🇧🇩 Bangladesh

Gang lures girls using TikTok

At least 11 were arrested under suspicions of being members of a Bangladeshi trafficking gang that lured girls and women into neighbouring India’s sex trade using TikTok, Dhaka police said.

Lockdown extensions amid fears of Indian strain

Bangladesh extended its countrywide lockdown by 10 days on Sunday, with particular concern for districts along the border with India, from which the "Delta strain" of COVID-19 has spread to other countries.

🇨🇳 China

US Senate passes bill countering China’s tech sector

Legislation provides more than USD250 billion to help maintain a competitive edge over China in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors.

Calls to investigate the Wuhan lab intensifying

The global scientific community are increasingly calling for an examination into the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic, that has killed more than three million people worldwide, may have emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

🇮🇳 India

Cryptocurrencies explore ways to enter India

Following in the footsteps of market leader Binance, global digital currency exchanges are exploring ways to set up in India while the government goes back and forth on introducing a law that could ban cryptocurrencies.

300 million doses of unapproved coronavirus vaccine ordered

The unnamed vaccine from Indian firm Biological E is in Phase 3 trials, and had showed "promising results" in the first two phases, the federal government said.

🇲🇾 Malaysia

Police use drones to detect high temperatures amid Covid surge

Malaysian Police use drones to detect people with high temperatures in public spaces as part of Covid prevention measures. The drones can detect people’s temperatures from as high as 20m above ground and emit a red light to alert the authorities if someone has a high reading.

🇳🇵 Nepal

PM calls on UK for vaccines

Nepal's prime minister makes an urgent plea for vaccines to his UK counterpart as the nation experiences a devastating second wave of coronavirus. 

🇸🇬 Singapore

Breathonix gets provisional approval for COVID-19 breathalyser test

Authorities give provisional approval for a breath test for COVID-19 developed by local Breathonix Pte Ltd., a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore through its Graduate Research Innovation Program. The Brefence Go COVID-19 breath test system was the first test of its kind to secure provisional authorisation in Singapore.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

One hundred percent vaccination by early 2022 says Army chief

Nation will successfully contain the third wave of COVID-19 and vaccinate its entire population by end 2021 to early 2022 and work to revive economic advancement, Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said.

Monsoon rains cause deadly flooding

Floods and landslides have killed at least 17 people and forced tens of thousands from their homes after days of rain.