Asia

50 dead in Japan floods as rescuers ‘race against time’

by Charly TRIBALLEAU YATSUSHIRO, Japan (AFP) — Emergency services in western Japan were “racing against time” on Tuesday to rescue people stranded by devastating floods and landslides that have killed at least 50 people, with more torrential rain forecast. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its second-highest emergency warning for heavy rain and landslides over vast swathes of the country’s southwest and said “risks are rising” nationwide. At least 50 deaths have been confirmed in the […]

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Rain hampers rescue efforts after deadly Japan floods

by Charly TRIBALLEAU KUMAMOTO, Japan (AFP) — Torrential rain hampered the efforts of tens of thousands of rescue workers in southwestern Japan Monday as they hunted for survivors from deadly floods and landslides, with more downpours forecast. Around 50 people were feared dead after heavy rain lashed areas of western Japan from early Saturday, causing rivers to burst their banks and flood low-lying regions. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned the weather front was heading across […]

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Hundreds of drones light up Seoul sky with virus messages

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Hundreds of drones lit up the night sky in Seoul for a spectacular showcase of motivational and awareness messages as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic. Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river — which runs through the South Korean capital — for the eyecatching flash mob. The show began with messages reminding people of key precautionary measures, including wearing masks, washing hands […]

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India caseload surges as experts warn of virus going airborne

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India on Monday became the country with the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world, as a group of scientists said there was now overwhelming evidence that the disease can be airborne — and for far longer than originally thought. With the globe’s hardest hit nation, the United States, struggling to come to grips with the new normal of social distancing and mask-wearing, officials there warned that some of the country’s […]

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Shallow 4.6-magnitude earthquake rocks Kabul: USGS

KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — A shallow 4.6-magnitude earthquake rocked Kabul on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, sending crowds into the streets of the Afghan capital. The quake shook Kabul at 8:36 pm (1606 GMT) with such violence that some residents at first thought it was a new explosion in the war-torn city. Despite the intensity of the jolt, there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage in the hours afterward. The USGS […]

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Virus pushes US hospitals to the brink, India hits record new cases

by Ben Sheppard Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Officials at the epicenter of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the United States warned Sunday their hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed by the upsurge, as India registered a record number of new cases. In signs of progress, Formula One returned with the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix held behind closed doors, while the Louvre museum in Paris will reopen on Monday after a […]

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China clashes with US over new Hong Kong security law

by Jerome TAYLOR HONG KONG, China (AFP) — China promised Thursday to take “strong countermeasures” if the US presses ahead with tough new sanctions that target banks over infringements on Hong Kong’s autonomy, after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the restless financial hub. Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism from primarily Western nations over its decision to impose a law outlawing acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces in […]

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Taj Mahal remains shut as India reports record daily virus cases

by Jalees ANDRABI NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s top tourist attraction the Taj Mahal will remain shut, officials said Sunday, as the vast nation registered a record daily number of coronavirus cases and opened a sprawling treatment centre in the capital to fight the pandemic. The health ministry reported just under 25,000 cases and 613 deaths in 24 hours — the biggest daily spike since the first case was detected in late January. The […]

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Desperate searches as dozens feared dead in Japan floods

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Rescue workers in Japan on Monday combed through the wreckage of houses shattered by deadly floods and landslides in a desperate search for survivors as the death toll rose and more torrential rain loomed. At least 36 people are feared dead after record rains lashed areas of western Japan in the early hours of Saturday, causing rivers to break banks and flooding low-lying regions. “Rescue workers are tirelessly continuing the search […]

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16 dead in Japan as heavy rain triggers floods, mudslides: media

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — At least 16 people are dead after torrential rain in Japan triggered massive floods and mudslides, local media said Sunday, as rescue workers sift through debris in search of a dozen missing. The floods in Kumamoto region on the southwestern island of Kyushu have destroyed houses, swept away vehicles and caused bridges to collapse, leaving many towns submerged and communities cut off. More than 200,000 people have been ordered to […]

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Kim signals North Korea to keep border closed

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned against the “hasty” relaxation of anti-coronavirus measures, state media reported Friday, indicating the country will keep its borders closed for the forseeable future. The nuclear-armed North closed its borders in late January as the virus spread in neighboring China and imposed tough restrictions that put thousands of its people into isolation. Pyongyang insists it has not had a single case of COVID-19, the […]

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India greenlights purchase of 33 Russian fighter jets

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s defence ministry Thursday signed off on the purchase of 33 Russian fighter jets and upgrades to 59 others worth $2.4 billion, amid rising tensions with nuclear-armed neighbour China. The purchase of 21 MiG-29 and 12 SU-30 MKI, as well as upgrades to 59 existing MiG-29s, was to “augment” the Indian Air Force’s combat squadrons, the ministry of defence said. New and additional missile systems to be manufactured in India […]

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