As the debate continues over the origins of the coronavirus, a heated political battle is taking place over virus research carried out in China using United States (US) funds.It's linked to the unproven theory that the virus could have leaked from a lab in Wuhan, the Chinese city where it was first detected.A report released by Republican lawmakers cites "ample evidence" that the lab was working to modify coronaviruses to infect humans and calls for a bipartisan investigation i

Authorities in China's Wuhan said Tuesday they would test the city's entire population for COVID-19, as the virus returned to the place where it first emerged and the highly contagious Delta variant drove tightening lockdowns worldwide.A resurgent virus has returned with a vengeance, buoyed by stalling vaccination rates and deadly new mutations even in places which had long touted their successes in overcoming the worst of the pandemic. China brought domestic cases down to

The United States (US) said Monday that Myanmar's junta was playing for time with a two-year election timeframe as Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to encourage Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to appoint an envoy.Blinken is participating virtually in a week of talks involving foreign ministers of ASEAN, the latest bid by President Joe Biden's administration to engage a region at the frontlines of US competition with China.Ahead of the ASEAN talks, Myanmar&#0

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:China OutbreakMillions of people are confined to their homes in China as the country tries to contain its largest outbreak in months with mass testing and travel curbs.German Booster Jabs Germany will start offering COVID booster shots to the elderly and at-risk from September, the health ministry says, citing concerns over "a reduced or rapidly declining immune response" among some groups.Sydney LockdownTroops hit

The Delta variant, first identified in India, poses a threat to us all – not just those countries with larger numbers of unvaccinated people.

Chinese cities rolled out mass testing of millions of people and imposed fresh travel restrictions as health authorities battled Sunday to contain the country's most widespread coronavirus outbreak in months.China on Sunday reported 75 new coronavirus cases with 53 local transmissions, with a cluster linked to an eastern airport now reported to have spread to over 20 cities and more than a dozen provinces.The outbreak is geographically the largest to hit China in several months after the

Cambodia began a roll out of COVID-19 vaccinations for teenagers in its capital Phnom Penh and three provinces Sunday, with Premier Hun Sen's grandchildren among the first to get the jab.Several countries in Southeast Asia are currently experiencing a deadly COVID-19 resurgence largely driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, which has set back the region's successes last year in curbing pandemic tolls.While Cambodia appeared to have escaped the brunt of the virus last year, a

Imagine a COVID-19 vaccine that came as a pill: no needles, no medical professionals required to administer it, potentially delivered directly to people's homes. Israeli pharmaceutical Oramed is attempting to accomplish just that, and is poised to start its first clinical trial in early August, CEO Nadav Kidron said in an interview.With just 15 percent of the world's population fully vaccinated, the global fight to end the pandemic is far from over.

Myanmar's military seized power on 1 February, ousting the civilian government and arresting its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.More than 900 people have since been killed and thousands of others arrested after the violent suppression of mass protests against junta rule.Here is a look back at the six months since the military brought Myanmar's nascent democracy to a sudden end:Dawn RaidsSoldiers detain Suu Kyi and her top allies during pre-dawn raids on 1 February, in a coup that ends Mya

As COVID cases surge in Thailand, some Buddhist monks are donning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) over their distinctive robes, delivering oxygen cylinders, taking nasal samples to help with testing, and even helping carry the dead to the crematoriums.Thailand is struggling to contain its latest outbreak fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, leaving healthcare services stretched and further damaging a battered economy."There are a lot of Thais who are still ignored by the p