Asia

Floods in India’s Assam force a million from their homes

Heavy flooding triggered by monsoon rains has forced more than a million people to flee their homes in the northeast Indian state of Assam, authorities said on Monday, warning that…

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China says will put visa restrictions on U.S individuals over Hong Kong

China's foreign ministry said on Monday it will impose visa restrictions on U.S. individuals with egregious conduct related to Hong Kong, after Washington announced visa restrictions on some Chinese officials…

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Thailand reports 7 new coronavirus cases, all imported

Thailand on Monday reported seven new coronavirus cases, all of which were imported, marking 35 days without community transmission. The seven cases were Thais returning from India and the United…

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CanSino’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate approved for military use in China

China's military has received the greenlight to use a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by its research unit and CanSino Biologics after clinical trials proved it was safe and somewhat efficient,…

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Photo Story: Lawmakers scuffle in Taipei parliament

Taiwanese lawmakers’ scuffle inside the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, 29 June 2020. Twenty opposition party KMT lawmakers broke into parliament (Legislative Yuan) on 28 June to take over the platform…

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China puts 500,000 in lockdown as coronavirus cases rise again

Chinese health officials announced that Anxin county — about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Beijing — will be "fully enclosed and controlled," — the same strict measures imposed at the…

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UPDATED: Gunmen attack Pakistani stock exchange, seven killed

Four gunmen attacked the Pakistani Stock Exchange building in the city of Karachi on Monday but security forces soon killed them all, police said. Three other people were also…

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China reports 12 new COVID-19 cases vs 17 a day earlier

China reported 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases as of end of June 28, down from 17 reported a day earlier as the country’s capital tries to curb a new wave…

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Indonesia reports 1,198 new coronavirus cases, 34 new deaths

Indonesia reported 1,198 new coronavirus cases and 34 deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of infections to 54,010 and fatalities to 2,754, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said. The…

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Chinese firm says coronavirus vaccine candidate shows promise in human test

China National Biotec Group (CNBG) said on Sunday that early human test results for a coronavirus vaccine candidate suggested it could be safe and effective, the second vaccine candidate from…

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Swarm of locusts reaches suburbs of Indian capital

Parts of the Indian capital, Delhi, have been placed on alert after a swarm of locusts invaded a suburban area. Pilots flying into and out of Delhi's international airport, which…

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Russia denies paying Afghan militants to kill NATO troops

Russia has rejected as "baseless" accusations that it offered Taliban-linked militants rewards to kill US and other NATO troops in Afghanistan. The New York Times and Washington Post cited US…

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India tops 500,000 coronavirus cases

India now has more than 500,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to government figures released Saturday that showed a record daily leap of 18,500 new infections. Authorities said a total of…

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China reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, including 14 in Beijing

Mainland China on Sunday reported 17 new coronavirus cases, mostly in the Chinese capital of Beijing. The National Health Commission said 17 new infections were confirmed on Saturday, down from…

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Singapore bans group of Britons for breaking lockdown

A group of British men living in Singapore have been banned from working there again after breaking lockdown to go on a "bar crawl". The men were also fined around…

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Thailand reports 4 imported coronavirus cases; no local transmission in 32 days

Thailand on Friday confirmed four new coronavirus cases, all of which were imported from abroad, marking 32 days without community transmission. The four new cases were found in quarantine…

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South Korea reports 39 new cases

South Korea reported 39 new cases, mostly from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area where officials have been struggling to stem transmissions amid increased public activity and eased attitudes on…

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Pakistani PM Imran Khan criticised after calling Osama Bin Laden a ‘martyr’

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has come under fire from opposition MPs after telling parliament that the US "martyred" Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks,…

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Mainland China reports 13 new coronavirus cases, including 11 in Beijing

China's health authority on Friday reported 13 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for June 25, down from 19 a day earlier. Of the new infections, 11 were in Beijing,…

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Indonesia reports 1,178 new coronavirus infections, cases pass 50,000

Indonesia reported 1,178 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking its total number of cases to 50,187. Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 47 more deaths recorded, with total…

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Pakistan International Airlines to ground pilots for ‘dubious’ licences

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be grounding nearly 150 out of its 426 pilots, amid an inquiry that they hold "dubious" licences, a company spokesman said. The decision comes at…

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Vietnam has no plans to open up to tourists despite successfully containing coronavirus

Despite successfully containing its coronavirus outbreak, Vietnam has no plans to open up to international tourists yet, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday. Thanks to an aggressive, targeted testing…

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Japan to consider military strike capability

Japan is to consider the acquisition of weapons able to strike enemy missile launchers to bolster defence against North Korea after a decision to cancel the Aegis Ashore missile defence…

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Divided Koreas mark 70 years since war began

Seventy years after the Korean War began, prospects for a peace treaty to officially end the conflict appear as distant as ever, as the two Koreas held low-key commemorations on…

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Mainland China reports 19 new coronavirus cases, including 13 in Beijing

China's health authority reported on Thursday 19 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for June 24, up from 12 a day earlier. Of the new infections, 13 were in Beijing,…

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Thailand plans to allow some foreign travellers in next week

Thailand plans to allow some foreign travellers into the country starting next week, as it eases restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, a senior official said…

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Olympus says to sell camera business to Japan Industrial Partners

Japan's Olympus Corp said on Wednesday it had agreed to sell its loss-making camera business dating back 84 years to Japan Industrial Partners Inc. Olympus said in a statement it…

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Emirates suspends flights from Pakistan after passengers test positive for coronavirus

Emirates, one of the world's biggest long-haul airlines, has suspended flights from Pakistan after passengers tested positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong, it said on Wednesday. The Dubai state carrier,…

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China to run human coronavirus vaccine trial in UAE

China National Biotec Group (CNBG) has won approval to run a large-scale "Phase 3" clinical trial of its novel coronavirus vaccine candidate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the company…

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World’s most powerful supercomputer to search for COVID-19 cure

Japan's new Fugaku supercomputer, which has this week been declared the most powerful in the world, is to be used to search for a potential cure for the coronavirus. Based…

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Office cluster pushes Tokyo coronavirus cases to 1-1/2-month high

Tokyo's new coronavirus cases climbed to 55 on Wednesday, public broadcaster NHK said, the highest tally in 1-1/2 months after a cluster of infections was found at an unnamed office…

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South Korea’s first female trade minister bids for WTO top job

South Korea's trade minister Yoo Myung-hee on Wednesday announced her bid to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), aiming to be the first female leader at…

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Thailand reports one new coronavirus case imported from abroad

Thailand on Wednesday reported one new coronavirus case detected in someone returning from abroad, marking 30 days without local transmission, a senior official said. The new case was a Thai…

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Pakistan air crash probe shows pilots distracted by coronavirus worry

The pilots of a Pakistan airliner that crashed last month, killing 97 people, were distracted as they talked about the coronavirus pandemic throughout the flight before an abortive landing bid,…

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Japan’s success in curbing COVID-19 cases now hampers search for cures

As nations race to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, Japan has become a victim of its own success as slowing new infections has led to a shortage of patients…

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China reports 12 new coronavirus cases on the mainland

China had 12 new coronavirus cases on the mainland on June 23, down from 22 during the previous day, the country's health authority said on Wednesday. Seven of the total…

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N.Korea suspends military action plans against S.Korea

North Korea has decided to suspend military action plans against South Korea, the official KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday, as a report suggested North Korean troops were taking down…

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EU and Japan sign agreement on civil aviation safety

The European Commission and Japan have signed an agreement on civil aviation safety, which will further boost the EU's already strong cooperation with Japan and reinforce the competitiveness of the…

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China threatens Japan after vote to change status of disputed islands

China said on Monday (June 22) it reserves the right to respond to a Japanese city's decision to rename the administrative area that includes remote islands claimed by both China…

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Thailand marks 28 days without local transmission, aims to ease travel

Thailand hopes to ease some coronavirus restrictions on foreigners entering the country after going for 28 days without recording any domestic transmissions, a senior official said on Monday. Those who…

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Indonesia’s death toll reaches 2500, with over 46,000 infections

Indonesia reported 954 new coronavirus infections on Monday, taking its total number of cases to 46,845. Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 35 more deaths reported, with total…

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Chinese expert says Beijing coronavirus cases to see ‘cliff-like’ drop this week

Beijing will see a "cliff-like" drop in new cases in the current coronavirus outbreak by the end of this week with efforts to control the spread of infections in the…

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South Korea says it is battling ‘second wave’ of coronavirus

Health authorities in South Korea said for the first time on Monday it is in the midst of a "second wave" of novel coronavirus infections focused around its densely populated…

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Chinese researchers launch phase-2 human test for possible coronavirus vaccine

Chinese researchers have started a second phase human trial of a possible coronavirus vaccine, the Institute of Medical Biology at Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS) announced, in efforts to…

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Coronavirus spreading in Pakistan at one of the fastest rates in the world

The coronavirus is spreading in Pakistan at one of the fastest rates in the world, and overwhelmed hospitals are turning away patients, the Associated Press reports. But the government is…

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North Korea promises ‘retaliatory punishment’ for the South

North Korea said on Monday that it had readied thousands of balloons and millions of leaflets in preparation for "retaliatory punishment" against South Korea. The detail, in a state media…

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Taiwan boosts domestic defence development plan with new fighter jet

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen oversaw the first public test flight of a new locally designed and made advanced jet trainer on Monday, part of her government's plan to boost defences…

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India to transform 25 luxury hotels into Covid-19 care centres

Staff at luxury hotels in Delhi are to start welcoming guests not with traditional garlands but with a medical gown. Amid growing concerns that there are not enough hospital beds…

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Thailand reports 3 new imported coronavirus cases; 28 days without local transmission

Thailand on Monday reported three new coronavirus cases, all imported, marking 28 days without local transmission, a senior official said. The three new cases were Thai nationals returning from India…

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Photo Story: Annular Solar Eclipse in Taiwan

The annular solar eclipse in Chiayi city, Taiwan, 21 June 2020. During this annular solar eclipse – the first of the decade – the moon appears to cover the sun,…

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China reports 18 new coronavirus cases, 9 in Beijing

China reported 18 new coronavirus cases for June 21, 9 of which were in the capital Beijing, the National Health Commission said on Monday. This compared with 26 confirmed cases…

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EU and China to seek to cool tensions at video summit

The European Union and China will seek to cool tensions on Monday at a video summit, their first formal talks since ties soured over European accusations that Beijing has spread disinformation about the novel coronavirus.…

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China likely lost at least 40 soldiers in border clash – Indian minister

China lost at least 40 soldiers in a clash with India at their disputed border this week, a federal government minister has said, as the nuclear-armed countries remained locked in confrontation…

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Saudi Arabia ending nationwide curfew today

Saudi Arabia will end a nationwide curfew and lift restrictions on businesses from today after three months of lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, state news agency SPA quoted a source…

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Photo Story: Protest in Nepal over government’s handling of coronavirus crisis

Demonstrator lie on the ground holding placards during a protest held to show opposition to government policy towards the coronavirus pandemic in Kathmandu, Nepal, 20 June 2020. Hundreds of people…

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UNICEF airlifts COVID-19 testing kits to Yemen to boost response as cases soar

A first batch of 10,000 COVID-19 tests arrived in Sana’a on a UNICEF-chartered plane today, to increase the COVID-19 testing capacity amid the rapid increase of cases in Yemen. An…

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India, China accuse each other of violating de facto border

India and China on Saturday each traded accusations that the other had violated their shared de facto border, an area that this week became the site of the deadliest clash…

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