China jails citizen-journalist for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reporting
SHANGHAI — A Chinese court handed a four-year jail term on Monday to a citizen-journalist who reported from the central city of Wuhan at the peak of last year’s coronavirus outbreak, on grounds of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” her lawyer said.
Thai hospital banned from offer to sell COVID-19 vaccine
BANGKOK — A private Thai hospital was ordered on Sunday to stop advertising COVID-19 vaccinations for sale in advance on the grounds that no vaccine is yet approved in Thailand.
S.Korea to accelerate virus vaccine efforts
SEOUL — South Korean officials are vowing to speed up efforts to launch a public coronavirus vaccination programme as the country on Monday announced it had detected its first cases of the virus variant linked to the rapid rise in infections in Britain.
Once a Billionaire Factory, Korea’s Beauty Industry Turns Ugly
Three years ago, Suh Kyung-bae was the second-richest person in South Korea. Today he’s barely Top 10, a stark reversal in a K-beauty boom...
Europe rolls out vaccines in bid to leave the pandemic behind
EUROPE launches a cross-border vaccination program of unprecedented scale on Sunday as part of efforts to end a COVID-19 pandemic that has crippled economies and claimed more than 1.7 million lives around the world.
Ancient snack bar unearthed in Pompeii
ROME — Archaeologists in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby.
Sydney awaits verdict on New Year’s Eve festivities
MELBOURNE — Sydney’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak continued on Sunday with more than a quarter million people in lockdown as Australia’s largest city awaited word on whether any public New Year’s Eve celebrations will be allowed.
Millions of Americans lose jobless benefits as Trump refuses to sign aid bill
By Steve Holland and Richard Cowan
PALM BEACH, Fla/WASHINGTON, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Millions of Americans saw their jobless benefits expire on Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump refused to...
China to leapfrog US as world’s biggest economy by 2028 – think tank
LONDON, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China will overtake the United States to become the world's biggest economy in 2028, five years earlier than previously...
Hong Kong imposes 21-day quarantine for visitors, adds South Africa to banned list
HONG KONG - Hong Kong extended a compulsory quarantine by an extra seven days to 21 days for all visitors outside China, effective Friday,...
Denmark finds 33 cases of new variant of coronavirus
COPENHAGEN, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Denmark has identified 33 infections with the new variant of the coronavirus that has been spreading rapidly in parts...
China to suspend UK flights indefinitely -foreign ministry
BEIJING, Dec 24 (Reuters) - China will suspend direct flights to and from the United Kingdom indefinitely over fears of a new strain of...
