Asia

Beijing seals off mall, housing compounds after virus cases found

BEIJING, China,Beijing sealed off a large downtown mall and locked down several residential communities Thursday in response to a recent Covid flare-up, as the latest nationwide wave spread to the capital’s central districts. The latest spike occurred as a sensitive three-day meeting of top Communist Party leaders wraps up in the capital. China has largely curbed widespread transmission of Covid-19 through snap lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, but authorities remain on high alert after […]

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China’s Xi warns of ‘Cold War-era’ tensions in Asia-Pacific

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Thursday against a return to Cold War-era tensions in the Asia-Pacific, urging greater cooperation on pandemic recovery and climate change. Amid growing tensions with the United States over Taiwan, partially offset by a surprise deal between Beijing and Washington on climate, Xi said all countries in the region must work together on joint challenges. “Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles on […]

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Lions at Singapore wildlife park infected with coronavirus

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Four lions at a Singapore wildlife park have tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into contact with infected zookeepers, and have symptoms including coughing and sneezing, officials said Wednesday. The endangered Asiatic lions started displaying signs of illness at the weekend, prompting officials to order coronavirus tests. The infected big cats along with five others at the Night Safari park have been placed in isolation in their den, the government’s […]

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New Japan foreign minister as PM unveils post-election cabinet

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveils his post-election cabinet Wednesday, with a new foreign minister but other posts unchanged as the government begins work on a new pandemic stimulus package. At a special parliament session, lawmakers voted Kishida in as prime minister after his victory in last month’s general election. The soft-spoken moderate took leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in September after former premier Yoshihide Suga decided not to […]

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21 survive Turkey building collapse with no deaths

by Remi BANET ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Twenty-one people survived being buried under heavy debris when a two-storey building collapsed in eastern Turkey, the government said, with no fatalities reported as search operations ended early Wednesday. The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon on a busy street in the city of Malatya, as residents filled shops on their way home from work. “Search and rescue operations in the collapsed Malatya building have come to an end. Thank […]

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At least 10 missing in Turkey building collapse

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — A two-storey building packed with shoppers and diners collapsed in eastern Turkey on Tuesday, burying at least 10 people under heavy debris. The incident occurred on a busy street in the city of Malatya as residents filled shops on their way home from work. Witnesses and media reports said the building crumbled during planned renovation work that resulted in damage to one of the walls separating two of the ground floor […]

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Singapore court delays disabled man’s execution over Covid infection

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — A Singapore court Tuesday postponed the imminent execution of a Malaysian man whom campaigners say is mentally disabled after he tested positive for Covid-19, meaning a last-ditch appeal could not proceed. Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam was arrested in 2009 for trafficking a small amount of heroin into the city-state, which has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws. He was sentenced to death the following year. He was scheduled to be hanged […]

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Chinese city offers cash for clues in Covid ‘people’s war’

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A Covid-hit Chinese city is offering thousands of dollars for anyone giving clues in tracing the source of its latest outbreak, as part of a “people’s war” to stamp out one of the country’s largest resurgences in months. China reported 43 local cases on Tuesday in a Delta-driven surge that has fanned out to 20 provinces and regions, keeping new case numbers in the double-digits over the past three weeks. As […]

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China ruling party plenary to further cement Xi’s grip on power

by Patrick BAERT BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping, the uncontested leader of the world’s most populous nation, heads a pivotal plenary of the ruling party’s top figures next week that will set the tone for his bid for long-term rule. From Monday to Thursday, some 400 members of the Communist Party’s all-powerful Central Committee gather in Beijing behind closed doors. The only such meeting this year paves the way to its 20th […]

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Iraqi PM escapes ‘assassination attempt’ drone blast

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi escaped unhurt from an “assassination attempt” in which an explosives-packed drone hit his Baghdad residence early Sunday, a new escalation in the country’s post-election turmoil. US President Joe Biden condemned the “terrorist attack” and said he was “relieved” Kadhemi was not injured, while Iraqi President Barham Saleh said it was an attempted “coup against the constitutional system”. The attack has not been claimed by any group. […]

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