World / Asia

China's Sinovac COVID-19 booster weaker against Omicron- Hong Kong study 23 Dec 2021 - 01:35 pm

Three doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine do not produce adequate levels of antibodies to fight the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, researchers...

Australian states reinstate COVID-19 curbs as Omicron cases jump 23 Dec 2021 - 10:57 am

SYDNEY: Australia reintroduced COVID-19 curbs such as mandated mask wearing indoors, capacity limits and QR code check-ins to cover most of the population...

Japan rules out changes to COVID-19 curbs despite Omicron 23 Dec 2021 - 10:11 am

TOKYO: Japan's government is not considering an immediate change to current COVID-19 restrictions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Thursday, a day...

China orders lockdown of up to 13 million people in Xi'an 22 Dec 2021 - 07:45 pm

BEIJING- China on Wednesday ordered the lockdown of as many as 13 million people in neighborhoods and workplaces in the northern city of...

Japan confirms first known local omicron transmissions 22 Dec 2021 - 12:47 pm

TOKYO: Japan on Wednesday confirmed its first known local transmissions of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in Osaka, a sign it...

Philippines cuts interval for Covid-19 booster shots to 3 months 22 Dec 2021 - 12:24 pm

The Philippines has shortened the interval for administering Covid-19 vaccine boosters amid the threat of the omicron variant. Effective Wednesday, boosters may be...

Singapore to freeze new ticket sales for quarantine-free arrivals 22 Dec 2021 - 11:44 am

SINGAPORE: Singapore will freeze the sale of tickets for arriving flights and buses under its quarantine-free travel programme for four weeks from Thursday,...

Malaysian shelter rescues 120 cats and dogs from floods 21 Dec 2021 - 08:13 pm

KAJANG, Malaysia- Volunteers at a animal shelter in one of areas worst-hit by floods in Malaysia staged an eleventh-hour rescue of 120 cats...

Philippines cuts COVID-19 booster shot interval to three months 21 Dec 2021 - 07:41 pm

MANILA- The Philippines' health ministry on Tuesday halved the wait time for a COVID-19 vaccine booster to three months to help prevent the...

Putin blames West for tensions, demands security guarantees 21 Dec 2021 - 05:42 pm

Moscow: The Russian president on Tuesday reiterated his demand for guarantees from the U.S. and its allies that NATO will not expand eastwards,...

Businesses fret as South Korea reimposes COVID-19 curfews 21 Dec 2021 - 01:05 pm

Seoul: As clocks struck 9 p.m. this week, customers packed up and left restaurants and other eateries across South Korea as a reimposed...

Thailand reinstates mandatory COVID-19 quarantine over Omicron concerns 21 Dec 2021 - 12:47 pm

Thailand will reinstate its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for foreign visitors and scrap a quarantine waiver from Tuesday due to concerns over the spread...

New Zealand delays border re-opening over Omicron concerns 21 Dec 2021 - 10:27 am

WELLINGTON: New Zealand on Tuesday postponed its phased border re-opening plans until the end of February over concerns of the rapid global spread...

Death toll from suspected arson at Japanese clinic rises to 25 - media 21 Dec 2021 - 10:21 am

TOKYO: The death toll from a suspected arson attack at a psychiatry clinic in Japan has risen to 25 with the death of...

McDonald's forced to ration customers' fries as supply shortage hits Japan 21 Dec 2021 - 10:16 am

McDonald’s Holdings Co. Japan will only offer french fries in small sizes from Friday after flooding at a Vancouver port and the coronavirus...

Philippine governor warns of looting without typhoon aid 21 Dec 2021 - 10:04 am

MANILA, Philippines: The governor of a central Philippine province devastated by Typhoon Rai last week pleaded on radio Tuesday for the government to...

India reports 200 Omicron cases across 12 states 21 Dec 2021 - 09:55 am

New Delhi: India has recorded 200 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant across 12 states, mostly in the western state of Maharashtra and...

Russia expels two German diplomats in tit-for-tat move 20 Dec 2021 - 07:28 pm

Moscow: Russia on Monday said it was expelling two German diplomats in retailiation for similar expulsions by Germany. Berlin last week expelled two...