Asia

Iranian-flagged MT Horse vessel which has been seized in Indonesian waters since January 24, has been released. With the full support of senior officials and consular assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ship was released on Friday after successful completion of the proceedings after 125 days of seizure, …

Vietnam Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday the country has detected a new variant of the coronavirus, a mix of the COVID-19 variants from India and the United Kingdom that spreads quickly by air, online newspaper VnExpress reported. After successfully containing the coronavirus for most of last year, …

Pyongyang has declared North Korea coronavirus-free, with zero confirmed cases since the outbreak of the global pandemic, while the authorities have imposed severe restrictions to stop the disease from entering the country. North Korean authorities have ordered the elimination of cats and pigeons in border areas due to pandemic fears, …

Sri Lanka is facing its worst beach pollution crisis as tons of plastic waste from a burning container ship wash ashore, a senior environment official said Saturday. Fishermen have been banned from an 80-kilometer (50-mile) stretch of coast near the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl as an international firefighting operation went …

Manila lodges diplomatic protest against the ‘incessant and prolonged’ presence of Chinese vessels near Thitu Island. The Philippines has protested China’s “continuing illegal presence and activities” near islands it holds in the South China Sea. In a statement on Saturday, the Philippines’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had lodged …

In one of his sharpest attacks so far, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken the Narendra Modi-led government to task for not having handled India’s COVID-19 situation properly. India’s main opposition party, Congress, on Friday, slammed the Narendra Modi-led government for mishandling the country’s COVID-19 crisis. While addressing a press …

Russia has signed a deal with Pakistan to build a major gas pipeline linking the nation’s southern port of Karachi to industrial hubs in the north. The deal is set to be the biggest between Moscow and Islamabad since the 1970s. Russia’s Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov and the Pakistani Ambassador, …

The United States said on Friday it was deeply concerned by the detention of a U.S. citizen who was working as a journalist in Myanmar and pressed the military government for his immediate release. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said consular officers from the U.S. Embassy in Yangon …

Malaysia is battling a rapidly escalating coronavirus outbreak that has strained the country’s healthcare system. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced a nationwide “total lockdown” starting in June as coronavirus infections in the country surged to record levels. Muhyiddin said the stricter lockdown from June 1 to 14 was …

China has slammed the US for “spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation” following Washington’s latest push to wage a new probe into the origins of the coronavirus, even after a recent World Health Organization (WHO) mission to China proved inconclusive. According to Press TV, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian once …

Two ‘Corona Devi’ idols set up in the southern city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu state as the country battles a new infection surge. Hindu priests at an Indian temple are saying daily prayers to two coronavirus goddesses in an effort to tame the pandemic as the country battles a …

US President Joe Biden called on Wednesday for the withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara forces from Ethiopia’s Tigray region and said immediate humanitarian access must be granted to avoid widespread famine in the conflict-torn area. Thousands have been killed and about 2 million people forced from their homes in Tigray …

On Thursday, Sri Lanka navy spokesman Indika de Silva said the efforts to douse the blaze were continuing. Four tug boats and three Sri Lankan and Indian vessels have joined the operation. The fire erupted May 20 when the ship was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometers) northwest of …

Thousands of people were homeless Thursday after the latest cyclone to hit COVID-ravaged India left a trail of destruction, although timely evacuations meant the death toll was limited to single figures. Cyclones are a regular menace in the northern Indian Ocean but many scientists say they are becoming more frequent …

Heavy rain and a high tide lashed parts of eastern India and neighboring Bangladesh on Wednesday as a cyclone pushed ashore in an area where more than 1.1 million people were evacuated during a devastating coronavirus outbreak. At least six people were reported dead. Cyclone Yaas had already caused two …

China has slammed the US for “spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation” following Washington’s latest push to wage a new probe into the origins of the coronavirus, even after a recent World Health Organization (WHO) mission to China proved inconclusive. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian once again accused Washington on …

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday warned nearby nations against allowing the United States to use their territory for operations in the country after they withdraw from Afghanistan. As foreign forces withdraw troops by President Joe Biden’s announced deadline of Sept. 11, experts and diplomats have speculated that Washington’s future role …

Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated from low-lying areas of two Indian states to escape a strong cyclone barreling toward the eastern coast Tens of thousands of people were evacuated Tuesday from low-lying areas of two Indian states and moved to cyclone shelters to escape a powerful storm …

Rescuers have evacuated all crew from a container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka as a fire onboard intensified and two people were injured, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan Navy said on Tuesday. An explosion was reported from within the vessel, Navy spokesman Indika De Silva said, adding …

The official coronavirus death toll in India has passed 300,000 as a devastating surge of new infections appears to be easing in big cities India crossed another grim milestone Monday with more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus, while a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in …