Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga came into office pledging to devote himself to tackling the coronavirus, but in the end his response to the pandemic appears to have been his undoing.When Suga took office in September, Japan had already weathered early waves of the virus, settling on a policy that depended on the population being careful while the economy mostly stayed open.And it was the attempt to keep business moving which led to the first crisis of his administration, over a domesti

Indonesians expressed concerns over the security of their personal medical data Saturday after the president's coronavirus vaccine certificate was leaked and a large test app also appeared compromised.Indonesia has a weak cyber security record, with poor online literacy and frequent leaks previously.Joko Widodo's vaccine certificate – which circulated online, showing his censored ID number and vaccination times – was leaked by users who found his data on official vaccine-monitoring

Pro-democracy protesters vented their anger in Bangkok's heavy rain Saturday after Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha survived a no-confidence vote in parliament.More than 300 demonstrators marched in central Bangkok's main shopping mall district carrying red flags and wearing ponchos in the downpour."The government should be gone.

United States (US) paediatric COVID hospitalisations have surged since Delta became predominant, but a new study that offers a first look at the relevant data suggests that fears the variant causes more severe disease are unfounded.The paper by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also found that between 20 June and 31 July, 2021, unvaccinated adolescents were more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalised than those who were vaccinated.The health agency analysed hospital r

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Anti-Vaxx ClashesAnti-vaccination protesters clash with police in London as some try to storm the offices of the United Kingdom (UK) regulator that approves vaccines, with police saying four officers were hurt.

Allegations of misuse of COVID-19 funds have emerged in the Philippines, prompting anger among healthcare workers, who protested in the Philippine capital to demand the release of unpaid benefits as they battle another surge in cases due to the Delta variant.Protesters wearing protective medical gear gathered on Wednesday at the Department of Health (DOH) and held placards demanding their risk allowances, hazard pay and the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque. Duque has r

United States (US) climate envoy John Kerry warned Thursday that Beijing's coal building spree could "undo" global capacity to meet environmental targets, after holding talks with top officials in China.Tensions between Beijing and Washington have soared in recent months with the two sides trading barbs on China's human rights record and its initial handling of the coronavirus.Tackling climate change is among a handful of issues where the two sides had struck notes of harm

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday launched a global data hub in Berlin to analyse information on emerging pandemic threats, filling the gaps exposed by COVID-19.The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence was inaugurated in the German capital by Chancellor Angela Merkel and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said it would fill "a gap in the world's defences"."The COVID-19 pandemic is the defining crisis of our time it has taught the world many

China's new data security law takes effect from Wednesday – the latest effort to tighten oversight of the country's mammoth tech sector.The broadly worded law seeks to tighten the leash on China's tech giants and what they do with information from their hundreds of millions of users. It also comes as fears grow over data security with government departments becoming increasingly dependent on cloud storage services.Beijing has also flagged national security concerns as

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Health Pass Makes France COVID Leader France's controversial health pass helps turn the country from a vaccine laggard into a leader.