NAIROBI, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – A student pilot and instructor died on Tuesday when their aircraft collided with a passenger plane over the Kenyan capital Nairobi, police said. The mid-air incident between local carrier Safarilink and the 99 Flying training school occurred Tuesday morning, Kenyan authorities said. Nairobi police Adamson Bungei confirmed the deaths to AFP via text message without providing further details. An earlier police report seen by AFP said the passenger plane […]
Other News
S. Korea begins licence suspension process against striking doctors
SEOUL, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – South Korea said Tuesday it would start notifying striking trainee doctors that their medical licences would be suspended, as it moves to punish medics who have quit hospitals in protest at training reforms. Thousands of junior doctors handed in their resignation notice and stopped working two weeks ago to protest against an increase in medical school admissions from next year which the government says is meant to help combat […]
ASEAN in Focus – Full broadcast: March 5, 2024 – We live in extraordinary times
Task Force for West Philippine Sea accuses China of attempting to obstruct routine resupply in Ayungin Shoal
Says ‘illegal, irresponsible’ actions led to collisions, injuries to four Filipino ship personnel (Eagle News)–The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea accused the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime militia vessels of attempting to “illegally impede or obstruct” a routine resupply at Ayungin Shoal on different occasions on Tuesday, March 5, leading to collisions and injuries to Philippine vessel crew. In a statement, the task force said because of the “dangerous blocking maneuvers” […]
Uber Eats starts robot deliveries in Tokyo
By Katie Forster TOKYO, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – “Caution: robot!” chirps the green self-driving delivery vehicle as it trundles down the street to a pork cutlet restaurant in Tokyo to pick up a meal ordered on Uber Eats. Starting Wednesday, robot deliveries will be offered in a small area of the city by the US-based food app, which hopes to eventually roll out the service more widely in Japan. The country, facing growing labour […]
ChatGPT-rival Anthropic releases more powerful AI
Anthropic, a major player in generative artificial intelligence, announced new models to fuel its Claude chatbot, the company said on Monday, as ChatGPT faces more rivals. The company said three new AI models – called Claude 3 Opus, Sonnet and Haiku – were its most high-performing tools yet and were industry leading in terms of their ability to match human intelligence. Founded in 2021, Anthropic was created by former employees of OpenAI, the company behind […]
Climbers to pay $13 fee on popular Mount Fuji trail
Hikers using the most popular route to climb Japan’s Mount Fuji will be charged $13 each from July, with numbers capped to ease congestion and improve safety, a regional official said Tuesday. Increasingly large crowds are scaling Japan’s highest mountain, which is covered in snow most of the year but draws more than 220,000 visitors each July-September climbing period. From July 1, an entry fee of 2,000 yen ($13) will be charged per person to […]
Hanoi chokes as Vietnam capital tops most polluted cities list
Vietnamese capital Hanoi was blanketed by a thick haze of pollution on Tuesday that obscured high-rise buildings and left the city’s nearly nine million people breathing toxic air. The city topped air monitoring website IQAir’s table of the world’s most polluted cities early Tuesday afternoon. Levels of PM2.5 pollutants — cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs — were classified as “very unhealthy” and hit more than 24 times the World […]
Lakers rout Thunder, Lillard’s 41 helps Bucks sink Clippers
D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points as the Los Angeles Lakers produced a dominant defensive display to upset the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-104 on Monday. Russell and Anthony Davis (24) combined for 50 points while LeBron James added 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in an ultimately comfortable win for the 17-time NBA champions. Oklahoma City went into the game as leaders of the Western Conference and they started smoothly, opening up a 12-point lead […]
Trade, submarines feature at ASEAN talks in Australia
MELBOURNE, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – Australia unveiled plans to ramp up investment in Southeast Asia on Tuesday, setting aside US$1.3 billion to bolster trade in a region of rising economic might. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the funding as leaders from the 10-nation ASEAN forum met in Melbourne for a three-day summit. “The government I lead has made it clear. More than any other region, Southeast Asia is where Australia’s future lies,” Albanese told […]
Maldives signs China defense deal as India prepares exit
MALÉ, Maldives, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – The Maldives has signed a “military assistance” deal with China after ordering Indian troops deployed in the small but strategically-placed archipelago to leave, officials said Tuesday. Some 89 Indian military personnel in the country will be gone by May 10 after having been previously ordered out by pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu, who came to power last year on an anti-Indian platform. The Maldivian defence ministry said they signed […]
Four rescued after Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashes
KUALA LUMPUR, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – Four people were rescued after a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca on Tuesday, the aviation regulator said. The helicopter was on a training flight when it plunged into water near Angsa island, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said without giving a cause. “A total of four persons including pilots were onboard and there were no fatalities reported. All survivors were rescued by […]
