World likely to pay more for meat as food inflation deepens
THERE are signs that the food inflation that’s gripped the world over the past year, raising prices of everything from shredded cheese to peanut butter, is about to get worse.
UN warns Myanmar vs harsh response to coup protesters
THE UNITED Nations (UN) special envoy has warned Myanmar’s army of “severe consequences” for any harsh response to protesters demonstrating against this month’s coup in a call with the military leadership, a UN spokesman said.
WHO approves AstraZeneca COVID vaccine for emergency use
GENEVA — The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine for emergency use, widening access to the relatively inexpensive shot in the developing world.
Australia’s Victoria ‘well placed’ to start easing COVID-19 curbs, premier says
SYDNEY - Australia's Victoria state is well placed to begin easing out of a snap five-day coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews said,...
Dollar in doldrums as recovery optimism thrives
By Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE - The U.S. dollar fell to a three-week low on Tuesday, sterling hit an almost three-year high and commodity currencies rose as vaccination...
Syringe shortage hampers Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination roll out
By Kiyoshi Takenaka
TOKYO - Japan is scrambling to secure special syringes to maximize the number of COVID-19 vaccine shots used from each vial, but manufacturers are...
Malaysia to get first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on Feb. 21
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will get its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines produced by U.S. and German drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech on Feb. 21,...
Myanmar protesters undaunted; Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to judge
PROTESTERS in Myanmar kept up demands on Monday for the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and an end to military rule, undaunted by the deployment of armored vehicles in several parts of the country and tougher laws aimed at cowing dissent.
CDC chief warns it’s too soon to lift COVID-19 mask mandates
NEW YORK --— The head of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention said on Sunday it is “absolutely” too soon to lift mask mandates, citing daily coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case numbers that despite recent declines remain more than double the levels seen last summer.
‘Overjoyed’ Harry and Meghan expecting second child
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are expecting their second child, a spokesperson for the couple said on Sunday.
Bitcoin pulls back from brink of $50,000
SINGAPORE — Bitcoin pulled back from a record high on Monday and other cryptocurrencies slipped, as investors took profits from a record-breaking rally that had pushed bitcoin close to $50,000.
Herd immunity is the end game for the pandemic, but the AstraZeneca vaccine won’t...
In the past fortnight, two vaccine stories made headlines around the world.