KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian lawmakers from across the political divide have spoken out against a decision to allow Cabinet ministers returning from official overseas visits to undergo a three-day observation period instead of the standard 10 days.  T...

India has ordered 10 million more doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) and 4.5 million more of a homegrown one from Bharat Biotech, company representatives told Reuters.

SINGAPORE: Singapore gaming company Razer’s co-founder and director Lim Kaling said on Tuesday (Feb 9) that he will exit his investment in a tobacco firm in Myanmar after the military coup there caused him “grave concern". In a statement issued...

NAYPYIDAW: Security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas at anti-coup protesters in Myanmar's capital on Tuesday (Feb 9), as demonstrators around the country defied a military ban on rallies. Protests erupted for a fourth straight day against la...

Rescuers look for survivors of Indian glacier flood disaster

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wished China a happy Chinese New Year on Tuesday (Feb 9), but said she will not yield to Chinese pressure and reiterated a call for dialogue to resume with Beijing.

Hong Kongers with dual nationality are not entitled to foreign consular assistance, the city's leader said on Tuesday, confirming warnings by Western diplomats that authorities have begun strictly enforcing Chinese nationality regulations in the fina...

Members of a World Health Organization-led team looking for clues about the origins of COVID-19 will hold a briefing on Tuesday after nearly a month of meetings and site visits in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the disease was first identified.

Hong Kong's top court on Tuesday ordered pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to stay behind bars as it sided with prosecutors in the first legal test of Beijing's sweeping new national security law.

Opponents of Myanmar's military coup vowed to continue non-violent action on Tuesday in the face of bans on big gatherings, night curfews and road closures after the biggest demonstrations in more than a decade.

The European Union has approved the first shipment of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine to Japan, the minister overseeing Japan's vaccination programme said on Tuesday, as the country aims to start vaccination by mid-February.

China reported 14 new COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Feb. 8, official data showed on Tuesday, unchanged from a day earlier and the second day of no locally transmitted infections.

Tokyo Olympic organisers are planning to meet this week to discuss their response to sexist comments made by their boss that have prompted hundreds of volunteers to drop out, reports said Tuesday.

SINGAPORE: The Myanmar military still buckles under international pressure, even if it has said in the past that it is impervious to it, said the United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, on Monday (Feb 8). Such pressure include ec...

Japan’s poor record on gender equality, coupled with the exasperated stream of day-to-day discrimination reported on social media, made the gaffe impossible to laugh off, says the Financial Times’ Leo Lewis.

A great deal hinges on how successful the Chinese vaccine is and whether it can be open and transparent with data, says a Cambridge University researcher.

Hong Kong's top court is set to hand down a judgment on Tuesday in the first legal challenge to Beijing's sweeping national security law, deciding whether media tycoon Jimmy Lai can be granted bail.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in a call on Monday to work closely to fight COVID-19, renew their partnership on climate change and defend democratic institution and norms around the world, including in Myanma...

The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold a special session on Friday to discuss the crisis in Myanmar after its elected civilian government was taken over by the military, the United Nations said in a statement on Monday.

The family of an Australian adviser to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi detained after a military coup overthrew her government called for his release on Monday, saying he had done nothing wrong.

Floods, heavy rain and power outages led people to evacuate their homes in parts of Indonesia's capital on Monday, with the conditions - worsened by the La Nina weather pattern - expected to continue until March or April.

YANGON: Myanmar's junta leader on Monday (Feb 8) called on the public to prioritise facts and not feelings, and said an election would be held and power handed to the winning party, as anti-coup protests took place nationwide. Senior General Min Aun...

PORTLAND, Maine: America's lobster exporters recovered from the Trump-era trade war with China to have a good 2020. But the industry is approaching one of the most critical times of the year with trepidation because of the coronavirus. Chinese New Y...

Hong Kong has decided against using a jury for the first trial under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing, a legal source with direct knowledge of the case told AFP on Monday (Feb 8).

Martial law was declared in parts of Myanmar's second-largest city Mandalay on Monday (Feb 8), after hundreds of thousands rallied across the country against the coup and the military issued a stern warning against further protests.

TAPOVAN, India: A whistle turned into a roar of water that trapped a dozen men in a Himalayan tunnel after a glacier burst in northern India, but Rajesh Kumar lived to tell the tale. Eighteen people were confirmed dead on Monday (Feb 8) and at least...

As Myanmar navigates its shaky future following a military coup that ended a decade-long experiment with democracy, young men have turned to the steady hands of tattoo artists to etch their resistance in ink on skin.

A Thai court on Monday overturned its order for an opposition figure to remove social media videos in which he criticised the government's coronavirus vaccine strategy, which he had called opaque, slow and unfairly favourable to a royal-owned company...

Two Christian men were publicly flogged on Monday (Feb 8) in Indonesia's ultra-conservative Aceh province for drinking alcohol and gambling, in a rare instance of non-Muslims facing a punishment frequently condemned by rights groups.

SEOUL: With one of the fastest ageing populations in the world, South Korea this week sought to reassure elderly residents as it said it would push ahead with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine but is still examining its efficacy for people older than ...

YANGON: Myanmar's generals issued a stern warning against further protests on Monday (Feb 8) as a mass uprising against their coup gathered pace, with hundreds of thousands on the streets demanding the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Th...

Pet cats and dogs with a fever, cough or breathing difficulties will be offered COVID-19 tests if they have been exposed to carriers, the Seoul metropolitan government said on Monday (Feb 8).

TOKYO: Japan said Monday (Feb 8) it has protested to China over two incursions into Japanese territorial waters that come after Beijing enacted legislation toughening its response to violations of its maritime territory. Japan and China dispute owne...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military helicopters continued to search for three missing climbers on the world's second highest mountain K2 on Monday (Feb 8), as hope of their survival faded rapidly. Muhammad Ali Sadpara, 45, of Pakistan, John Snorri, 47, of...

Chinese unable to re-unite with loved ones this Lunar New Year are sending them a taste of home instead, using food packages to bridge the distance, as coronavirus warnings in some regions put a stop to the usual lengthy journeys home.

BANGKOK: Myanmar police on Monday (Feb 8) warned protesters to disperse or face force, shortly after state television signalled impending action to stifle mass demonstrations against a military coup and the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi....

Thousands of people joined anti-coup protests across Myanmar on Monday (Feb 8) as workers went on a nationwide strike, demanding the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the return of democracy.

The Philippines and the United States will meet this month to iron out differences over a two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Manila's top diplomat said, amid renewed concerns in the region over China's assertive maritime agenda.

Hundreds of military personnel were deployed in the Indian Himalayas on Monday to help find at least 125 people unaccounted for after a part of a glacier broke away, setting off a torrent of water, rock and dust down a mountain valley.

Indonesia's air accident investigator expects to release the preliminary report into last month's deadly crash of a Sriwijaya Air plane on Feb. 10, the agency's head said on Monday.

SYDNEY: An Australian journalist who worked as an anchor for Chinese state television has been formally arrested for "illegally supplying state secrets overseas", six months after she was detained in China without explanation, Canberra said on Monda...

South Korea reported the lowest daily number of new coronavirus cases since late November as the government slightly eased social distancing restrictions in the face of growing criticism from businesses impacted by the rules.

Opponents of Myanmar's coup called for more protests and work stoppages on Monday after tens of thousands of people joined weekend demonstrations against the removal and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi a week ago.

Dwarfed by a 21-storey-tall statue of the Hindu god Vishnu riding the mythical eagle Garuda, a tour guide on the Indonesian resort island of Bali said he was staring at a dismal Lunar New Year season as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on tourism.

TOKYO: A majority of Japanese remain opposed to holding the Olympics this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic but the ratio lowered significantly from recent polls, a Yomiuri newspaper poll showed on Monday (Feb 8). Some 28 per cent of respondents...

SHANGHAI: China reported no new locally transmitted mainland COVID-19 case for the first time in nearly two months, official data showed on Monday (Feb 8), adding to signs that it has managed to stamp out the latest wave of the disease. The total n...

The city is facing extreme weather more frequently, its flood mitigation responses have not kept pace, and a proposed sea dyke has sparked debate. The programme Insight finds out why the solutions will not be easy.

China’s practical stance stands in contrast to Joe Biden’s focus on democratic values and push for sanctions which could alienate Asian countries, says Dr Nehginpao Kipgen.

BANGKOK: There have been concerns over data privacy in Thailand’s COVID-19 contact tracing app, as the country battles a new wave of infections. Despite these challenges, the authorities are trying to encourage more people to use the app, includi...

Fears are growing for three climbers missing while attempting to summit the world's second-highest mountain, K2, after helicopters failed to spot them on the second day of searching, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said Sunday.

Afghanistan received half a million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India Sunday, the first consignment to arrive in the country that was hit hard by the virus last year.

Myanmar's military took power in a coup on Monday (Feb 1), ousting the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Here is a look at the events of the past week.

DHAKA: Bangladesh launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive with the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday (Feb 7), aiming to inoculate 3.5 million people in the first month. The south Asian country is seeking to inoculate 80 per ce...

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Sunday (Feb 7) expressed "solidarity with the people of Myanmar" following last week's military coup, urging the army to work towards "democratic coexistence" as protesters took to the streets. The pope was speaking as ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Sunday (Feb 7) eased COVID-19 restrictions for Chinese New Year reunion dinner, just days after announcing the initial curbs. Up to 15 family members from different households will now be allowed to dine together for their ...

PHNOM PENH: The first 600,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines donated by China to Cambodia arrived in Phnom Penh on Sunday (Feb 7) by special plane, with the doses earmarked to vaccinate health workers and the military. The Southeast Asian nation of a...

NEW DELHI: India has approved the shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia and plans to supply Mongolia and Pacific Island states, officials said on Sunday (Feb 7), as supplies arrived in Afghanistan: All part of the country's widening vaccine diplo...

BEIJING: China's market regulator released new anti-monopoly guidelines on Sunday (Feb 7) that target Internet platforms, tightening existing restrictions faced by the country's tech giants. The new rules formalise an earlier anti-monopoly draft law...

PEKALONGAN, Indonesia: An Indonesian village was inundated by crimson-coloured water after flooding hit a fabric dyeing centre in central Java, sparking a social media frenzy. Residents of Jenggot, near the town of Pekalongan, were seen wading throu...

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong Internet radio host was arrested on Sunday (Feb 7) under a little-used colonial era sedition law that authorities have begun to wield against Beijing's critics. Officers from the police's national security department arrested ...

YANGON: Internet access was partially restored in Myanmar on Sunday (Feb 7), as a nationwide web and social media blockade failed to curb public outrage and massive protests against the military coup that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "Par...

NEW DELHI: Nine people were confirmed dead and at least 140 missing in northern India, after a Himalayan glacier broke and swept away a hydroelectric dam on Sunday (Feb 7), with floods forcing the evacuation of villages downstream. Surjeet Singh, a...

ISLAMABAD: An aerial search was underway on Sunday (Feb 7) to find three experienced climbers who lost contact with base camp during their ascent of the world’s second highest mountain in northern Pakistan, officials said. Karrar Haideri, a top of...

PONTIANAK, Indonesia: An escaped tiger that killed a keeper at a zoo on Borneo island has been captured alive after a day on the loose, police said. The white Bengal tiger was found wandering in a jungle surrounding Sinka Zoo in the town of Singkawa...

TAIPEI: Taiwan's central bank on Sunday (Feb 7) said it had banned Deutsche Bank from trading Taiwan dollar deliverable and non-deliverable forwards and suspended them for two years from trading forex derivatives as part of a crackdown on speculation...

BEIJING: Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics. Western so...

MANILA: A strong earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Sunday (Feb 7), though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the US Geological Survey and local officials said. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck the town of Bansalan on Min...

YANGON: Thousands rallied against the Myanmar coup in Yangon on Sunday (Feb 7), as an Internet blackout failed to quash outrage over the military's power grab from elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The fresh rally followed the largest protests to dat...

LONDON: Jihyun Park shares the civic concerns of any other would-be town councillor in Britain, from local education to potholes in the roads. But she is unique in one regard: No other candidate has fled North Korea. Park is believed to be the first...

MAJURO, Marshall Islands: The Pacific Islands Forum leadership rift widened on Sunday (Feb 7) as the Marshall Islands voiced its disapproval with the central political body in a region where the United States and China are competing for influence. ...

Little is understood about which COVID-19 conspiracy theories are popular on Chinese social media, how this differs from misinformation on US social media, says an observer.

JAKARTA: Setiap lapisan kue lapis legit diyakini oleh orang Indonesia keturunan Tionghoa sebagai simbol keberuntungan. Kue lapis legit terdiri dari tumpukan pelbagai lapisan kue tipis yang terbuat dari mentega, margarin, susu, dan telur. Untuk mena...

JAKARTA: Each layer of the kue lapis legit is believed by Indonesians of Chinese descent to symbolise fortune. Also known as thousand layer cake, it comprises many thin layers piled on each other, made of butter, margarine, milk and egg. To add ...

YANGON: Myanmar saw its largest anti-coup protests yet on Saturday (Feb 6) with young demonstrators spilling onto the streets to denounce the country's new military regime, despite a nationwide Internet blackout aimed at stifling a growing chorus of ...

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 3,847 new COVID-19 infections were recorded in Malaysia on Saturday (Feb 6), raising the number of active cases to 50,894. "Of the new cases, four were imported infections involving Malaysians while 3,843 were local trans...

NEW DELHI: Thousands of protesting Indian farmers blockaded highways across the country for several hours on Saturday (Feb 6) to press their demands for the repeal of new agricultural laws that have led to months of massive protests. The protesters...

Three climbers have gone missing attempting to summit the world's second-highest mountain, K2, their expedition manager and the Alpine Club of Pakistan said Saturday.

A critically endangered Sumatran tiger was shot dead on Saturday while another is still on the loose after they escaped from a zoo on Borneo island, leaving a zookeeper dead, an official said.

Sinovac Biotech said on Saturday that its unit's COVID-19 vaccine has been formally approved for use by the general public by China's medical products regulator.

YANGON: Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, said in message to Reuters on Saturday (Feb 6) that he was being detained, the first known arrest of a foreign national since the Feb 1 military coup that overthrew...

Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka on Saturday (Feb 6) slammed "ignorant" remarks from the Tokyo Olympics' chief organiser after a sexism row that has triggered an angry backlash and calls for his resignation.

A year after his death from COVID-19, residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan say they remain grateful to the "whistleblower" doctor who first sounded the alarm about the outbreak before it received official recognition.

SHANGHAI: China has added 517 species to its list of major protected wild animals, part of its campaign in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to end the wild animal trade and destruction of habitats.  A joint statement on Friday (Feb 5) by the fores...

A surreal, blood-red river inundated the Indonesian village of Jenggot after floods hit a nearby batik factory on Saturday, causing a frenzy on social media.

SHANGHAI: Mainland China reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (Feb 6), down from 20 cases a day earlier and the lowest daily increase since Dec 12, the national health authority said on Saturday. The National Health Commission, in a statemen...

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in a phone call on Friday (Feb 5) the United States will stand up for human rights and democratic values in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, the State Department sa...

YANGON: Myanmar saw its largest anti-coup protests yet on Saturday (Feb 6) with young demonstrators spilling on to the streets to denounce the country's new military regime, despite a nationwide Internet blackout aimed at stifling a growing chorus o...

SINGAPORE: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres backed the right of the Myanmar people to peacefully express their rejection of this week's military takeover that displaced the country's elected civilian government. "Coups are not acceptable in t...

Indian farmers plan nationwide 3-hour blockade of highways

The Latest: Sri Lankan officials say vaccinations advancing

Military authorities in charge of Myanmar broadened a ban on social media following this week's coup and shut Twitter and Instagram, as residents in the biggest city again banged pots and plastic bottles to show their opposition to the army takeover.

Fox Corp's Fox Business Network has canceled "Lou Dobbs Tonight," a weekday program hosted by the business journalist and vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, the company said on Friday.

South Korea on Saturday eased curfews on businesses outside the capital Seoul, letting them stay open an hour later, amid a public backlash over tight curbs to contain COVID-19.

Democracy campaigners and the National League for Democracy (NLD) tried to play by the military’s rules. They suffered for it anyway, says this professor.

The Indonesian government is exploring multiple options to contain the worsening floods, but there are obstacles including climate change and illegal settlements.

A one-time ally of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi said on Friday that she was no traitor for accepting a ministerial post with the military that overthrew the elected leader this week.

India said on Friday it was restoring high-speed mobile Internet in the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since August 2019, when the government withdrew the special rights of the restive Muslim-dominated region.

China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth.

EAST CHINA SEA: Taiwanese coast guard commander Lin Chie-ming is on the frontline of a new type of warfare that China is waging against Taiwan. China's weapon? Sand. On a chilly morning in late January, Lin, clad in an orange uniform, stood on the r...

BEIJING: Chinese scientists have found a natural mutation in the African swine fever virus they say could be less deadly than the strain that ravaged the world's largest pig herd in 2018 and 2019. The findings, published in the February edition of t...