Asian Business Headlines at 1:06 a.m. GMT
China warns of retaliation for NYSE's delisting of companies
China warns of retaliation for NYSE's delisting of companies
Rwanda has re-introduced tough lockdown measures in its capital Kigali after a surge in coronavirus cases. The government has also banned movement into and out of the city, except for essential services and for tourists, it said, citing a jump in the number of cases found in a given sample of tests, known as the positivity rate. "All employees, public and private, shall work from home, except for those providing essential services," the government said in a statement.
Thailand’s government defended its coronavirus vaccine strategy on Tuesday against opposition criticism that it is too reliant on a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The attack by banned opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit came as Thailand battles its biggest rise in infections and after months of youth-led protests that brought a rare challenge to the monarchy. "These baseless and inaccurate accusations shouldn’t be linked to the work of the institution we revere and love," said Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, referring to the monarchy.
The European Union wants to set up a mechanism that would allow the sharing of surplus COVID-19 vaccines with poorer neighbouring states and Africa, the EU health chief said on Tuesday, in a move that may undercut a WHO-led global scheme. The EU, with a population of 450 million, has already secured nearly 2.3 billion COVID-19 vaccines and candidates from six companies, although most of them still need regulatory approval. "We are working with member states to propose a European mechanism to share vaccines beyond our borders," EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EU lawmakers on Tuesday, confirming a Reuters report from December.
Shopping centres landlord Hammerson has collected just 41% of the rent it was due for the first quarter, it said as it showed how the pandemic is disrupting the business. The firm, a joint owner of the Brent Cross mall and behind Birmingham’s Bullring, said for the December quarter date, which covers the three months ahead, it has so far collected over a third of payments. As at January 17, around a quarter of Hammerson’s tenants in the UK were open, such as ‘essential’ retailers, including supermarkets, and those offering click and collect or takeaways.
It was later released into water near the village of Palligumula in Berhampur district. Snake catchers said it took them four hours to remove python from the machine, as it had gone inside the engine.
The Swiss government recommended on Tuesday that voters reject a proposal in a planned March 7 referendum to ban full facial coverings such as burqas and niqabs worn by some Muslim women, saying the move would hurt tourism. Under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, any proposal to change the constitution goes to a popular vote if supporters raise more than 100,000 signatures. In 2009 Swiss voters backed a proposal to ban the construction of new minarets.
India’s homegrown coronavirus vaccine developer Bharat Biotech on Tuesday warned people with weak immunity and other medical conditions including allergies, fever or a bleeding disorder to consult a doctor before getting the shot — and if possible avoid the vaccine. It said severe allergic reactions among vaccine recipients may include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, rapid heartbeat, body rashes, dizziness and weakness. The vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech ran into controversy after the Indian government allowed its use without concrete data showing its effectiveness in preventing COVID-19.
Tara shows you how to make the perfect French-inspired party recipe - a delicious fondant au chocolat!
Dr Sarah Schenker is a registered dietician and is on hand to talk to you about gluten.
Hundreds of youths clashed with police in cities across Tunisia late on Monday, throwing stones and gasoline bombs in the capital as security forces used tear gas and water cannons to try to quell the unrest. Up to 300 young men clashed with police in the capital's Ettadamon district, Reuters journalists there said, while residents of Kasserine, Gafsa, Sousse and Monastir described street violence in those cities. Rioting and protests have followed the 10th anniversary of a revolution that brought democracy but few material gains for most Tunisians, with anger growing at chronic joblessness and poor state services.
An angry mob ransacked a local radio station in northern Afghanistan last week after a mosque imam incited the attackers, claiming loud music played by the station had interfered with his prayer service, an international journalists group said Tuesday. The International Federation of Journalists condemned the attack last Friday in the city of Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz province. It quoted Mohsen Ahmad, director of the Zohra Radio that was targeted in the attack, as saying the mob had damaged station equipment and forced it to halt transmission for several hours.
"Girls are way hotter... we know this"
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was detained on his return to Russia for violating a suspended sentence, is due in court Wednesday on separate charges of defaming a World War II veteran, his lawyer said.
The European Union's executive has warned this month that national plans so far for spending a record 1.8 trillion euros from the bloc's joint coffers to revive economies mauled by the COVID-19 pandemic were too poor to fly, sources told Reuters. The chilling assessment, shared with EU envoys at a Jan.7, closed-door meeting the content of which was described to Reuters by three diplomatic sources, highlights the uphill battle the 27-nation bloc faces in spending so much money.
JOHOR BARU, Jan 19 — PKR Youth accused Perikatan Nasional ministers and leaders of not observing the standard operating procedures of the movement control order. PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasrullah...
Details of Joe Biden’s bumper stimulus plan hoped to fuel shares
Some of the world's top tennis players including No. 1 Novak Djokovic have questioned Australia's strict quarantine rules ahead of the Australian Open tournament that kicks off next month. But Australian authorities again echoed their earlier stance, that the rules would not be bent for anyone. More than 70 players and their entourages are confined to their hotel rooms after passengers on three charter flights tested positive for the coronavirus. On the top of the list for requests, players demanded that they should be allowed to train on tennis courts during their mandated 14-day hotel quarantine. On Tuesday, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said the answer was simply "no". Tournament director Craig Tiley spoke to the players on a call Monday night to smooth over their concerns: "On that call there were about 500 players and the vast majority are happy to be here, pleased to be here and really getting ready in the next two weeks to be able to get out and play the lead-in events and then play the Australian Open." Meanwhile in neighbouring state, New South Wales, Hollywood actor Matt Damon was granted an exemption from hotel quarantine after arriving in Sydney to film a sequel to the superhero film "Thor". Damon flew in on a private jet, will stay in a rented house under security and pay for hospital-grade cleaning for his 14-day quarantine, that's according to a doctor involved with his quarantine who spoke to local media. Australians questioned how the government could make room for 1,200 tennis players and their entourages for next month's Australian Open, but not its own citizens who are stranded overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic. The country has halved the number of people who can return to the country each week, as positive coronavirus cases in hotel quarantine rise.
Colombian to ride Giro d'Italia as UAE's Tour de France squad revolves around Pogacar
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to extend coronavirus restrictions until Feb. 15 and make medical masks obligatory on public transport and in shops, according to a draft resolution by the federal government seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The draft proposed keeping schools closed until mid-February and improving aid for companies affected by the lockdown extension.
The head of Lebanon's main coronavirus hospital Tuesday backed the extension of a total lockdown to curb soaring infection figures and save a fragile healthcare system from collapse.