CDE News

India to restart COVID vaccine exports to COVAX, neighbours

India will resume exports of COVID-19 vaccines in the October quarter, prioritising the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX and neighbouring countries first as supplies rise, the health minister said on Monday.…

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Vietnam capital Hanoi to ease coronavirus curbs this week

Vietnam's capital Hanoi will further ease its coronavirus restrictions from this week, the government said, with new cases on the decline and the majority of its adult population partially vaccinated.…

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Cambodia bat researchers on mission to track origin of COVID-19

Researchers are collecting samples from bats in northern Cambodia in a bid to understand the coronavirus pandemic, returning to a region where a very similar virus was found in the…

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India administers lowest number of COVID-19 tests in a month

India conducted the lowest number of daily COVID-19 tests since mid-August on Sunday, but the health ministry urged local governments not to let their guard down during the September to…

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North Korea warns U.S. risks ‘dangerous nuclear arms race’ over Australia submarines

North Korea warned on Monday that the United States risked a dangerous nuclear arms race by providing submarine technology to Australia, criticising its "double standards" and vowing counter-measures. Last week,…

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Sinopharm’s COVID booster reverses antibody decline, enhances cell-based responses – study

A third shot of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine leads to a rebound in antibody levels that drop months after a second dose, a small-scale Chinese study showed. It also showed the…

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UPDATED: India reports 30,773 coronavirus cases

India on Sunday reported 30,773 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 33.4 million, as it seeks to reopen the country to overseas tourists. The…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Mumbai, India

A general view of huge traffic jam on the Western Express near Mumbai, India. Photo: EPA-EFE/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI

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COVID-hit Chinese city tells residents to stay home as holiday starts

BEIJING, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A city in southeast China hit by COVID-19 told residents on Saturday to stay home and closed various venues, as infections spread in the country's…

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Singapore primary schools to shift online as COVID-19 cases rise

(Reuters) -Singapore's primary schools will shift to home-based learning for 10 days ahead of a key national examination, the education ministry said on Saturday, as the country reported 935 new…

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Three killed in blasts in Afghan city of Jalalabad, sources say

(Reuters) - At least three people were killed and about 20 wounded in a series of blasts in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Saturday, two sources in the…

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Japan PM candidates differ on same-sex, women rights issues

TOKYO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Candidates to become Japan's next prime minister all said they would have better policies to fight the pandemic and reduce the income gap during television…

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U.S. says Kabul drone strike killed 10 civilians, including children, in ‘tragic mistake’

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A drone strike in Kabul last month killed as many as 10 civilians, including seven children, the U.S. military said on Friday, apologizing for what…

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Indonesia may reopen to tourists from some countries in October

Indonesia may allow foreign tourists to start returning to the popular resort island of Bali and other parts of the country by October after a sharp slide in COVID-19 cases,…

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Home learning and lockdown linked to eye problems in children

A new study from China adds weight to a growing body of research that links short sightedness in children to quarantines and lockdowns. Associated Press medical writer Lindsey Tanner reports…

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MEPs call for protection of vulnerable people in Afghanistan

The European Parliament has deplored the violent takeover of Afghanistan, calls for more humanitarian aid and a coordinated response to protect those most vulnerable. MEPs are appalled by reports of…

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Indian airlines fly high as August passenger traffic surges

Shares of Indian airlines InterGlobe Aviation and SpiceJet surged on Friday after regulatory data showed that passenger growth jumped 136.6% last month as the government started to ease COVID-related travel…

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China’s oil consumption seen peaking around 2026, Sinopec exec says

SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (Reuters) - China's oil consumption is likely to peak around 2026 at about 16 million barrels per day and that of natural gas by around 2040, according…

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IMF chief called out over pressure to favor China while at World Bank

World Bank leaders, including then-Chief Executive Kristalina Georgieva, applied "undue pressure" on staff to boost China's ranking in the bank's "Doing Business 2018" report, according to an independent investigation released…

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China enters Taiwan air defence zone a day after military budget boost

Taiwan's air force scrambled on Friday to warn away 10 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defence zone, Taiwan's defence ministry said, the day after the island announced a $9…

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Taiwan calls for quick start to trade talks with EU

TAIPEI, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan's government called on the European Union to quickly begin trade talks after the bloc pledged to seek a trade deal with the tech-heavyweight island,…

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China has completed vaccinating over 70% of its population against COVID-19 – data

BEIJING, Sept 16 (Reuters) - China has completed vaccinating over 70% of its 1.4 billion population against COVID-19 with full doses, data from health authorities showed on Thursday. A total…

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Hong Kong panel advises single dose of BioNTech COVID shot for teens

HONG KONG, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A panel of health experts advising the Hong Kong government has recommended children aged 12-17 should get only one dose of BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine…

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North Korea says it tested new railway-borne missile system to strike ‘threatening forces’

The missiles fired by North Korea on Wednesday were a test of a new "railway-borne missile system" designed as a potential counter-strike to any forces that threaten the country, state…

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UPDATED: China launches emergency response after quake kills at least three

China launched an emergency response on Thursday after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted the southwestern province of Sichuan killing at least three people, state media reported. Sichuan's earthquake relief headquarters activated…

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Billions blown as Macau casino investors fold amid gambling review

Shares of Macau casino operators plummeted as much as a third on Wednesday, losing about $18 billion in value, as the government kicked off a regulatory overhaul that could see…

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S.Korea successfully tests submarine-launched ballistic missile -Blue House

South Korea successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Wednesday, becoming the first country without nuclear weapons to develop such a system as it aims to better counter North…

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Chinese cities issue travel warnings after Fujian COVID-19

China's COVID-19 outbreak in Fujian province, which has reported 152 local cases in five days, has prompted cities in other parts of the country to issue travel warnings ahead of…

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Taiwan lands fighters on highway as annual drills reach peak

Taiwanese fighter jets landed on a makeshift runway on a highway strip on Wednesday overseen by President Tsai Ing-wen as annual drills reached their peak, skills that would be needed…

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UPDATED: N.Korea fired possible ballistic missile amid deadlocked nuclear talks

North Korea fired a pair of ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea's military said on Wednesday, ratcheting up tensions just days after testing a cruise missile with possible…

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EU says it has no option but to talk to Taliban

The European Union has no option but to talk to the Taliban in Afghanistan, the bloc's top diplomat said on Tuesday, adding that Brussels would seek to coordinate with EU governments to organise a…

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Taliban deny their deputy prime minister, Mullah Baradar, is dead

The Taliban have denied that one of their top leaders has been killed in a shootout with rivals, following rumours about internal splits in the movement nearly a month after its lightning…

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Chinese city imposes travel curbs, closes public venues in new COVID-19 outbreak

A city in China's southeastern province of Fujian has closed cinemas and gyms, sealed off some entries and exits to highways and told residents not to leave town as it battles a…

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Afghanistan blame game shifts to U.S. Congress as Blinken testifies

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will testify twice to Congress this week about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, as lawmakers kick off what could be a long series of high-intensity hearings…

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Afghans face ‘their most perilous hour’, warns U.N. boss

GENEVA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for donors to pledge hundreds of millions of dollars for Afghanistan, saying that poverty was spiralling and many…

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North Korea tests first ‘strategic’ cruise missile with possible nuclear capability

SEOUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - North Korea carried out successful tests of a new long-range cruise missile over the weekend, state media said on Monday, seen by analysts as possibly the country's first such weapon with a nuclear capability. The missiles are "a…

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