sparked calls for more regulation. Beijing's General Administrati...

PHNOM PENH: China will help to modernise and expand Cambodia's largest naval base but will not be the only country given access to the facility, Cambodian media reported on Wednesday (Jun 2), quoting the country's defence minister. In October, Cambo...

YANGON: A Myanmar journalist who live-streamed his detention by the junta was jailed for two years on Wednesday (Jun 2), his employers said, as the military continues its crackdown on critical reporting.  Aung Kyaw, who worked for Democratic Voice ...

Vietnam is in talks to buy 20 million doses of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V this year, its health minister said on Wednesday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported a record 126 COVID-19 fatalities on Wednesday (Jun 2), the highest since the start of the pandemic. The country’s previous record was less than a week ago on May 29 with 98 deaths.   Health director-general Noor...

Indonesia's navy has officially ended its efforts to salvage the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine, which sank in April in the waters off Bali island killing all 53 on board, a navy spokesman said on Wednesday.

A herd of 15 wild elephants was approaching the city of Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, on Wednesday, defying attempts to redirect them after a journey of several hundred kilometres from forests to the south.

TAIPEI: Taiwan reported a rise in domestic coronavirus infections on Wednesday (Jun 2) after six days of falls, and unveiled details of a mass vaccination plan that aims to eventually cover 1.7 million people a week. After months of relative safety,...

KUALA LUMPUR: The latest stimulus package worth RM40 billion (US$9.7 billion) for Malaysians undergoing the “total lockdown” is too small to offer a significant boost to the economy, experts said.   Considering that Malaysia was going back i...

MANILA: A tropical storm has left at least three people dead and displaced hundreds of villagers in the southern and central Philippines, where it triggered floods and landslides, officials said on Wednesday (Jun 2). Forecasters said the storm Choi-...

SEOUL: Leaders of South Korea's largest conglomerates urged President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday (Jun 2) to pardon Jay Y Lee, the jailed vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, to maintain the country's edge in the chip industry. The plea was made duri...

TAIPEI: Germany's top diplomat in Taipei said his government has been helping in talks between Taiwan and drugmaker BioNTech to supply COVID-19 vaccines, after Taiwan said a deal fell apart earlier this year due to Chinese "intervention". China deni...

HONG KONG: A private Hong Kong sports club has instructed all staff members to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by the end of June or be denied future bonuses, promotions and pay rises. The request, an example of the rising pressure on residents in the A...