World News

Australia’s top exporting state calls for reset in China ties

Australia's biggest exporting state on Tuesday urged Canberra to stop antagonising China, the country's top trade partner, in remarks that came amid escalating criticism of Beijing led by the United States, Australia's…

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Health experts say India missed early alarm, let deadly coronavirus variant spread

A veteran public health expert warned top Indian officials in early March that a new variant of the coronavirus was spreading quickly in a rural district in the heart of the country and…

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Virus outbreaks at Thai factories threaten export sector, recovery

A series of coronavirus outbreaks in Thai factories is raising concerns that the export sector could be hit hard, threatening to further undermine an economy as it struggles to recover…

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Vietnam business hub to extend social distancing curbs for 15 days

Vietnam's business hub of Ho Chi Minh City will extend social distancing measures for a further 15 days starting from Tuesday, amid the emergence of new COVID-19 clusters, authorities said.…

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South Korea eases COVID-19 restrictions on concerts, sports games

South Korea began easing restrictions on large concerts and sports events on Monday after announcing last week it would loosen a series of coronavirus curbs as the country pushes ahead…

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China denounces G7 statement, urges group to stop slandering country

China denounced on Monday a joint statement by the Group of Seven leaders that had scolded Beijing over a range of issues as a gross interference in the country's internal…

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UPDATED: India reports lowest cases since March, eases coronavirus rules

Many Indian states eased coronavirus restrictions on Monday including the capital Delhi, where authorities allowed all shops and malls to open, as the number of new infections dropped to the…

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Suu Kyi’s trial set to start in Myanmar

The trial of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was set to start on Monday, as the junta that overthrew her elected government rejected criticism by the U.N. High…

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Virus disaster leaves deep scars on India’s economy

Expectations for India’s economic growth are being revised sharply lower as a surge in people losing their jobs and defaulting on debt suggest a more halting recovery from the financial…

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China cautions G7: ‘small’ groups don’t rule the world

China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven leaders that the days when "small" groups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone, hitting back at the…

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UPDATED: Gas pipe explosion kills 12 in central Chinese city

A gas pipe explosion in a residential community in a central Chinese city killed 12 people and injured 138, state media CCTV reported Sunday. One hundred-fifty people were evacuated following…

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China’s cryptocurrency-mining crackdown spreads to Yunnan in southwest – media

China's crackdown on cryptocurrencies has spread to the country's southwest with a campaign against misuse of electricity by bitcoin miners in Yunnan province, local media reported on Saturday. In addition…

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India cuts taxes on medicines and equipment to treat COVID-19

India on Saturday cut taxes on medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and drugs used to treat COVID-19 infections, after widespread criticism over healthcare costs during a devastating second wave of the virus in April and May. The…

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Toyota aims to make its factories carbon neutral by 2035

Toyota Motor Corp will aim to make all its global factories carbon neutral by 2035, a senior executive said on Friday, pulling forward the goal by 15 years from 2050.…

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India records 91,702 new COVID-19 cases over past 24 hours

India on Friday reported 91,702 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, and 3,403 daily deaths from the coronavirus. The South Asian country's total COVID-19 case load now stands…

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Singapore to ease COVID-19 restrictions from next week

Singapore will start a phased easing of its COVID-19 restrictions from Monday its health ministry said, after domestic transmission of the virus slowed and the number of new cases declined.…

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Singapore finds Delta most prevalent among virus variants locally

Singapore has found the Delta variant of the coronavirus to be the most prevalent among local cases of variants of concern (VOCs), according to health ministry data, highlighting its level…

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Alibaba to develop self-driving trucks with logistics unit Cainiao

Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group Holding Ltd plans to develop self-driving trucks with logistics subsidiary Cainiao, Chief Technology Officer Cheng Li said on Thursday. Cheng also said Cainiao aims to…

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Ex-Mongolian prime minister Khurelsukh wins presidential election in landslide

Former Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh became the country's sixth democratically elected president, further consolidating the power of the ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) with a landslide victory. Khurelsukh, who…

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Myanmar authorities open new corruption cases against Suu Kyi

New corruption cases have been opened against Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other former officials from her government, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said on…

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India records world’s highest daily COVID-19 deaths

India reported on Thursday the highest single-day death toll from COVID-19 in the world, at 6,148, after a big eastern state revised its figures to account for people who succumbed…

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China arrests over 1,100 suspects in crackdown on crypto-related money laundering

Police in China arrested over 1,100 people suspected of using cryptocurrencies to launder illegal proceeds from telephone and Internet scams in a recent crackdown, the Ministry of Public Security said.…

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UPDATED: Military plane crashes near Myanmar’s Mandalay, killing 12

A military plane crashed on Thursday near Myanmar's second-biggest city of Mandalay, killing 12 people, the city's fire service said in a post on social media. The plane was flying…

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Leading crypto exchanges scout entry into India despite potential ban

Global digital currency exchanges are exploring ways to set up in India, following in the footsteps of market leader Binance, industry sources told Reuters, while the government in New Delhi…

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Thailand targets 3 million foreign tourists this year under phased reopening

Tourism-reliant Thailand expects about three million foreign tourist arrivals this year, tied to a phased reopening to vaccinated visitors later this year, the state tourism agency said on Wednesday. The…

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Myanmar junta defends response to crisis amid Southeast Asian criticism

The Myanmar junta's foreign minister had defended its plan for restoring democracy, state media reported on Tuesday, after a meeting at which Southeast Asian counterparts pressed the army to implement a regional…

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China’s Guangdong steps up COVID-19 testing as infections mount

China's southern Guangdong province, spooked by a rise in novel coronavirus infections since May, stepped up mass testing this week in a handful of cities, including those that have yet to report…

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WHO official says can’t force China to give more information on COVID-19 origins

A top World Health Organization official said on Monday that the WHO cannot compel China to divulge more data on COVID-19's origins, while adding it will propose studies needed to take understanding of where the virus emerged to the "next…

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Thailand starts long awaited COVID-19 vaccination drive

Thailand kicked off a long-awaited mass vaccination campaign on Monday as the country battles its third and worst wave of the coronavirus epidemic. The government aims to administer 6 million…

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UPDATED: Pakistani train collision leaves 41 dead, more than 100 wounded

At least 41 people are dead and more than 100 wounded after two trains collided in southern Pakistan on Monday, the state-owned railway said. Rescue teams shifted the injured to…

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New law in North Korea makes smuggling of foreign news or films punishable by death

North Korea has recently introduced a sweeping new law which seeks to stamp out any kind of foreign influence - harshly punishing anyone caught with foreign films, clothing or even…

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India re-opens major cities as new COVID-19 infections hit 2-mth low

Key Indian cities re-opened for business on Monday, with long queues for buses in the financial hub of Mumbai while traffic returned to the roads of New Delhi after a…

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Japan investigates subway death of Olympic official

Tokyo police said they are investigating a deadly incident on the city's subway, which media reports said involved a senior official at the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). Private broadcaster Nippon…

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China blocks several cryptocurrency-related social media accounts amid crackdown

A slew of crypto-related accounts in China's Twitter-like Weibo platform were blocked over the weekend, as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining. More actions are expected,…

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At least 11 people killed by a landmine in northern Afghanistan

At least 11 civilians, including children, were killed when their vehicle set off a landmine in northern Afghanistan, local government officials said on Sunday, accusing Taliban insurgents for planting the…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Metro Manila, Philippines

A cyclist traversing along the Welcome Rotonda roundabout in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. EPA-EFE/MARK R. CRISTINO

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Number of babies born in Japan falls to record low

The number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low last year, the health ministry said, as more couples put off marriage and starting a family amid a…

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UPDATED: Indian states begin easing COVID lockdowns as case numbers decline

Some of India's states are easing lockdown restrictions as coronavirus infections subside, with the world's second most-populous nation on Saturday logging its lowest daily case count in nearly two months.…

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Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine gains China approval for emergency use in children, adolescents

China has approved emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine in people aged between three and 17, its chairman Yin Weidong told state TV late on Friday. China's mass vaccination…

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More cyclones than usual forecast for east Asia by September

Half of the roughly 20 tropical cyclones expected to form in the western Pacific Ocean through September this year are predicted to hit land in east Asian nations, forecasters said…

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Photo Story – Protest against Japan’s radioactive water discharge, in Seoul

A member of the Green Korea united group takes part in a protest against the release of radioactive water into the ocean from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, outside the…

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Photo Story – Pillar of Shame cleaning at HKU

Students take part in the annual cleaning of ‘The Pillar of Shame', an art piece dedicated to the victims of the 1989 Beijing Tiananmen Square Massacre, at Hong Kong University…

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Malaysia warns of rising number of COVID-19 deaths, cases among children

Malaysian health authorities have raised concerns about a growing number of coronavirus deaths and serious cases involving children, after a surge in overall infections forced the Southeast Asian nation into…

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Hong Kong cracks down on Tiananmen commemorations, arrests vigil organiser

Hong Kong police arrested on Friday an organiser of annual vigils for the victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, in what activists see as a suppression of…

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Hong Kong parking space at luxury development sells for $1.3 million

A parking space at an ultra-luxury residential development in Hong Kong has sold for a record-breaking HK$10.2 million ($1.3 million), local media reported on Thursday. In a tender last month,…

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UPDATED: Hong Kong authorises COVID-19 vaccine for over 12-year-olds

Hong Kong will open its COVID-19 vaccine scheme to children aged 12 and above for the first time, the government said on Thursday, as it pursues a broader campaign across…

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So far, low risk of human spread of H10N3 bird flu in China

A 41-year-old man in China's eastern province of Jiangsu has been confirmed as the first human case of infection with a rare strain of bird flu known as H10N3, Beijing's…

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Adviser frets about Japan Olympics, volunteers reported quitting

Japan's most senior medical adviser said on Wednesday that hosting the Olympics during a pandemic was "not normal" while media reported thousands of volunteers quitting in advance. Most Japanese oppose…

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Malaysia angry over ‘suspicious’ Chinese air force activity

The foreign ministry of Malaysia said it would summon China's envoy to explain an "intrusion" by 16 air force planes into its airspace, after the Southeast Asian country's military detected…

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Vietnam resumes incoming international flights to largest cities

Vietnam will resume incoming international flights to its capital Hanoi and business hub Ho Chi Minh City effective immediately, after a few days of suspension due to COVID-19, its aviation…

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Disaster feared as chemical cargo ship sinks off Sri Lanka

A cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals is sinking off Sri Lanka's west coast, the country's government and navy said on Wednesday, in one of Sri Lanka's worst-ever marine disasters.…

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UPDATED: UK gets green light to start talks on joining Pacific trade deal

Member nations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Wednesday agreed to allow Britain to start the process of joining the pact, Japan's economy minister said.…

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WHO approves Sinovac COVID shot in second Chinese milestone

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has approved a COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech for emergency use listing, paving the way for a second Chinese shot to be…

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UPDATED: China’s Guangdong tightens coronavirus measures as cases persist

Cities in China's most populous province of Guangdong have locked down compounds and streets and required negative COVID-19 test results for some travellers as local health officials sought to control…

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Photo Story – First day of trial against 47 pro-democracy figures

A supporter holds a poster of pro-democracy figures on trial while queuing up at the West Kowloon Law Courts Buildings in Hong Kong, China, 31 May 2021. 47 pro-democracy figures…

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N.Korea’s ruling party sets up new post under leader Kim

North Korea's ruling party has amended its rules to create a de facto second-in-command under leader Kim Jong Un as he looks to revamp domestic politics, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said…

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Going carbon-neutral is a business opportunity, says Korean minister

The path to carbon neutrality should be seen as creating opportunities rather than threatening business, a South Korean minister told a climate forum on Monday, as he called for a change in…

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