TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday urged vigilance against the spread of the coronavirus after the island detected its first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant spreading in the community. Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control because of early and effective prevention, including largely closing its borders. Most cases of …
Taiwan urges vigilance after first Omicron coronavirus cases Read More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s health ministry on Tuesday called on people to come forward to get booster vaccinations after reporting cases of the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant had more than doubled over the holiday period. The Southeast Asian country has recorded 2,062 cases of the Omicron variant so far, health official Supakit Sirilak told …
Thailand urges uptake of booster shots as Omicron cases rise Read More »
By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) – Deepening internal strife and a series of political blunders are throwing the campaign of the leading presidential candidate from South Korea’s opposition into disarray, sending his poll numbers nose-diving and giving a boost to rivals. Yoon Suk-yeol, the flag bearer of the conservative People Power Party, is set to …
South Korea’s conservatives falter in election race over blunders, internal strife Read More »
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday she could not accept suggestions that press freedom in the city faces “extinction”, just days after police raided an online media outlet and arrested seven people including senior editors. Lam was speaking at a weekly news conference as another independent online outlet, Citizen …
Hong Kong leader says she cannot accept claims press freedom faces ‘extinction’ Read More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The number of new COVID-19 infections in Japan rose above 1,000 on Tuesday for the first time in three months, the Jiji news agency reported. Japan had seen fewer cases in recent months, but experts had warned of a potential sixth wave of infections during the winter. (Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing …
Daily COVID cases top 1,000 in Japan for first time in three months – Jiji Read More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – The Chinese capital Beijing met state air quality standards for the first time last year, officials said on Tuesday, following a concerted effort to cut coal consumption, reduce transportation emissions and relocate heavy industry. China declared war on pollution in 2014 after a series of hazardous smog build-ups in Beijing and elsewhere …
Beijing meets state air quality standards for first time in 2021 Read More »
By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) – A former North Korean defector who made a risky and rare cross-border return home last week had struggled in South Korea, officials and media reports said on Tuesday, sparking fresh debate over how such defectors are treated in their new lives. South Korea’s military identified the man who crossed …
Returned North Korea defector struggled to resettle in South, lived meagre life Read More »
By Sayed Ramin BAMIYAN, Afghanistan(Reuters) – The winter landscape around the deep, blue mountain lakes of Band-e-Amir in the central Afghan province of Bamiyan presents an arresting spectacle empty of people – but the absence of visitors is costing locals dearly. After two decades of war and facing its worst economic crisis, the collapse of …
Afghanistan’s blue mountain lakes deserted as tourists stay away Read More »
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the government will expand a “vaccine bubble” from Feb. 24 to include venues such as gyms, cinemas and libraries as the city steps up its fight against the spread of coronavirus. Only vaccinated people would be allowed into those venues. Lam was speaking …
Hong Kong to expand ‘vaccine bubble’ from February 24 to combat COVID-19 spread Read More »
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -China, Russia, Britain, the United States and France have agreed that a further spread of nuclear arms and a nuclear war should be avoided, according to a joint statement by the five nuclear powers published by the Kremlin on Monday. It said that the five countries – which are the permanent members of …
Russia, China, Britain, U.S. and France say no one can win nuclear war Read More »
