SHANGHAI: The northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Sunday advised its nearly 14 million people to stay home while it conducted mass Covid testing after a spate of recent cases, including two caused by the Omicron variant, state-controlled media reported…
Omicron thwarts Grammys, Sundance amid variant surge
LOS ANGELES: The Grammy music awards and the renowned Sundance film festival fell victim Wednesday to Omicron’s relentless march, as the variant’s surge gathered pace in Europe. Citing “uncertainty” surrounding the new coronavirus variant, the Recordin…
Can Europe avert a war between US and China?
European countries are currently divided over whether to join US President Joe Biden’s diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. The episode underscores yet again that when it comes to dealing with China, Europe and the United Stat…
Omicron variant of Covid surges around globe
HONG KONG: Asian financial hub Hong Kong banned flights from eight nations on Wednesday as part of strict new virus curbs, with Omicron outbreaks spiralling out of control from Europe to the United States. The new coronavirus variant is spreading rapid…
A last look back at Asia this year
2022 could not have come fast enough. For many in Thailand and no doubt the rest of the world, new hope based on increased vaccination rates against Covid-19 was overwhelmed by the spread of the Omicron variant at year-end. Thailand’s travel and touris…
Leading uproar, US says new media closure hurts Hong Kong credibility
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday led international condemnation of the latest closure of a pro-democracy media outlet in Hong Kong, saying it undermined the reputation of the Chinese-ruled financial hub. “By silencing indep…
China expands lockdowns as Covid cases climb
BEIJING: Hundreds of thousands more people were ordered to stay home in northern China Tuesday, joining millions under strict lockdown as authorities raced to contain a surge in Covid cases that have reached a 21-month high. China — where the virus eme…
Adieu Prince Philip and Desmond Tutu: 2021’s notable deaths
PARIS: From Britain’s Prince Philip to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, here are some of the most notable deaths of 2021. – January – Phil Spector, who revolutionised 1960s pop music with his “Wall of Sound” but who was jailed for murder in 200…
Thai stars who lifted the clouds of gloom
Like people around the world, the Thais were also unable to escape the wrath of Covid-19, but like everywhere else, the country’s sports fans had their moments to cherish as well. In the year that is drawing towards its close, several Thai athletes enj…
Xi’an locks down as China races to zero-Covid for Olympics
BEIJING: Thirteen million people in a major Chinese city were under strict stay-at-home orders starting Thursday to stop the spread of Covid-19, as authorities scramble to keep their zero-case strategy six weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics. Xi’an — ho…