China forecasts 2.1bn holiday-season trips
BEIJING: The Chinese government says it expects about 2.1 billion domestic journeys to be made in the country over a 40-day travel season that includes the weeklong Lunar New Year holidays beginning Jan 21, amid fears the large-scale human migration could further spread Covid-19.
29 killed during Mexican drug kingpin's arrest
CULIACAN, Mexico: Ten soldiers and 19 criminal suspects were killed in the operation to arrest Ovidio Guzman, son of the jailed drug trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the Mexican government said on Friday.
Strikes in east Ukraine despite Putin's ceasefire order
Artillery exchanges pounded war-scarred cities in eastern Ukraine on Friday despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin unilaterally ordering his forces to stop attacking for 36 hours.
Indonesia held to 0-0 draw in AFF semi-final
JAKARTA: Indonesia were held to a 0-0 draw by visitors Vietnam in the first leg of their Asean Championship semi-final in Jakarta on Friday as Shin Tae-yong’s side look to reach a second successive final in the Southeast Asian competition.
Businesses' power bills trimmed after outcry
After an outcry from businesses, energy regulators cut the increase in their electricity bills to 13% from 20.5%.
Myanmar junta discusses elections with ethnic groups
Myanmar’s military junta is holding talks with three ethnic rebel groups on staging elections in areas they control, a rebel spokesman said on Friday, as the military prepares for polls the United States has said will be a “sham.”
17 officials give statements in DNP bribery case
Seventeen officials on Friday gave statements to police in connection with the bribery case against the former head of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).
Prince Harry book gets critical mauling in UK
LONDON: Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” has been mauled by British media and commentators who called it “vengeful” and “calculated”, as Buckingham Palace kept silent on the widely leaked contents.
Pheu Thai MP demanded B5m bribe
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions has found Anurak Tangpanitanon, Pheu Thai MP for Mukdahan, guilty of violating the parliamentary ethical code for demanding a 5-million-baht bribe in exchange for passing a proposed budget allocation deal.
BMW touts colour-changing technology
LAS VEGAS: BMW has unveiled the prototype of a car that can change colour and showcases digital features like projecting driving data across the inside of the windshield.
First case of XAY.2 Covid variant confirmed
The country has seen its first confirmed case of the XAY.2 variant of Covid-19 but people close to the patient were not infected, according to the Department of Medical Sciences.
Covid surge exposes China's healthcare gap
TANGSHAN, China: Understaffed and underfunded clinics stand half-empty in parts of the Chinese countryside even as hospitals in major cities heave under an unprecedented Covid wave — an illustration of the stark disparities in the country's healthcare system.
Roi Et schoolgirl stabbed to death
ROI ET: A 14-year-old schoolgirl was stabbed to death in front of shocked students and teachers in Muang district on Friday morning by a male relative who had just got out of prison, police say.
New Indonesia capital branded 'ecological disaster'
BALIKPAPAN, Indonesia: The twisting road that leads to Indonesia's future capital is lined with dense rainforest and pockets of plantations, punctuated every so often with monkeys enjoying a laze out on the tarmac.
Covid strains from West more serious than from China, says virologist
New Covid strains from visitors arriving from western countries could pose a higher health threat than older strains from those arriving from China, says a renowned virologist.
'More the merrier': Asia tourist hubs ready for China influx
TOKYO: In Tokyo's Asakusa tourist district, caricaturist Masashi Higashitani is dusting off his Chinese as he prepares for an influx of travellers after Beijing ends inbound quarantine rules.
China set to reclaim third of global emerging-market stock gauge
China’s equities are poised to claim back a one-third weighting in a benchmark emerging-markets index, following a sharp outperformance sparked by an easing of strict Covid curbs and a pivot to pro-growth policies.
Teslas now over 40% cheaper in China than US
SHANGHAI: Tesla Inc made another round of price cuts on its Model 3 and Y electric vehicles (EVs) in China on Friday, while also introducing its higher-end Model S sedan and Model X to get a better hold on the premium end of the world’s biggest EV market.
With few entry tests, SE Asia may gain most from China's travel revival
SINGAPORE: Southeast Asia's tourist economies are set to be leading beneficiaries of China's scrapping of travel bans as they have steered clear of the Covid-19 tests before entry that Europe, Japan and the United States have imposed on Chinese visitors.
DNP chief faces additional probe into misconduct
Under-fire Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) chief Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya now faces a disciplinary probe into his alleged misconduct.
