World / Asia

Australia changes National Anthem wording to reflect Indigenous history 01 Jan 2021 - 12:30 pm

SYDNEY - Australia amended its national anthem to remove reference to the country being "young and free" amid calls to recognise that its...

From the highways to the skies: Pakistan's famous truck art goes airborne 01 Jan 2021 - 12:23 pm

KARACHI, Pakistan - Pakistan's famous truck art will move from its highways to the skies, as a flying academy is painting a two-seater...

Coronavirus overshadows Japan's New Year's Day festivities 01 Jan 2021 - 12:21 pm

TOKYO - New Year's Day is the biggest holiday in Japan's calendar, but this year's festivities have been subdued following record highs in...

Singapore to block entry to visitors from South Africa 01 Jan 2021 - 12:17 pm

SINGAPORE - Singapore said on Friday it will stop allowing entry to visitors with a recent travel history to South Africa, citing reports...

Bangkok to close schools for two weeks as number of COVID-19 cases rise 01 Jan 2021 - 11:53 am

BANGKOK - The Thai capital of Bangkok will close all schools for two weeks after the New Year holiday as it tightens measures...

Delhi leads India clampdown on New Year events 31 Dec 2020 - 11:30 pm

New Delhi - New Delhi and other major cities across India on Thursday ordered curfews for New Year's Eve as they stepped up...

Pakistan to purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China's Sinopharm 31 Dec 2020 - 11:01 pm

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China's Sinopharm, a minister said on Thursday, the first official confirmation of...

China’s Xi lauds Covid-19 recovery in New Year’s eve speech 31 Dec 2020 - 07:51 pm

Chinese President Xi Jinping touted his government’s success in controlling Covid-19 in a New Year’s Eve address in which he sought to move...

North Korea holds New Year's Eve show despite COVID-19 restrictions 31 Dec 2020 - 07:08 pm

SEOUL - Crowds of partiers filled the main square in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Thursday night to watch a concert and...

Goodbye 2020 as Australia and New Zealand welcome 2021 31 Dec 2020 - 04:45 pm

Sydney: The world began ushering in the New Year Thursday, with pandemic controls muting celebrations for billions of people eager to bid farewell...

Singapore sees most local coronavirus cases in 3 months, more of new variant 31 Dec 2020 - 03:29 pm

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported five locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday, its highest number in nearly three months, and was seeking to verify two...

Philippine islands self-isolate after new COVID-19 variant found in Malaysia 31 Dec 2020 - 03:16 pm

MANILA: A province of islands in the southern Philippines will seal itself off for an initial two weeks from Monday to keep out...

China confirms first case of UK coronavirus variant 31 Dec 2020 - 12:28 pm

Shanghai: China has confirmed its first case of a new coronavirus variant that was recently detected in Britain, health officials said. The new...

Foreign and Filipino travellers advised to reconsider New Year travel plans to the Philippines 31 Dec 2020 - 12:16 pm

Doha: In its social media platform, the Philippine Embassy in Qatar has shared an announcement made by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)...

Record COVID cases in Tokyo, heavy snow curtail New Year celebrations in Japan 31 Dec 2020 - 11:50 am

TOKYO: New coronavirus infections in Tokyo hit a record high of more than 1,300 on Thursday raising fears of an explosion in cases,...

Australia's biggest city tightens COVID-19 curbs for New Year's Eve 30 Dec 2020 - 12:54 pm

SYDNEY: Authorities restricted movement and tightened curbs on gatherings in Australia's biggest city on Wednesday, hoping to avoid a coronavirus "super spreader" event...