World / Asia

China urges local govts to minimize impact from COVID-19 curbs over Lunar New Year 16 Jan 2022 - 10:42 am

BEIJING: China's state planner on Sunday urged local governments to minimise the impact from COVID-19 restrictions over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday...

Philippines to acquire 32 new Black Hawk helicopters 16 Jan 2022 - 10:32 am

Manila: The Philippines is buying 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters from Poland-based Sikorsky Aircraft subsidiary PZL Mielec to beef up its existing fleet...

Australia's daily COVID-19 infections dip below 100,000 16 Jan 2022 - 10:06 am

SYDNEY: Australia's daily coronavirus infections on Sunday fell below 100,000 for the first time in five days, amid expectations that the Omicron wave...

kazakhstan raises death toll to 225 in days of protests 15 Jan 2022 - 11:00 pm

A top law-enforcement official in kazakhstan said Saturday that 225 people died during the violent demonstrations that shook the country this month, a...

Russia announces withdrawal of troops from kazakhstan 15 Jan 2022 - 04:41 pm

Doha: The Russian Defense Ministry announced today that the Russian peacekeeping forces, operating within the forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),...

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...