JAKARTA: Indonesia will stop issuing visas for foreigners who have been in India in the past 14 days to prevent the spread of different coronavirus strains, a government minister said on Friday (Apr 23). India is facing a health crisis, including t...

TOKYO: Japan will hold a joint military drill with United States and French troops in the country's southwest next month, the defence minister said on Friday (Apr 23), as China's actions in regional waters raise concern. The exercise, running from M...

MANILA: The Philippines has sent two new diplomatic protests to China over its failure to withdraw what it called on Friday (Apr 23) "threatening" vessels that were massing in contested areas of the South China Sea. The Philippines has ramped up its...

NEW DELHI: Sirens wailing, a police convoy escorting a tanker carrying oxygen reached a hospital in India's capital just in time, to the huge relief of doctors and relatives of COVID-19 patients counting on the supply to stave off death. India on Fr...

BENGALURU: India recorded the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for a second day in a row on Friday (Apr 23), while daily deaths from COVID-19 also jumped by a record. With 332,730 new cases, India's total caseload has now passed 16 m...

Southeast Asian summit to address Myanmar's post-coup crisis

JAKARTA: An Indonesian military spokesman said 25 ships have joined the search for an Indonesian submarine which went missing during a military exercise, as more ships were on their way to the scene. Military spokesman Major-General Achmad Riad t...

SEOUL: South Korea on Friday (Apr 23) granted conditional approval to allow the public to use two coronavirus self-test kits for the first time, as a surge in infections rekindled calls to step up testing.  The decision comes as South Korea grapple...

MUMBAI: As India's daily coronavirus cases set global records, people desperately searching for hospital beds and oxygen cylinders are finding help on social media. But for others like Ruby Yadav, who has never heard of Twitter, time and hope is runn...

WASHINGTON: The United States military will send airborne teams to help Indonesia search for a submarine that went missing with 53 sailors aboard, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday (Apr 22). Kirby said the US Defense Department was "dee...

TOKYO: Japan will declare "short and powerful" states of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures on Friday as the country struggles to contain a resurgent pandemic just three months ahead of the Olympics. Under a new state of emergency ...

Viral photos of crowds gathered at Ramadan bazaars across the country have sparked concern, but vendors maintain that all will be well if health protocols are adhered to.

Jokowi’s decision to convene a summit specifically to deal with the Myanmar issue is a marked departure from ASEAN’s indirect and informal diplomacy, says an analyst.

The belligerence displayed in recent years by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been called “wolf warrior” diplomacy, but a more accurate characterisation may be “internet troll” diplomacy, says a China observer.

The United States voiced solidarity on Thursday (Apr 22) with Australia, saying it suffered from China's "coercive" diplomacy, after the US ally angered Beijing by scrapping a major infrastructure deal.

Afghanistan’s military “will certainly collapse” without some continued American support once all US troops are withdrawn, the top US general for the Middle East told Congress on Thursday (Apr 22). 

A weekend summit on the Myanmar coup crisis will be a test for ASEAN's credibility and unity, a senior Thai official said on Thursday (Apr 22), amid an escalating death toll and violence across its western border.

South Korea will stop funding coal-powered plants overseas, President Moon Jae-in told a US-led summit Thursday, as he vowed a larger role in fighting climate change.

A Norwegian climber hoping to summit Everest confirmed Thursday that he has tested positive for Covid-19, in a blow to Nepal's hopes for a bumper mountaineering season on the world's highest peak.

SHANGHAI: China will start to phase down coal consumption over the 2026-2030 period as part of its efforts to reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, President Xi Jinping told the Climate Leaders' Summit on Thursday (Apr 22). "We will stric...

Japan's government is expected to issue a third state of emergency on Tokyo and three western prefectures that could last for about two weeks, according to media reports, underscoring its struggle to deal with a surge in new COVID-19 case numbers.

Japan aims to cut emissions 46 percent by 2030, significantly more than previously pledged, the country's prime minister announced Thursday ahead of a key US-hosted climate summit.

The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility on Thursday (Apr 22) for a deadly bomb blast at a luxury hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in the south-west of the country, as officials raised the death toll to five.

Belgium's ambassador to South Korea apologised Thursday after footage showed his wife hitting two boutique staff in the head in a row over shoplifting.

TOKYO: A police officer helping with Japan's Olympic Torch relay has become the first participant in the event to be diagnosed with COVID-19, organisers said on Thursday (Apr 22). A man in his 30s tested positive for the virus after working on the r...

An award-winning Hong Kong journalist was found guilty on Thursday of improperly searching a public vehicle licence database to help track down the perpetrators of an attack on democracy supporters by government loyalists.

Laos locks down capital over COVID-19 outbreak tied to Thailand

SYDNEY: Australia said on Thursday (Apr 22) that it cancelled two accords between Victoria state and China on the Belt and Road Initiative because they were out of line with the federal government's foreign policy, which sees a "free and open Indo Pa...

BALI: Oxygen supply for the missing military submarine will run out by early Saturday, Indonesian authorities said as they expressed optimism on search and rescue efforts. Head of navy Admiral Yudo Margono told a press conference on Thursday (Apr 2...

After an international mission to China turned up more questions than answers about the pandemic origins, the WHO is evaluating how to move forward through a diplomatic quagmire to solve the mystery.

Malaysia's government on Wednesday enacted a new emergency law allowing it to use funds derived from oil and gas contributions to pay for vaccine procurement, as it looks to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Both veteran Marxists who have spent decades campaigning for Hong Kong democracy, Chan Po-ying and Leung Kwok-hung viewed marriage as something of a patriarchal and unnecessary institution.

BENGALURU: India recorded the world's highest daily tally of 314,835 COVID-19 infections on Thursday (Apr 22) as a second wave of the pandemic raised new fears about the ability of crumbling health services to cope. Health officials across northern...

BALI: Rescue vessels from Singapore and Malaysia are being deployed to assist in the search for a missing Indonesia submarine.   Indonesia’s military spokesman Major-General Achmad Riad said on Thursday morning (Apr 22) that Singapore is sendin...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has issued US$800 million 10-year trust certificates, the world's first sovereign US dollar sustainability sukuk, the finance ministry said on Wednesday (Apr 21). In addition, the country also issued US$500 million 30-year t...

SEOUL: It was 7.30am on Christmas Eve when Cha Jung-hoon, South Korea's deputy minister for small businesses, got a call from his boss to make an urgent three-hour car trip to visit syringe maker Poonglim Pharmatech. The brief: Work out how the gov...

A Canadian judge on Wednesday (Apr 21) adjourned Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's extradition hearing until August, giving her team time to review newly obtained documents from investment bank HSBC they say are key to her defence.

A growing number of countries are stamping out malaria, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, as it launched an initiative to help eradicate the deadly disease in 25 more countries by 2025.

The Myanmar military's crackdown on anti-coup protesters has displaced close to a quarter of a million people, a United Nations rights envoy said on Wednesday (Apr 21).

Chinese censors may have deemed the Macau Herald article to be an unacceptable, scalding criticism of President Xi Jinping and his policies, but that view is unwarranted, says Professor Bo Zhiyue.

SURALAYA, Banten: Villagers in the Indonesian district of Suralaya, Banten province, have for over 35 years lived near a massive coal-fired power station.  The Suralaya coal power plant is vital as it supplies electricity not only to Banten provinc...

At least four people were killed and a dozen others wounded when a bomb exploded at a top hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in southwestern Pakistan.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged Joe Biden to open up talks with North Korea on its nuclear weapons and build on the ground-breaking talks his predecessor Donald Trump held with Pyongyang.

TOKYO: Tokyo Olympics organisers said on Wednesday (Apr 21) that they may put off an announcement on how many fans can attend the Games until May or June, as surging COVID-19 infections play havoc with preparations. Athletes are also likely to fac...

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday (Apr 21)  imposed fresh Myanmar-related sanctions, targeting two state-owned enterprises in the latest in a series of punitive actions following the country's military coup and the killing of protesters s...

Sri Lankan authorities on Wednesday expelled an Antigua-registered ship that entered the island's territory without declaring a radioactive cargo bound for China.

Australia on Wednesday announced it would revoke a state government's deal to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, saying it was inconsistent with the nation's foreign policy.

MUMBAI: Twenty-two COVID-19 patients at a hospital in India died on Wednesday (Apr 21) when the oxygen supply to their ventilators was disrupted by a leak. The tragedy comes as India battles severe shortages of medical supplies during a fierce s...

After spending hours fruitlessly calling government helplines in a search for a hospital bed for a critically ill COVID-19 patient, Indian lawyer Jeevika Shiv posted an SOS request on Twitter.

JAKARTA: Indonesia's navy is searching for a submarine that has gone missing with 53 people on board, the country's military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said on Wednesday (Apr 21).  An oil spill was found near the dive position at 7am, Western Indonesian...

BANGKOK: Thailand reported more than 4,500 COVID-19 cases in a new wave of outbreak, which has spread from nightclubs, parties and concerts since early this month, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). On Wednesday...

SINGAPORE: India is battling a record-breaking rise in COVID-19 infections that has overwhelmed hospitals and led to severe bed and oxygen shortages. A key question is whether a new variant with potentially worrying mutations - B1617 - is behind ...

Philippines: 4 dead, 9 missing from wayward cargo vessel

BEIJING: Residents of some parts of China that are grappling with tight supplies of coronavirus vaccines have not received their second doses in time, but the crunch will ease by June as production is being stepped up, a health official told state me...

Anti-coup activists in Myanmar launched protests on Wednesday (Apr 21) calling for the release of those detained by the military ahead of junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing's first foreign trip on Saturday to attend a regional summit to discuss the...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's coordinating minister for COVID-19 immunisation programme Khairy Jamaluddin dismissed accusations that the federal government has stonewalled attempts by state governments to procure vaccines. In a statement on Wednesday (...

SYDNEY: The number of coronavirus infections in Papua New Guinea (PNG) rose past 10,000 on Wednesday (Apr 21), an alarming milestone for the Pacific country as health officials worry that its fragile health system is at risk of being overwhelmed. Pa...

TOKYO: Japan's government is considering a state of emergency for Tokyo and Osaka as new COVID-19 case numbers surge, broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday (Apr 21), a move that would enable prefectural authorities to impose curbs to try to stop infe...

NEW DELHI: Indian authorities scrambled to shore up supplies of medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital, Delhi, on Wednesday (Apr 21) as a fast-spreading second wave of coronavirus stretched medical infrastructure to breaking point, officials and...

Handlebars tight in snaking rows of colour, thousands of abandoned bicycles line an open field outside the city of Shenyang, relics of a shared bike mania that has overwhelmed China's cities.

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering on Wednesday (Apr 21) to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, a move likely to anger China and South Korea as it honours war dead, including perpetrators of Japan's World War II atroc...

BEIJING: China's President Xi Jinping will attend US President Joe Biden's virtual climate summit this week, Beijing said on Wednesday (Apr 21), as the world's top polluting nations seek rare common ground despite wider political tensions. Biden has...

In the foothills of Taiwan's mountainous spine, reservoirs are running dry as the island experiences its worst drought in decades -- a crisis that risks deepening an already acute global semiconductor shortage.

NEW DELHI: India reported more than 2,000 COVID-19 fatalities on Wednesday (Apr 21), the highest single-day death toll for the country so far. The health ministry reported 295,000 new infections in 24 hours, on par with numbers seen in the United S...

HONG KONG: A 90-year-old Hong Kong woman has been conned out of US$32 million by fraudsters posing as Chinese officials, police said, in the city's biggest recorded phone scam. Hong Kong's elderly are plagued by phone scammers who seek out vulnerab...

An railway worker in India has been hailed a "superhero" after he saved a six-year-old boy from the path of an oncoming express train.

Japan's glacial COVID-19 inoculation push is prompting some foreign residents to consider flying to other countries to get vaccinated, as the pandemic surges again with no shots in sight for everyday people.

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has introduced a slew of new party members, including religious scholars and celebrities, as preparations for elections kick into gear. While party leaders are heralding the move as part of PKR’s inclusivi...

Several developments point to a huge shift in the regulation of China’s digital space, says a media professor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi late Tuesday called on Indians to step up their efforts to battle the coronavirus so that fresh lockdowns are not necessary, as the vast nation reels from an explosion of cases and the capital runs dangerously short of ox...

Japan says Chinese military likely behind cyberattacks

MANILA: A search was underway on Tuesday (Apr 20) for 20 crew members missing in the Philippines after their cargo ship ran aground while seeking shelter from rough waters churned up by a typhoon, the coast guard said. The crew abandoned the vessel...

SINGAPORE: DBS Group has agreed to buy a 13 per cent stake in privately-owned Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Corp (SZRCB) for 5.29 billion yuan (US$814.3 million), marking the Southeast Asian lender's biggest acquisition in China. DBS said in a sta...

NEW DELHI: India, the country currently being hit hardest by the pandemic, on Tuesday (Apr 20) reported its worst daily death toll, with large parts of the country now under lockdown amid a fast-rising second wave of infections. The health ministry ...

SINGAPORE: COVID-19 border measures will be tightened for travellers from India, who will have to serve an additional seven days of stay-home notice at their residence following their 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities, said the Ministr...

BEIJING: Chinese Internet firms blocked users from sharing a lengthy article written by former Premier Wen Jiabao in tribute to his late mother, censoring a senior member of the ruling Communist Party, possibly because he spoke out of line. The obit...

CHENNAI: Poor Indians are bearing the brunt of "pandemic policing" as the country struggles to contain a deadly second wave of COVID-19 cases by imposing stricter curfew rules and curbs on movement, rights advocates said. Hawkers, slum dwellers, foo...

Sinovac Biotech has supplied 260 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine globally, with over 60per cent supplied to countries outside China, the company's chief executive Yin Weidong said on Tuesday.

YANGON: Chinese trade data gave a mixed snapshot of neighbour Myanmar's ability to keep up metal shipments in March amid unrest after February's coup, with flows of nickel pig iron (NPI) dwindling to almost nothing but those of copper doubling month...

BANGKOK: Thai health authorities on Tuesday (Apr 20) assured the public there were sufficient hospital beds for the rising number of COVID-19 patients, amid a new wave of infections this month that has spread fast across the country. Thailand's poli...

Thailand is negotiating to buy five to 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, the country's prime minister said on Tuesday.

MANILA: Nick Yanez, a 28-year-old ambulance nurse in a satellite city of Manila, says she sometimes spends six to seven hours in her emergency vehicle caring for a COVID-19 patient before a bed can be found in a hospital. Already facing one of the w...

Japan's third most populated region will on Tuesday ask the central government to impose a state of emergency over the coronavirus as infections rise just three months before the country hosts the Olympics.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's government will seek a vote in parliament on Tuesday (Apr 20) on whether to expel the French ambassador after violent anti-France protests by Islamists demanding action over cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammad, the interior mini...

UBON RATCHATHANI: Thailand is close to completing one the world's biggest floating hydro-solar hybrid projects on the surface of a dam, a step toward boosting renewable energy production after years of criticism for reliance on fossil fuels. About 1...

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he is willing to deploy military ships to the South China Sea to assert the country's claim over oil deposits in a contested part of the waterway.

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor's chief minister said on Tuesday (Apr 20) his state government will propose measures that will limit the movement of workers who cross the border from Johor to Singapore. Hasni Mohammad said the reopening of the border was an "on...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday (Apr 20) accused the federal government of stonewalling efforts by state governments and private sector to procure COVID-19 vaccines directly. In a statement, Mr Anwar said sever...

TOKYO: The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many businesses in Japan to the edge of financial ruin, but Takumi Tezuka, who owns a makeup and hair salon for men in Tokyo, has seen his customer base expand. Japanese businessmen in their 40s, 50s and 60s w...

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had hoped a fight over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed would result in an easy win - placating the ultra-conservative quarters at home while being hailed as a defender of Islam abroad.

HONG KONG: At least 53 passengers on a flight from New Delhi to Hong Kong have tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said on Tuesday (Apr 20), as the Chinese financial hub introduced an emergency ban on arrivals from India over a new wave of cas...

LOS ANGELES: Yong Sin Kim, an 85-year-old Korean immigrant living in a senior apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles, says he rarely leaves home these days. When he does, he carries a whistle with him; at least he could call for help if he's atta...

BOAO, China: Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday (Apr 20) that the global governance system should be made more equitable and fair, and that rules set by one country or some nations cannot be imposed on others. Building barriers and pushing...

An earthquake of magnitude 6 struck in the Nias region in western Indonesia, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Tuesday (Apr 20). EMSC said the quake was at a depth of 10km, after reporting a depth of 2km earlier with 5.9...

While the economy’s growth momentum looks strong at the moment, there are signs that China may risk tightening fiscal and monetary policy too soon, says Yu Yongding.

As farmers become older and their children become more educated, experienced hands that can till the land are becoming scarce, says Ronny Sasmita.

China is guilty of ongoing "crimes against humanity" in its oppressive treatment of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, Human Rights Watch said in a detailed report released on Monday (Apr 19).

NEW DELHI: India on Monday (Apr 19) opened its COVID-19 vaccination drive to all adults from May 1, as the vast nation battles a massive spike in infections that has forced the capital into a week-long lockdown. India, which currently limits shots t...

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Monday (Apr 19) announced sanctions on 10 Myanmar junta officials and two conglomerates linked to the military over the coup and bloody crackdown on protesters in their country. The individuals "are all responsible f...

YANGON: Sleeping by their makeshift barricades, knots of young men at Tahan in the western Myanmar town of Kale had not expected an attack in the pre-dawn darkness. Armed with a few hunting guns made by village blacksmiths, catapults, some airguns ...