Sydney pilots home quarantine as Australia looks to reopen border
SYDNEY — Australian officials will trial a home quarantine system for fully vaccinated international travelers arriving in Sydney, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on...
Glasgow climate summit at risk of failure, UN chief warns
UNITED NATIONS — United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said a critical meeting on climate change later this year in Scotland is at risk of...
Hong Kong teachers exit under shadow of security law, schools scramble to fill gaps
HONG KONG — For his last class in Hong Kong in July, liberal studies teacher Fong showed his students calligraphy by the territory’s late...
British study to test mixed COVID-19 vaccine dose schedules in children
LONDON — A British study will look into the immune responses of children to mixed schedules of different coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines as...
Australia to welcome top overseas talent
HUNDREDS of overseas workers could be welcomed to Australia in the next 10 months, under travel exemptions for holders of a government visa created to aid the post-pandemic recovery — even as tens of thousands of its own citizens remain stranded overseas.
Taiwan plans $9-B boost in arms spending
TAIPEI- — Taiwan proposed on Thursday extra defense spending of T$240 billion ($8.69 billion) over the next five years, including on new missiles, as it warned of an urgent need to upgrade weapons in the face of a “severe threat” from giant neighbor China.
New Zealand’s economy surges in Q2, supporting rate hike call
WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s economy grew at a much faster pace than expected in the second quarter, officials said on Thursday, reinforcing views that the central bank will start raising interest rates despite a recent outbreak of the coronavirus.
Indonesia in talks with WHO to become global vaccine hub — minister
JAKARTA — Indonesia is in talks with the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as six drug companies to become a global hub for manufacturing vaccines, its health minister told Reuters.
Australia to get US nuclear submarine technology as China looms large
WASHINGTON/CANBERRA — The United States, Britain, and Australia said on Wednesday they would establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific that will involve helping Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as Chinese influence over the region grows.
UNICEF calls for schools to reopen in pandemic-hit nations
MANILA — The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF has urged education authorities to reopen schools as soon as possible in countries where millions of students are still not allowed to return to classrooms 18 months into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine protection wanes, makes case for booster
CHICAGO — New data from Moderna Inc.’s large coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine trial shows that the protection it offers wanes over time, supporting the case for booster doses, the company said in a news release on Wednesday.
Billions blown as Macau casino investors fold amid gambling review
HONG KONG — Shares of Macau casino operators on Wednesday shed as much as a third of their value, losing about $18 billion, as...