Latest COVID-19 Updates: Thailand tally surges, Japan shortens business hours
Thai PM blames COVID-19 surge on illegal migration, Japan PM said the government may ask restaurants and bars to further shorten business hours, Covid cases recorded in Antarctica for the first time after 36 Chileans fall ill at the research base,...
Thai people queuing up for COVID test. (Photo: BBC)
Thailand tally keeps on surging, PM blames on illegal migration
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday (Dec 22) blamed a spike in coronavirus cases on illegal migration after the country's biggest outbreak yet saw more than 1,000 infections, mostly among workers from Myanmar at a seafood market near the capital.
Authorities have suspected some workers may have entered the country illegally as infections soared in neighboring Myanmar, where about 117,000 cases have been recorded. At least a dozen infected Thai nationals are also known to have returned from Myanmar in the last month without passing through immigration or undergoing quarantine.
Prayut said he would meet his COVID-19 task force this week and discuss "additional regulations that may be appropriate for the evolving situation," without elaborating, according to Channel News Asia.
Health officials reported 427 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday and urged about 1,000 people from a quarter of the country's provinces who had visited the seafood centre this month to report to authorities. The new cases include 16 people in eight different provinces, with five of the infections in Bangkok.
Japan's COVID-19 death toll tops 3,000 Tuesday. (Photo: Japan Times)
The project, titled "Ensuring Adolescent Girls Learn and Stay Protected from Sexual and Gender-based Violence during Covid-19," funded by Beiersdorf, was implemented by Plan International Vietnam in Yen Minh and Meo Vac districts of Ha Giang province.
Under South Africa's 2025 G20 Presidency, the country’s priorities include leveraging climate finance for developing countries, enhancing capacity for adaptation and mitigation and promoting a just energy transition, says the author.
India and Egypt are seeking further cooperation in startups, fintech, cyber and artificial intelligence, Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said after the two countries held their first strategic dialogue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on October 14 that Vietnam welcomes the agreement between Israel and Hamas and stands ready to take part in international efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
India and Canada have launched a "New Roadmap for bilateral relations", aiming to reinvigorate strategic partnership across trade, technology, energy, climate action, and people-to-people exchanges, as per a joint statement issued after a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Monday.
India and the United Kingdom have agreed to deepen their defence and security partnership through enhanced military exchanges, training collaborations, and joint capability-building initiatives, as per an official statement.
On October 8, the 34th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting was held in Selangor, Malaysia, with the participation of ministers and heads of delegations responsible for the ASCC from 10 ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and a delegation from Timor-Leste as an observer.
In the solemn halls of the United Nations Human Rights Council, words can carry extraordinary weight. Today, during the Council’s 60th Session, one such voice resonated with clarity and hope