‘Vaccine nationalism’: Is it every country for itself?

It's dog eat dog in the world of Covid-19 vaccines. That's the fear of global health agencies planning a scheme to bulk-buy and equitably distribute vaccines around the world. They are watching with dismay as some wealthier countries have decided to go it alone, striking deals with drugmakers to secure millions of doses of promising candidates...

Scientists solve mystery of the origin of Stonehenge megaliths

Scientists have solved an enduring mystery about Stonehenge, determining the place of origin of many of the megaliths that make up the famed monument in Wiltshire, England, thanks to a core sample that had been kept in the United States for decades. Geochemical testing indicates that 50 of Stonehenge’s 52 pale-gray sandstone megaliths, known as sarsens,...

Coronavirus dampens Japanese man’s plan to rescue bathhouse culture

Craft beer, live music and lodging featured in renovation plans that Takuya Shimbo had for an aging Tokyo bathhouse, hoping to rescue a fading industry from extinction by reinventing the concept of communal bathing. Then the novel coronavirus struck. The government deemed Japan’s few remaining bathhouses as critical for public hygiene so it requested they stay open,...

Huawei makes Forbes’ valuable brands list

Telecom giant Huawei became the only Chinese technology brand listed in this year's list of the world's most valuable brands, released by Forbes. Ranked 93rd on the list, Huawei registered $8.5 billion (S$11.6 billion) in brand value and $188.6 billion in brand revenue. Forbes' annual list looks at the top 100 companies from fiscal year 2019, valuing...

Prince Harry took offence at brother’s advice, says book

Britain's Prince Harry took offence at what he thought was Prince William's "snobbishness" when he advised his brother to "take as much time as you need to get to know this girl" when he was dating Meghan Markle, a new book says. Harry and his wife, Meghan, have distanced themselves from the book called Finding Freedom,...

Asia battles second wave of coronavirus with fresh lockdowns

Countries around Asia are confronting a second wave of coronavirus infections and are clamping down again to try to contain the disease, with Australia recording a record daily rise in cases and Vietnam locking down the city of Danang. In China, infections not involving people returning from overseas hit the highest number since early March, with...

Hong Kong to ban all restaurant dining, mandate masks outdoors: Media

Hong Kong on Monday will announce further restrictions to curb the surge in coronavirus cases, including a total ban on restaurant dining and mandated facemasks outdoors, media reported. The new rules will take effect from Wednesday, local television channels Cable TV and Now TV said, as authorities warned it was a critical period to contain the...

North Korea Records First Covid-19 Case? Suspect To Be Punished

North Korea has gone into lockdown after leader Kim Jong-un declared an emergency following the country’s first suspected Covid-19 infection. According to Reuters, the person in question had just returned from South Korea after illegally crossing the border 3 years ago. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Covid-19 symptoms after returning to the town of Kaesong. KCNA’s statement...

Harry and Meghan sue paparazzi to protect son’s right to privacy

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, filed a lawsuit in California on Thursday against unnamed paparazzi photographers for allegedly taking “illegal” photographs of their son, Archie. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, cited “serial intrusions” of privacy of the couple’s 14-month old child, and came as...

China’s sex toy makers enjoy boom as coronavirus lockdowns fuel global appetite

Sex toy manufacturers in China have seen a surge in orders since the start of the coronavirus, marking one of a few bright spots in an economy battered by the pandemic, according to industry insiders. China's economy, including its manufacturing outlook and exports, crashed at the start of the year at the height of the outbreak...