Asia

China reports 76 virus cases, highest daily rise since January

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Monday reported 76 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily rise since January, including 40 domestic transmissions prompting authorities to test millions in eastern Jiangsu province. Beijing has a zero-risk approach to the virus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. It locks down cities and mass tests whenever small clusters appear. Tens of thousands of people are under lockdown in Jiangsu’s provincial capital Nanjing […]

Tokyo Olympics: Carlo Paalam takes down Irish foe

Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam opened his bid for the Tokyo Olympic gold on a good note after beating Irish opponent Brendan Irvine in the first phase of the men’s flyweight event at the Kokugikan Arena in the Japanese capital on Monday. Paalam dominated Irvine in the first round, gaining the nod of all five judges. Irvine somehow got his bearing in the second round, impressing Judges Wulfren Olivares and Bakytzhan Bekpenbetov enough to give him […]

Australia’s Titmus upsets Ledecky to win Olympic 400m freestyle gold

Ariarne Titmus upset Katie Ledecky to claim the Olympic 400m freestyle gold medal Monday in the second-fastest time ever swum, with the American great having to settle for second. The Australian inched clear over the final 50m to touch in 3min 56.69sec. Only world record holder Ledecky has ever gone quicker. Ledecky hit the wall for silver in 3:57.36, with China’s Li Bingjie a distant third in 4:01.08. “At the 200, I was a little […]

Britain’s Peaty wins 100m breaststroke gold to defend Olympic title

Adam Peaty became the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title Monday when he claimed gold in the 100m breaststroke, clocking the fifth fastest time in history. The 26-year-old powered to the line in 57.37sec ahead of Dutchman Arno Kamminga (58.00), the only other swimmer besides Peaty to ever go under 58 seconds. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi took bronze in 58.33. Looking exhausted but ecstatic, he bowed to the stadium when he climbed out of […]

‘Too picky’ Gilmore crashes out of Olympic surfing

Australian seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore admitted she had been “too picky” after her dream of winning Olympic surfing’s first gold medal ended in a shock defeat on Monday. Gilmore was bundled out in the third round at the Tokyo Games by unheralded South African Bianca Buitendag — seeded 17 out of 20 surfers. Buitendag took the lead at Tsurigasaki Beach by jumping on the first big wave of the contest, and Gilmore was left […]

Canada’s MacNeil wins women’s Olympic 100m butterfly gold

Canada’s Maggie MacNeil powered to the women’s 100m butterfly gold medal in the third-fastest time ever Monday to unseat Swedish defending champion and world record holder Sarah Sjostrom. MacNeil delivered a stunning burst of speed over the final 50m to touch in 55.59sec and edge China’s Zhang Yufei (55.64) into second while Australia’s Emma McKeon (55.72) who took bronze. Sjostrom finished seventh, well off the pace. “I actually have no words right now, I can’t believe […]

Hidilyn Diaz, Margielyn Didal open Olympics medal campaign

  Irish Magno let her fists do the talking against an outclassed opponent from Kenya in the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, the day after Carlos Yulo couldn’t get his act together in men’s gymnastics. Cris Nievarez was fifth—and out of the semifinals race—in his quarterfinals stint in rowing’s men’s singles sculls, but no one’s bashing the 21-year-old Olympic first-timer who traces his humble beginnings from Atimonan, Quezon. Magno outclassed Kenya’s Christine Ongare on Sunday, scoring […]

Irish Magno wins Tokyo Olympic debut

  Filipina boxer Irish Magno took a win at the start of the Tokyo Olympics campaign on Sunday at the Kokugikan Stadium in the Japanese capital after beating Kenya’s Christine Ongare. In their women’s flyweight contest, Magno, ranked 25th in the world, engaged the 17th seeded Ongare in the first round and landed the more accurate shots to get the round. Magno’s dominance continued in Round 2 even as she remained the better boxer in […]

Biden to welcome weakened Iraq PM amid Iran hostility

by Aurélia End WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi on Monday in his first meeting with the weakened leader, whose loyalties are precariously split between the US ally and pro-Iran factions at home. At the heart of the meeting will be the presence of US troops in Iraq and more broadly, whether Baghdad has what it takes to stand up to residual Islamic State jihadist group […]

Villagers flee fresh floods in central China as typhoon approaches

by Laurie Chen with Ludovic Ehret in Xinxiang ZHENGZHOU, China (AFP) — Villagers were evacuated over makeshift bridges Friday as floods submerged swathes of central China following a historic deluge that claimed at least 56 lives — while an approaching typhoon threatened to dump more rain on the stricken area. Millions have been affected by the floods in Henan province, which have trapped people for days without fresh food or water and blocked roads as […]

Virus-wracked Indonesia to loosen Covid-19 curbs

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Virus-wracked Indonesia said Sunday that small businesses and some shopping malls could reopen despite warnings that loosening curbs could spark another devastating Covid-19 wave, even as it moved to extend a web of restrictions launched this month. President Joko Widodo said measures imposed in early July would continue until August 2 as the highly infectious Delta variant tears across the Southeast Asian archipelago, which has been overtaking battered India and Brazil […]

India monsoon death toll climbs to 159, dozens still missing

by Nivrita Ganguly, with Subhash Sharma in Taliye and Glenda Kwek in New Delhi MUMBAI, India (AFP) — The death toll from flooding and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains in India climbed to 159, officials said Sunday, with rescuers searching for dozens more missing. The country’s western coast has been inundated by torrential rains since Thursday, with the India Meteorological Department warning of further downpours over the next few days. Flooding and landslides are […]