US, China clash in first high-level meeting of Biden administration

The first high-level U.S.-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday, with both sides leveling sharp rebukes of the others’ policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.

Foreign tourist arrivals will not revive before 2023

Foreign tourist arrivals in India will not touch pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels before 2023, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has said, citing the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) March survey that found 80% of visitors do not want to travel due to quarantine rules.

Myanmar security forces kill nine as Indonesia, envoys call for end to violence

Security forces killed at least nine opponents of Myanmar’s Feb. 1 coup on Friday, a funeral service and media said, as Indonesia urged an end to violence and Western ambassadors condemned what they called the military’s immoral, indefensible actions.

UK vaccine supply hit by India delivery delay

Britain is facing a squeeze on supply of COVID-19 vaccines next month in part due to a delay in a shipment from India’s Serum Institute that is making AstraZeneca’s shot, health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday.

Thailand braces as refugees from Myanmar coup flee to border regions

Hundreds of people have fled Myanmar’s towns and cities since last month’s military coup and are sheltering in areas controlled by ethnic militias on the Thai border, an official from one of the groups said on Thursday, as Thailand prepared for a surge of refugees.

Ready to bury hatchet with India for peace: Pakistan army chief

Pakistan’s army chief called on Thursday for arch rivals India and Pakistan to “bury the past” and move towards cooperation, an overture towards New Delhi that follows an unexpected joint ceasefire announcement last month between the two countries’ militaries.

‘Killer’ Putin will ‘pay a price’ for alleged US election meddling: Biden

US President Joe Biden has said that his administration is preparing a harsh response after American security agencies reported that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2020 US elections in favor of his opponent, Donald Trump.

EU envoys agree first China sanctions in three decades

The European Union agreed on Wednesday to blacklist Chinese officials for human rights abuses, two diplomats said, the first sanctions against Beijing since an EU arms embargo in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Asian women among eight dead in US spa shootings

Eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, were shot dead in a string of attacks at day spas in and around Atlanta, and a man suspected of carrying out the shootings was arrested in southern Georgia, police said.

Health experts pore over AstraZeneca safety data

Global health experts came under increasing pressure on Tuesday to clear up questions over the safety of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot, as Sweden and Latvia joined countries suspending their use in a further blow to Europe’s vaccination rollout.

N.Korea advises Biden administration not to ‘cause a stink’

Pyongyang has issued a peculiarly-worded warning to Washington, telling the Biden administration that it should tread lightly if it’s sincere about wanting to restart dialogue.

Yangon residents flee martial law area, death toll grows

Residents of a protest flashpoint district in Myanmar’s biggest city fled on flatbed trucks and tuk-tuks Tuesday after security forces escalated the use of lethal force against anti-coup protesters, despite international appeals for restraint.

Thousands protest violence against women in Australia

Thousands have taken to the streets across Australia, protesting violence against women amid allegations that a defense minister sought to silence a rape claim and accusations of sexual assault against an attorney general.

Security forces fire on Myanmar protests after deadliest day since coup

Myanmar security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators on Monday, killing six people, media and witnesses said, a day after dozens of protesters were shot dead and attackers torched several Chinese-financed factories in the city of Yangon.

Navalny held in prison camp in Russia’s Vladimir region

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is being held in a prison camp in Russia’s Vladimir region northeast of Moscow known for its strict control of inmates, a message posted on the opposition politician’s Instagram account confirmed on Monday.

At least 14 protesters killed in bloody Yangon crackdown

Security forces killed at least 14 protesters in a poor, industrial suburb of Myanmar’s main city on Sunday and at least three people in other parts of the country, according to local media.

At least 388,000 killed in Syria’s 10 years of conflict

At least 388,652 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict since it erupted in March 2011, a war monitor reported Sunday.

‘Mistakes’ were made during EU’s Covid-19 vaccination programme: Commission VP

The EU vaccination programme has been riddled with “mistakes,” European Commission VP Frans Timmermans has admitted. The vaccination drive has been plagued by supply shortfalls, plus repeated allegations of uneven distribution.

Myanmar military likely behind ‘crimes against humanity’: UN

Myanmar’s military is likely committing “crimes against humanity”, the UN’s top expert on rights in the country said Thursday, adding that at least 70 people had reportedly been “murdered” since the February 1 coup.

Gunmen abduct 30 students in Nigeria as payoffs ‘boomerang’

Gunmen kidnapped around 30 students in an overnight raid on a forestry college in northwest Nigeria, an official said on Friday, the fourth mass school abduction since December in a country where violence is on the increase.

Moscow promises retaliation if US places banned missiles in Japan

The rumored deployment of American intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region may trigger a brand new arms race and potential standoff with unpredictable consequences, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

India sees worst COVID-19 increase as western state battles surge

India reported its worst single-day increase in COVID-19 cases since late December on Thursday, as the western state of Maharashtra battled a fresh wave of infections and imposed a lockdown in one of its most densely populated cities.

Myanmar junta accuses Suu Kyi of taking bribes as eight killed in protests

Myanmar’s military government accused deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday of accepting illegal payments, while eight people were killed when security forces opened fire on protests against the coup, witnesses said.

British royal family ‘very much not racist’: Prince William

Prince William said on Thursday that Britain’s royals were not racist after Meghan, wife of his younger brother Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie’s skin might be.

Myanmar security forces surround, arrest protesters

Myanmar security forces fired tear gas and surrounded hundreds of anti-junta protesters at two places in Yangon on Wednesday, witnesses said, prompting the U.S. Embassy to call for their withdrawal.

EU to get 4 million additional doses of Pfizer vaccine

Covid-19 vaccine producer BioNTech-Pfizer is to supply the European Union an extra 4 million doses in the next two weeks to tackle the spread of mutant variants, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday.

Beijing blasts US rumour-mongering in Xinjiang

Beijing has dismissed US allegations of genocide in its Xinjiang region as “absolutely ridiculous and completely contrary to the facts,” and said it’s the lawmakers in Washington who should be wearing the “hat of genocide.”

British royals silent amid crisis over Meghan’s claim of racist remark

The British monarchy wrestled on Tuesday to formulate a response to Meghan and Prince Harry who accused a family member of making a racist remark about their son and courtiers of ignoring her pleas for help when she was suicidal.

19 hurt during International Women’s Day demonstrations

Fifteen police officers and four civilians were injured during International Women’s Day demonstrations in Mexico City, the Ministry of Public Security said, as thousands of women protested against gender violence across the country.

China launches virus passport

China has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese international travellers, leading the world in plans for so-called virus passports. The digital certificate, which shows a user’s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was launched on Monday.