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Sun, 30 May 2021 16:42:49 +0800
Taiwan has not 'given up hope' of getting BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine: Health minister
TAIPEI: Taiwan has not given up hope of eventually getting COVID-19 vaccines from Germany's BioNTech, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Sunday (May 30), a deal that Taipei's government has blamed China for not being able to complete. After rec...

Sun, 30 May 2021 16:19:59 +0800
South Korea says 1 million doses of J&J COVID-19 vaccines to arrive this week from US
South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Sunday that 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) coronavirus vaccines will arrive this week, including for 550,000 soldiers, after the United States almost doubled its earlier pledge.

Sun, 30 May 2021 16:26:09 +0800
Malaysia reports 6,999 new COVID-19 cases, down more than 2,000 from previous day
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 6,999 new coronavirus cases on Sunday (May 30), bringing the total infections in the country to 565,533. The daily figure was down from Saturday's 9,020 cases, the fifth straight record rise in COVID-19 infections in ...

Sun, 30 May 2021 14:54:25 +0800
Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City introduces 2 weeks of COVID-19 distancing measures
HANOI: Vietnam's business hub Ho Chi Minh City will begin social distancing measures for 15 days starting from May 31 in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the country's government said on Sunday (May 30). The city has seen a spike in cases r...

Sun, 30 May 2021 12:31:52 +0800
Hunger stalks India's poor in COVID-19 pandemic double blow
NEW DELHI: Rasheeda Jaleel lives in fear that she may not be able to feed her seven children as millions of Indian families are forced into poverty by a devastating new coronavirus wave. The 40-year-old, her husband Abdul Jaleel, 65, and the childre...

Sun, 30 May 2021 10:09:27 +0800
Why scientists are concerned about leaks at biolabs
WASHINGTON: The theory that COVID-19 might be the result of scientific experiments has thrown a spotlight on the work of the world's most secure biolabs. While the evidence linking SARS-CoV-2 to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China is strictly c...

Sun, 30 May 2021 08:48:08 +0800
Myanmar COVID-19 outbreak hits health system shattered after coup
Breathless, fevered and without the extra oxygen that could help keep them alive, the new COVID-19 patients at a hospital near Myanmar's border with India highlight the threat to a health system near collapse since February's coup. To help her tend ...

Sun, 30 May 2021 07:44:02 +0800
Veteran actor Gavin MacLeod of The Love Boat fame dies at 90
The veteran supporting actor also achieved fame as sardonic TV news writer Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Sun, 30 May 2021 07:39:45 +0800
15 years on, mud continues to gush in East Java villages as residents reel from odour and heat
SIDOARJO, East Java: Indonesian Muanisah, who goes by one name, recalled the day when she held her 40-day-old baby in despair as he had trouble breathing. She was just about to have her breakfast on May 29, 2006 when she smelled a pungent odour, wh...

Sun, 30 May 2021 11:08:39 +0800
Chinese cargo spacecraft docks with orbital station
China on Saturday launched a cargo spacecraft carrying supplies for its new space station, after delays due to technical reasons, state media said.

Sun, 30 May 2021 10:57:37 +0800
Indonesia ferry catches fire at sea, all 195 aboard safe: Official
Indonesia ferry catches fire at sea; no casualties

Sat, 29 May 2021 20:58:26 +0800
Indonesia releases Iranian and Panamanian tankers after four months
Indonesia has released an Iranian tanker and a Panamanian vessel that were both seized at the beginning of the year on suspicion of carrying out illegal oil transfers, officials said on Saturday (May 29).

Sat, 29 May 2021 19:50:24 +0800
Sri Lanka facing marine disaster from burning ship: Environment official
Sri Lanka is facing its worst beach pollution crisis as tonnes of plastic waste from a burning container ship wash ashore, a senior environment official said Saturday.

Sat, 29 May 2021 18:59:27 +0800
Top execs of HK financial firms who are fully vaccinated can get COVID-19 quarantine exemption
Hong Kong senior executives of financial companies and their overseas affiliates who are fully vaccinated can now apply for an exemption from the three-week compulsory quarantine, the markets watchdog said

Sat, 29 May 2021 18:44:57 +0800
Philippines lifts ban on workers deploying to Saudi Arabia
MANILA: The Philippines on Saturday (May 29) said the country's workers could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the kingdom said they would not be charged for COVID-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival. "Our Sa...

Sat, 29 May 2021 18:19:29 +0800
Iranian tanker seized in Indonesia has been released: Report
JAKARTA: An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Indonesia in January has been released, Iran’s state broadcaster reported on Saturday (May 29), saying that the vessel has resumed its mission before returning home. Jakarta said at the time that its co...

Sat, 29 May 2021 18:05:43 +0800
China, Philippines swap protests over Manila-occupied island
China, Philippines swap protests over Manila-occupied island

Sun, 30 May 2021 00:04:43 +0800
Flow of goods and supplies between Malaysia and Singapore to continue during FMCO: Gan Kim Yong
SINGAPORE: The flow of goods and supplies between Singapore and Malaysia will continue even with the full movement control order (FMCO) being implemented in Malaysia from Jun 1 to Jun 14, said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong on Saturday...

Sat, 29 May 2021 17:38:00 +0800
Neighbourhood in Chinese city of Guangzhou under lockdown after fresh COVID-19 outbreak
A neighbourhood in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has been locked down as officials rush to quell an uptick in cases in the area.

Sat, 29 May 2021 16:00:13 +0800
Myanmar's shadow government parades new armed force
YANGON: The underground government set up by opponents of Myanmar's military junta said its first batch of recruits have finished training for a new defence force, releasing video of them parading in uniform. The National Unity Government had annou...

Sat, 29 May 2021 19:40:40 +0800
Malaysia reports daily record of 9,020 new COVID-19 cases
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 9,020 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (May 29), its highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic. This is the fifth straight day of record new infections, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 558...

Sat, 29 May 2021 18:53:26 +0800
China cuts BTS, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga from Friends reunion episode
Chinese fans of the popular sitcom Friends were furious after censors cut guest stars Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Korean boy band BTS from the much-awaited reunion episode.

Sun, 30 May 2021 14:07:46 +0800
Vietnam detects hybrid of COVID-19 variants from India and UK: Report
HANOI: Vietnam health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday (May 29) the country has detected a new variant of the coronavirus, a mix of the COVID-19 variants from India and the United Kingdom that spreads quickly by air, online newspaper VnEx...

Sat, 29 May 2021 12:02:43 +0800
Philippines protests China's 'illegal' South China Sea presence
MANILA: The Philippines has protested China's continuing "illegal presence and activities" near an island in the South China Sea held by the Southeast Asian nation, the foreign ministry said on Saturday (May 29). Manila lodged the diplomatic protest...

Sat, 29 May 2021 11:02:03 +0800
COVID-19 sweeps through Thailand's overcrowded prisons
BANGKOK: A coronavirus surge sweeping through Thailand's prisons has thrown the spotlight on the kingdom's overcrowded penal system, where some inmates have less space to sleep than the inside of a coffin. More than 22,000 people have tested positi...

Sat, 29 May 2021 10:19:47 +0800
COVID-19 storm engulfs Mount Everest
KATHMANDU: Mount Everest guide Buddhi Bahadur Lama has spent days isolated in a tent after testing positive for coronavirus, as an outbreak that climbers say is putting lives at risk sweeps base camp. He is one of four in his expedition team thought...

Sat, 29 May 2021 09:30:37 +0800
Southeast Asian states want to drop proposed UN call for Myanmar arms embargo
NEW YORK: Nine Southeast Asian nations have proposed watering down a United Nations General Assembly draft resolution on Myanmar, including removing a call for an arms embargo on the country, in a bid to win the unanimous support of the 193-member bo...

Sat, 29 May 2021 06:10:38 +0800
Commentary: Is Duterte as tough a guy as he wants us to believe?
As the Philippines’ presidential elections loom next year, it is timely to assess if Rodrigo Duterte has taken the hard decisions he promised he would, says Michael Beltran.

Sat, 29 May 2021 07:29:20 +0800
Filipino scientist takes first ever journey to third deepest ocean trench on Earth, finds plastic
BANGKOK: When Dr Deo Florence Onda found himself more than 10,000m below the surface, in the third deepest trench on the planet, he was on the lookout for mysteries hidden in the darkness. The Emden Deep, part of the Philippine Trench, is one of E...

Sat, 29 May 2021 08:21:20 +0800
Blinken says US and India united in tackling COVID-19
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday (May 28) the United States and India are united in trying to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic together and Washington wants to make sure it takes action to help India with its coronavirus c...

Sat, 29 May 2021 02:09:58 +0800
US blocks imports from Chinese fishing firm Dalian Ocean
The US customs agency announced Friday it would block imports of products from China's Dalian Ocean Fishing Co for alleged use of forced labor and abuse of workers on its tuna vessels.

Sat, 29 May 2021 00:30:53 +0800
Huge swathes of farm land swamped in eastern India after cyclone
More than 96,000 hectares (237,221 acres) of agricultural land has been inundated in parts of an eastern Indian state hit by a powerful storm this week, officials said on Friday, a year after the coastal region was ravaged by a super cyclone.

Fri, 28 May 2021 21:25:38 +0800
Mike Tyson says psychedelics saved his life, now he hopes they can change the world
During his reign as heavyweight champion of the world, no one was more feared than Mike Tyson, who obliterated opponents with ruthless efficiency.

Sat, 29 May 2021 09:37:38 +0800
Malaysia to enter 'total lockdown' from Jun 1 to Jun 14 as daily number of COVID-19 cases hits new record
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will close all economic and social sectors by implementing a "total lockdown” throughout the country. The first phase of the lockdown will last from Jun 1 to Jun 14. This move was announced in a media statement posted on ...

Fri, 28 May 2021 19:52:07 +0800
Battleship diplomacy: Britain's new aircraft carrier joins NATO, has message for China
The maiden voyage of a new British aircraft carrier will seek to show allies that post-Brexit Britain is ready to defend Western interests and eager to see China respect international rules, the vessel's commander said.

Fri, 28 May 2021 19:33:25 +0800
1,000-year-old 'stolen' artefacts to return to Thailand from US
Two ancient sandstone artefacts believed to have been stolen from Thailand during the Vietnam War are set to return from the United States Friday night, officials say.

Fri, 28 May 2021 22:09:04 +0800
Football: Japan thrash Myanmar in World Cup qualifier after protests on and off pitch
CHIBA, Japan: Japan thrashed Myanmar 10-0 on Friday (May 28) to cruise into the third round of Asian World Cup qualifier, after protesters had raised anti-junta three-fingered salutes on and off the pitch. About 70 protesters gathered before kick-o...

Fri, 28 May 2021 19:27:17 +0800
Hong Kong tycoons offer US$1 million flat to lottery to boost COVID-19 vaccine take-up rate
Hong Kongers reluctant to get the coronavirus jab have been given a million-dollar reason to roll up their sleeves after property tycoons donated a brand new flat to a vaccine lottery.

Fri, 28 May 2021 19:13:09 +0800
Philippines halts deployment of workers to Saudi Arabia after reports they were made to pay for COVID-19 tests
The Philippines has suspended the deployment of workers to Saudi Arabia after it received reports that their employers and recruiters were making them pay for COVID-19 testing, quarantine and insurance upon arrival in the kingdom.

Fri, 28 May 2021 18:50:55 +0800
China invites four European foreign ministers to visit in diplomatic push
BEIJING: The foreign ministers of Ireland, Poland, Hungary and Serbia will visit China from Saturday (May 29), the Chinese foreign ministry said, in a sign of a push to strengthen ties with Europe after an investment treaty was frozen. The European ...

Fri, 28 May 2021 18:53:55 +0800
Delhi announces 'very, very slow' easing of COVID-19 lockdown
Indian authorities Friday announced a "very very slow" easing of the lockdown in the capital New Delhi as coronavirus infections fall in major cities after weeks of lockdown.

Fri, 28 May 2021 18:02:33 +0800
Thailand authorises Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, royal academy seeks 1 million doses
A royal academy chaired by Princess Chulabhorn, the youngest sibling of Thailand's king, on Friday said it would import 1 million doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine next month, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised its use.

Fri, 28 May 2021 17:14:01 +0800
Taiwan targets COVID-19 vaccination for 60% of population by October
Taiwan aims to cover 60per cent of its population with at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine by October, the health minister said on Friday, adding that the island's infection rate was not good, despite its pandemic curbs.

Fri, 28 May 2021 17:14:01 +0800
Belgium recalls envoy to South Korea after wife's shopping incident
BRUSSELS: Belgium on Friday (May 28) said that it will recall its ambassador to South Korea after the envoy's wife was accused of assaulting two boutique employees in an incident that went viral. Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes ordered Ambas...

Fri, 28 May 2021 22:07:15 +0800
Malaysia sets COVID-19 case record for 4th straight day with 8,290 new infections
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Friday (May 28) reported its fourth straight day of record new COVID-19 cases with 8,290 infections. This is the first time Malaysia’s daily COVID-19 caseload has breached the 8,000 mark. It also comes after several con...

Fri, 28 May 2021 17:31:46 +0800
KL LRT collision: Full service resumes as track repairs completed
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) line has returned to full service following the conclusion of repair works on the tracks damaged by a head-on collision on Monday (May 24), Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said. "I wish to anno...

Fri, 28 May 2021 16:38:39 +0800
Myanmar military tribunal orders 20-year jail terms for torching Chinese-linked factories: Report
YANGON: A Myanmar military tribunal has sentenced 28 people to 20 years in jail with hard labour for arson attacks on two factories, state media reported, after a string of mainly Chinese-financed factories were torched during unrest in Yangon in Ma...

Fri, 28 May 2021 15:59:55 +0800
China ramps up ambitions with football 'key cities'
China will establish up to 18 "key cities" dedicated to football by 2025, its top sports body said, as it outlined plans to be among Asia's best by the end of the decade.

Fri, 28 May 2021 15:06:17 +0800
Plastics from burning ship cover Sri Lanka beach
Tonnes of charred plastic pellets from a burning container ship washed ashore near Sri Lanka's commercial capital on Friday (May 28) as an international effort to salvage the vessel dragged into a ninth day.

Fri, 28 May 2021 13:07:24 +0800
India posts lowest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in more than a month
BENGALURU: India reported on Friday (May 28) 186,364 new COIVD-19 infections during the previous 24 hours, for its lowest daily rise since Apr 14, while deaths rose by 3,660. READ: India scraps local trials for COVID-19 shots to fast-track import...

Fri, 28 May 2021 12:09:58 +0800
European business chamber calls on Vietnam to speed up COVID-19 vaccinations
HANOI: European business leaders in Vietnam are urging the government to allow private companies to procure COVID-19 vaccines and inoculate their own staff, as the country battles its biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic. "This would red...

Fri, 28 May 2021 11:35:36 +0800
Canada probes forced labour claims in Malaysian palm oil, glove-making industries
Canada is investigating allegations of forced labour in Malaysia's palm oil and glove manufacturing industries, the government said on Friday.

Fri, 28 May 2021 11:03:26 +0800
China tech CEOs slip off backstage to avoid Beijing's glare
BEIJING: ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming, the brains behind TikTok, said he preferred "daydreaming" as he stepped down as head of his own firm last week. But his departure comes as several of China's once-lauded tech entrepreneurs step aside under inc...

Fri, 28 May 2021 10:58:47 +0800
Millions in Myanmar struggle to buy food as coup price hike bites
YANGON: Aye Mar sits with her seven children in their Yangon kitchen and worries whether their meal of rice and stringy vegetables - all she can afford in coup-stricken Myanmar - will satisfy their hunger. The national economy and banking system hav...

Fri, 28 May 2021 16:23:23 +0800
Japan to consider sharing COVID-19 vaccines amid calls to help Taiwan
TOKYO: Japan said on Friday (May 28) it would consider sharing COVID-19 vaccines with other countries as a ruling party panel urged that part of its stock of AstraZeneca doses be provided to Taiwan, which hailed the move and urged a swift decision. ...

Fri, 28 May 2021 10:00:37 +0800
Hong Kong passes sweeping pro-China election rules, reduces public's voting power
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's legislature approved the biggest overhaul of its political system in the quarter century since British rule on Thursday (May 27), in a decisive step to assert Beijing's authority over the autonomous city. The move was quickly ...

Fri, 28 May 2021 09:48:11 +0800
Malaysian volunteer undertakers struggle to cope as COVID-19 cases surge
Malaysian volunteers, who help to give COVID-19 victims a Muslim burial, say they are being stretched like never before, as the country struggles to cope with its worst coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic.

Fri, 28 May 2021 13:12:54 +0800
Jailed HK tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 14 months for Oct 1 illegal assembly
HONG KONG: Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai was given a new prison sentence of 14 months on Friday (May 28) over his role in an unauthorised assembly on Oct 1, 2019, during one of the city's pro-democracy rallies that year. ...

Fri, 28 May 2021 04:24:36 +0800
US urges WHO to carry out 2nd phase of COVID-19 origin study in China
The United States called on Thursday (May 27) for the World Health Organisation to carry out a second phase of its investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, with independent experts given full access to original data and samples in China...

Thu, 27 May 2021 22:31:00 +0800
Hong Kong woman breaks record for fastest ascent of Everest
KATHMANDU: Hong Kong mountaineer Tsang Yin-hung has recorded the world's fastest ascent of Everest by a woman with a time of just under 26 hours, a Nepal official said on Thursday (May 27). Tsang, 44, scaled the 8,848.86-m mountain in a record time ...

Thu, 27 May 2021 22:20:37 +0800
Fight to douse Sri Lanka ship fire could take 'days': Navy chief
COLOMBO: An international firefighting effort to put out a huge blaze on a container ship off Sri Lanka's coast will likely take days, the country's navy chief said on Thursday (May 27), amid mounting fears of a major oil leak. Nine Sri Lankan ships...

Thu, 27 May 2021 20:11:39 +0800
Hong Kong bans Tiananmen vigil for second year running, citing COVID-19 situation
HONG KONG: Hong Kong police cited COVID-19 restrictions to ban for a second year running an annual vigil to commemorate the protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989. Despite the ban, organisers expect a large turnout of people to mark the Jun ...

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:26:41 +0800
Indonesia court gives hardline cleric jail term for flouting COVID-19 curbs
JAKARTA: An Indonesian court sentenced on Thursday (May 27) hardline Muslim cleric Rizieq Shihab to eight months in prison and fined him 20 million rupiah (US$1,400) for breaching coronavirus curbs after his return last year from self-imposed exile. ...

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:26:41 +0800
Twitter urges Indian government to respect freedom of expression
NEW DELHI: Twitter on Thursday (May 27) said it is worried about the safety of its staff in India and called for the government to respect freedom of expression, days after Indian police visited its office in New Delhi over its labeling of a tweet by...

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:25:52 +0800
Twitter slams Indian police 'intimidation', new IT rules
The Indian government's battle with social media giants escalated Thursday with Twitter accusing the police of "intimidation" and slamming new IT rules that have also alarmed its peers and privacy campaigners.

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:17:30 +0800
Johor planning new COVID-19 economic stimulus package, says chief minister
JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor state government is planning to launch another economic stimulus package to help residents cope with the financial impact of COVID-19, Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad said on Thursday (May 27).  Mr Hasni made the announcement ...

Thu, 27 May 2021 18:08:04 +0800
5 drown while attempting to take a selfie in Indonesia
Five members of an Indonesian family drowned when a dock where they were taking a selfie collapsed, police said Thursday, just weeks after a similar fatal accident.

Thu, 27 May 2021 18:04:58 +0800
Many teachers pressed into Indian poll duty became COVID-19 victims, families say
MATHURA, India: Suman Lata's family begged her to refuse a summons to monitor elections in Uttar Pradesh state last month but, worried about losing her job, the 49-year-old mother of three went anyway, just as India's second coronavirus wave hit a pe...

Thu, 27 May 2021 17:57:16 +0800
Request to drop word 'country' preceded BioNTech vaccine deal collapse, says Taiwan
Germany's BioNTech asked Taiwan to remove the word "country" from an announcement they planned to make on a COVID-19 vaccine sale to the island, its health minister said on Thursday, giving details of the deal whose axing was blamed on China by Taipe...

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:52:07 +0800
Tokyo Games could lead to 'Olympic' COVID-19 strain, Japanese doctor warns
TOKYO: The head of a Japanese doctors' union warned on Thursday (May 25) that holding the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, with tens of thousands of people from around the world, could lead to the emergence of an "Olympic" strain of the coronaviru...

Thu, 27 May 2021 17:33:24 +0800
India scraps local trials for COVID-19 shots to fast-track imports as it battles second wave
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday (May 27) scrapped local trials for "well-established" foreign COVID-19 vaccines to fast-track imports as it battles a devastating second wave of the pandemic that has killed tens of thousands of people. India recorded i...

Fri, 28 May 2021 08:58:42 +0800
Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza and husband fined RM20,000 for baby’s ceremony which breached COVID-19 protocols
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian celebrity Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin and her husband, Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, were each given a fine of RM10,000 (US$2,400) for breaching COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during a religious ceremony known as ‘tahnik...

Thu, 27 May 2021 17:00:41 +0800
China shelves dozens of races after deadly ultramarathon
At least 60 marathons and cross-country races have been cancelled or postponed in China after 21 runners died when extreme weather hit an ultramarathon last weekend, state media said Thursday.

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:12:21 +0800
Record number of new COVID-19 cases in Malaysia for third straight day
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Thursday (May 27) reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases for the third straight day, with 7,857 infections. The Klang Valley area accounted for about 40 per cent of the new cases, with 2,675 cases in Selangor and 5...

Thu, 27 May 2021 16:38:58 +0800
Thai princess allows new COVID-19 vaccine imports as slow roll-out prompts anger
BANGKOK: The Thai king's sister has approved COVID-19 vaccine imports by an institution she sponsors, bypassing the government as it deals with surging infections and growing public anger over a slow and chaotic roll-out. The secretary-general of th...

Thu, 27 May 2021 16:46:15 +0800
Latest Indian cyclone kills five, leaves thousands homeless
Thousands of people were homeless Thursday after the latest cyclone to hit Covid-ravaged India left a trail of destruction, although timely evacuations meant the death toll was limited to single figures.

Thu, 27 May 2021 16:29:35 +0800
Sri Lanka braces for beach pollution as ship burns
COLOMBO: Three Indian vessels on Thursday (May 27) joined the battle to contain a major fire on a container ship off the Sri Lanka coast amid fears that it could break up and spew out hundreds of tonnes of oil. The X-Press Pearl has been blazing out...

Thu, 27 May 2021 15:39:45 +0800
Cyclone leaves coastal villages in eastern India, Bangladesh cut off by tidal surges
BHUBANESHWAR: Hundreds of thousands of villagers along the low-lying coast of eastern India and Bangladesh were marooned by floodwaters on Thursday (May 27) in the aftermath of a powerful cyclone that has killed at least five people, officials in bot...

Thu, 27 May 2021 14:06:09 +0800
Football: Goalkeeper urges Myanmar protest at World Cup qualifiers
TOKYO: A goalkeeper boycotting Myanmar's World Cup qualifiers has urged his teammates to "stand with the people" and raise the anti-junta three-finger salute in protest at the country's military coup. Kyaw Zin Htet, who opted out of the games in Jap...

Thu, 27 May 2021 13:29:45 +0800
Taiwan struggles with COVID-19 testing backlog amid largest outbreak
TAIPEI: Facing Taiwan’s largest outbreak of the pandemic and looking for rapid virus test kits, the mayor of the island’s capital did what anyone might do: He Googled it. “If you don’t know, and you try to know something, please check Google...

Thu, 27 May 2021 12:36:50 +0800
Sinopharm's two COVID-19 shots more than 70% effective, study says
BEIJING: Two COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinopharm showed more than 70 per cent efficacy against symptomatic cases, but it remains unclear how much protection they provide against severe or asymptomatic cases, according to the first detailed resul...

Thu, 27 May 2021 12:21:59 +0800
Far from home: Weightlifter's quest for Philippines' first Olympic gold
JASIN, Malaysia: Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz grunts with the effort of hoisting a barbell over her head in an outdoor makeshift gym ringed by banana and rambutan trees as trucks thunder past - an unlikely training base for a shot at Olympic g...

Thu, 27 May 2021 11:33:26 +0800
Countries eager to reopen to travel as COVID-19 pandemic recedes
Countries reliant on tourism are racing to reopen borders and revive economies decimated by the pandemic. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the sector lost nearly US$4.5 trillion and 62 million jobs last year. Airlines alone lost U...

Thu, 27 May 2021 11:30:37 +0800
Johor sultan urges Malaysia government to consider full lockdown if COVID-19 cases continue to rise
JOHOR BAHRU: Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has called for the Malaysian government to consider "a full lockdown" if the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise.  Sultan Ibrahim released the statement on Wednesday (May 26) ...

Thu, 27 May 2021 11:36:55 +0800
Taiwan hurtles towards 'super-aged' status as birth rate plummets
Wu En-tzu has delivered more than 2,000 babies working as an obstetrician but she has no desire to have children of her own -- an increasingly common position taken by Taiwanese families.

Thu, 27 May 2021 11:20:37 +0800
KL LRT collision: Both trains have been retrieved, track repairs are ongoing, says transport minister
KUALA LUMPUR: The two trains involved in an underground collision along the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) have been successfully retrieved, said Malaysian Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong in a Facebook post on Thursday (May 27). The minister...

Thu, 27 May 2021 08:57:13 +0800
China reports 19 new COVID-19 cases
SHANGHAI: China reported 19 new COVID-19 cases for May 26, up from 13 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Thursday (May 27). Two of the new cases were local infections in the southern province of Guangdong, the Natio...

Thu, 27 May 2021 08:10:25 +0800
Death in the Himalayas: Poverty, fear, stretched resources propel India's COVID-19 crisis
Pramila Devi's shrouded body lay on a bier, resting on a rock on the banks of a muddy Ganges.

Thu, 27 May 2021 12:22:58 +0800
Commentary: Indonesia’s company-funded vaccination drive boosts the national rate but has limitations
Over 20,000 Indonesian firms are vaccinating their workers but this isn't going to help the country reach herd immunity, says ISEAS-Yusof Ishak’s Visiting Fellow A'an Suryana.

Thu, 27 May 2021 07:22:59 +0800
Australian Yang Hengjun to face court in Beijing on espionage charges
BEIJING: A Beijing court will hear an espionage case on Thursday (May 27) against Australian blogger Yang Hengjun, detained by Chinese authorities two years ago as he arrived from New York, against a backdrop of worsening ties between the two nations...

Thu, 27 May 2021 03:50:03 +0800
Philippines to authorise Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in 12-15 year olds
The Philippines will allow the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15, the head of its Food and Drugs Administration said, widening the number of people in the country that will be protected against the virus.

Thu, 27 May 2021 08:42:59 +0800
Tajuddin terminated as Prasarana chairman 'with immediate effect' after KL LRT crash, says MOF
KUALA LUMPUR: Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, the chairman of rail operator Prasanara, had his service terminated "with immediate effect", said Malaysia's Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (May 26).  This comes after his conduct during a press conference ...

Wed, 26 May 2021 20:30:32 +0800
Prince Harry and Oprah reunite for mental health follow-up show
Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey are to revisit their documentary about mental health with a follow-up, Apple TV+ said on Wednesday, adding that the series had brought a 25per cent increase in new viewers to the streaming platform.

Thu, 27 May 2021 13:18:24 +0800
Pakistan opens COVID-19 vaccination drive to all adults
Pakistan on Wednesday opened up its coronarvirus vaccination campaign to everyone aged 19 or older as it scrambles to protect more of its 220 million people.

Wed, 26 May 2021 22:18:23 +0800
Xiaomi revenue surges 55% in Q1, fills market gap left by Huawei
SHANGHAI: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp reported first-quarter revenue growth of 55per cent on Wednesday (May 26), above analyst expectations, as it nabbed market share from one-time market leader Huawei Technologies. Revenue rose to 76.88 bi...

Wed, 26 May 2021 18:16:51 +0800
AstraZeneca, Nipro sign COVID-19 vaccine deal for supply in Japan
AstraZeneca Plc and Nipro Corp signed an agreement to supply the British-Swedish company's COVID-19 vaccine in Japan, Nipro said on Wednesday.

Wed, 26 May 2021 17:28:57 +0800
China's Shenzhen to tighten residency rules to curb population boom
BEIJING: China's tech hub of Shenzhen aims to make it harder for people from out-of-town to settle in a rare tightening of residency rules, as its population balloons and resources and services come under pressure. While the southern boomtown is far...

Wed, 26 May 2021 14:11:03 +0800
South Koreans no longer need masks outdoors if vaccinated against COVID-19
SEOUL: South Korea on Wednesday (May 26) said masks will no longer be required outdoors from July for those vaccinated with at least one COVID-19 shot. The move is a bid to encourage older residents to get vaccinated as South Korea aims to immunise ...

Wed, 26 May 2021 13:39:05 +0800
Families of 21 Chinese runners want answers over tragedy
BEIJING: Family members of 21 runners who died when freezing rain and strong winds interrupted a weekend mountain race in northwestern China have rejected offers of compensation and want to know how the tragedy could happen, local media reported on W...

Wed, 26 May 2021 00:30:37 +0800
Is bone-breaking surgery to grow taller worth the risk?
Limb-lengthening surgery for cosmetic reasons is in demand in India, but it does not always end well, the programme Undercover Asia finds out.



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