MANILA: The Philippines received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday (Feb 28), among the last in Southeast Asia to secure the critical doses despite having the second-highest number of infections and deaths in the region. A Chinese milita...

BEIJING: China's factory activity expanded in February at a slower pace than a month earlier, hitting the lowest level since last May and missing market expectations after brief COVID-19-related disruptions earlier in the year. The official manufact...

HONG KONG: Forty-seven Hong Kong democrats and activists were charged on Sunday (Feb 28) with conspiracy to commit subversion, in the largest single crackdown on the democratic opposition under a national security law. Sam Cheung, a young activist ...

Myanmar police shot and killed two protesters on Sunday and wounded several as they cracked down in a bid to end weeks of demonstrations against a Feb. 1 military coup, a doctor and a politician said.

China reported six new COVID-19 cases on Feb 27, down from 10 cases a day earlier, the national health authority said on Sunday.

Thailand kicked off its COVID-19 inoculation campaign on Sunday, with cabinet ministers, health officials and medical professionals among the first in the queue to receive vaccinations.

Opponents of military rule in Myanmar planned protests on Sunday (Feb 28) a day after the security forces launched their biggest crackdown, arresting hundreds of people and shooting and wounding at least one. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the ar...

Several dozen Hong Kong democrats are due to report to local police stations across the city on Sunday, with some expecting to be charged with breaches of national security as a crackdown on the democratic opposition intensifies.

HONG KONG: More than 500,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday (Feb 27) following a two-day delay due to export procedures, offering a second inoculation option for the city. The Pfizer-BioNTech shots will be off...

The son of a British man held in India -- in a case linked with a Dubai princess who claims she was kidnapped -- has appealed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for help.

Myanmar's United Nations envoy in New York vowed to fight on Saturday after the junta fired him for urging countries to use "any means necessary" to reverse a Feb. 1 coup that ousted the nation's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

BANGKOK: As American electric vehicle maker Tesla eyes up a hefty investment in Indonesia, concerns are growing over the potential environmental consequences of a nickel mining rush. Tesla has reportedly tabled a proposal to establish a battery pro...

DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (Feb 27) shrugged off criticism of her government's rights record as hundreds marched in a second day of protests over the death of a prominent writer in prison. Demonstrators marched at Dh...

Internet investor SoftBank Group said Saturday it reached a settlement with WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann and other investors in the office sharing giant, amid reports that the deal would give the ex-CEO an extra $50 million.

A rooster fitted with a knife for an illegal cockfight in southern India has killed its owner, sparking a manhunt for the organisers of the event, police said Saturday.

SINGAPORE: Veteran Hong Kong actor Wu Mengda died on Saturday (Feb 27) at the age of 70. Wu, also known as Ng Man-tat, died in hospital surrounded by his family, reported Hong Kong English daily The Standard. A close friend of the actor said Wu was...

The Tokyo Olympics should take place before a live audience, Japan's new Olympics chief has said, despite concerns about hosting the Games during a global pandemic.

Asia Today: S. Korea allows workers to squeeze extra doses

Bangladesh is under "no obligation" to shelter 81 Rohingya Muslim refugees adrift for almost two weeks on the Andaman Sea and being assisted by neighbouring India, said Bangladesh foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended partial coronavirus curbs in the capital until the end of March, as the country awaits the arrival of vaccines.

YANGON: Police in Myanmar on Saturday (Feb 27) escalated their crackdown on demonstrators against this month’s military takeover, deploying early and in force as protesters sought to assemble in the country's two biggest cities. Myanmar police als...

Spider-Man star Tom Holland was grappling with an angry Twitter storm in India on Friday in a case of mistaken cyber identity.

Unlike his predecessors, Chinese President Xi Jinping has demonstrated greater intensity in the desire for reunification, says Cui Lei from the China Institute of International Studies.

Malaysia is waging a fierce battle against a third wave of COVID-19 cases. CNA examines the ups and downs of mitigating the pandemic.

A shipment of 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and made by the Serum Institute of India is set to arrive in Canada on Wednesday, the chief executive of local partner Verity Pharmaceuticals said on F...

Students clashed with police in Bangladesh's capital on Friday as anger mounted at the death of a writer and government critic in a high-security jail.

NEW YORK: Myanmar's UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, speaking for the country's elected civilian government ousted in a military coup on Feb 1, appealed to the United Nations on Friday (Feb 26) "to use any means necessary to take action against the Myan...

MANILA: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday (Feb 26) signed into law a Bill that gives indemnity to vaccine-makers if their COVID-19 shots cause adverse side effects, days before the country starts its lagging inoculation programme. Desp...

The global economy warrants caution due to uncertainty over coronavirus vaccinations and variants, though Japan's economy shows signs of recovery with low infections, Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Friday.

NEW DELHI: India's economy grew 0.4 per cent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2020, official data showed on Friday (Feb 26), ending its first recession since independence as easing COVID-19 restrictions sparked a modest recovery. The country has...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian banking group AMMB Holdings Berhad (AmBank) said on Friday (Feb 26) it will pay RM2.83 billion (US$699 million) to settle claims linked to a massive financial scandal at state fund 1MDB, a hefty payment that is expected to h...

TAIPEI: Taipei slammed a sudden Chinese ban on Taiwanese pineapples, describing the move on Friday (Feb 26) as "economic intimidation" and likening it to recent tariffs Beijing slapped on Australian wine. The trade to China - which views the island ...

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong university has scrapped an exhibition of World Press Photo winners just days ahead of its opening, citing "safety and security" fears. The decision by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) comes as Beijing and local authorities...

TAIPEI: Taiwan could begin administering its homemade COVID-19 vaccines as early as July, the health minister said on Friday (Feb 26), with the island still awaiting the arrival of imported vaccines to begin its immunisation campaign. Taiwan has kep...

NEW DELHI: India will halt coronavirus vaccinations this weekend to upgrade software used to coordinate its campaign, the health ministry said on Friday (Feb 26), preparing to expand the programme after infections surged in some states. With the wor...

Sri Lanka on Friday ended forced cremations of people who have died of coronavirus, after visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Colombo to respect the funeral rites of the island's minority Muslims.

JAKARTA: Several regencies in the Indonesian province of Riau have raised their alert status for land and forest fires as a number of hotspots have been detected since the beginning of the year. Riau's deputy governor Edy Natar Nasution said in a s...

YANGON: Myanmar security forces cracked down on anti-coup protesters in the country's second-largest city on Friday (Feb 26), injuring at least three people, two of whom were shot in the chest by rubber bullets and another who suffered a wound on his...

BANGKOK: A Thai court granted bail on Friday (Feb 26) to three ministers stripped this week of Cabinet posts after convictions for insurrection over anti-government protests that culminated in a 2014 military coup, their lawyer said. The three, and ...

TOKYO: Myanmar police released a Japanese freelance journalist on Friday (Feb 26) after briefly detaining him during a protest in the commercial capital of Yangon, Radio Free Asia showed in a livestream on Facebook. The arrest of Yuki Kitazumi, who ...

NEW DELHI: India and China have agreed to set up a hotline between their foreign ministers as the two nuclear-armed neighbours look to reduce tensions along a disputed Himalayan border where their troops have been locked in confrontation since last s...

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is struggling to beat back his biggest political challenge in years from a protest movement which began with disgruntled farmers travelling to New Delhi on tractors and is now gaining wider support at ho...

TOKYO: Twenty-five years after Pokemon first began delighting children and adults alike, the phenomenon is still capturing hearts, with smartphone craze Pokemon Go enjoying record success in coronavirus-hit 2020. The augmented-reality game raked in ...

HONG KONG: The Chinese University of Hong Kong has withdrawn recognition of its student union, saying criticism of the city's national security law by newly elected union leaders may have been illegal. The move, accusing the union of having "exploit...

TOKYO: Nami Hamaura says she feels less lonely working from home thanks to her singing companion Charlie, one of a new generation of cute and clever Japanese robots whose sales are booming amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Smart home assistants such as Am...

TOKYO: A forest fire in a sparsely populated area 75km north of Tokyo continued to rage for a fifth day on Friday (Feb 26), as local officials were set to ask dozens more households to evacuate hillside villages. The fire in the vicinity of Ashikag...

Nearly half of Tokyo high schools ask students with hair that is wavy or not black to submit certificates confirming that their hair is not artificially altered, public broadcaster NHK has reported.

SEOUL: Two self-made South Korean billionaires have pledged in as many weeks to give away half their fortunes - a rarity in a country where business is dominated by family-controlled conglomerates and charity often begins and ends at home. Kim Beom-...

Public hospitals are deserted. Government offices left dark. And the trains don't leave the stations.

India finds boat adrift with Rohingya refugees; 8 dead

SEOUL: A group of Russian diplomats and family members used a hand-pushed rail trolley to leave North Korea this week, amid Pyongyang's strict anti-coronavirus measures, which include blocking most forms of passenger transport across the border. Nor...

Bangladesh has begun administering coronavirus vaccines to sex workers from the country's largest brothel, a vast warren of shacks home to around 1,900 prostitutes.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong began administering its first COVID-19 vaccines to the public on Friday (Feb 26), kicking off its programme offering free vaccinations to all 7.5 million residents. People age 60 and older and healthcare workers are among the 2....

WASHINGTON: A US court has ordered North Korea to pay damages to the crew and family of the spy ship USS Pueblo, who were tortured and mistreated for 11 months in 1968 after being captured by the North Korean navy. The Washington federal court said ...

The Japanese government will end a state of emergency in all but Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures at the end of this month, a week earlier than scheduled, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

AMSTERDAM: The Dutch parliament on Thursday (Feb 25) passed a non-binding motion saying the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in China amounts to genocide, the first such move by a European country. Activists and UN rights experts say at leas...

South Korea on Friday (Feb 26) administered its first available shots of coronavirus vaccines to people at long-term care facilities, launching a mass immunisation campaign that health authorities hope will restore some level of normalcy by the end o...

BANGKOK: Bottles of black liquid lined the bar, where cocktails would normally be concocted with different gins from around the world. But on this day, they contained black vinegar, used to complement the bar’s latest offering - dumplings. A few s...

BANGKOK: Thailand's prime minister said on Thursday (Feb 25) his meeting with Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister this week following a coup in the neighbouring country did not mean "endorsement". The meeting on Wednesday mainly saw him l...

LONDON: Britain announced on Thursday (Feb 25) further sanctions against members of Myanmar's military after it seized power in a coup at the start of this month. The British Foreign Office said it would sanction a further six military figures, addi...

NEW DELHI: India imposed tough new rules on social media platforms on Thursday (Feb 25) as it accused US tech giants of "double standards" in taking down disputed content. The regulations take effect in three months and will force social media, onli...

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is seeking $2.2 billion from Chinese banks, the government said on Thursday (Feb 25), in echoes of a borrowing binge more than a decade ago that resulted in the country having to give up a strategic port to China. Money and capit...

Thousands of Indonesia's religious figures gathered on Thursday (Feb 25) for mass COVID-19 inoculations for clergy and faith groups, with monks, priests, imams and nuns queuing to receive their first doses of vaccine.

MANILA: Philippine soldiers will be required to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the military said on Thursday (Feb 25), as the country prepares to receive its first doses and begin inoculations. Pressure is mounting on President Rodrigo Dute...

Pakistan and India on Thursday (Feb 25) pledged to end all firing along their disputed Kashmir frontier, according to a joint statement from their militaries, after months of violence between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The day the military seized power in Myanmar three weeks ago, Phyu delved into her company's emergency funds and gave her staff a one-month advance on their salaries. Phyu, who runs a market research firm, saw trouble ahead then, but is not sure how...

TAIPEI: Taiwan will begin slightly easing restrictions on foreign visitors coming to the island beginning on Monday (Mar 1). The Central Epidemic Command Center says foreign nationals wishing to come to Taiwan for business can apply for special perm...

BEIJING: China on Thursday (Feb 25) said it had never asked US diplomats to undergo COVID-19 anal swabs, following American media reports that State Department personnel had complained of being subjected to the intrusive test. China - which has larg...

NEW DELHI: India is struggling to convince its health and frontline workers to take a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine controversially approved without late-stage efficacy data, government data showed on Thursday (Feb 25), days ahead of a wider roll-out. ...

SEOUL: At six in the morning, Heo Kwang-eum tees off another day in Thailand in coronavirus quarantine - literally. He is one of dozens of South Korean visitors spending two weeks in isolation playing golf at a resort an hour north of Bangkok. The 6...

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian man on Thursday (Feb 25) won the country's first legal challenge against Islamic laws banning gay sex, a victory hailed as "monumental progress" in combating persecution of the LGBT community. He was charged in an Islamic c...

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers hunted for survivors Thursday (Feb 25) after an illegal gold mine collapsed killing at least three people, with more believed to be buried under the rubble, officials said. A landslide Wednesday evening buried the remot...

Some armed with knives and clubs, others firing slingshot and throwing stones, supporters of Myanmar's military attacked opponents of the coup in downtown Yangon on Thursday (Feb 25), while Southeast Asian governments groped for ways to end the crisi...

Helicopters, firefighters battle 2 forest fires in Japan

Indonesia will receive at least two million doses of a coronavirus vaccine produced by China's Sinopharm for use in a private vaccination scheme due to run alongside a national inoculation programme, a minister said on Thursday.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong residents are buying more houses and apartments to lease out for income in Britain, property agents say, a trend that coincides with what many expect to be a wave of emigration after China passed a national security law last year...

MANILA: The Philippines will take delivery of its first COVID-19 vaccines at the weekend, allowing it to kick off its inoculation programme from next week, a senior official said on Thursday (Feb 25). Despite having among the highest number of coron...

Audiences are cramming into Chinese cinemas to watch a sentimental comedy that has rapidly become one of the most popular films of all time in the country and marks a triumphant debut for its female director.

JAKARTA: Rescue teams in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province searched for survivors on Thursday (Feb 25) after a landslide in an illegal gold mining area killed six people, the search and rescue agency said. Teams comprised of police, military and...

The US Consulate in Hong Kong has completed a multi-million-dollar property sale that was previously put on ice after Beijing refused to grant permission, the buyer announced Thursday.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is enjoying an extended honeymoon with oil-rich Gulf nations, despite being criticised in the United States and Europe as a potential security threat.

SEOUL: South Korean politicians won't be the first in line when the country kicks off its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Friday (Feb 26), despite calls from the opposition party for the president to roll up his sleeve and take a shot to reassure vacci...

BEIJING: President Xi Jinping declared "complete victory" in China's effort to eradicate rural poverty at a ceremony on Thursday (Feb 25) in Beijing to celebrate what has been a signature initiative of his tenure. China credits Xi's leadership with ...

Japan is finalising plans to halt new development aid to Myanmar, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported on Thursday, as Western allies impose sanctions and threaten further action over the Southeast nation's military coup.

YANGON: Social media giant Facebook announced on Thursday (Feb 25) it was banning all accounts linked to Myanmar’s military as well as ads from military-controlled companies in the wake of the army’s seizure of power on Feb 1. Facebook said in ...

BEIJING: China's air quality targets for this year will be set at a slightly higher level than last year's average, an official said on Thursday (Feb 25), after pollution fell significantly in the early part of 2020 due to coronavirus-related lockdow...

Athletes are being encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics but it will not be compulsory, IOC Vice President John Coates said on Thursday.

The Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee said on Thursday they are asking spectators for the upcoming torch relay to support by clapping, and will broadcast the event live to avoid gatherings.

Australians will see the prospect of Brisbane hosting the Olympics in 2032 as a symbol of hope as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Thursday.

The United States expressed concern over Malaysia's deportation of nearly 1,100 Myanmar nationals and urged countries in the region to hold off on any repatriations in light of the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar, State Department spokesman Ned Price...

An Istanbul court on Wednesday sentenced three Turks to four years and two months in prison for helping smuggle former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn in a musical instrument case to Lebanon from Japan.

BANGKOK: Three Cabinet ministers in Thailand were forced to leave their posts on Wednesday (Feb 24) after a court found them guilty of sedition for taking part in sometimes-violent protests in 2013 and 2014 against the government then in power. The ...

BANGKOK: Indonesia is holding intensive talks with both the Myanmar military and representatives of the ousted elected government in a bid to end a crisis over a Feb 1 military coup, Indonesia's foreign minister said on Wednesday (Feb 24). Indonesi...

BANGKOK: The Myanmar junta's foreign minister visited Thailand on Wednesday (Feb 24) as regional powers tried to broker an end to three weeks of deadly unrest triggered by a military coup. Foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin held talks with his count...

BANGKOK: Thai authorities are preparing a plan to ease restrictions for travellers vaccinated against the coronavirus, senior officials said on Wednesday (Feb 24), as the country looks to revive a tourism industry battered by travel curbs. Measures ...

The Philippines' top diplomat on Wednesday defended a new order requiring all international aid for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be cleared with the foreign ministry, saying the aim was to stamp out funding for terrorism.

Vietnam received the first batch of 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday ahead of the planned rollout of the Southeast Asian country's vaccination programme from next month.

A Russian fugitive whose dramatic sprint out of an Indonesian immigration office was captured on CCTV has been caught again after two weeks on the run, authorities said Wednesday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah said on Wednesday (Feb 24) parliament can convene during a state of emergency, a move that could open the door for the opposition to launch a fresh confidence vote to challenge Prime Minister Muhyiddin...

KUALA LUMPUR: Several lawmakers and rights groups on Wednesday (Feb 24) called on Malaysia's government to explain its deportation of more than 1,000 Myanmar nationals, despite a court-ordered stay, with some saying the move could amount to contempt ...