Asia

China approves world’s first inhalable Covid-19 vaccine

Beijing, China (AFP) Chinese drug regulators have approved the world’s first inhalable Covid-19 vaccine, made by Tianjin-based manufacturer CanSino Biologics, boosting the company’s share price by seven percent on Monday. The National Medical Products Administration gave the go-ahead for the vaccine for emergency use as a booster, the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sunday. Following the announcement, company shares surged 14 percent on Monday morning before closing 7.1 percent higher than […]

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Strong earthquake in southwest China kills 21

Beijing, China (AFP) by Matthew WALSH At least 21 people were killed when a strong earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday, state media reported, as violent tremors in a remote region damaged homes and left some areas without electricity. The magnitude 6.6 quake hit about 43 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey. Fourteen people lost their lives […]

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At least six killed in Afghanistan earthquake

  KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — At least six people were killed and nine others injured after an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan overnight, an official said on Monday. The 5.3-magnitude temblor that hit districts along the eastern border with Pakistan comes less than three months after a powerful quake killed more than 1,000 people, also along the same frontier. The latest quake was felt in the provinces of Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar, and in the capital […]

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Seven dead in SW China earthquake: state media

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — At least seven people were killed when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday, state media reported. Initial surveys showed that a number of towns in Sichuan province had sustained “serious damage to housing due to mountain landslides” while telecommunication lines had been cut off in some areas, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The quake shortly before 1 pm (0500 GMT) Monday hit around 43 kilometres (26 miles) southeast […]

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Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes southwest China: USGS

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake hit around 43 kilometers (26 miles) southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of any casualties. Tremors were felt in the nearby megacity of Chengdu, a resident told AFP. “I felt it quite strongly,” a woman surnamed Chen said. […]

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China’s No. 3 leader to visit Russia next week

Beijing, China (AFP) China’s top legislator Li Zhanshu will visit Russia next week, state media reported Sunday, becoming the highest-ranking Communist Party politician to travel to the country since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Beijing and Moscow have drawn closer in recent years, ramping up cooperation as part of what they call a “no limits” relationship, acting as a counterweight to the global dominance of the United States. Meanwhile, tensions between China and the West have […]

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US approves $1.1 billion in arms for Taiwan, angering China

  by Shaun TANDON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Friday announced a $1.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, vowing to keep boosting the island’s defenses as tensions soar with Beijing, which warned Washington of “counter-measures.” The sale comes a month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defiantly visited the self-governing democracy, prompting mainland China to launch a show of force that could be a trial run for a future […]

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Russians bid to farewell to Gorbachev, but without Putin

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will be laid to rest Saturday in a Moscow ceremony, but without the fanfare of a state funeral and with the glaring absence of President Vladimir Putin. With Russia isolated by its military campaign in Ukraine, no foreign leaders are expected to attend what will be a relatively low-key affair to remember one of the great political figures of the 20th century. Gorbachev — affectionately […]

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Myanmar’s Suu Kyi sentenced to three years for electoral fraud: source

  YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — A Myanmar junta court sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in jail on Friday for electoral fraud over 2020 polls which her party won in a landslide. Suu Kyi was “sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour”, a source with knowledge of the case said, adding that the Nobel laureate, 77, appeared to be in good health. Detained since a putsch last year, Suu Kyi […]

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10 times normal rainfall drove vast Pakistan flooding: ESA

  Paris, France (AFP) Rainfall 10 times heavier than usual caused Pakistan’s devastating floods, the European Space Agency said Thursday, as it released satellite images of a vast lake created by the overflowing Indus river. Rains, described by UN chief Antonio Guterres as a “monsoon on steroids” have claimed hundreds of lives since June, unleashing powerful floods that have washed away swathes of vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes. Data […]

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Chinese city of 21 million shuts down over Covid outbreak

Beijing, China (AFP) Around 21 million people in the Chinese city of Chengdu effectively went into lockdown on Thursday as authorities raced to snuff out a new Covid-19 outbreak. China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid policy, stamping out virus flare-ups with snap shutdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines. Chengdu, in the southwest, became the latest city to announce a shutdown, saying in an official notice that residents must “stay home in […]

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Russia kicks off large-scale military drills in Far East

Moscú, Russia (AFP) Russia on Thursday launched large-scale military exercises involving several Kremlin-friendly countries, including China, with tensions soaring between Moscow and Western capitals. The exercises, called Vostok-2022, are scheduled to take place until September 7 across several training grounds in Russia’s Far East and in the waters off its eastern coast. The drills come as Russia is locked in a stand-off with Western nations over what Moscow calls its military operation in pro-Western Ukraine. […]

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