World News

China reports first ever human case of H10N3 bird flu

China's National Health Commission said on Tuesday that it had confirmed one case of human infection with the H10N3 strain of bird flu in Jiangsu province. The case, detected in a male aged…

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Myanmar carries out air strikes after militia attacks – witnesses

Myanmar's military used artillery and helicopters on Monday against anti-junta militias in the country's east, witnesses and rebels said, forcing residents to flee and join thousands of others displaced by…

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U.S. tyre maker Goodyear faces allegations of labour abuse in Malaysia

American tire manufacturer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co is facing accusations of unpaid wages, unlawful overtime and threats to foreign workers at its Malaysian factory, according to court documents and…

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WTO accepts Malaysia’s request to examine EU palm oil rules

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreed to a request from Kuala Lumpur to establish a panel examining a European Union law that restricts the use of palm oil-based biofuels, Malaysia's…

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Intel reiterates chip supply shortages could last several years

Intel Corp's CEO said on Monday it could take several years for a global shortage of semiconductors to be resolved, a problem that has shuttered some auto production lines and…

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Singapore PM says can relax social curbs if local virus situation improves

Singapore should be able to relax recently imposed restrictions on social gatherings after two weeks if the local COVID-19 situation continues to improve, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on…

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Southeast Asia’s coronavirus surge prompts shutdowns and alarm

A sharp rise in coronavirus cases from new variants in parts of Southeast Asia that had been less affected by the pandemic has prompted new restrictions, factory closures and attempts…

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UPDATED: Vietnam to suspend incoming international flights to Hanoi

Vietnam will suspend incoming international flights to its capital Hanoi from Tuesday as part of the country's effort to contain a coronavirus outbreak, the government said. Monday's announcement made no…

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South Korea reports first case of blood clots linked to AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot

outh Korea on Monday reported its first case of rare blood clotting linked to AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine. The patient is a man in his 30s who got the shot on…

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UPDATED: In major policy shift China announces three-child policy

China said on Monday that married couples may have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two after recent data showed a dramatic decline…

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Malaysia to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations as new infections surge

Malaysia is planning to set up more mega vaccination centres and get private doctors to join immunisation efforts, after five consecutive days of record daily coronavirus infections. Science Minister Khairy…

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Vietnam business hub Ho Chi Minh City to enact social distancing

Vietnam's business hub Ho Chi Minh City will begin social distancing measures for 15 days starting from May 31 in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the country's…

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Hong Kong bans Tiananmen vigil for second year running, citing coronavirus

Hong Kong police cited coronavirus restrictions to ban for a second year running an annual vigil to commemorate the Chinese Communist government's bloody crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing's…

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Philippines lifts ban on workers deploying to Saudi Arabia

The Philippines announced that the country's workers could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the kingdom said they would not be charged for…

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UPDATE – Hybrid of Indian and UK COVID-19 variants detected in Vietnam

Update - Authorities in Vietnam have detected a new coronavirus variant that is a combination of the Indian and UK COVID-19 variants and spreads quickly by air, the health minister…

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Philippine reports highest daily COVID-19 cases in 4 weeks

The Philippines reported 8,748 new coronavirus infections on Friday, its highest single-day increase this month. Its health ministry said areas outside the capital region, the epicentre, have seen a rise…

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India posts lowest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in over a month, data suggests official tally of fatalities is too low

India reported on Friday 186,364 new coronavirus infections during the previous 24 hours, for its lowest daily rise since April 14, while deaths rose by 3,660. The South Asian nation's…

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What is known so far about the origins of COVID-19

Scientists are revisiting a central mystery of COVID-19: Where, when and how did the virus that causes the disease originate? The two prevailing competing theories are that the virus jumped…

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South Asia crosses 30 million COVID-19 cases

Coronavirus infections in the South Asia region surpassed 30 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally of official data, led by India which is struggling with a second COVID-19…

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Canada probes forced labour claims in Malaysian palm oil, glove-making industries

Canada is investigating allegations of forced labour in Malaysia's palm oil and glove manufacturing industries, the government said on Friday. Malaysian firms, which includes some of the world's biggest palm…

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Japanese cargo ship collides with foreign vessel, three missing

A Japanese cargo ship collided with a foreign-registered vessel in the Seto Inland Sea off the island of Shikoku in western Japan late on Thursday, national broadcaster NHK reported on…

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China’s April net gold imports via Hong Kong near 3-year peak

China's net gold imports via Hong Kong jumped in April from the previous month to the highest since June 2018, as demand from the world's top bullion consumer staged a…

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China rejects new US investigation into origin of coronavirus

China rejected US President Joe Biden's order for a new investigation by US intelligence agencies into the origins of the coronavirus, accusing the US of trying to politicize the search.…

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India scraps local trials for COVID shots to fast-track imports as it battles second wave

India on Thursday scrapped local trials for "well-established" foreign coronavirus vaccines to fast-track imports as it battles a devastating second wave of the pandemic that has killed tens of thousands…

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Twitter says concerned about India staff safety

Twitter Inc said on Thursday it was worried about the safety of its staff in India, days after police visited its office as part of a probe related to the…

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Reports Hyundai to slash combustion engine line-up, invest in EVs

Hyundai Motor Group will slash the number of combustion engine models in its line-up to free up resources to invest in electric vehicles (EVs), two people close to the South…

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Indonesia resumes use of temporarily suspended batch of AstraZeneca vaccines

Indonesia has resumed usage of a temporarily suspended batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, the country's food and drug agency (BPOM) said Thursday. The agency suspended use of one batch of…

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Sinopharm’s two COVID-19 shots effective, study says

Two COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinopharm showed more than 70% efficacy against symptomatic cases, but it remains unclear how much protection they provide against severe or asymptomatic cases, according to…

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UPDATED: Biden orders investigation into COVID-19 origins, China says U.S. politicising issue hampers investigations

U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered the US intelligence community to ‘redouble’ its efforts studying the origins of coronavirus, adding that it will continue to press for China to participate…

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China’s Shenzhen to tighten residency rules to curb population boom

China's tech hub of Shenzhen aims to make it harder for people from out-of-town to settle in a rare tightening of residency rules, as its population balloons and resources and…

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Japan’s service prices creep up as freight costs pinch firms

Japan's corporate service prices rose for the second straight month in April due to a rebound in advertising and freight fees, data showed on Wednesday, a sign the economy was…

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Taiwan says China blocked deal with BioNTech for COVID-19 shots

Taiwan directly accused China for the first time on Wednesday of blocking a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE for COVID-19 vaccines, in an escalating war of words after Beijing offered…

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Powerful cyclone Yaas destroys homes in India, forces airport closure

A powerful cyclone destroyed tens of thousands of mud houses in eastern India on Wednesday, forcing the closure of the busiest regional airport in Kolkata, as it brought storm surges…

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UPDATED: Photo Story: Container ship on fire off the coast of Sri Lanka

A handout photo made available by the Sri Lankan Air force Media shows the Singapore-registered container vessel MV X-Press Pearl on fire, nine nautical miles northwest of Colombo port in Colombo, Sri…

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Indian Covid-19 variant found in at least 53 territories

The coronavirus variant first detected in India has now been officially recorded in 53 territories, a World Health Organization report showed Wednesday. Additionally, the WHO has received information from unofficial…

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Calls grow for new inquiry into Covid origins

A leading scientist on the WHO's COVID-19 mission to China said that a follow-up trip could be helpful to gather additional research on the origins of the disease, but should…

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India’s total coronavirus cases cross 27 million

India's total coronavirus infections crossed 27 million on Wednesday, swelled by 208,921 new cases over the last 24 hours, while daily deaths from COVID-19 rose by 4,157. The South Asian…

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South Koreans no longer need masks outdoors if vaccinated against COVID-19

South Korea on Wednesday said masks will no longer be required outdoors from July for those vaccinated with at least one COVID-19 shot. The move is a bid to encourage…

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Olympics-Japan sees no impact on Games from US travel advisory

Japan's ruling party heavyweight said today that there are "realistic issues" over Tokyo Games which must be considered before a final decision, while Olympics minister sees no impact from the U.S. advisory…

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India posts lowest rise in daily COVID-19 cases since April 14

India on Tuesday posted 196,427 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, its lowest daily rise in infections since April 14, while deaths from COVID-19 rose by 3,511. The country's…

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White House says cannot confirm report on COVID-19 origins, needs more information

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday the United States could not confirm a Wall Street Journal report on the origins of COVID-19 and needed more information. Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital…

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