Asia

Confidante of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi dies after contracting Covid in junta jail

YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — A confidante of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and stalwart democracy campaigner died Tuesday after becoming infected with Covid-19 in prison, authorities said. Nyan Win, a veteran senior member and former spokesperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party — led by Suu Kyi — was 78. He had been arrested after the February 1 coup removed the NLD from power and was held in Yangon’s notorious Insein […]

China says, Washington hack claims ‘fabricated’, condemns US allies

by Sébastien RICCI BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Tuesday said the US had “fabricated” allegations it carried out a massive Microsoft hack, countering that Washington was the “world champion” of cyberattacks while raging at American allies for signing up to a rare joint statement of condemnation. The United States on Monday accused Beijing of carrying out the March cyberattack on Microsoft Exchange, a top email server for corporations around the world, and charged four […]

Indonesia reports record number of COVID deaths at over 1,300 in 24 hours

Indonesia overtaking India as Asia’s COVID-19 epicenter   Skyrocketing Covid-19 infections and deaths are hammering hospitals in Indonesia which is overtaking India as Asia’s coronavirus epicentre. Desperate patients lining up at hospitals for days before getting proper treatment, as the government has advised infected people with mild symptomps to self quarantine. Many, however, ended up dying at homes. Workers from local community health centers and volunteers have taken the job to go house to house […]

Tokyo’s real life Paw Patrol keeps crime on short leash

by Harumi OZAWA TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — It’s a neighbourhood watch with a difference. A clean-nosed crew, sniffing out trouble and keeping the streets safe for school kids: meet the pups of Tokyo’s real-life Paw Patrol. They might not have the gadgets and gear of their beloved cartoon counterparts, but the dogs of the Wan-Wan (bow-wow) Patrol are firm favourites in Tokyo’s Karasuyama neighbourhood. Twelve-year-old Yurika Igarashi counts on seeing Sakura, a fluffy toy poodle, […]

Iraq market suicide bombing claimed by IS kills nearly 30 on eve of Eid holiday

by Salam Faraj and Ammar Karim BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility early Tuesday for a suicide bombing that ripped through a busy market in the Iraqi capital ahead of Eid holiday celebrations, killing nearly 30 people, according to medical sources. In a message posted to its Telegram channel, the militant group said a suicide bomber named Abu Hamza al-Iraqi detonated his explosive belt in the middle of a crowd in […]

Saudis wanting to travel need two Covid jabs: official

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Any Saudi citizen wishing to travel abroad will be required to have had two doses of coronavirus vaccine from next month, tightening existing measures, the interior ministry said on Monday. “The second dose of the vaccine against Covid will be a condition of all overseas travel for all citizens from August 9, 2021,” the ministry wrote in a statement published by the official SPA news agency. Children under 12, those […]

Coronavirus hits Olympic Village for first time

  by Talek HARRIS Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The chief of the Tokyo Olympics tried to reassure “worried” athletes on Saturday as the Games Village was hit by its first coronavirus case, six days before the pandemic-delayed event opens. As thousands of competitors pour into Japan for the Games, which will largely take place without spectators, the positive test for an unnamed person in the Village heightened worries over biosecurity. About 11,000 […]

75 children killed, around 1,000 detained since Myanmar coup: UN experts

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Dozens of children have been killed and hundreds arbitrarily detained in Myanmar since a coup more than five months ago, UN rights experts warned Friday. The UN child rights committee said it had received “credible information” that 75 children had been killed and around 1,000 arrested in Myanmar since February 1. “Children in Myanmar are under siege and facing catastrophic loss of life because of the military coup,” committee chair […]

Virus cluster at Japan hotel hosting Brazilian Olympians

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — At least eight staff at a Japanese hotel hosting Brazil’s Olympic judo team have tested positive for coronavirus, local officials said Thursday. Health and sports officials at Hamamatsu city, west of Tokyo, said virus screenings were done before the judo delegation of around 30 members arrived there on Saturday. None of the infected individuals came in contact with the athletes, they said. The news comes as Tokyo prepares to host […]

Singapore unveils one of world’s biggest floating solar farms

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore Wednesday unveiled one of the world’s biggest floating solar power farms, covering an area the size of 45 football pitches, as part of the city-state’s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The project is the country’s most ambitious yet, comprising 122,000 panels on Tengeh Reservoir that will produce enough electricity to run its five water treatment plants. Singapore is among the biggest per capita carbon dioxide emitters in Asia and […]

UAE opens Israel embassy after normalization deal

TEL AVIV, Israel (AFP) — The United Arab Emirates opened an embassy in Israel Wednesday, housed in Tel Aviv’s new stock exchange building, in the latest normalization move under a deal brokered by Washington last year. The venue in the heart of Israel’s financial district highlighted the central role economic cooperation has played since the UAE became only the third majority-Arab country to recognize the Jewish state. At the ceremony, attended by new Israeli President […]

13 killed, including 9 Chinese nationals, in Pakistan bus blast: officials

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — Nine Chinese workers were among 13 people killed on Wednesday when a blast on a bus sent it careering down a ravine in north-western Pakistan, officials said. The bus was carrying Chinese engineers, surveyors and mechanical staff to the Dasu dam site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is under construction. “The blast sparked a fire in the engine plunging the vehicle into a ravine, a local government official told AFP, requesting […]