World / Asia

Ecuador makes COVID-19 vaccination obligatory 24 Dec 2021 - 10:47 am

BOGOTA: Ecuador's government said on Thursday it has made it obligatory for eligible people to be vaccinated against COVID-19, amid an increase in...

Thailand reports first Omicron cluster, cancels some New Year events 24 Dec 2021 - 10:42 am

BANGKOK: Thailand reported on Friday its first domestic cluster of coronavirus infections from the Omicron variant in Kalasin province in northeastern Thailand, officials...

Australia shortens booster wait as Omicron explosion turns holidays into chaos 24 Dec 2021 - 10:37 am

SYDNEY: Australia on Friday narrowed the wait time for people to receive COVID-19 booster shots as another record jump in daily infections resulted...

Vietnam aims to vaccinate adult population with booster by end-March 24 Dec 2021 - 09:58 am

HANOI: Vietnam aims to vaccinate all of its adult population with a coronavirus booster shot by the end of the first quarter of...

India's Modi tells states to beef up health facilities as Omicron cases rise 23 Dec 2021 - 07:44 pm

NEW DELHI- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked chiefs of states to ramp up oxygen supplies and strengthen health infrastructure to...

China's Xian locks down its 13 mln residents as Covid-19 cases rise 23 Dec 2021 - 02:33 pm

Beijing: Rising Covid-19 infections in China's city of Xian have spurred a lockdown of its 13 million residents, with stretches of highway eerily...

China's Sinovac COVID-19 booster weaker against Omicron- Hong Kong study 23 Dec 2021 - 01:35 pm

Three doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine do not produce adequate levels of antibodies to fight the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, researchers...

Australian states reinstate COVID-19 curbs as Omicron cases jump 23 Dec 2021 - 10:57 am

SYDNEY: Australia reintroduced COVID-19 curbs such as mandated mask wearing indoors, capacity limits and QR code check-ins to cover most of the population...

Japan rules out changes to COVID-19 curbs despite Omicron 23 Dec 2021 - 10:11 am

TOKYO: Japan's government is not considering an immediate change to current COVID-19 restrictions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Thursday, a day...

China orders lockdown of up to 13 million people in Xi'an 22 Dec 2021 - 07:45 pm

BEIJING- China on Wednesday ordered the lockdown of as many as 13 million people in neighborhoods and workplaces in the northern city of...

Japan confirms first known local omicron transmissions 22 Dec 2021 - 12:47 pm

TOKYO: Japan on Wednesday confirmed its first known local transmissions of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in Osaka, a sign it...

Philippines cuts interval for Covid-19 booster shots to 3 months 22 Dec 2021 - 12:24 pm

The Philippines has shortened the interval for administering Covid-19 vaccine boosters amid the threat of the omicron variant. Effective Wednesday, boosters may be...

Singapore to freeze new ticket sales for quarantine-free arrivals 22 Dec 2021 - 11:44 am

SINGAPORE: Singapore will freeze the sale of tickets for arriving flights and buses under its quarantine-free travel programme for four weeks from Thursday,...

Malaysian shelter rescues 120 cats and dogs from floods 21 Dec 2021 - 08:13 pm

KAJANG, Malaysia- Volunteers at a animal shelter in one of areas worst-hit by floods in Malaysia staged an eleventh-hour rescue of 120 cats...

Philippines cuts COVID-19 booster shot interval to three months 21 Dec 2021 - 07:41 pm

MANILA- The Philippines' health ministry on Tuesday halved the wait time for a COVID-19 vaccine booster to three months to help prevent the...

Putin blames West for tensions, demands security guarantees 21 Dec 2021 - 05:42 pm

Moscow: The Russian president on Tuesday reiterated his demand for guarantees from the U.S. and its allies that NATO will not expand eastwards,...

Businesses fret as South Korea reimposes COVID-19 curfews 21 Dec 2021 - 01:05 pm

Seoul: As clocks struck 9 p.m. this week, customers packed up and left restaurants and other eateries across South Korea as a reimposed...

Thailand reinstates mandatory COVID-19 quarantine over Omicron concerns 21 Dec 2021 - 12:47 pm

Thailand will reinstate its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for foreign visitors and scrap a quarantine waiver from Tuesday due to concerns over the spread...