Singapore’s Lee urges China, US to stem deteriorating ties

SINGAPORE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong again warned the US and China to deescalate tensions, saying both powers presumed incorrectly they would win in any conflict.

Delta’s spread seen pushing herd immunity threshold above 80%

THE SPREAD of the Delta coronavirus variant has pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80% and potentially approaching 90%, according to an Infectious Diseases Society of America briefing on Tuesday.

New York becomes first US city to order COVID vaccines for restaurants, gyms 

NEW YORK — New York City will become the first major US city to require proof of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination at restaurants, gyms, and other businesses, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday, as the nation grapples with the rapidly spreading Delta variant.  

Harris to push back on China’s South China Sea claims during Asia trip 

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala D. Harris will focus on defending international rules in the South China Sea, strengthening US regional leadership and expanding security cooperation during her trip to Vietnam and Singapore this month, a senior White House official told Reuters.  

Chilean study shows variations in success of COVID-19 vaccines

SANTIAGO — Sinovac’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was 58.5% effective in preventing symptomatic illness among millions of Chileans who received it between February and July, the Chilean health authorities said on Tuesday, while Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot was 87.7% effective and AstraZeneca’s was 68.7% effective. 

US, Indonesia commit to South China Sea defense in ‘strategic dialogue’

WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday the launch of a “strategic dialogue” with Indonesia, and Washington said the two countries committed to working together on issues that include defending freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.  

Southeast Asia’s factory powerhouses hit by vaccination woes, Delta

BANGKOK/KUALA LUMPUR — Fresh outbreaks of the Delta coronavirus variant in Southeast Asia have crippled its factory sector, disrupting global supplies of goods such...

When the chips are down: global shortage to keep crimping carmakers

LONDON — BMW and Stellantis became the latest major carmakers to warn on Tuesday that the global semiconductor chip shortage that has bedeviled the industry this...

Why EU is paying more for new COVID shots

BRUSSELS — The European Union (EU) has agreed to pay a premium on new orders of COVID-19 vaccines because it is requiring tougher terms to be met, European officials said, as the bloc tries to protect supplies after a rocky start to its vaccination campaign.

Japan to hospitalize only most serious COVID-19 cases in surge

TOKYO — Japan will hospitalize only COVID-19 patients who are seriously ill and those at risk of becoming so while others isolate at home, officials said, as worries grew about a strained medical system amid a surge in Olympics host city Tokyo and elsewhere.

China’s Wuhan to test all 12 million residents after Delta variant found

BEIJING — China’s Wuhan city will test all of its 12 million residents for the coronavirus, an official said on Tuesday, after the place where the virus emerged in late 2019 confirmed its first domestic cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Tencent tumbles after China media calls online gaming “spiritual opium”

By Brenda Goh and Samuel Shen
SHANGHAI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Tencent Holdings Ltd shares were on track to fall by their most in a decade on Tuesday after a...