Pacific may be most likely to see ‘strategic surprise’ -U.S. policymaker Campbell
By David Brunnstrom and Kirsty Needham
WASHINGTON - The Pacific may well be the part of the world most likely to see "strategic surprise," the U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Monday, in comments apparently referring to possible Chinese ambitions to...
U.S. reports at least 1.1 mln COVID cases in a day, shattering global record
By Lisa Shumaker
The United States reported at least 1.13 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total of any country in...
Myanmar court sentences ousted leader Suu Kyi over walkie-talkies
A COURT in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced on Monday ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in jail on several charges including possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies, a source familiar with the proceedings said.
World’s largest maker of condoms says usage down during pandemic
THE WORLD’S largest maker of condoms hasn’t been spared from the coronavirus pandemic as the use of its products slumped as much as 40% in the last two years.
Australia vows to ‘push through’ Omicron wave as infections cross 1 million
SYDNEY — Australia must “push through” the fast-moving Omicron outbreak, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as infections surpassed 1 million, more than half in the past week alone, throwing a strain on hospitals and supply chains.
Kazakh president steps up purge of security agency after mass unrest
ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s president fired two more top security officials on Sunday after the worst unrest in three decades of post-Soviet independence and authorities said the situation was stabilizing, with Russian-led troops guarding key facilities.
China’s Tianjin tightens control over travel after Omicron cases
BEIJING — The northern Chinese city of Tianjin tightened exit controls and is requiring residents to obtain approval from employers or community authorities before...
No concessions, no breakthroughs: Russia, US cast pall on Ukraine talks
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON — Russia said on Sunday it would not make concessions under US pressure and warned that this week’s talks on the Ukraine crisis...
Germany assessing reliability of antibody tests for Omicron — minister
FRANKFURT — Germany will study how reliable rapid antigen tests are in detecting the fast-spreading Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health Minister...
China reports country’s first community spread of Omicron
CHINA saw its first Omicron cases in the community, igniting a mass testing blitz in the northern city of Tianjin as the country strives to maintain its zero-tolerance approach to COVID in the face of more transmissible variants.
Vaccine skeptics slammed across Europe amid surge
FROM Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron, Europe’s leaders are increasingly going after anti-vaxxers as the battle against the fast-spreading Omicron variant deepens the region’s pandemic fatigue.
EU plans law requiring tech companies to do more to fight child sexual abuse
FRANKFURT — The European Union (EU) plans to legislate in the coming months to require technology companies to do more to tackle child sexual abuse, beefing up current voluntary arrangements, a top official said in a newspaper interview.