COVID-19 vaccine emergency approvals are around the corner, makers are preparing to ship millions of doses - and experts are trying to reassure the public that the record-breaking speed of development hasn't compromised safety.One statistic that is key to these persuasive efforts is that almost all side effects from vaccines occur in the six weeks following immunization.Participants in the huge trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna-National Institutes for Health jabs, the two frontr

Thousands of Thai democracy activists rallied in Bangkok Wednesday to demand the king give up control of his multibillion-dollar fortune, turning their protest movement directly on the once-untouchable monarchy's vast wealth.At least 7,000 demonstrators - many brandishing the yellow toy ducks that have become a symbol of the movement - took to the streets near the headquarters of the Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) to protest at the secrecy surrounding King Maha Vajiralongkorn's financia

Tensions are rising around Thailand's pro-democracy protests, with police shooting six people last week and using tear gas and water cannon on the streets of Bangkok.As the Thai capital braces for the next major rally on Wednesday, let’s take a look at the forces in play and what might come next in a country with a long history of political unrest.Protesters Getting Tough After four months of rallies, sometimes involving tens of thousands of demonstrators, the mood is getting to

Human rights lawyers and activists said on Monday that Myanmar is continuing to commit genocide against Rohingya Muslims in breach of orders by the United Nation (UN)'s top court.The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January rejected arguments made personally by Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in The Hague and imposed urgent interim measures on the predominantly Buddhist nation.The ICJ ordered Myanmar to cease the commission of genocidal acts, prevent the destructio

A Malaysian company that is the world's biggest manufacturer of surgical gloves will close over half of its factories after a surge in coronavirus cases among workers, authorities said Monday.Top Glove has seen a huge jump in demand since the start of the pandemic as countries scrambled to stock up on protective equipment, pushing up both its profits and share price. But there has been a cluster of virus outbreaks among Top Glove employees - many of whom are low-paid migrant wor

China will consider joining a free trade pact once championed by the United States (US) but abandoned by Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping said last Friday, as Beijing increasingly seeks to influence the global rules of commerce.The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is an updated version of a giant deal originally backed by former US president Barack Obama as an effort to counter China's rising might in Asia. Trump pulled out of it af

Thousands of high school students upset about Thailand's lacklustre education system rallied alongside protestors dressed as dancing dinosaurs in Bangkok on Saturday.It was the first mass gathering in the kingdom since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha warned authorities would use all laws, including harsh royal defamation charges, to crack down on pro-democracy protesters.Since August, emboldened by a broader political protest movement sweeping Thailand, a group called the "Bad Stud

United States (US) giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech confirmed they would seek approval on Friday to roll out their coronavirus vaccine early as surging infections forced New York to shut schools and California braced for night-time curfews.The world is looking to scientists for salvation from the global pandemic but a second wave of infections is prompting a return to the shutdowns and closures that traumatised nations and upturned the global economy at the start of the year.The f

United States (US) President Donald Trump took part Friday in an Asia-Pacific summit as he pushes on with challenges to his election loss, a day after Xi Jinping used the forum to hail China's growing economic clout.The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering, held online this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, brings together 21 Pacific Rim countries, accounting for about 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).Beijing has become the main driving force behind th

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered security agencies Thursday to crack down on pro-democracy protesters, as rights groups condemned police for using tear gas and water cannon at a Bangkok rally. The country has been rocked since July by youth-led protests demanding a new constitution, unprecedented calls to reform the untouchable monarchy, and for Prayut to resign.Clashes outside parliament Tuesday between pro-democracy protesters and hardline royalists marked a steep rise