Asia

Malaysia's Health Ministry is closely monitoring news that Singapore has detected two cases of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron. Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said additional testing to detect the presence of the new…

India's capital New Delhi has ordered the closure of schools and colleges until further notice from Friday (Dec 3) after the Supreme Court criticised the city government for reopening educational institutions despite "very poor" air…

India announced its first two cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant on Thursday (Dec 2), after battling a record jump in infections and deaths between April and June in the country, where the Delta variant is the dominant strain. Top…

India is reimposing Covid-19 restrictions, including a seven-day home quarantine, on 12 economies including Singapore from Wednesday (Dec 1). The move comes amid concerns over the emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that…

Myanmar's navy seized a boat carrying 228 Rohingya on Monday (Nov 29) and arrested all on board, the country's state television reported after the latest attempt by members of the persecuted Muslim minority group to leave the country.…

China's military carried out "combat readiness" patrols in the direction of the Taiwan Strait on Friday (Nov 26) as a US congressional delegation made a surprise visit to Taipei, offering strong support to the island. The five members of…

The Philippines will reopen its borders to tourists from some countries on a trial basis from Dec 1, its government said on Friday (Nov 26), as part of efforts to rebuild an economy hit hard by the pandemic. Foreigners vaccinated against…

India issued an advisory to all states to rigorously test and screen international travellers from South Africa and other "at risk" countries amid concerns over a new coronavirus variant, after easing some of its travel restrictions…

Huge crowds blockaded busy streets and harassed drivers in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday (Nov 25) to protest the death of a high school student in a road accident. Thousands of uniformed students brought traffic to a standstill…

The second Black Friday of the pandemic is officially underway. After weeks of early sales, Friday marks the official shopping holiday that Americans expect to bring great deals on an annual basis. Like last year, more retailers stayed …