The United States is planning to host an in-person summit of President Joe Biden and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Washington in January, Asean sources have said. The summit would be the first face-to-face meeting of Biden and Asean leaders since he took office in January this year, as Washington is […]
Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to hear the verdict in her incitement trial on Tuesday, the first in a catalogue of judgements to be handed down in a junta court that could jail her for decades. The Nobel laureate has been detained since the generals ousted her government in the early […]
The top US diplomat for East Asia will visit Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand from the weekend after President Joe Biden pledged stepped up engagement with Southeast Asia, a key battleground in his contest for influence with China. Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, will be in the region from Saturday […]
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, at his first troop review Saturday, renewed his pledge to consider “all options,” including acquiring enemy base strike capability, and vowed to create a stronger Self-Defense Force to protect the country amid growing threats from China and North Korea. Kishida said the security situation around Japan is rapidly changing and […]
US Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and four other members of Congress traveled to Taiwan this week for a meeting with its president, in an unannounced visit held in defiance of the Chinese government. “When News broke of our visit to Taiwan, China’s embassy demanded we cancel the trip (we didn’t),” Mace wrote on Twitter about […]
A US lawmaker defied what she says was a stern demand from China that she abandon a trip to Taiwan, a move that risks escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. “When news of our trip broke yesterday, my office received a blunt message from the Chinese Embassy, telling me to call off the trip,” Elissa […]
Bipartisan lawmakers visited Taiwan on Thursday, a move that has angered the powers that be in China. Beijing considers the contested island part of its territory and did not sanction a meeting. Following the visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reminded the US “not to play the Taiwan card, because it’s a bad card, […]
Thailand said on Saturday it would ban the entry of people travelling from eight African countries it designated as high-risk for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Starting in December, travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, will be prohibited, senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong told a news conference. Thailand […]
Thailand is investigating whether Amnesty International has broken any laws, its prime minister said on Friday, after ultra-royalists called for the human rights group to be expelled for its support of activists facing prosecution. An ultra-royalist group sent a letter to the government on Thursday saying Amnesty’s campaigns to bring an end to criminal charges […]
A rare joint opinion article by the ambassadors of China and Russia has sharply assailed President Joe Biden’s plans for a virtual summit of democratic countries from which they were pointedly excluded. Calling the US plan “an evident product of its Cold-War mentality,” ambassadors Anatoly Antonov of Russia and Qin Gang of China said the […]
Several regions in China have extended maternity leave by at least 30 days, in the latest attempt to encourage child-rearing as the country faces a demographic crisis fuelled by a record-low birth rate. The changes follow the relaxation of strict family planning rules this year to allow families to have a third child as officials […]
In March this year, Tugendhat and Duncan-Smith were two of nine UK individuals and four organisations placed under sanctions by Beijing. In response, the Chinese Ambassador to London was banned from stepping foot in the Palace of Westminster. ‘Appalling violations’ Several countries, including the US, Canada and the Netherlands, have accused China of committing genocide […]
Covid vaccines reduce transmission of the dominant Delta variant by about 40 per cent, the WHO said Wednesday, warning that people were falling into a false sense of security concerning jabs. The World Health Organization’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said many vaccinated people were wrongly thinking the jab meant they no longer needed to take […]
Dr Anthony Fauci warned in an interview Wednesday that hospitalisations are increasing among fully vaccinated Americans who get breakthrough cases of COVID-19, but he stressed that unvaccinated people are still by far the most vulnerable to the disease. “What we’re starting to see now is an uptick in hospitalisations among people who’ve been vaccinated but […]
Three doctors from Canada, Hungary and United States have been honoured with the Prince Mahidol Award for their work on Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. This year’s Prince Mahidol Award in the field of medicine was awarded to Associate Professor Katalin Kariko, PhD, from Hungary and the US, Professor Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, from the US, and […]
Covid vaccines reduce transmission of the dominant Delta variant by about 40 per cent, the WHO said Wednesday, warning that people were falling into a false sense of security concerning jabs. The World Health Organization’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said many vaccinated people were wrongly thinking the jab meant they no longer needed to take […]
Dr Anthony Fauci warned in an interview Wednesday that hospitalisations are increasing among fully vaccinated Americans who get breakthrough cases of COVID-19, but he stressed that unvaccinated people are still by far the most vulnerable to the disease. “What we’re starting to see now is an uptick in hospitalisations among people who’ve been vaccinated but […]
AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine made a small contribution to earnings in the third quarter and it expects the shot to move to “modest profitability” on new orders after the drugmaker on Friday posted $1.05 billion in vaccine sales for the period. The Anglo-Swedish company, which has said will not make a profit from the cheap […]
SYDNEY, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Pragma announced that Michael Brevetta has joined the cybersecurity consultancy as its Head of Compliance, Conduct, and Regulatory Risk effective from 1st November 2021. Pragma…
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan, Nov. 30. 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A number of important initiatives were proposed by the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev at the plenary session of…
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Alliance of Leaders for Nuclear Security and Nuclear-Weapons-Free World (GAL) was held on the platform of the VI me…
Soldiers and police from Australia and Papua New Guinea were helping to restore calm in the Solomon Islands as clean-up operations started, after several days of rioting left three dead and led to dozens of arrests, local media reported. The Solomon Star newspaper said Australian soldiers and police and troops from Papua New Guinea had […]
Australia’s banking regulator published on Monday a final set of rules asking banks to hold more capital against investor and interest-only home loans but less for business loans, in a move expected to affect loan pricing. Following four years of consultation, the new Basel III-aligned set of standards change the models used by banks to […]
Australia’s economy likely contracted in the third quarter as fresh lockdowns weighed on consumer spending and investments, but the extent of the fall was milder than the historic recession recorded last year, a Reuters poll showed. Despite Australia’s success last year in containing the COVID-19 virus, fresh flare ups and the stay-at-home rule imposed this […]
Taiwan’s air force scrambled again on Sunday to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defence zone, Taiwan’s defence ministry said, the latest increase in tensions across the Taiwan Strait as China’s president met his top generals. Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force […]
The foreign ministers of India, Russia and China expressed concern on Friday at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the spread of drug trafficking in the country. Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis by the abrupt end of billions of dollars in foreign assistance, following the collapse of the Western-backed government and return to […]
Profits at China’s industrial firms grew at a faster pace in October, the statistics bureau said on Saturday, providing a buffer for a faltering economy battered by soaring raw material prices. Profits in October rose 24.6 percent from a year earlier to 818.7 billion yuan ($128.1 billion), the official data showed, quickening from a 16.3 […]
Malaysia is currently focusing on neighbouring countries before expanding the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) to other countries, said Foreign minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. (pix) Therefore, for now, the government is working to launch the VTL with neighbours Singapore and Indonesia, with the launch of VTL with Singapore to be held on November 29, he said. […]
A total of 2,615,923 individuals or 83.1 per cent of the adolescent population in the country have completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday. Based on the health ministry’s CovidNow portal, 2,766,649 individuals or 87.9 per cent of the adolescents in Malaysia have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. For the adult […]
The Malaysian government has expressed concerns over the increasing migration of Bangladeshi workers to the country, reported The Free Malaysia Today. According to Human Resources minister M Saravanan, Malaysia might turn into a ‘dumping ground’ if the influx of Bangladeshi citizens remained unchecked. The development came at the backdrop of the request by the Bangladeshi […]
Indonesia has been proposed as the second country for the implementation of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Malaysia after Singapore which takes effect this Monday, Foreign minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said. He said the VTL, if implemented, would initially involve two locations in Indonesia, namely Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur-Bali before being followed by […]
State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) minister Erick Thohir has urged SOEs, universities, and the common people to work together to help face the challenges of the current global economy. “All of us, state-owned enterprises, universities, the Indonesian people, must think in (terms of) mutual cooperation, work together to build a foundation, find solutions to the global challenges […]
Indonesia has been proposed as the second country for the implementation of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Malaysia after Singapore which takes effect this Monday (November 29), says Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pic). The Foreign minister said the VTL, if implemented, would initially involve two locations in Indonesia, namely Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur-Bali, before […]
The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (26 November) confirmed 1,090 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore bringing the country’s total case count to 259,875 as well as three deaths due to the disease. Friday marks the lowest number of daily infections since 20 September, when there were 917 new cases. It is also the second […]
BlackRock Inc is offering to reimburse some employees in Hong Kong and Singapore as much as $2,000 to help defray costs of hotel quarantine stays of as long as three weeks. The reimbursement is available to permanent employees in the two hubs, who are vice presidents and below and have more than 12 months of […]
Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, another Malaysian in death row in Singapore for a drug offence, failed in his appeal on Friday (November 26) to start a court challenge against his death sentence. Pannir was initially scheduled to be executed on May 24, 2019, but found a last minute reprieve when the Singapore Court of Appeal granted […]
Deputy National Police Chief Police general Damrongsak Kittiprapas said a motion to amend the Land Traffic Act and related laws is being reviewed by a Senate committee, as the Royal Thai Police is looking to better curb street racing. A street race that involves 5 or more vehicles is in violation of the current Land […]
Thailand has received more than 100,000 international visitors after exempting quarantine for fully-vaccinated visitors this month, with the monthly arrivals equaling the combined number of the first 10 months of the year, an official said Friday. To attract tourist arrivals, the country will further ease entry requirements for fully-vaccinated international travellers on December 1 by […]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the lack of invitation for Thailand to attend the Summit for Democracy hosted by the United States will not affect the country, stressing that the Kingdom will remain committed to democratic values and human rights. In a brief statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Spokesman Tanee Sangrat said Thailand is […]
The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday recorded 899 new COVID-19 infections, making it the fourth consecutive day when less than 1,000 cases were reported. The DOH said active infections stood at 17,052. Of these cases, 49 percent are mild, 6.9 percent are asymptomatic, 22.77 percent are moderate, 15 percent are severe, and 6.3 percent […]
The Philippines has imposed new restrictions and is considering expanding its travel ban to include new countries, officials said on Saturday, amid concerns over the emergence of the new omicron COVID-19 strain. The new variant was reported to the World Heath Organisation from South Africa earlier this week. It has already been detected in Botswana, […]
The spectre of the nation’s political dynasties is haunting the Philippines’ May 2022 national elections. Three of the country’s most powerful and authoritarian political dynasties the Marcoses, Arroyos and Dutertes have entered into an unholy alliance with the hope of consolidating power in 2022 and beyond. The “dynasty triad” has its sights set on key […]
Japan, the world’s third-biggest economy, will close its borders to all foreigners, while Australia’s plans to re-open to skilled migrants were also in doubt as nations scrambled on Monday to rein in the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Markets regained some composure as investors await more details of the variant following a […]
Japan said on Monday it would bar entry to foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, joining Israel in the strictest border measures yet since the variant’s discovery. “In order to avoid a worst-case scenario and as an emergency precautionary measure, Japan will first of all ban the entry of foreigners […]
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, at his first troop review Saturday, renewed his pledge to consider “all options,” including acquiring enemy base strike capability, and vowed to create a stronger Self-Defense Force to protect the country amid growing threats from China and North Korea. Kishida said the security situation around Japan is rapidly changing and […]
Some South Koreans are so stressed, they’re forking out cash to visit indoor spaces where they can space out and do nothing. The burgeoning trend was reported by The Washington Post’s Michelle Lee, who looked into spaces in Seoul that people are paying to go to zone out. Instead of venturing out into the great […]
South Korea to get the world’s first floating city by 2025! As per the reports, it will be built off the coast of South Korea, and work on it will likely be completed as early as 2025. Reports have it that the project has been backed by the United Nations, and the city will be […]
Last Tuesday, South Korea recorded 4,116 new COVID-19 cases, the greatest number for a 24-hour period since the pandemic began almost two years ago. The new high surpassed the previous record set the previous Thursday of 3,292. Another 3,937 new cases were registered on November 25. The explosion in infections is the direct result of […]
Hong Kong’s government on Friday said it would ban non-Hong Kong residents arriving from eight southern African states from entering the territory if they had stayed in those countries within the past 21 days. The measure, effective from Saturday, affects people arriving from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the government said in […]
Authorities in Hong Kong blamed a South African traveller who was allegedly wearing a “selfish” mask with a valve for bringing the new variant of coronavirus to the city. Health officials had earlier confirmed cross-infection between two guests on the same floor of the Regal Airport Hotel in Hong Kong after they both tested positive […]
Companies including JPMorgan Chase & Co. are stepping up to compensate employees ensnared by Hong Kong’s strict quarantine regime as businesses in the city struggle to retain and recruit staff almost two years into the pandemic. As most of the rest of the world is opening up, including rival financial hubs such as Singapore, London […]
Taiwan’s air force scrambled again on Sunday to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defence zone, Taiwan’s defence ministry said, the latest increase in tensions across the Taiwan Strait as China’s president met his top generals. Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force […]
A murder suspect who fled to China from Taiwan is now trapped in a hotel quarantine due to COVID-19 protocols, setting himself up for easy capture by authorities. The suspect, surnamed Huang, allegedly shot a 45-year-old man to death early on Monday in New Taipei City, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA), per Focus […]
Taiwan’s economy stayed in strong growth mode for the ninth consecutive month in October on the back of reviving domestic demand and an increase in sales in the retail and manufacturing sectors, according to the National Development Council (NDC). Data compiled by the NDC showed the composite index of monitoring indicators, which reflects the existing […]
Vietnam was the third largest provider of seafood products to the Republic of Korea (RoK) in the opening 10 months of the year, according to the Korean Customs Service. The country exported a total of 124,300 tonnes of aquatic products worth $625.2 million throughout the reviewed period, a drop of 0.8 percent in volume and […]
Due to the heavy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on enterprises and workers in the tourism industry, the average tourism wages in Vietnam have fallen by nearly 18%, with the decline for women employees even higher at almost 23%. According to the latest report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the dire consequences of the […]
Only 1 percent of American businesses plan to withdraw from Vietnam, according to the latest survey of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam). Meanwhile, 29 percent said they were planning expansion and 49 percent said they would stay and increase investment, AmCham Vietnam’s “Prospects for Reopening, Recovery, and Rebound” survey showed. Besides, […]
