The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced on Thursday that it was suspending international air travel to 20 countries where a new strain of coronavirus has been detected. A statement specified that ... ( read original story ...)
The delicate preparations for the pope’s upcoming trip to Iraq
Francis is scheduled to visit Iraq at the beginning of March, but there are great uncertainties over whether he'll actually be able to make the trip ... ( read original story ...)
Heir to South Korea’s Samsung faces day of reckoning after four years of graft trial
Samsung's Jay Y. Lee was convicted of bribing an associate of former President Park Geun-hye and jailed for five years in 2017. ( read original story ...)
Thailand allows visitors to play golf in quarantine
Visitors to Thailand will now be able to spend their quarantine playing golf, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).Six resorts have been approved by the government for quarantine for ... ( read original story ...)
Thailand Moves To Legalize Abortion but Debate Persists Over Fine Print
A draft bill to legalize abortion in Thailand within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy has attracted both praise and criticism for breaking new ground in the fight for women’s reproductive rights while ... ( read original story ...)
Analysis – Less for more in Turkey: costly food starves economic rebound
Food has become so expensive in Turkey that some people are spending what money they have to stock up on rice and pasta to avoid swallowing even higher prices in the months ahead. ( read original story ...)
Philippines Detects First Case of More Contagious Virus Strain
The Philippines said it detected in a passenger who arrived from the United Arab Emirates the first case of the more contagious Covid-19 strain that recently emerged in the U.K. ( read original story ...)
Japan need for fiscal reform becomes acute after virus stimulus – Aso
Japan's heavy bond issuance to fund economic support measures during the pandemic has made the need for fiscal reform even more pressing, Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Friday. ( read original story ...)
Japan’s Hiroshima to conduct large-scale PCR tests to battle COVID-19
Japan's Hiroshima prefecture said on Friday it will carry out large-scale polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to curb the spread of coronavirus, a rarity in a nation that lags far behind many ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s exports seen rising for first time in two years, core CPI to drop further: Reuters poll
Japan's exports likely rose for the first time in two years in December as overseas demand improved, according to a Reuters poll, but a continued surge in coronavirus cases globally and extended ... ( read original story ...)