More cyclones than usual forecast for east Asia by Sept
SINGAPORE: Half of the roughly 20 tropical cyclones expected to form in the western Pacific Ocean through September this year are predicted to hit land in east Asian nations, forecasters said on...
United Airlines to bring back supersonic flying
United Airlines said on Thursday would buy ultra-fast jets from Denver-based aerospace company Boom Supersonic, bringing back supersonic passenger travel which died out with the retirement of the...
Russia, Bahrain to produce Sputnik V vaccine for MENA
The sovereign funds of Russia and Bahrain signed a preliminary agreement on Thursday to manufacture and distribute the Russian Sputnik V vaccine across the Middle East and North Africa region, The...
Sri Lanka readies for oil spill from sunken cargo ship
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Thursday readied for the possibility of an oil spill after a cargo ship laden with chemicals sank off its western coast.The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1,486...
China relaxes family planning rules to allow three children per couple
BEIJING: China announced on Monday that each couple would be permitted to have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two children, after census data showed a dramatic...
Philippines suspends deployment of workers to Saudi Arabia
The Philippines has suspended the deployment of workers to Saudi Arabia after it received reports that their employers and recruiters were making them pay for COVID-19 testing, quarantine, and...
Rising global temperatures closer to climate tipping point: UN
NEW YORK: There is now a 40 percent chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years -- and these odds are rising, a UN...
Philippines' Duterte to let God decide his political future
MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will "leave it to God" whether or not he will run for vice president in next year's elections, his spokesman said on Thursday, responding to speculation...
India posts lowest rise in cases since April 14
India on Tuesday posted 196,427 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, its lowest daily rise in infections since April 14, while deaths from COVID-19 rose by 3,511. The country's overall...
Wuhan lab staff sought hospital care before COVID-19 outbreak disclosed - WSJ
WASHINGTON: Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital care in November 2019, a month before China reported the first cases of COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal...
India reports daily cases of 240,842
India on Sunday reported 240,842 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours and deaths rose by 3,741.Total infections in the country stood at 26.5 million while the country's total death toll...
Two AstraZeneca COVID shots 90% effective - UK real-world analysis
LONDON: Two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is around 85% to 90% effective against symptomatic disease, Public Health England (PHE) said on Thursday, citing an analysis of real-world...
Vaccines stop variants but overseas travel still not safe: WHO
Copenhagen: Progress against the coronavirus pandemic remains "fragile" and international travel should be avoided, a World Health Organization director warned Thursday, while stressing that...
IOC reassures anxious Japan
TOKYO: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reassured an anxious Japan on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympics would be safe for athletes as well as the host community, amid mounting opposition to...
Indian navy searches for 77 missing from barge sunk by cyclone
NEW DELHI: Indian navy ships and aircraft scoured waters off the financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday for 77 workers missing from a barge that sank after a powerful cyclone barrelled into the...
52,000 displaced in Gaza, Amnesty wants investigation
More than 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes that have destroyed or badly damaged nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza Strip, the UN aid agency said on Tuesday.In a separate...
Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza as fighting enters second week
GAZA/TEL AVIV: Israel bombed what it said were underground tunnels used by Hamas and Palestinian militants fired rocket barrages at Israeli cities as fighting spilled into a second week on Monday and...
What you need to know about the coronavirus right now
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:Swathes of the British economy will reopen on Monday, giving 65 million people a measure of freedom after the gloom of a four-month...
Israel bombs Hamas Gaza chief's home as fighting enters seventh day
GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel bombed the home of Hamas's chief in Gaza early on Sunday and sirens warning of rocket attacks sounded in Israeli border towns shortly after dawn as hostilities stretched into a...
Fear replaces holiday joy in Gaza
KHAN YOUNIS: Streets across the Gaza enclave during Eid al Fitr would normally fill up with smartly dressed Palestinians sharing sweets and greetings to mark the start of the Muslim holiday.“This...