AstraZeneca finds no evidence of increased blood clot risk from Covid-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca Plc said on Sunday (March 14) a review of safety data of people vaccinated with its Covid-19 vaccine has shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. AstraZeneca’s review, which covered more than 17 million people vaccinated in the United Kingdom and European Union, comes after health authorities in some countries suspended the...

London police face backlash after dragging mourners from vigil for murdered woman

Police detain a woman as people gather at a memorial site in Clapham Common Bandstand, following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, in London, Britain, on March 13, 2021.Reuters London police faced a backlash from the public on Sunday and an official inquiry into their actions after using heavy-handed tactics to break up an outdoor...

Japan worshippers brave smouldering coals to pray for safety

Buddhist monks spreads ambers in a bonfire at the fire-walking festival, called hiwatari matsuri in Japanese, at Mt.Takao in Tokyo, Japan, on March 14, 2021.Reuters Japanese worshippers prayed for the safety of themselves and their families on Sunday by walking barefoot with Buddhist monks over smouldering coals at an annual festival near Mt. Takaosan. The fire-walking was...

Drenched in purple, South Korean islands draw tourists

A general view of the Purple Island in Shinan, South Korea, March 9, 2021. Reuters Dressed all in purple, bent-over women held long rakes aloft as they walked in a line to a lavender field to carry out some pruning on an island in southwest South Korea. Residents dressed in purple clothing work in a lavender field...

Chinese ‘polar bear hotel’ opens to full bookings, criticis

cnsphoto via Reuters A hotel that bills itself as the world’s first “polar bear hotel” has opened in China’s far northeastern Heilongjiang province, drawing both guests and criticism for its central feature: live polar bears. The Polar Bear Hotel, part of the Harbin Polarland theme park in Heilongjiang’s capital and largest city, Harbin, opened its doors on...

Singapore may reopen borders by year-end, PM Lee tells BBC

A handout photo. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during an interview with BBC on March 2, 2021.Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) via Reuters Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a TV interview he hoped Singapore would start re-opening its borders by the end of the year as more countries ramp up vaccination...

Chilli Api Catering suspended after 82 people suffer food poisoning

Chilli Api Catering was ordered to suspend its operations from Sunday (March 14) following a food poisoning outbreak which affected 82 people. Those affected fell ill with gastroenteritis symptoms after eating food prepared by the catering firm between March 10 and 12. Fourteen of them have been hospitalised, and are in a stable condition, the Ministry...

Coronavirus: Filipinos go hungry amid rising pork prices, inflation and job losses

A family is seen in a shanty home in Tondo, Manila. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are especially severe in emerging parts of Southeast Asia.Reuters Jen Armado, a 32-year-old mother of two, was supposed to mark her 10th year as a secretary in a private school in Tanza, Cavite, a coastal town south of Metro...

‘We’re not racist,’ says Britain’s Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview

Prince William said on Thursday (March 11) that Britain's royals were not racist after Meghan Markle, wife of his younger brother, Prince Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie's skin might be. Meghan, 39, made the allegation during an explosive tell-all interview that she and Prince Harry, 36,...

Taiwan Int’l Balloon Festival to kick off in July

2020 Taiwan International Balloon Festival (Courtesy of Taiwan International Balloon Festival) The 2021 Taiwan International Balloon Festival will run from July 3 to Aug. 8 at the Luye Highland for a total of 37 days.   Although this year’s main visual design has not yet been finalized, an official said that the event this year will feature the...