BEIJING: China has designated 25 per cent of its onshore territory "ecological conservation" areas, limiting development and human activities in order to improve the environment and conserve resources.  The Ministry of Ecology and Environment was ...

Anticipation of stricter movement curbs triggered panic-buying in Vietnam's economic hub Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, the epicentre of its coronavirus outbreak, while media reported unrest at a city jail where dozens of inmates were infected.

Multiple social media accounts belonging to major university lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights groups in China have been blocked from the popular WeChat app, prompting fears of targeted censorship and calls on Wednesday (Jul 7) for...

North Korea is facing a food shortage of around 860,000 tonnes this year, the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) forecast, warning that the country could experience a "harsh lean period" as early as next month.

The Philippines will send black boxes of a Lockheed C-130 aircraft that crashed at the weekend to the United States to seek expert help in opening and analysing them, its military chief said on Wednesday (Jul 7).

SINGAPORE: As vaccinations gather pace, a number of places around the world have lifted COVID-19 restrictions and some countries have begun reopening borders to immunised travellers. Singapore authorities have signalled that living with the corona...

SEOUL: South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics forecast on Wednesday (Jul 7) a 53.37 per cent rise in second-quarter operating profit, thanks to strong chip prices and operations resuming at a key US factory after a shutdown. The world's bigge...

SHANGHAI: Authorities in China's southwestern province of Yunnan locked down the city of Ruili on Wednesday (Jul 7), shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home, as a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 expanded. The city, which borders ...

SEOUL: South Korea reported more than 1,200 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily count since late December, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told a COVID-19 response meeting on Wednesday (Jul 7). Kim said social distancing measu...

WASHINGTON: The United States' top envoy for North Korea spoke with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday (Jul 6), a State Department spokesman said, after Pyongyang's repeated rejection of the Biden administration's attempts to establish dialogue. Chi...

GENEVA: The United Nations rights chief warned on Tuesday (Jul 6) that the dire situation in Myanmar since its February coup was driving the country towards possible civil war and could spark regional insecurity. Speaking before the UN Human Rights...

President Xi Jinping's centennial address devoted attention to the CCP’s plans for the future but China should beware the limits of centralised decision-making, says Nancy Qian.

Waging the tariff war may temporarily deflect attention away from structural problems in the US economy. But keeping the tariffs is a mistake, says a professor.

BANGKOK: Huge swathes of land are closer to sea level across Southeast Asia than previously realised, highlighting the flood dangers faced by millions, according to a new study using advanced satellite imagery. In low-lying countries vulnerable to ...

The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan is more than 90 per cent completed, the Pentagon's Central Command announced on Tuesday (Jul 6).

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday (Jul 6) urged political parties worldwide to oppose any country that engages in "technology blockades", an allusion to the United States which views China as its strategic competitor.

The public will be urged not to line the route of the Olympic marathon over fears that crowds of fans could spread the coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 organisers said Tuesday.

BANGKOK: Customs officials in Thailand made their biggest seizure of heroin this year, about 315kg worth up to 944 million baht (US$29 million), bringing the total confiscated so far this year to 2 tonnes, officials said on Tuesday (Jul 6). They di...

Bangladesh could receive 1 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the WHO-backed COVAX facility this month, and the Serum Institute of India could resume supplies from August, its health minister said on Tuesday.

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her personal staff have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 since being taken into military custody, her lawyer said Tuesday, as the country battles a spike in cases.

China hopes to promote a healthy and stable relationship with Britain, state television quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying on Tuesday.

Malaysian state oil firm Petronas may not join an oil licensing round in South Sudan this year as the company reviews its assets due to challenging market conditions, it said on Tuesday.

China's central bank warned companies on Tuesday against assisting cryptocurrency-related businesses as it shut down a software firm over suspected involvement in digital currency transactions.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported a sharp uptick in new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday (Jul 6), one month after a nationwide lockdown was reimposed in a bid to curb a surging number of infections. Of the 7,643 new COVID-19 cases, more than half were from ...

Japan said on Tuesday (Jul 6) that it would ship millions more doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Asian neighbours this week as a continuation of bilateral donations.

MUNICH: Germany has arrested and indicted a man suspected of spying for China's secret service, the prosecutor's office said on Tuesday (Jul 6). The man, identified as Klaus L according to German reporting rules, is a political scientist and had wo...

India's COVID-19 deaths relative to infections hit a record high in June after cases peaked in early May, an analysis of government data shows, amid pressure on authorities to accurately report deaths from a second wave of the virus.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama celebrates 86th birthday

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s daily COVID-19 infections could go up to 40,000, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan on Tuesday (Jul 6).   Speaking at a virtual joint press conference with the health minister and...

NEW DELHI: Twitter no longer enjoys liability protection against user-generated content in India as the U.S. microblogging giant has failed to comply with new IT rules, the Indian government said in a court filing. The statement is the first time Pr...

Russia strongly supports the Southeast Asian diplomatic effort to end the crisis in Myanmar and has conveyed similar messages to the country's military leadership, its foreign minister said on Tuesday (Jul 6).

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police on Tuesday (Jul 6) said they arrested nine people on suspicion of engaging in terrorist activity, after uncovering an attempt to make explosives and plant bombs across the city. Of the nine arrested, six are secondary sch...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday (Jul 6) brushed off a warning by major tech companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter that they may quit the financial hub if authorities push ahead with a new privacy law. City authorities have unveil...

Philippine authorities have retrieved a black box from an air force plane that crashed at the weekend, killing more than 50 people, military chief Cirilito Sobejana told Reuters on Tuesday (Jul 6).

Japan's government is arranging for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony to be held with only a reduced number of VIP spectators, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday (Jul 6), ahead of talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other ...

TOKYO: Olympic organisers have capped the number of spectators allowed into venues, but will offer Japanese students special access under a programme that would let hundreds of thousands of children see the world's best athletes compete. Tickets are...

SHANGHAI: Authorities in China's southwestern province of Yunnan reported three locally transmitted coronavirus cases for Monday (Jul 5), with all cases from the city of Ruili bordering Myanmar, according to Yunnan provincial authorities on Tuesday. ...

Israel agreed on Monday (Jul 5) to provide about 700,000 expiring doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to South Korea, the Haaretz newspaper reported, citing Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

ATAMI, Japan: Rescuers were holding out hope of finding at least 64 people buried under the mud and wreckage of a Japanese holiday city that was hit by a devastating landslide, with teams set to resume the desperate search for survivors on Tuesday (J...

With no signs of a resolution to the Myanmar crisis, China is uneasy about its interests in the country and making contingency plans to protect those interests, says an observer.

Malaysian political parties are each making secret moves behind the scene leading up to Aug 1 when the state of emergency ends, says James Chin.

A former Maldives minister and several politicians from Sri Lanka's ruling party were among dozens of people arrested after a child sex racket was busted, police said in Colombo on Monday (Jul 5).

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday (Jul 5) told French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel he hoped China and Europe would expand cooperation to better respond to global challenges, state broadcaster CCTV report...

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi seemed in good health as she appeared in court Monday, her lawyer said, as her trial continued with the capital grappling with a Covid-19 spike.

An 84-year-old rights activist and Jesuit priest detained for nine months without trial under Indian anti-terrorism laws died on Monday ahead of a bail hearing, officials said.

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Monday (Jul 5) extended its strictest lockdown to Jul 14 to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases led by the highly contagious Delta variant, with areas bordering India reporting the most infections.  Bangladesh reported 153 deaths ...

TOKYO: Tennis star Naomi Osaka said Monday (Jul 5) she wants to be on top form at the Olympics and will take part in press conferences, after pulling out of several tournaments citing her struggles with depression and anxiety. The world number two t...

JAKARTA: Indonesia reported on Monday (Jul 5) a record 29,745 new coronavirus infections and 558 deaths, health ministry data showed. The figures brought the country's total number of cases to 2,313,829 and deaths to 61,140. READ: Indonesia turns ...

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha went into self-isolation on Monday (Jul 5), after coming into close contact with a business leader who later tested positive for COVID-19. The prime minister had met Veerasak Pisanuwong, the presiden...

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways said on Monday (Jul 5) that it had launched a lifestyle brand to provide offers in hospitality and shopping as the airline seeks to tap new revenue streams amid a collapse in travel demand.

South Korea is in talks with mRNA vaccine makers including Pfizer and Moderna to produce COVID-19 shots in the country and is ready to offer the capacity to make up to 1 billion doses immediately, a senior government official said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will examine recruitment fees charged to workers and review its agreements with the home countries of migrant workers, the Human Resources Ministry said, after the country was downgraded in a United States human trafficking rep...

KUALA LUMPUR: A special parliament meeting will be held from Jul 26 to pave the way for a hybrid parliament sitting, Malaysia's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.  In a statement uploaded on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Facebook page on Monda...

TAIPEI: Taiwan's Cabinet said on Monday (Jul 5) that with COVID-19 cases abating there is room to ease restrictions and ministries and officials should make preparations for doing so, as the island begins emerging from the worst of its pandemic. Tai...

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor state government is adopting a "strategy shift" in managing the COVID-19 pandemic and aiming to "test, trace and vaccinate better", said Johor Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad.  He said this in response to calls from Johor Cr...

JAKARTA: Indonesia will provide free telemedicine services to coronavirus patients with mild symptoms, its health minister said on Monday (Jul 5), in an effort to reduce pressure on a healthcare sector inundated by record numbers of COVID-19 cases. ...

NBA star Rui Hachimura will carry Japan's flag at the Tokyo Games, Japanese Olympic chiefs said on Monday (Jul 5), although fans might not be allowed into the stadium to watch the opening ceremony.

JAKARTA: Parts of Indonesia lack oxygen supplies as the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients who need it increases, the nation's pandemic response leader said on Monday (Jul 5), after dozens of sick people died at a public hospital that ran out...

Blast at Thai factory shakes Bangkok airport, area evacuated

China's cyberspace watchdog said on Monday it is investigating online recruiter Zhipin.com, and truck-hailing apps Huochebang and Yunmanman, ramping up a crackdown on the mainland's tech companies amid tightened regulations on data security.

HONG KONG: Shares of Vitasoy had their biggest ever drop on Monday (Jul 5) after a worker sent around a memo offering condolences to the family of a colleague who stabbed a Hong Kong policeman, triggering online calls in China for a boycott of the co...

Senior foreign executives of major telecommunications firms in Myanmar have been told by the junta that they must not leave the country without permission, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. A confidential order from Myanmar’s Post...

BEIJING: A Chinese city near the border with Myanmar has imposed a lockdown and started mass testing after three coronavirus cases were reported on Monday (Jul 5), with officials rushing to curb another outbreak. It is the second time in four months...

TOKYO: Rescuers in Japan searched desperately on Monday (Jul 5) for survivors among 80 people believed to be still missing two days after landslides tore through the seaside city of Atami, destroying houses and burying roads under mud and rock. The ...

MANILA: All 96 passengers of the Philippine Air Force plane that crashed on Sunday (Jul 4) have been accounted for, military chief Cirilito Sobejana said on Monday. The crash happened when the Hercules C-130 transport plane, which was carrying most...

OTTAWA: Hong Kongers in Canada are banding together to help the latest wave of immigrants fleeing Beijing's tightening grip on their city. Networks across the country, some descended from groups set up after the Tiananmen Square incident in China i...

BANGKOK: Countries in Southeast Asia will need to harness new technologies to capture and store carbon emitted by fossil fuel industries if they want to reach their future climate change goals, according to experts. A report published by the Intern...

Myanmar's health ministry reported a daily record of 2,318 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday (Jul 4), as well as 35 deaths.

MANILA: Philippine scientists warned on Sunday (Jul 4) a volcano south of Manila could erupt again "anytime soon" as toxic gas emissions hit a record high and thousands more people in vulnerable communities left their homes. Taal volcano, which sit...

LUCKNOW: More than a million people on Sunday )Jul 4) began planting 250 million saplings in India’s most populous state, part of an annual mass tree planting campaign to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of global climate change. L...

YANGON: Myanmar security forces killed at least 25 people on Friday in a confrontation with opponents of the military government at a town in the centre of the Southeast Asian nation, two residents and Myanmar media said on Sunday (Jul 4). A spokesm...

JAKARTA: Indonesia has ordered oxygen makers to prioritise medical needs amid growing demand from COVID-19 patients, the government said on Sunday (Jul 4), following more than 60 deaths in a hospital where supply of the life-saving gas was almost exh...

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's central bank on Sunday (Jul 4) further tightened controls on the outflow of foreign currency to combat a growing cash crunch triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Foreign exchange reserves have almost halved since late 2019 to...

PHNOM PENH: Eleven Cambodian villagers died after drinking rice wine suspected to be toxic during a funeral, a police officer said on Sunday (Jul 4), adding to the kingdom's growing recent death toll from unsafe homemade alcohol. In the past two mon...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities on Sunday (Jul 2) warned residents against mourning a man who killed himself after stabbing a policeman, saying that encouraging such memorials was the same as "supporting terrorism". Police had described the attacke...

KHULNA, Bangladesh: Empty oxygen cylinders are piling up almost as fast as bodies in the city of Khulna, which has become Bangladesh's coronavirus hotspot in a dire new surge. The government has ordered a strict week-long nationwide lockdown in a bi...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is in stable condition and is expected to be discharged from hospital soon after receiving treatment for a digestive system infection, his office said on Sunday (Jul 4). Following advice from a...

COTABATO, Philippines: At least 45 people were killed on Sunday (Jul 4) when a Philippine military aircraft carrying troops crashed and burst into flames after missing the runway in the country's south, officials said. Ninety-six people, most of t...

BEIJING: Chinese astronauts successfully performed the country's first tandem spacewalk on Sunday (Jul 4), working for seven hours on the outside of the new Tiangong station in orbit around Earth. Tiangong's construction is a major step in China's a...

BEIJING: Fed up with work stress, Guo Jianlong quit a newspaper job in Beijing and moved to China’s mountainous southwest to “lie flat”. Guo joined a small but visible handful of Chinese urban professionals who are rattling the ruling Communi...

HONG KONG: Beverage maker Vitasoy has become the latest target of Chinese netizens' calls for a boycott after an employee circulated a memo online offering condolences to the family of a worker who had stabbed a Hong Kong police officer. In a statem...

ATAMI, Japan: Rescuers in a Japanese holiday town hit by a deadly landslide were forced to suspend their search for survivors several times on Sunday (Jul 4) as more rain lashed the devastated area. Two women were confirmed dead after torrents of mu...

From 1980 to 2015, the Chinese government limited couples to having just one child but many have since lost their only child – to illness, accident, suicide or murder, says anthropologist Lihong Shi.

By all accounts, China has beaten COVID-19 but there are still doubts, especially over its vaccines. NUS' East Asian Institute's Ryan Ho gives his take.

KUALA LUMPUR: At the gate of a wooden and brick house in Sungai Way New Village, Petaling Jaya, a white flag hung limply on a long stick.  Mr Jambu Nathan Kanagasabai, 64, put up the flag on Thursday (Jul 1) morning after seeing a post by a local ...

SINGAPORE: A Singapore table tennis player and team manager were involved in a pre-Olympics interview attended by a Japanese cameraman who later tested positive for COVID-19. The national team left for Japan on Jun 27 and has been based in Shimada C...

An unfinished tombstone, a large ceramic vase painted with beeswax, human representations and ancient tools to process corn are artifacts of a collection of 1,305 pieces that have been returned to Costa Rica.

WASHINGTON: One million donated doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech will arrive in Malaysia on Monday (Jul 5), White House officials said, with plans for more shipments to Southeast Asia soon. The shipment is from an initi...

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has suspended flights to three countries, including the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, to protect against a coronavirus variant, the interior ministry said Saturday (Jul 3). The move comes seven weeks after the oil-rich king...

Tokyo reported 716 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, its highest in more than five weeks, as the nation considers extending pandemic restrictions in the capital just weeks before it is to host the Olympics.

SEOUL: Thousands of South Korean workers staged a rally in downtown Seoul to demand better conditions, video images showed on Saturday (Jul 3), defying a government ban and shrugging off warnings that their protest could ignite a new wave of the coro...

Protesters in coup-hit Myanmar marked the birthday of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing Saturday by burning his portrait and staging fake funerals.

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan announced on Saturday (Jul 3) that he is splitting with his wife of 15 years, film-maker Kiran Rao.

KUALA LUMPUR: COVID-19 restrictions will be eased in five Malaysian states on Jul 5, as they transition into phase 2 of the national recovery plan, said Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Saturday (Jul 3).  These states are Kelantan, Terenggan...

More than 2,000 people have fled from a volcano eruption that has filled the air near the Philippine capital with toxic gas, officials said Saturday.

TikTok was running again in Pakistan Saturday after a provincial court lifted suspension of the popular social media service but ordered it to address complaints that it hosted objectionable content.

TOKYO: Two bodies were found after a huge landslide at a resort town in central Japan swept away homes on Saturday (Jul 3) following days of heavy rain, with around 20 people still missing, officials said. Television footage showed a torrent of mud ...

FAIRFAX: Journalist Nathan Maung turned to meditation when he was jailed for reporting on Myanmar's bloody coup, but even back home in sleepy Virginia, he can't forget those left behind, including a colleague still at the mercy of their jailers. In ...

The Indonesian unit of AirAsia Group Bhd will temporarily stop all flights for a month from July 6 to support the government's effort to limit a spike in COVID-19 cases, the company said on Saturday.

JAKARTA: Indonesia imposed a partial lockdown on Saturday (Jul 3) in the capital Jakarta, across the main island of Java and on Bali as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections.  Mosques, restaurants ...