Asia

EU sanctions Russian intelligence, North Korean, Chinese firms over alleged cyberattacks

The European Union on Thursday imposed travel and financial sanctions on a department of Russia's military intelligence service and on firms from North Korea and China over their suspected participation in major cyberattacks…

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Photo Story: Robot keeps an eye out for masks in South Korea

An artificial intelligence robot checks the body temperature of passengers at a bus terminal in Gwangju, South Korea, 30 July 2020. The robot is also capable of detecting whether people…

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China says UK has poisoned relations, some want new Cold War

China blamed the United Kingdom on Thursday for deteriorating ties after Prime Minister Boris Johnson slapped a 5G ban on Huawei, accusing London of poisoning the relationship by meddling in…

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Coronavirus surges in Asia bring warnings over complacency

Spikes in novel coronavirus infections in Asia have dispelled any notion the region may be over the worst, with Australia and India reporting record daily infections on Thursday, Vietnam fretting…

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Tokyo announces highest daily number of COVID-19 in the Japanese capital

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced over 350 new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed on 30 July, the highest daily number in the Japanese capital. Japan is bracing for a…

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S.Korea’s Celltrion gets UK approval for trials of COVID-19 antibody drug

South Korea's Celltrion Inc on Thursday said British regulators had given it regulatory approval for a phase I clinical trial of its experimental COVID-19 treatment drug. The company will enrol…

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Hong Kong reports record daily number of 149 new coronavirus cases

Hong Kong reported 149 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, a daily record, including 145 that were locally transmitted, with authorities warning the global financial hub faces a critical period as…

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Daily coronavirus cases in India top 50,000 for first time

India on Thursday reported more than 50,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time, driven by a surge in infections in rural areas at a time when the government is…

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Photo Story: Floods in South Korea

Residents evacuate their homes with the help of rescuers as the parking lot and lower sections of apartment buildings are flooded due to heavy rain in Daejeon, South Korea, 30…

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Vietnam ready to use ‘full force’ to stop new coronavirus wave

Vietnam told tens of thousands of people who visited a central city to report to disease control centres on Thursday, as nine new coronavirus cases were confirmed and the country…

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India opens door for foreign universities under new education policy

India approved a plan to allow foreign universities to open campuses in the country as part of efforts to boost education to strengthen the economy as it struggles with the…

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Mainland China reports 105 new coronavirus cases, including 96 in Xinjiang

China reported 105 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 29, up from 101 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Thursday. Of the new infections, 96…

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China and EU to speed up negotiation on investment agreement

China and the European Union will accelerate negotiations in order to conclude a China-EU investment agreement by the end of this year, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said on Tuesday. China and the EU will also continue…

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Singapore spy case reawakens fears China recruiting on island state

The case of a Singaporean caught spying for China in the United States has reawakened fears over China recruiting intelligence assets on an island state which has won trust among…

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Oil prices dip again amid rising coronavirus cases and US-China tensions

Oil prices edged lower on Monday despite a weaker U.S. dollar, as rising coronavirus cases and tensions between the United States and China clouded the outlook for oil demand's recovery. Brent crude fell…

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Asia battles second wave of coronavirus with fresh lockdowns

Countries around Asia are confronting a second wave of coronavirus infections and are clamping down again to try to contain the disease, with Australia recording a record daily rise in…

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Photo Story: Mannequins help keep social distancing in Japan

A waitress walks among mannequins use to keep social distancing at tables of a Chinese cuisine restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, 27 July 2020. Japan's total number of COVID-19 cases crossed…

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Indonesia’s coronavirus cases top 100,000 as economy opens up

Indonesia reported on Monday its total number of coronavirus cases had topped 100,000, as the president urged officials handling the outbreak to retain an "aura of crisis" in a country…

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What is known about North Korea’s possible coronavirus ‘patient zero’

After North Korea announced what could be its first publicly confirmed case of coronavirus on Sunday, officials in Seoul believe they may have identified the man suspected of crossing into…

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Hong Kong extends virus restrictions to gatherings of more than two people

Hong Kong on Monday announced further restrictions to curb a surge in coronavirus cases, including a ban on gatherings of more than two people, a total bar on restaurant dining…

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Vietnam to evacuate 80,000 people from Danang after virus outbreak

Vietnam is evacuating 80,000 people, mostly local tourists, from the central city of Danang after three residents tested positive for the coronavirus at the weekend, the government said on Monday.…

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India records over 50,000 cases in one day

The Times of India reports that India’s one-day case total was higher than 50,000 for the first time on Sunday, taking the country’s total to 1.4m cases – the third…

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Hong Kong to ban all restaurant dining, mandate masks outdoors

Hong Kong on Monday will announce further restrictions to curb the surge in coronavirus cases, including a total ban on restaurant dining and mandated facemasks outdoors, media reported. The new…

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China takes over U.S. consulate premises in Chengdu as ties worsen

China said it had taken over the premises of the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Monday after ordering the facility be shut in retaliation for being…

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China reports highest daily domestic infections since March 6

China reported 61 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 26, up from 46 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Monday, with new infections not involving…

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China imports more oil from Saudi than any other country in June

China's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia rose 15% in June from a year ago, as refiners ordered record volumes of the fuel in March and April when oil prices…

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Thailand may have lost 7-8 million jobs during lockdown

Thailand's job losses were estimated at 7-8 million during the country's coronavirus lockdown, but half of those might be recouped after the situation eases, the central bank chief said. The…

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Tokyo confirms 239 new coronavirus cases on Sunday

Tokyo officials confirmed 239 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, Japanese media reported, as the capital struggles with a resurgence in cases after the government lifted a state of emergency. The…

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Philippines records 39 coronavirus deaths, 2,110 new cases

The Philippines on Sunday reported 39 deaths related to the novel coronavirus and 2,110 additional infections. Its total deaths now stand at 1,932, with 80,448 confirmed cases, the Department of…

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Vietnam reimposes social distancing in Danang after first local infections in months

Vietnam reintroduced social distancing measures in the central city of Danang on Sunday after a second locally transmitted novel coronavirus case was detected there, more than three months after any…

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Mainland China reports 46 new coronavirus cases, including 22 in Xinjiang

China reported 46 cases of the new coronavirus in the mainland for July 25, up from 34 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Sunday. Of the new…

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North Korea reports first suspected case of COVID-19

North Korea reported its first case of suspected COVID-19, in a person who returned to the North on July 19, state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday. North Korean leader…

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HSBC denies Chinese media reports that it ‘framed’ Huawei

HSBC on Saturday denied Chinese media reports that it had "framed" Huawei Technologies and played a role in the arrest of the chief financial officer (CFO) of the world's biggest…

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Macau casinos see deepening losses as virus slams China travel

Casinos in the world's biggest gambling hub Macau are staring at heavy losses for the second quarter, with "not much hope" for a near-term recovery as a resurgence in coronavirus…

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Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in animal tests

Animal tests of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Chinese researchers show it triggers an immune response against the novel coronavirus, offering some promise as it goes into early-stage…

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South Korea says daily coronavirus cases may top 100, driven by imported infections

South Korean health authorities said novel coronavirus infections among people arriving from abroad could drive the number of new cases on Friday to more than 100, the first time since…

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China orders U.S. to shut Chengdu consulate, retaliating for Houston

China ordered the United States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu on Friday, in a tit-for-tat response to being told to shut its consulate in Houston earlier…

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Philippines confirms 2,200 more coronavirus cases, 28 deaths

The Philippine health ministry on Thursday reported 2,200 new coronavirus infections and 28 new deaths. In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths have increased to 1,871 and infections have…

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Hong Kong reports daily record of 118 coronavirus cases

Hong Kong reported 118 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, a daily record, including 111 locally transmitted cases, adding to a deluge of new infections that have hit the global financial…

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Japan’s travel ban has hit 85% of European businesses there

Japan's travel ban to stop the spread of the coronavirus has hit a majority of European firms in the country and could prompt those businesses to rethink their future in…

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People are more likely to contract COVID-19 at home, study finds

South Korean epidemiologists have found that people were more likely to contract the new coronavirus from members of their own households than from contacts outside the home. A study published…

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China’s 3 main telco operators have built over 400,000 5G base stations

China's three main telecommunications operators have built more than 400,000 5G base stations by the end of June 2020, the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) told a…

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China’s Sinopharm says coronavirus vaccine could be ready by year-end

A coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) could be ready for public use by the end of this year, state media reported on Wednesday, ahead of…

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India reports record 45,720 new coronavirus cases, deaths rise by 1,129

India reported a record jump of 45,720 in coronavirus infections on Wednesday taking its total number of cases to 1.24 million, the health ministry said on Thursday. India also reported…

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Mainland China reports 22 new coronavirus cases, including 18 in Xinjiang

China reported 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 22, up from 14 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Thursday. Of the new infections, 18…

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Japan’s capital sets new daily record of 300 coronavirus infections

Japan's capital has reported 366 new coronavirus cases, Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, said on Thursday, a new daily record fuelling fears of a second round of infections. As…

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Glenmark’s favipiravir version shows promise in late-stage COVID-19 trial

India's Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd announced its version of anti-flu drug favipiravir showed promise in a late-stage study of 150 patients with mild to moderate coronavirus infection. Data showed that patients…

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South Korea falls into recession

South Korea plunged into recession in the second quarter in its worst economic decline in more than two decades as the coronavirus pandemic battered exports and social distancing curbs paralysed…

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China launches attempt to land rover on Mars

China successfully launched an unmanned probe to Mars on Thursday in its first independent mission to another planet, a bid for global leadership in space and a display of its…

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Singapore seeks local boost for tourism sector facing existential crisis

Singapore's tourism sector is facing an existential crisis, its tourism board chief said on Wednesday, laying out plans to boost local demand after a collapse in visitor arrivals due to…

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Undiagnosed virus infections could be 27 times higher in South Korea’s Daegu city

A small South Korean survey of people with no history of COVID-19, but living in a city with the most cases, showed that roughly one in 13 had antibodies to…

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Confusion swirls as Japan launches tourism campaign amid virus surge

Japan on Wednesday kicked off a national travel campaign aimed at reviving its battered tourism industry, but the effort has drawn heavy criticism amid a jump in new coronavirus cases.…

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Indonesia reports 139 new coronavirus deaths, highest daily rise

Indonesia reported on Wednesday 139 new deaths from the coronavirus, the country's highest daily increase and bringing the total number of fatalities to 4,459, data from the country's Health Ministry…

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Hong Kong mandates masks in all indoor public areas as it reports record daily rise

Hong Kong will expand strict new social distancing measures from midnight on Wednesday, mandating face masks in all indoor public areas including malls and markets, Health Secretary Sophia Chan said.…

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Thailand to extend emergency decree until end of August

Thailand will extend a state of emergency until the end of August, a senior official said on Wednesday, maintaining the security measure put in place to contain its coronavirus outbreak.…

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Chinese military threat on the rise, Taiwan foreign minister warns

China is stepping up military preparedness to overtake Taiwan, the island's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Wednesday, following a recent spike of Chinese drills near the island which Beijing…

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China may shut U.S. Wuhan consulate after U.S. orders its Houston mission closed

China is considering ordering the closure of the U.S. consulate in the central city of Wuhan, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, after Washington told…

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