World / Asia

S.Korea eases coronavirus gathering curbs before switch to 'living with COVID' 15 Oct 2021 - 12:23 pm

SEOUL: South Korea said on Friday it would lift stringent anti-coronavirus curbs on social gatherings next week, as the country prepares to switch...

Mayor sets up task force to probe Taiwan's deadliest fire for decades 15 Oct 2021 - 12:06 pm

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: The mayor of a Taiwanese city launched a task force on Friday to look into whether negligence played a part in...

Australia's Sydney to welcome overseas arrivals without quarantine 15 Oct 2021 - 11:36 am

SYDNEY: The Australian city of Sydney will allow the entry of fully vaccinated travellers from overseas from Nov. 1 without the need for...

Singapore electricity providers hit by global power crunch quit market 14 Oct 2021 - 02:19 pm

Singapore: Two energy providers in Singapore, including one of the largest independent electricity retailers, are exiting the market and according to company sources...

Indonesia's Bali reopens to international tourists, but with no flights 14 Oct 2021 - 10:55 am

Denpasar: Indonesia's holiday island of Bali reopened to foreign tourists after 18 months of pandemic hiatus on Thursday, but the island is lacking...

More than 40 feared dead in fire in southern Taiwan 14 Oct 2021 - 10:49 am

TAIPEI: More than 40 people are feared to have died after a fire in a residential building in the southern Taiwanese city of...

Tiny Pacific nation beats the world with 99% COVID vaccination, says Red Cross 14 Oct 2021 - 10:13 am

SYDNEY: The tiny Pacific nation of Palau has the world's highest percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19, the Red Cross said on Thursday,...

India resumes vaccine exports as domestic stocks build up - officials 13 Oct 2021 - 09:21 pm

NEW DELHI - India has resumed a small amount of exports of COVID-19 vaccines and will increase exports significantly in the next few...

Philippines eases capital’s curbs, allows quarantine-free entry 13 Oct 2021 - 01:26 pm

The Philippines is easing virus restrictions, allowing more businesses in the capital to reopen from Oct. 16 and loosening quarantine rules for vaccinated...

COVID-19 curbs in Sydney could ease early amid surge in vaccinations 13 Oct 2021 - 10:56 am

SYDNEY: New South Wales could ease more restrictions in Sydney a week earlier than planned on Oct. 18 as Australia's most populous state...

Philippines tells tech giants to halt sales of 'text blast' kit after election plug 13 Oct 2021 - 10:37 am

MANILA: The Philippines has ordered tech giants Facebook, Alibaba Lazada and Sea's Shopee to stop allowing sales of cellular equipment used for emergency...

South Korea launches panel to debate 'living with COVID-19' 13 Oct 2021 - 09:22 am

SEOUL: South Korea established a panel on Wednesday to debate a strategy on how to "live with COVID-19" in the long-term, as the...

Queues for hours at Singapore Air as travel routes open up 12 Oct 2021 - 09:43 pm

Dozens of people queued outside Singapore Airlines’ customer-service center on the fourth floor of a luxury shopping mall on Orchard Road in downtown...

Billionaire Alibaba founder Jack Ma reappears in Hong Kong - sources 12 Oct 2021 - 07:17 pm

HONG KONG - Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma, largely out of public view since a regulatory clampdown started on his business empire late...

Typhoon barrels towards Hong Kong and south China coast 12 Oct 2021 - 05:50 pm

HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities closed schools on Tuesday and raised the third highest storm warning as a typhoon threatened the financial hub...

India asks utilities to import coal, warns states not to sell power on exchanges 12 Oct 2021 - 03:47 pm

Bengaluru: India has asked power producers to import up to 10% of their coal needs amid fuel shortages and has warned states that...

India recommends emergency use of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 shot in kids 12 Oct 2021 - 12:52 pm

BENGALURU: An expert panel of India's drug regulator on Tuesday recommended vaccine maker Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 shot for emergency use in children aged...