International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
LONDON (AP) — Britain opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and the European Union on Monday as travel industry leaders urged the government to further ease restrictions and allow people to enjoy the benefits of a successful COVID-19 inoculation program. The new rules came into effect amid reports that Prime Minister
HONG KONG (AP) — A pro-democracy protester was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison in the closely watched first prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law as the ruling Communist Party tightens control over the territory. Tong Ying-kit, 24, was convicted of inciting secession and terrorism for driving his motorcycle into a group of
(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has described the Delta variant of the coronavirus as being as transmissible as chickenpox and cautioned it could cause severe disease, the Washington Post said, citing an internal CDC document. The variant was also more likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines, but the health authority said such incidents were very rare, the CDC report posted
Beijing on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BBC, accusing it of broadcasting “fake news” and saying the organization was “naturally unpopular” over its coverage of devastating floods in central China. The broadside by the foreign ministry comes after the BBC called on Beijing to put a stop to the harassment of its journalists
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel will begin offering a third shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID–19 vaccine to people aged over 60, a world first in efforts to slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, launching the campaign, said President Isaac Herzog would be the first to receive the booster, on Friday. Israel was a world leader in the vaccination rollout, with many
More than 4 billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines have been administered around the world, eight months after the vaccination drive started, according to an AFP count Thursday. Global injections have slowed slightly: this fourth billion was reached in 30 days, while it took only 26 days to reach the previous one. The first and second
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese officials sounded the alarm Thursday as Tokyo reported record-breaking coronavirus cases for the third straight day with the Olympics well underway. “We have never experienced the expansion of the infections of this magnitude,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters. He said the new cases were soaring not only in the
Singapore (AFP) – Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea have “no basis in international law”, taking aim at China’s growing assertiveness in the hotly contested waters. Austin’s broadside came at the start of his first trip to Southeast Asia as US defence secretary, as he seeks
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s capital, Tokyo, reported its highest number of new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, days after the Olympics began. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged people to avoid non-essential outings, but said there was no need to consider a suspension of the Games. Tokyo reported 2,848 new COVID-19 cases, exceeding its earlier record of
BEIJING (Reuters) – Antibodies triggered by Sinovac Biotech’s COVID–19 vaccine declined below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients, although a third shot had a strong booster effect, according to a Chinese study. Chinese researchers reported the findings from a study of blood samples from healthy adults aged between 18-59 in a paper published on Sunday, which has not been peer reviewed. Among participants who received two doses,
HONG KONG (Reuters) – The first person charged under Hong Kong’s national security law was found guilty on Tuesday of terrorism and inciting secession in a landmark case that carries long-term implications for how the legislation will reshape the city’s common law traditions. Former waiter Tong Ying-kit, 24, was accused of driving his motorcycle into three riot policemen while carrying a flag with the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,”
Seoul (AFP) – North and South Korea signaled a surprise thaw in relations on Tuesday, announcing a restoration of cross-border communications that were severed more than a year ago and revealing that their leaders had exchanged a series of letters. The North unilaterally cut off all official military and political communication links in June last
