KATHMANDU: Nepal is investigating how a Bahraini prince planning to climb Mount Everest brought 2,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to the country without prior approval, authorities said. Sheikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Al Khalifa who flew into Kathmandu...

TAIPEI: Taiwan's newly-appointed defence minister said on Wednesday (Mar 17) it has strengthened deployments in the disputed South China Sea and that the United States has approved the export of sensitive technology to equip Taiwan's new submarine fl...

HANOI: Vietnam's first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, called Nanocovax, is expected to be available by the fourth quarter of this year and put into use in 2022, the health ministry said on Wednesday (Mar 17). The announcement comes as more...

WASHINTON: Chinese companies targeted by a sweeping investment ban imposed by former President Donald Trump are considering suing the United States government after a federal judge on Friday (Mar 12) suspended a similar blacklisting for Beijing-base...

The most powerful group of Buddhist monks in Myanmar called on the junta to end violence against protesters and accused an "armed minority" of torture and killing innocent civilians following last month's coup, media reported on Wednesday (Mar 17). ...

TOKYO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday (Mar 17) that China was acting aggressively and repressively, citing its actions in the East and South China Seas where it has territorial disputes with Japan and other Asian nations. Spe...

The growl of a chainsaw fills the air as a dead longan tree is felled under the watchful eye of Ricci Wong, founder of a Hong Kong non-profit to turn tree waste into furniture and other household products.

TOKYO: A Japanese district court on Wednesday (Mar 17) ruled that not allowing same-sex couples to marry is "unconstitutional", setting a new precedent in the only Group of Seven nation not to fully recognise same-sex partnership, though it rejected ...

MANILA: The Philippines will close its border to foreigners and restrict the number of Filipinos entering the country as authorities battle to contain a spike in coronavirus infections. The temporary measures come after the number of daily cases hit...

Leaving aside whether digital-verification means are the best, such programmes could inadvertently divert scarce vaccines and risk countries opening up too quickly, says a researcher at ANU.

The best possible outcome of the bilateral meeting later this week is an identification of topics of mutual interest for further negotiation, says Christian Le Miere.

The Myanmar generals may have been inspired by Suharto’s coup to oust powerful political foes in the 1960s but should look instead at Indonesia’s democratic transition, says Dr Nehginpao Kipgen.

North Korea might begin flight testing an improved design for its inter-continental ballistic missiles "in the near future," the head of the US military's Northern Command said on Tuesday (Mar 16), a move that would sharply increase tensions between...

PARIS: Myanmar's parallel civilian government and rights groups on Tuesday (Mar 16) called on Total and other oil firms operating in the country to suspend payments to the military-controlled state following last month's coup. The calls come a day a...

The UN on Tuesday decried surging deaths in Myanmar since the Feb 1 coup, warning that detained protesters were facing torture and hundreds had disappeared.

India's Gland Pharma Ltd said on Tuesday it has entered into an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund to produce and supply up to 252 million doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.

KUALA LUMPUR: The recent defections of three Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MPs have not given the Perikatan Nasional (PN) a majority in the parliament, said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, insisting that he still commands the support of an "adequate n...

The families of dozens of people killed in demonstrations against military rule in Myanmar held funerals for their loved ones on Tuesday as more protesters defied the security forces and at least one man was shot dead.

India's Gland Pharma Ltd said on Tuesday it has entered into an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to produce and supply up to 252 million doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.

A proposed new law that tightens patriotic loyalty tests for Hong Kong politicians could also ensnare the city's judges, further threatening its vaunted judicial independence, say legal scholars, lawyers and diplomats.

Sri Lanka to take time to consider proposed ban on burqa

US and Japanese foreign and defence ministers warned Tuesday against "coercion and destabilising behaviour" by China after top-level talks in Tokyo.

Britain wants to expand its influence among democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific region while preserving strong ties with the United States, a document laying out the country's post-Brexit foreign policy priorities will say on Tuesday.

The UN food agency said on Tuesday rising food and fuel prices in Myanmar since a Feb 1 military coup risk undermining the ability of poor families to feed themselves.

China is poised to ease border restrictions to allow some foreigners -- including from the US, India and Pakistan -- back in, provided they have taken a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine.

Malaysian glove manufacturer Top Glove Corp Bhd has been charged with failing to provide worker accommodation meeting the minimum housing and amenities standards set out by the country's Labour Department, state news agency Bernama reported.

The Philippine capital Manila will widen a ban on minors leaving their residences to include youths of up to 18 years old for two weeks starting on Wednesday, tightening coronavirus restrictions in a bid to tackle a new surge of infections.

Residents of a protest flashpoint district in Myanmar's biggest city fled on flatbed trucks and tuk-tuks on Tuesday (Mar 16) after security forces escalated the use of lethal force against anti-coup protesters, despite international appeals for restr...

China approves a fourth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

Tokyo Olympics organisers on Tuesday (Mar 16) called on roadside spectators at the torch relay to wear masks and practise social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The United States on Tuesday (Mar 16) accused Chinese state media of publishing "disinformation" about its diplomats in Hong Kong as it denied its staff invoked immunity to avoid isolating after positive COVID-19 tests.

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday (Mar 16) in preparation for a meeting with US President Joe Biden next month, becoming the country's first government official to be publicly inocu...

Globe-trotting Japan star Keisuke Honda admitted to "mistakes and failures" as he pitched up in Azerbaijan's league, but refused to give up on playing at the Tokyo Olympics.

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha became the first person to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the Southeast Asian country on Tuesday (Mar 16) after the roll-out had been temporarily put on hold over safety concerns...

The encrypted messaging app Signal, recommended by Tesla's Elon Musk, appeared to have been blocked in China on Tuesday (Mar 16), closing off one of the last American social media platforms still freely available in the country.

BEIJING: China reported 13 new COVID-19 cases on Mar 15, up from five cases a day earlier, the national health authority said on Tuesday (Mar 16). The National Health Commission said in a statement that all of the new cases were imported infections...

YANGON: At least 20 people were killed in Myanmar on Monday (Mar 15) after another day of unrest and protests against the junta that seized power six weeks ago, a local monitoring group said. The country has been in uproar since the military ousted...

SHANGHAI: China has launched a crackdown on illegal sand mining operations on the Yangtze river, which have made large parts of central China more vulnerable to drought. Excessive sand mining on the Yangtze, which provides water for a third of the C...

The sister of North Korean leader, Kim Yo Jong, criticised ongoing military drills in South Korea and warned the new U.S. administration against "causing a stink" if it wants peace, state news reported on Tuesday.

A disconnect between consumers and their food supply chain has led to wasteful ways in cities like Singapore and Hong Kong. Bringing farming to the urban jungle may be an antidote — if it can change mindsets.

While the Alibaba founder’s speech was a random criticism of Chinese bureaucracy, it made Ant’s IPO debacle inevitable, says law professor Angela Huyue Zhang.

China’s approach towards Asia has grown more aggressive in recent years, reflected in its words and actions, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit will have to confront, highlights Benjamin Ho.

The Biden administration has reached out to North Korea but has not received a response, the White House said on Monday.

The Taliban will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday (Mar 15).

South Korea's most populous province has ordered all of its foreign workers to be tested for COVID-19 by March 22, sparking complaints of long lines and logistical problems, as well as of implicit xenophobia in government messaging.

YANGON: The international community pleaded for restraint Monday (Mar 15) after at least 11 more anti-coup protesters were killed in Myanmar, as demonstrators returned to the streets to demand restored democracy despite an increasingly bloody crackd...

Operations of Indian state-owned banks were hugely disrupted on Monday after hundreds of thousands of workers went on a strike to protest the privatisation plans for two public banks, unions said.

China's government has asked Alibaba to dispose of its media assets, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday (Mar 15), citing people familiar with the matter. Discussions over the matter have been held since early this year, the report said, add...

BANGKOK: A mass trial began in Thailand on Monday (Mar 15) for activists accused of sedition and insulting the powerful monarchy at a major protest last year, one of a series of mass demonstrations against the country's military-backed establishment....

MANILA: China's embassy in the Philippines said on Monday (Mar 15) it would simplify visa applications for anyone in the country who has been inoculated with Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines to allow regular travel to resume. China will return to its ...

BEIJING: Beijing said it was "very concerned" for the safety of its citizens in Myanmar on Monday (Mar 15), after Chinese factories were attacked amid a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Yangon. Chinese state media said 32 factories in ...

Indonesia will delay the administering of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine due to reports of blood clots among some recipients in Europe and would await a review from the World Health Organization (WHO), its health minister said on Monday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government on Monday (Mar 15) appealed a court's decision to overturn a decades-old official ban and allow Christians in the Muslim-majority country to use "Allah" to refer to God. The word has long been divisive in mult...

The United States temporarily closed its consulate in Hong Kong on Monday after two staff tested positive for the coronavirus during a new outbreak that has rippled through the city's well-heeled "expat" community.

Families in Asia's financial hub of Hong Kong are suffering isolation and trauma after strict coronavirus rules have led to babies being separated from parents and those with newborns herded into tiny quarantine quarters for up to 14 days. 

SINGAPORE: Indonesia has postponed the implementation of a new policy that could make it more expensive for employers here to hire its citizens as foreign domestic workers.   Under the exemption of placement fee policy, Indonesian migrant workers ...

YANGON: A block on mobile data networks across Myanmar on Monday (Mar 15) scuppered a scheduled video court appearance by ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters returned to the streets after the bloodiest day since the military coup six weeks ...

Hong Kong authorities said on Monday that the city's vaccine scheme would be widened to include those aged between 30-60 years old and domestic helpers, as they aim to increase take up amongst residents in the Asian financial hub.

South Korea unveiled on Monday plans to expand its immunisation campaign in the second quarter to include more senior citizens, health workers and other frontline professionals, with an aim to inoculate nearly a quarter of its 52 million people by Ju...

TAIPEI: Sarah Gao had a busy job. As the head of a 500 million yuan (US$76.8 million) investment fund, she was constantly flying across China on business trips. Then she found out she was pregnant. Her pregnancy, with her then-boyfriend, was unplann...

Thailand will start using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday after a brief delay due to concerns over its safety, officials said, with the prime minister and his Cabinet due to be the first to receive it.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will begin to administer Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday (Mar 18), said science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin, adding that he will be the first recipient of the China-made vaccine in the country. ...

China has administered 64.98 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of March 14, Li Bin, an official with China's National Health Commission, said during a news conference.

BEIJING: A driver employed by China's largest ride-hailing firm, Didi Chuxing, killed a passenger by ramming his car into the man after a quarrel, the firm said in a post on social media on Monday (Mar 15). Police in the southeastern city of Fuzhou ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, the world's biggest rubber gloves manufacturer, is racing to increase production to close a supply gap caused by the coronavirus pandemic that it warns could last until into 2023. The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Asso...

Indonesia expects to receive 20.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna Inc and China's Sinopharm from the second quarter to use in a private vaccination scheme, the head of a state pharmaceutical firm said on Monday.

TAIPEI: Taiwan's de facto embassy in Myanmar has advised Taiwanese companies operating in the country to fly the island's flag and hang signs stating they are from Taiwan to avoid being confused with China, after Chinese-financed factories were set a...

GENEVA: The much-anticipated report from the international mission to Wuhan to investigate COVID-19's origins is set to be published this week, following intense US and Chinese pressure over its contents. The coronavirus pandemic has engulfed the pl...

Andrix Serrano studies alone inside a Manila slum shack he shares with his street-sweeper grandmother. Like many in his fourth-grade class, he has no internet for his shuttered school's online lessons.

TOKYO: Japan's core machinery orders fell in January for the first time in four months due to a big drop in service-sector demand as new curbs to stem the spread of the coronavirus clouded the outlook for business spending. Policymakers in the worl...

BEIJING: The Chinese capital Beijing was shrouded in thick brown dust on Monday (Mar 15) as a result of heavy winds blowing in from the Gobi desert and parts of northwestern China, in what the metereological agency has called the biggest sandstorm in...

Myanmar activists planned more anti-coup rallies on Monday (Mar 15), a day after at least 39 people were killed in clashes with security forces in the commercial hub of Yangon where Chinese-financed factories were torched. Security forces killed at ...

TAIPEI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Paraguay to work with its diplomatic ally Taiwan to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, after protests in the South American country over the government's handling of the health crisis. Thousands o...

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong scientist has developed a method to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to scan retinas of children as young as six to detect early autism or the risk of autism and hopes to develop a commercial product this year. ...

SHINAN, South Korea: Dressed all in purple, bent-over women held long rakes aloft as they walked in a line to a lavender field to carry out some pruning on an island in southwest South Korea. Inspired by their native balloon flower, residents of the...

BEIJING: China reported five new COVID-19 cases on Mar 14, down from 10 a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Monday (Mar 15). The National Health Commission, in a statement, said all of the new cases were imported infection...

It is a battle for produce in countries like India and Indonesia to reach consumers. Up to 40 per cent of food in Asia is lost post-harvest during handling and storage. Finding solutions can have a marked impact.

At a time when most richer countries are criticised for hoarding vaccine doses, India stands out for having sent 33 million to poorer countries, with millions more in the pipeline, says Shashi Tharoor.

YANGON: China's embassy in Myanmar said many Chinese employees were injured and trapped when factories in the Hlaing Tharyar district of Yangon were looted and destroyed. The embassy asked for security to be guaranteed quickly, a statement on the e...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities are inspecting one of Lay Hong's egg farms in Jeram, Selangor, to identify the source of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) bacteria.  This was after Singapore directed four importers to recall eggs from the farm due t...

A Canadian judge has rejected a request from Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who wanted testimony from employees of the Chinese telecom giant to be admitted as evidence in her fight against extradition to the United States.

Japan is considering limiting spectators for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics to 50per cent of venue capacity due to risks posed by the spread of COVID-19, the Sankei newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Philippines is on track with its COVID-19 inoculation drive, the head of the government's vaccine strategy said on Sunday, addressing criticisms the rollout has been slow as worries grow about a surge in new cases.

YANGON: Myanmar's military government late on Sunday (Mar 14) imposed martial law in two densely populated Yangon townships after at least 18 protesters were killed in one of the deadliest days since the Feb 1 coup. Sunday's violence brings the n...

India reported the year's biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 25,320 new infections, a day ahead of a lockdown in the western state of Maharashtra, the epicentre of the renewed surge.

BEIJING: Once China establishes a lunar research station, its astronauts will stay on the moon for long periods of time as they conduct scientific studies, state media reported on Sunday (Mar 14), citing the architect of China's lunar programme. Ch...

PONTIAN: About 100,000 Malaysians working in Singapore are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the second phase of Malaysia's coronavirus immunisation programme.  Johor's chief minister Hasni Mohammad said that together with Science, Te...

HONOLULU: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday (Mar 13) he was traveling to Asia to boost military cooperation with American allies and foster "credible deterrence" against China. Austin kicked off via Hawaii, seat of the American mili...

North Korea has not responded to behind-the-scenes diplomatic outreach since mid-February by President Joe Biden's administration, including to Pyongyang's mission to the United Nations, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters on Saturday...

Singapore and other cities in Asia are losing all kinds of food. And most of this wastage happens even before consumers can make their purchases. In a three-part series, CNA Insider hits the food trail for a deeper look.

Today, climate change offers a mission that is greater in scale and scope than even the Cold War, says a private equity firm partner.

SINGAPORE: Mr Koh Jie Meng has driven from Singapore to different parts of Malaysia more than 20 times in his electric Hyundai Kona SUV since he bought the car in 2019. He described the journeys as “smooth and seamless” now, but he acknowledged ...

SINGAPORE: Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun has urged the international community to step up pressure on the military regime, while vowing to continue resisting the junta for as long as he can. In an interview with CNA in Ne...

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Saturday (Mar 13) announced plans to ban the wearing of burqas and said it would close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrasahs, citing national security. Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara said he signed ...

YANGON: The acting leader of Myanmar's parallel civilian government said it will seek to give people the legal right to defend themselves as the death toll in protests against last month's coup exceeded 80, according to an advocacy group.  "This i...

Some law firms and banks in Hong Kong face compulsory testing for coronavirus as most of the 47 news cases recorded on Saturday were linked to a gym used by the financial and expatriate community.

China is now no longer compliant with Hong Kong's Joint Declaration after Beijing announced sweeping changes to the region's electoral system, the United Kingdom said on Saturday (Mar 13).

HONG KONG: China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong said that it will simplify mainland China visa applications for foreigners in the city who have been inoculated with Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines. The simplified process, effective from Monda...

China aims to vaccinate 70% to 80% of population by mid-2022

Sri Lanka will ban the wearing of the burqa and shut more than a thousand Islamic schools, a government minister said on Saturday, the latest actions affecting the country's minority Muslim population.