(Reuters) --- A surge in domestic COVID-19 cases in Taiwan after months of relative safety is intensifying pressure on the government to accept vaccines from China, as the island has vaccinated just 1% of the population with no immediate sign of new shots arriving.
The Chinese-claimed island and Beijing have repeatedly sparred over the pandemic since it began.
BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- More than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Sunday, the National Health Commission said Monday.
A total of 510.858 million doses had been administered in the country, according to the commission.
China is now capable of administering over 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines per day, the commission said.
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Monday, echoing Wall Street’s uneven close last week.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei added 0.2% to 28,379.48. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.4% to 3,142.46, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose nearly 0.2% to 7,041.40. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.4% to 28,339.46, while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.1% to 3,491.58.
Several central bank rate decisions are expected in the region this week, in New Zealand, South Korea and Indonesia.
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand placed barbed wire and checkpoints in several southern villages along the Malaysian border Monday after identifying a cluster of infections with a coronavirus variant that’s believed to spread faster.
The lockdown came as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sought to assure people that his government could manage a recent surge as it is set to start a national vaccination campaign next month.
“Please understand that we can manage this,” Prayuth said as he received the second dose of his coronavirus vaccine.
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in court in person Monday for the first time since the military arrested her when it seized power on Feb. 1, Myanmar media reported.
One of her lawyers, Min Min Soe, told The Associated Press by phone that Suu Kyi was able to meet with her defense team before her hearing began at a special court set up inside the city council building in Naypyitaw, the capital. The hearing’s purpose was procedural.
BEIJING (AP) — Australia said its citizen Yang Hengjun will be tried by a Chinese court on espionage charges on Thursday amid deteriorating relations between the countries.
Yang has been held since arriving in China in January 2019 and has had no access to family and only limited contact with his legal representation, according to Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne.
“Despite repeated requests by Australian officials, Chinese authorities have not provided any explanation or evidence for the charges facing Dr Yang,” she said in a statement.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan mobilized military doctors and nurses to give shots to elderly people in Tokyo and Osaka on Monday as the government desperately tries to accelerate its vaccination rollout and curb coronavirus infections just two months before hosting the Olympics.
BEIJING, May 23 (APP): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)’s special flight PK6853 airlifted another batch of two millions doses of Sinovac vaccine from the Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad on Sunday.
Last Sunday, a special flight PK 6852 had also transported a consignment of one million doses of Sinovac vaccine procured from China to fight the ongoing wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China told APP.
HANOI, May 23 (NNN-VNA) – Over 69 million voters across Vietnam are casting their votes today, to elect deputies to the country’s National Assembly (NA) and members of People’s Councils at all levels.
Held every five years, the election this year, started at 7.00 a.m. local time, at around 80,000 polling stations nationwide.
Tokyo, May 23 (AP) If John Coates was trying to stir controversy, he succeeded.
An International Olympic Committee vice president, Coates was asked a few days ago by a Japanese reporter at an online news conference if the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead, even if a state of emergency were in force in Japan.
Coates replied: Absolutely, yes.
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