The Republic of Korea's economy expanded at the fastest pace in 11 years in 2021 thanks to a jump in exports and construction activity, tempering declines in capital investment and a slow recovery in the coronavirus-hit service sectors.

Indonesia's parliament has approved a bill to relocate the nation's capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan on Borneo, House Speaker Puan Maharani said on Tuesday.

The Republic of Korea will begin treating coronavirus patients with Pfizer's antiviral pills on Friday, health officials said, as concern mounts over the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Indonesia kicked off its COVID-19 booster programme for the general public on Wednesday, as the world's fourth-most-populous nation hit an almost three-month high in cases amid the rise of the Omicron variant.

Pakistan has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to delay a board meeting meant to consider the country's sixth review until the end of January, the finance ministry said on Monday.

Australia's antitrust regulator said on Tuesday it has contacted suppliers of COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits to examine pricing pressures in the market, as calls grow louder for the government to make the tests free amid a severe shortage

Global COVID-19 infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, Reuters data showed on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant raced out of control and governments tried to contain its spread without paralysing fragile economies.