World / Asia

China reports fewer coronavirus cases but Omicron spread unclear 15 Jan 2022 - 03:33 pm

SHANGHAI:China reported fewer new confirmed coronavirus cases for Jan. 14 than a day earlier, but details on the spread of the highly contagious...

North Korea says it test launched missiles from train 15 Jan 2022 - 03:00 pm

Seoul, South Korea: North Korea on Saturday said it test launched ballistic missiles from a train in what was seen as an apparent...

Clap, don't chant: China aims for 'Zero Covid' Olympics 15 Jan 2022 - 11:07 am

Athletes will need to be vaccinated - or face a long quarantine - take tests daily and wear masks when not competing or...

Tonga issues tsunami warning after undersea volcano erupts 15 Jan 2022 - 10:55 am

Wellington, New Zealand: The Pacific nation of Tonga issued a tsunami warning Saturday after an undersea volcano erupted. Video posted to social media...

Philippines bans unvaccinated from public transport as infections spike 14 Jan 2022 - 03:37 pm

MANILA: The Philippines will push through with its plan next week to ban from public transportation people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19,...

S.Korea court exempts teens, supermarkets from vaccine passes 14 Jan 2022 - 03:32 pm

SEOUL: A South Korean court on Friday ruled that large shops and teenagers should be temporarily excluded from COVID-19 vaccine pass mandates in...

Bhutan reports first cases of Omicron coronavirus variant 14 Jan 2022 - 03:15 pm

KATHMANDU: Bhutan has reported its first 14 cases of Omicron coronavirus variant, a health official said on Friday, amid a surge of the...

Strong quake shakes Indonesia’s capital; no tsunami alert 14 Jan 2022 - 02:28 pm

JAKARTA, Indonesia: A powerful earthquake shook parts of Indonesia’s main island of Java on Friday, causing buildings in the capital to sway, but...

Hong Kong suspends transit flights from most of the world due to COVID-19 14 Jan 2022 - 01:47 pm

HONG KONG- Hong Kong will suspend for a month transit flights from around 150 countries and territories considered high risk because of the...

Shanghai cuts some tourism trips on COVID-19 cases again after brief resumption 14 Jan 2022 - 01:29 pm

BEIJING/SHANGHAI- The eastern Chinese financial hub of Shanghai suspended some tourism activities on Friday as part of its efforts to head off a...

Pakistan's central bank tells court cryptocurrency should be banned 13 Jan 2022 - 09:05 pm

KARACHI, Pakistan- Pakistan's central bank has recommended banning cryptocurrency, arguing in documents submitted in an ongoing court case that allowing it would cause...

India's big cities could see COVID-19 cases peak next week 13 Jan 2022 - 03:24 pm

NEW DELHI: New COVID-19 infections in Indian cities such as capital New Delhi and Mumbai could peak next week after rising rapidly, experts...

Tokyo's new COVID-19 cases jump to 4-month high, forecast to triple 13 Jan 2022 - 02:14 pm

TOKYO: Tokyo recorded a new four-month high in COVID-19 infections on Thursday, and experts forecast the spread of the Omicron variant will cause...

South Korea to deploy Pfizer COVID-19 pills as Omicron wave looms 13 Jan 2022 - 10:26 am

Seoul: South Korea will begin treating coronavirus patients with Pfizer's antiviral pills on Friday, health officials said, as concern mounts over the spread...

China faces omicron test weeks ahead of Beijing Olympics 13 Jan 2022 - 09:29 am

Taipei: Just weeks before hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics, China is battling multiple coronavirus outbreaks in half a dozen cities, with the one...

Tesla's Musk says 'working through challenges' with India government 13 Jan 2022 - 08:48 am

New Delhi: Tesla Inc is "still working through a lot of challenges with the government" in India, its billionaire chief executive Elon Musk...

India's Bharat Biotech says Covaxin booster shot neutralises Omicron 12 Jan 2022 - 03:59 pm

NEW DELHI: India's Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday a booster shot of its Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine administered six months after the last of...

Quebec to levy financial penalty on unvaccinated adults 12 Jan 2022 - 12:17 pm

Montreal: The premier of the French-speaking Canadian province ofQuebecannounced Tuesday that adult residents who refuse to get vaccinated against the coronavirus will be...