ASIA

UN chief warns against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources

UN chief: UN will seek to unite world, reverse Myanmar coup

1:25 pm February 6, 2021

United Nations: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged Friday that the United Nations will do everything it can to unite the international community and create conditions for the military coup in Myanmar to be reversed. The UN chief told a news conference it is absolutely essential to carry out the Security Council’s calls for a return to […]

Pakistan says China’s Sinopharm vaccine not effective for people over 60 years

9:22 pm February 4, 2021

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said that China’s Sinopharm vaccine is not effective for people over 60 years of age, a day after it began its countrywide coronavirus vaccination programme with the Chinese jabs. China donated half a million doses of Sinopharm vaccines to Pakistan which sent a special plane to airlift the jabs on Monday. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, […]

Over 80 people arrested in China for smuggling fake COVID-19 vaccines

9:58 pm February 2, 2021

Beijing: China has arrested over 80 people for smuggling and supplying counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines, amid reports that some of the jabs have already made their way to Africa, the official media reported on Tuesday. Apart from the arrests, 3,000 doses of the fake vaccines were confiscated from the accused in a special drive that China has carried out […]

Japan extends emergency amid vaccine, Olympic uncertainty

9:55 pm February 2, 2021

Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday that he is extending a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and nine other areas through March 7, amid growing uncertainty over the national rollout of vaccines and the hosting of the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Suga said he will speed up vaccination plans and start inoculating a first group of medical workers […]

US concerned by China’s ongoing attempts to ‘intimidate’ neighbours: White House

2:17 pm February 2, 2021

Washington: In its first response to the China-India border standoff, the Biden administration has voiced concern over Beijing’s ongoing attempts to ”intimidate” its neighbours and said it was closely monitoring the situation. A top official of the new Biden administration also asserted that the US will stand with its allies to advance its shared values in the strategically-vital Indo-Pacific region. ”We […]