HONG KONG: Hong Kong on Friday confirmed it has requested AstraZeneca suspend delivery of its Covid-19 vaccine amid fears of severe side effects and concerns over its efficacy against new variants of the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON: The United States has restricted trade with top Chinese supercomputing centres, saying that Beijing’s growing efforts in the field could have military uses that pose dangers.

NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s junta refused on Friday to let a UN envoy visit the country, despite mounting international efforts for a diplomatic solution to the post-coup crisis.

SAN JUAN: An explosive eruption rocked La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Friday after the government ordered thousands to evacuate their homes nearby.

LONDON: Britain's Prince Philip, a constant presence at Queen Elizabeth II's side for decades, has died at age 99, Buckingham Palace announced. .

BRASILIA: Antonio Sena was flying a single-prop Cessna 210 over the Brazilian Amazon when the engine suddenly stopped, leaving him minutes to find a spot in the jungle to crash-land.

SEOUL: South Korea’s conservative opposition won landslide victories in elections for the mayors of the country’s two biggest cities, results showed Thursday, in a bad sign for Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party a year before the next presidential poll.

BEIJING: China on Thursday accused the UK of sheltering “wanted criminals” after prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law (pic) said he had been granted political asylum there.

THE HAGUE: The EU’s medicines regulator said that blood clots should be listed as a rare side effect of the AstraZeneca jab but the benefits continue to outweigh risks, as several countries battle fresh virus surges amid vaccine shortfalls.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rights campaigners have accused Prime Minister Imran Khan (pic) of “baffling ignorance” after the former playboy cricketer blamed how women dress for a rise in rape cases.