MUMBAI: Alarmed by signs that a second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic is building, India's richest state of Maharashtra ordered fresh restrictions on people's movement and imposed night curfews in some cities, though not in the financial capital Mumba...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian long-haul budget airline AirAsia X (AAX) has proposed a separate restructuring programme for its aircraft lessors that aims to tackle their concerns, citing a chance to recover rental losses, a document seen by Reuters shows. ...

A top Chinese official on Monday outlined plans to ensure only "patriots" run Hong Kong as Beijing seeks to neuter any remaining democratic opposition and take a more direct role in how the business hub is run.

GENEVA: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday (Feb 22) condemned the "brutal force" used by those behind Myanmar's coup and urged the military to immediately halt the repression and release prisoners. In his annual address to the UN Human...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam received China's Sinovac vaccine on Monday (Feb 22) together with top officials at a live televised event to bolster public confidence ahead of the vaccine's rollout in the global financial hub this week. Sin...

COX'S BAZAR: The United Nations refugee agency on Monday (Feb 22) called for the immediate rescue of a group of Rohingya refugees who were adrift in their boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water, many of whom were ill and suffering from extreme...

JAKARTA: The Indonesian capital of Jakarta could see more flooding and landslides this week as the meteorology agency predicted rains of moderate to heavy intensity to sweep through the city over the next few days. The rains will primarily hit Jak...

SINGAPORE: Indonesia's PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical has received a US$60 million credit line from Singapore's DBS Bank to help support the company's plan to grow export sales, Chandra Asri and DBS Bank said in a joint statement on Monday (Feb 22). ...

The Philippines has approved Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, but will not give it to healthcare workers at risk of exposure due to its varying levels of efficacy, its Food and Drugs Agency (FDA) said on Monday.

EU foreign ministers are expected Monday to approve sanctions against those behind Russia's crackdown on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his supporters, as well as those responsible for the coup in Myanmar.

YANGON: Protesters gathered in Myanmar’s biggest city on Monday (Feb 22) despite the ruling junta’s thinly veiled threat to use lethal force if people answered a call for a general strike opposing the military takeover three weeks ago. Despite r...

SYDNEY: The Chinese government has made an investment in BGI Genomics, a listed Chinese company that has supplied millions of COVID-19 tests globally as the gene firm seeks to fund exponential growth driven by the pandemic. BGI Group, which...

SEOUL: Doctors in South Korea have threatened a protest strike against legislation to strip them of licences following criminal convictions, sparking fears about possible disruption of a coronavirus vaccination effort set to begin this week. Healthc...

Donald Trump offered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a ride home on Air Force One after a summit in Hanoi two years ago, according to a new BBC documentary.

TOKYO: Japan will only receive limited doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the first months of the inoculation rollout and shots for the elderly will be distributed gradually, the country's inoculation chief said. Pfizer, the maker of Japan's only approv...

SHANGHAI: A popular chain of Chinese tea shops has apologised for a range of cups and teabags sporting sexist slogans, after they sparked widespread outrage on the internet, the Shanghai Daily reported on Monday (Feb 22). Modern China Tea Shop, base...

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi called on the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to work with Beijing to reopen dialogue between the two countries to restore a bilateral relationship damaged under the presidency of Donald Trump.

A United Airlines 777 with Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines landed safely at Denver International Airport on Saturday after its right engine failed.

Britain will on Monday (Feb 22) call for the United Nations to be given "urgent and unfettered" access to Xinjiang to investigate reports of abuses in the Chinese region.

US President Joe Biden must demonstrate resolve yet bolster communication channels with China and manage the signature of interactions with Taiwanese officials, says Ted Gover.

A call for a Monday (Feb 22) general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military’s Feb 1 seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal force, raising the possibility of major clashes.

New Zealand will use its platform as host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the coming months to seek a global approach to COVID-19 vaccinations that would eliminate tariffs on goods needed to fight the coronavirus.

NEW DELHI: Indian and Chinese troops have completed a pull-out from a lake area on their disputed border in the western Himalayas, setting the scene for disengagement at other friction points, the two countries said on Sunday (Feb 21). Thousands of ...

A sombre Buddhist funeral song rung out in Myanmar's capital as the body of a young woman, struck down during a rally against this month's military coup, was carried to a ceremony marking the end of her short life.

More than 100,000 farmers and farm workers gathered in India's northern Punjab state on Sunday in a show of strength against new farm laws, where union leaders called on supporters to amass outside the capital New Delhi on Feb. 27.

Five people were killed in the severe floods that submerged entire neighbourhoods in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, authorities said Sunday, as residents returned to clean their homes and salvage belongings.

Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said she felt comfortable being a role model for the next generation after her fourth Grand Slam victory solidified her position at the forefront of a new era for tennis.

BANGKOK: Thailand is promoting cannabis as a cash crop for the country’s farmers as another source of income, a senior official said on Sunday (Feb 21). “Everybody has the right to grow marijuana by partnering up with provincial hospitals for me...

Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker by volume, on Sunday asked for patience from foreign governments awaiting their supply of COVID-19 shots, saying it had been directed to prioritise India's requirements.

South Korea will begin administering the first of 117,000 doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine on Feb. 27, a day after the country begins its first vaccinations with AstraZeneca's products, the prime minister announced on Sunday.

Fujifilm Holdings Corp will restart a clinical trial in Japan of its antiviral drug Avigan for the treatment of COVID-19, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday.

TAIPEI: Taiwan's government said on Sunday (Feb 21) that it had confirmed three cases of the COVID-19 variant first discovered in Brazil, and that all arrivals from that country would undergo centralised quarantine from this week. Health Minister Ch...

A multimillion-dollar sailing yacht that once belonged to French tycoon Bernard Tapie has sunk off the coast of Malaysia, an official confirmed Sunday, after it caught fire a few days ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia moved up its COVID-19 inoculation drive by two days as the first batch of vaccines arrived in the Southeast Asian nation on Sunday (Feb 21). Malaysia aims to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of its 32 million people within a yea...

YANGON: Facebook on Sunday (Feb 21) deleted the main page of the Myanmar military under it standards prohibiting the incitement of violence, the company said, a day after two protesters were killed when police opened fire at a demonstration against t...

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic heads into Sunday's (Feb 21) Australian Open final unbeaten on eight previous occasions in the title match, but knowing he will need to be at his mental and physical best to overcome red-hot Russian Daniil Medvedev. The Ser...

MANDALAY: Tens of thousands of opponents of Myanmar's military coup gathered again on Sunday (Feb 21) in towns from north to south, undeterred by the bloodiest episode of their campaign the previous day when police and soldiers opened fire in the c...

WASHINGTON: The United States is "deeply concerned" by reports that Myanmar security forces have fired on protesters and continue to detain and harass demonstrators and others, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in tweet on Saturday (Feb ...

Cut off from the outside world, with essential supplies curbed, fishing and agricultural communities in Johor could use more help, says Serina Rahman.

KUALA LUMPUR: For Mr Kap Ling Sang, a refugee from Myanmar living in Malaysia, the news that the military in his home country had seized power in a coup on Feb 1 created concerns and worries - about members of his own family who are still there an...

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations refugee agency said on Saturday (Feb 20) at least six people registered with it were among 1,200 Myanmar nationals to be deported by Malaysia next week, while the United States voiced alarm that the plan could put d...

TAIPEI: Taiwan's air force scrambled for a second straight day on Saturday (Feb 20) after a dozen Chinese fighter aircraft and bombers carried out drills close to Taiwan-controlled islands in the disputed South China Sea, the defence ministry in Tai...

BRUSSELS: The EU's foreign policy chief on Saturday (Feb 20) condemned increasingly deadly violence in Myanmar, after two protesters were killed as security forces fired live rounds, and said the bloc will "take appropriate decisions". "I strongly c...

SINGAPORE: The use of lethal weapons in Myanmar against unarmed civilians is “inexcusable”, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Saturday (Feb 20) after reports of two deaths in the city of Mandalay.   Myanmar's security ...

TOKYO: Japan's celebrations for Naomi Osaka's fourth Grand Slam title went into orbit on Saturday (Feb 20), with an astronaut tweeting congratulations from the International Space Station. Osaka's 6-4, 6-3 triumph over America's Jennifer Brady in th...

BANGKOK: Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Thailand's parliament after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and nine ministers survived a parliamentary no-confidence motion on Saturday (Feb 20) after a four-day censure debate. "It was a disappoi...

MANDALAY: Myanmar's security forces fired live rounds and rubber bullets at protesters in the country's second-largest city of Mandalay on Saturday (Feb 20), leaving at least two dead and about 30 injured.  Much of the country has been in an upro...

MANILA: The Philippines' health ministry on Saturday (Feb 20) reported 239 new coronavirus deaths, the second-highest daily increase in casualties since the pandemic started, and 2,240 infections. The previous daily high death toll was 259 deaths re...

Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has revealed that he struggled with depression and felt like the "loneliest guy in the world" after failing with the bat during a tour of England in 2014.

Novak Djokovic says going unbeaten in eight Australian Open finals will give him confidence in Sunday's decider, but he'll need more than that to overcome "the man to beat" - red-hot Russian Daniil Medvedev.

PHNOM PENH: An outbreak of coronavirus has hit the Chinese expat community in Cambodia, the country's Premier Hun Sen said on Saturday (Feb 20), a setback in the nation's otherwise successful containment efforts. The kingdom has so far fared well i...

Taiwan's government on Saturday granted emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, with shots expected to be administered at soon as within seven days of arrival.

Severe flooding across several areas in the Indonesian capital forced more than a thousand people to flee their homes on Saturday, with the country’s meteorology agency warning the conditions were set to continue for the next week.

Four retired Taiwanese military intelligence officers -- including a major general -- have been indicted for spying for China, prosecutors said Saturday.

Thailand's prime minister survives no-confidence vote

Opponents of Myanmar's coup took to the streets again on Saturday (Feb 20) with members of ethnic minorities, writers and poets and transport workers among those coming out to demand an end to military rule and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and oth...

Washington has urged the leaders of Myanmar's new military regime to refrain from violence and relinquish power, after the death of a young anti-coup protester sparked new anger against the junta.

Greta Thunberg on Friday tweeted her support for an Indian activist jailed over a guide for anti-government farmers protests, which the Swedish climate campaigner had earlier shared to social media.

The US and Japan will need to shore up their economic heft and pursue a shared commitment towards setting the rules on trade, says Titli Basu.

BANGKOK: Pan’s little face was pressed against the sliding glass door. He was balancing on his three legs, seemingly oblivious to the missing one the vet had taken away to save his life. Six months old, fluffy and mostly white, Pan was looking wi...

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that all Group of Seven leaders expressed their support for Japan's plan to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

A Delhi court granted a police request on Friday (Feb 19) to extend the detention of climate activist Disha Ravi who they accuse of sedition for her alleged role in the creation of an online "toolkit" intended to help farmers protesting reforms.

AlphaTauri's new driver Yuki Tsunoda said on Friday (Feb 19) that his ambition was to be "the first Japanese driver to win a race in Formula 1".

TOKYO: Cooling water levels have fallen in two reactors at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant since a powerful earthquake hit the area last weekend, indicating possible additional damage, its operator said on Friday (Feb 19). New damage could furth...

Forty-six small whales stranded on a beach in Indonesia have died, after rescue efforts succeeded in saving three others, local officials said on Friday (Feb 19).

Strutting across a road junction in Myanmar traditional dress and wielding colourful paper parasols, Yangon's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) activists are stepping up to be part of a "revolution" against the military.

BEIJING: China is considering additional measures to increase its flagging birth rate, more than four years after ending its controversial one-child policy. For decades, China enforced strict controls on additional births in the name of preserving s...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's top health official said on Friday (Feb 19) the government had not politicised any coronavirus vaccine, as she sought to reassure residents worried about China's Sinovac, due to be rolled out in the global financial hub from ne...

SINGAPORE: Myanmar's refined fuel imports have stalled as protests over the Feb 1 coup have shut the banks and government offices necessary for trade, while depreciation in the nation's currency has driven up costs, four industry sources said. The ...

HANOI: Vietnam will receive 60 million COVID-19 vaccines this year, including 30 million under the WHO-led COVAX scheme, the health minister said on Friday (Feb 19) as the Southeast Asian country battles its biggest virus outbreak since the pandemic...

KUALA LUMPUR: Students in Malaysia will return to schools in phases, beginning with pre-schoolers as well as Primary 1 and Primary 2 students on Mar 1.  In a press conference on Friday (Feb 19), Senior Minister for Education Mohd Radzi Md Jidin sa...

BANGKOK: Hundreds gathered outside of parliament in Bangkok late on Friday (Feb 19), holding a demonstration that coincided with the censure debate against the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha by opposition lawmakers inside the buildi...

As Serena Williams bade an emotional goodbye to the Rod Laver Arena crowd, one question was left hanging in the Melbourne air: Will she be back?

India reported on Friday its biggest jump in new coronavirus infections in three weeks, with 13,193 cases, while thousands of marshals fanned out to enforce mask wearing across the financial capital of Mumbai, which is battling a recent spurt.

SEOUL: South Korea's prime minister assured there were no safety issues with AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine on Friday (Feb 19), as the government held final drills ahead of next week's scheduled rollout of the first vaccines. The AstraZeneca vacc...

India has criticised United Nations rights experts for their concerns about constitutional changes made in the Muslim-majority territory of Kashmir, where militants have been fighting for independence for three decades, and said the officials lacked ...

Indonesia's Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted on Friday, belching out fiery red lava.

SINGAPORE: When the pastor of a church in Batam came across a S$10,000 note in a container of secondhand clothes from Singapore he had received to sell, he took it to a local moneychanger who purportedly told him it was genuine. However, 49-year-old...

YANGON: A woman who was shot in the head last week as police tried to disperse protesters in Myanmar's capital died on Friday (Feb 19), her brother said, marking the first death among opponents of the military coup since they began demonstrating ...

CHAMOLI, India: Long before this month's deadly flash flood in a remote Indian Himalayan valley, Kundan Singh Rana knew that all the construction work in the fragile region would one day mean disaster. "The rivers, mountains and trees are like our g...

Although a decade has passed, New Zealander Gordon Cullen still vividly recalls his daring escape from a high-rise tower block during the deadly Christchurch earthquake on February 22, 2011.

China's military on Friday named four soldiers killed in a brawl with Indian forces last year, the first confirmation of deaths by Beijing from the border clash that also killed at least 20 Indian soldiers.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's government review of public broadcaster RTHK has found deficiencies in editorial management and a lack of transparency in handling complaints, signalling a major overhaul of the revered institution as concerns grow over media f...

TOKYO: Japan confirmed a new variant of COVID-19, and an infection cluster emerged at a Tokyo immigration facility, presenting new challenges as the country tries to overcome a third wave of the pandemic. The new variant has been found in 91 cases ...

The United States consulted jointly Thursday with South Korea and Japan, allies often at odds with each other, as President Joe Biden reviews how to move forward on North Korea.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's highest court on Friday (Feb 19) found news portal Malaysiakini in contempt of court over comments posted by readers deemed offensive to the judiciary, in a case widely seen as a test of media freedom in the country.  Last ...

Opponents of Myanmar's military coup welcomed new sanctions from Britain and Canada on Friday as protesters prepared to take to the streets for what will mark two weeks of daily demonstrations in the Southeast Asian country.

WASHINGTON: The United States will keep tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by the former Trump administration in place for now, but will evaluate how to proceed after a thorough review, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC on Thursday (Feb 18). ...

MANILA: A clutch of Philippine firms, including newly launched real estate investment trusts (REITs), could make the country Southeast Asia's biggest IPO market this year, driven by attractive valuations and a recovering economy. Investors and banke...

India’s rural economy is still largely dependent on farming and related activities, and the farm sector accounts for nearly half of the workforce, says a political scientist.

There has been, among others, one significant consistency in all the three military coups in the country’s history - 1962, 1988 and 2021 – says Dr Nehginpao Kipgen.

London was never on Hong Konger Aragorn's wish list of places to visit, but now the 36-year-old is trying to build a new life in the British capital after fleeing a security clampdown in his birthplace.

NEW DELHI: Air pollution caused an estimated 54,000 premature deaths in the Indian capital New Delhi last year, a higher toll than in any other big global metropolis, according to a study released on Thursday (Feb 18). The study by Greenpeace Southe...

TOKYO: The top diplomats of the United States, India, Japan and Australia on Thursday (Feb 18) sought an "urgent" return to democracy in Myanmar in four-way talks, the US State Department said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his first joint ta...

Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka Thursday welcomed the resignation of gaffe-prone Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori and his replacement by a woman as a big boost in the drive for equality.

Three climbers lost on Pakistan's K2 are believed to have died on the mountain, a Pakistan official said on Thursday (Feb 18), more than a week after the group went missing while trying to summit the world's second-highest peak.

A multimillion-dollar sailing yacht that once belonged to French tycoon Bernard Tapie went up in flames off Malaysia on Thursday (Feb 18), with firefighters battling for hours to put out the blaze.

THIMPHU, Bhutan: Police in Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom famed for its happiness index, have detained a top general and two judges over an alleged plot to overthrow the country's top military officer and chief justice. The allegations about the con...

JAKARTA: Indonesia's capital Jakarta is threatening residents with fines of up to 5 million rupiah (US$356.89) for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, an unusually stiff penalty aimed at ensuring compliance with a new regulation making inoculations mandatory...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Thursday (Feb 18) reported a new daily high of 25 COVID-19 deaths, taking the total number of fatalities in the country to 1,030. Two of the deaths were reported in Sarawak. They involved a 72-year-old woman who tested pos...