World / Asia

Australia hits vaccine milestone as Melbourne cases hover near record levels 24 Sep 2021 - 01:40 pm

SYDNEY - More than half of Australia's adult population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, authorities said, as they step up...

Sinovac's COVID shot highly effective against serious illness- Malaysia study 24 Sep 2021 - 01:26 pm

KUALA LUMPUR - Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective against serious illness, although rival shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca showed better protection rates,...

Japan approaching end of COVID-19 emergency in most areas - health minister 24 Sep 2021 - 01:23 pm

TOKYO - Japan's COVID-19 infection situation is improving such that emergency conditions could soon be lifted in most parts of the country, the...

India's Shilpa Medicare to produce Cadila's COVID-19 shot 24 Sep 2021 - 12:54 pm

BENGALURU - Indian drugmaker Shilpa Medicare Limited said on Friday it had agreed to produce Cadila Healthcare Ltd's three-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The country's...

Thailand seeks to slash quarantine period for visitors 23 Sep 2021 - 12:15 pm

BANGKOK: Thailand's disease control committee has proposed a halving of a two-week hotel isolation requirement for vaccinated arrivals, amid delays in plans to...

New Zealand's Ardern says lockdowns can end with high vaccine uptake 23 Sep 2021 - 11:39 am

WELLINGTON: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday the country should aim for a 90%-plus rate of inoculation, and could drop...

S.Korea urges more testing over fear of holiday COVID-19 surge 23 Sep 2021 - 11:29 am

SEOUL: South Korean authorities warned people returning from a holiday to get tested even for the mildest COVID-19 type symptoms, especially before clocking...

Australia disputes French version of submarine letter 23 Sep 2021 - 11:15 am

Sydney: Australia denied on Thursday an assertion by France that Canberra had re-committed to a $60 billion contract to buy French submarines in...

Japan to double COVID-19 vaccine donations to other countries to 60 mln doses 22 Sep 2021 - 11:47 pm

TOKYO - Japan plans to give other countries 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday, doubling the...

S.Korea to donate 1 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam in October 22 Sep 2021 - 02:50 pm

SEOUL: South Korea said on Wednesday it would donate more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam next month in what...

Philippines' Duterte vows accountability for anyone who went 'beyond bounds' in drug war 22 Sep 2021 - 12:29 pm

UNITED NATIONS: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday that anyone found to have "acted beyond bounds" in his campaign against illegal drugs...

India to target children for COVID-19 vaccine from Oct: Sources 22 Sep 2021 - 12:11 pm

New Delhi: All Indian children aged 12 or older will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations from next month when drugmaker Cadila Healthcare launches...

COVID-19 sends northern Chinese city into semi-shutdown 22 Sep 2021 - 11:34 am

BEIJING: China's northeastern city of Harbin, population 10 million, went into semi-shutdown after reporting new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for the first time...

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes near Melbourne, tremors rattle southeast Australia 22 Sep 2021 - 11:02 am

SYDNEY/MELBOURNE: A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Melbourne on Wednesday, Geoscience Australia said, one of the country's biggest quakes on record, causing damage...

Melbourne quake rocks squawking falcon out of nest 22 Sep 2021 - 10:57 am

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake startled the residents of Melbourne on Wednesday morning - including one rare peregrine falcon shaken from a nest full...

Manila mayor declares Philippine presidential bid 22 Sep 2021 - 10:38 am

MANILA: Manila mayor, Francisco Domagoso, said on Wednesday he will run for the Philippine presidency in the 2022 election. Francisco Domagoso, 47, better...

Thailand to accelerate vaccinations, stimulus measures - PM 22 Sep 2021 - 10:27 am

Bangkok: Thailand will speed up vaccinations and introduce urgent stimulus measures to mitigate the impact of its most severe coronavirus outbreak, its prime...

Calls grow among experts in Singapore for a vaccine mandate as COVID-19 spikes 21 Sep 2021 - 11:29 am

SINGAPORE: Some health experts in Singapore are calling for mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus with a growing toll of severe COVID-19 among unvaccinated...