Tag: Asia

Myanmar’s flooding death toll rises to 113, state media reports

(Reuters) – Myanmar’s death toll from floods rose to at least 113 as of Saturday evening, the country’s military government said on Sunday, following heavy rains brought on by Typhoon Yagi that has caused havoc across parts of Southeast Asia. At least 320,000 people have been displaced and 64 were still missing, government spokesman Zaw Min Tun said, according to a late-night bulletin on state-run MRTV. “The government is conducting a rescue and rehabilitation mission,” […]

Chinese badminton player, 17, dies after collapsing on court

JAKARTA, July 1, 2024 (AFP) – A 17-year-old Chinese player has died after collapsing on court during an international tournament in Indonesia, badminton officials said on Monday. Zhang Zhijie was taken ill during a match late Sunday against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano at the Asian Junior Badminton Mixed Team Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The score was 11-11 in the first game when Zhang suddenly fell to the floor. A doctor and medical team were quickly on […]

Asian markets fluctuate after Wall St rebound, inflation in view

HONG KONG, June 26, 2024 (AFP) – Asian markets swung Wednesday following a tech-led bounce on Wall Street as investors prepare for the release of crucial US inflation data, while the yen fell back towards levels that have stirred intervention warnings from Japanese officials. The euro also remained under pressure ahead of weekend elections in France that polls suggest will see big wins for the far-right and leftwing parties pushing President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists into […]

Malaysia footballer leaves intensive care after acid-attack: official

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14, 2024 (AFP) – A Malaysian national team footballer who was the victim of an acid-attack has left intensive care following multiple surgeries, a football official said Tuesday. Faisal Halim suffered burns on the neck, shoulder, hands and chest in Petaling Jaya district outside the capital Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago. Nicknamed “Mickey”, the 26-year-old plays on the right wing for Selangor Football Club and Malaysia. “Today, Faisal has been moved to […]

The heatwave baking parts of Asia

By Sara HUSSEIN BANGKOK, April 30, 2024 (AFP) – Large swaths of Asia are sweltering through a heatwave that has topped temperature records from Myanmar to the Philippines and forced millions of children to stay home from school. Here are some questions and answers about the extreme heat, which scientists warn will become more frequent and intense because of human-induced climate change. Where is affected? The heat has hit much of South and Southeast Asia, […]

Schools closed, warnings issued as Asia swelters in extreme heatwave

  MANILA, April 28, 2024 (AFP) – South and Southeast Asia braced for more extreme heat on Sunday as authorities across the region issued health warnings and residents fled to parks and air-conditioned malls for relief. A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted the region over the past week, sending the mercury as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) and forcing thousands of schools to tell students to stay home. The Philippines […]

Heatwaves put millions of children in Asia at risk: UN

BANGKOK, April 11, 2024 (AFP) – Massive heatwaves across East Asia and the Pacific could place millions of children at risk, the UN warned Thursday, calling for action to protect vulnerable people from the soaring temperatures. Global monitors have warned that 2024 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record, marked by climate extremes and rising greenhouse gas emissions. The UNICEF data showed over 243 million children across the Pacific and East Asia […]

Japan FA condemns ‘shameful’ racist abuse of goalkeeper

DOHA, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – Japan’s football association on Wednesday condemned the “shameful behaviour” of fans who racially abused Zion Suzuki online following the goalkeeper’s performances at the Asian Cup. Pre-tournament favourites Japan were beaten 2-1 by Iraq in the group phase on Friday in Doha with Suzuki responsible for one of the goals. The US-born 21-year-old, whose father is Ghanaian-American and whose mother is Japanese, said he was subsequently racially abused on social […]

Asian markets track another Wall St record on rate hopes

HONG KONG, Dec 20, 2023 (AFP) – Asian stocks rallied Wednesday, following another record performance on Wall Street as traders continue to bet on the US Federal Reserve slashing interest rates several times next year. The advances come even as central bank officials try to push back against expectations, which have set markets up for a healthy end-of-year rally. The next key event this week will be the release of the US personal consumption expenditures […]

EU’s von der Leyen tells Xi differences must be addressed

By Peter CATTERALL BEIJING, Dec 7, 2023 (AFP) – EU President Ursula von der Leyen told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday that the bloc and its biggest trading partner must address their differences, as they began the first in-person EU-China summit in over four years. China and the EU have ramped up diplomatic engagement this year in an attempt to steer post-pandemic recovery and repair damaged ties, with a number of its commissioners visiting […]

Japan PM hails Kissinger’s ‘significant contributions’ to peace and stability in Asia

TOKYO, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hailed on Thursday the late Henry Kissinger’s “significant contributions” to peace and stability in Asia. Kissinger “made significant contributions to the regional peace and stability, including the normalisation of diplomatic ties between the US and China,” Kishida told reporters after the former US secretary of state died aged 100. “I’d like to express my most sincere respect to the great achievements he made,” Kishida […]

US postpones Asia trade deal rollout after domestic fire

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 14, 2023 (AFP) – President Joe Biden’s administration signaled Monday it would postpone a draft of an Asia trade pact that had been set to be unveiled at a summit in San Francisco, after facing domestic criticism. Biden, welcoming 20 other members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to San Francisco where he will meet on the sidelines with Chinese President Xi Jinping, had been expected to announce substantial progress on […]