World / Asia

Vietnam's first batch of COVID-19 vaccine arrives from South Korea 24 Feb 2021 - 10:52 am

HANOI: Vietnam received the first batch of 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday ahead of the planned rollout of the...

India says virus variants not behind upsurge in cases 23 Feb 2021 - 08:09 pm

NEW DELHI - India said on Tuesday mutated versions of coronavirus were not responsible for an upsurge in cases in two states, a...

Nepal's Supreme Court orders reinstatement of Parliament 23 Feb 2021 - 05:53 pm

KATHMANDU, Nepal: Nepal’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Parliament after it was dissolved by the prime minister, in a ruling...

Philippines offers nurses in exchange for vaccines from Britain, Germany 23 Feb 2021 - 04:38 pm

MANILA: The Philippines will let thousands of its healthcare workers, mostly nurses, take up jobs in Britain and Germany if the two countries...

Indian climate activist granted bail in sedition case over farm protests 23 Feb 2021 - 02:50 pm

NEW DELHI: A New Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested for sedition over the...

Vietnam details priorities for first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations 23 Feb 2021 - 01:14 pm

HANOI: Vietnam's government said on Tuesday health workers, diplomats and military personnel would be among the first to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when...

Thailand to start first coronavirus vaccinations this week 23 Feb 2021 - 12:51 pm

BANGKOK: Thailand will start vaccinating priority groups including health workers against COVID-19 by the end of this week, its prime minister said on...

Dozens of whales stranded off New Zealand's South Island 23 Feb 2021 - 12:25 pm

WELLINGTON: More than a dozen pilot whales have died and many others remain stranded near a narrow sand spit at the northern tip...

New Zealand coronavirus cluster grows with three new cases 23 Feb 2021 - 11:34 am

WELLINGTON: New Zealand reported three new locally transmitted cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, as the cluster in its biggest city of Auckland expanded...

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine gets nod in S.Korea from first of three expert panels 23 Feb 2021 - 11:07 am

SEOUL: The first of three expert panels in South Korea reviewing a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech gave its recommendation...

On his birthday, Japanese Emperor hopes for bright future amid pandemic 23 Feb 2021 - 10:40 am

TOKYO: Emperor Naruhito said he was anticipating a "bright future" as Japan began its coronavirus inoculation programme, during an address to mark his...

Indian vaccine makers say can quickly adapt to tackle variants 22 Feb 2021 - 07:49 pm

NEW DELHI - Indian pharmaceutical companies Bharat Biotech and Biological E. Ltd said on Monday they could quickly rework their COVID-19 vaccine products...

Japan renews claim on South Korea-held island 22 Feb 2021 - 03:44 pm

TOKYO: Japan renewed its claim on a contested island in the Sea of Japan held by South Korea at an annual event Monday,...

India to clear 45 investments from China, likely to include Great Wall, SAIC-sources 22 Feb 2021 - 01:27 pm

New Delhi: India is set to clear 45 investment proposals from China, which are likely to include those from Great Wall Motor and...

Indonesia president warns of forest fires as hot spots detected 22 Feb 2021 - 12:00 pm

Jakarta: Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday local authorities should get prepared for potential forest fires later this year as hot spots...

Hong Kong leader gets China's Sinovac vaccine to bolster public confidence 22 Feb 2021 - 11:16 am

Hong Kong: Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam received China's Sinovac vaccine on Monday together with top officials at a live televised event to...

Philippines approves Sinovac vaccine but not for all health workers 22 Feb 2021 - 10:27 am

MANILA: The Philippines has approved Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, but will not give it to healthcare workers at risk of...

India's Maharashtra state imposes new COVID-19 lockdowns in some areas 21 Feb 2021 - 09:25 pm

MUMBAI - India's western Maharashtra state, home to the country's financial hub Mumbai, said on Sunday it would impose new coronavirus-related restrictions in...