World / Asia

South Korea PM orders revamp of COVID-19 social distancing rules 04 Feb 2021 - 10:05 pm

SEOUL: South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday ordered a revamp of social distancing guidelines in a bid to win greater public...

China bat caves need exploring in search for COVID origins, WHO team member says 04 Feb 2021 - 09:32 pm

Wuhan, China - A member of the World Health Organization-led team searching for clues to the origins of COVID-19 in the central Chinese...

Carp diem: Vietnamese mark Lunar New Year with annual fish release 04 Feb 2021 - 08:17 pm

HANOI: Vietnamese kicked off preparations for the Lunar New Year festival on Thursday by releasing ornamental carp into rivers and lakes - an...

Eager to eat out, Malaysians get a taste for drive-in dining 04 Feb 2021 - 07:52 pm

CYBERJAYA, Malaysia: Diners in Malaysia can now enjoy restaurant meals from the safety and comfort of their vehicles after an eatery started a...

Health workers in virus-hit Myanmar start anti-coup protests 03 Feb 2021 - 02:57 pm

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Medical workers across Myanmar began a civil disobedience protest against Monday's coup, wearing red ribbons and declaring they won't work for...

Japan's Covid-19 app failed to pass on some contact warnings 03 Feb 2021 - 12:59 pm

Tokyo: Japan's COVID-19 tracking application for some smartphone users has had a malfunction since September and has failed to pass on some notifications...

Australia tells thousands to leave homes as bushfire threatens Perth 03 Feb 2021 - 12:43 pm

SYDNEY: Strong winds threatening to fan a bushfire prompted Australia on Wednesday to urge thousands of people to leave their homes in the...

China to provide 10 million vaccine doses to COVAX initiative 03 Feb 2021 - 12:08 pm

BEIJING: China plans to provide 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX, as three Chinese companies have applied...

Singapore becomes first in Asia to approve Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine 03 Feb 2021 - 11:26 am

SINGAPORE: Singapore has become the first country in Asia to grant approval for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and the city-state said it expects the...

WHO-led COVID-19 probe team in China visits Wuhan virus lab 03 Feb 2021 - 10:10 am

WUHAN, China: A team of investigators working on behalf of the World Health Organization wrapped up a visit on Wednesday to a major...

WHO team visits animal disease center in Wuhan, China 02 Feb 2021 - 09:41 pm

WUHAN, China - A World Health Organization team of international experts visited an animal disease center in the Chinese city of Wuhan on...

Russia expects India to approve Sputnik V vaccine for use soon -report 02 Feb 2021 - 08:13 pm

NEW DELHI - India is expected to grant emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine this month or next, the Russian...

Pakistan launches COVID-19 vaccine campaign 02 Feb 2021 - 07:20 pm

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan launched its COVID-19 vaccine drive on Tuesday at a ceremony in the capital attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan in...

Raging Australian bushfire destroys dozens of homes 02 Feb 2021 - 03:49 pm

SYDNEY: Firefighters in Western Australia battled gusty winds and high temperatures on Tuesday as they fought a bushfire that has scorched thousands of...

Vietnam confirms latest virus outbreak is more contagious UK variant 02 Feb 2021 - 03:42 pm

HANOI: Vietnam's health minister said on Tuesday a newly detected coronavirus outbreak, which has infected 301 people and spread to 10 provinces and...

Malaysia says its delivery of Pfizer vaccines on track 02 Feb 2021 - 02:50 pm

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said on Tuesday it expects its COVID-19 vaccination plan to proceed as scheduled after the government received assurances from the...

Philippines is negotiating for 178 million Coronavirus vaccine doses 02 Feb 2021 - 02:06 pm

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pledged to keep the economy afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic as his administration raced to secure vaccines enough for...

Myanmar generals tighten grip on power as U.S. threatens sanctions 02 Feb 2021 - 08:29 am

The United States threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar's generals after they seized power and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose...