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Fri, 23 Jul 2021 16:40:42 +0800
Heavy rains kill 18 in India, dozens feared trapped in landslides
MUMBAI: At least 18 people have died in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after torrential monsoon rains caused landslides and flooding that submerged low lying areas and cut off hundreds of villages, authorities said on Friday (Jul 23). River...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 16:40:37 +0800
Malaysia records more than 15,500 new COVID-19 cases amid lockdown
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported a record 15,573 new COVID-19 cases on Friday (Jul 23), surpassing its previous high by more than 2,000 infections.  This is also the first time the country has breached the 15,000 mark for new daily cases. The Klang...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 16:36:06 +0800
Villagers flee fresh floods in central China as typhoon approaches
ZHENGZHOU, Henan: Villagers were evacuated over makeshift bridges on Friday (Jul 23) as floods submerged swathes of central China, following a historic deluge which claimed at least 33 lives, while a typhoon threatened to bring more misery as it hea...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 15:54:03 +0800
Crypto crackdown: Malaysian police steamroll Bitcoin machines
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police hit on a novel way to dispose of more than 1,000 Bitcoin-mining machines seized in raids - they crushed the devices using a steamroller. Authorities on Borneo island discovered the machines, worth an estimated RM5.3 m...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 14:51:28 +0800
Myanmar to use Chinese vaccines to fight COVID-19 in border area
China is delivering 2 million COVID-19 vaccine shots to Myanmar this week to help fight a growing outbreak in the border area, officials said, as a spike in infections in the Southeast Asian country spills over into parts of southern China. Myanmar...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:30:04 +0800
China reports more local COVID-19 cases in eastern province of Jiangsu
BEIJING: China's eastern province of Jiangsu found 12 new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 patients on Thursday (Jul 22), taking to 23 its total since Jul 20, in its first local outbreak since the pandemic began last year. All 23 cases were in Nanj...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 11:28:29 +0800
Taiwan to ease COVID-19 restrictions as cases drop
TAIPEI: Taiwan will ease its COVID-19 restrictions from next week though some will remain in place, the government said on Friday (Jul 23), with rapidly falling case numbers giving authorities confidence to further lower the alert level. Taiwan imp...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:16:40 +0800
China's President Xi Jinping visits Tibet for first time as president
BEIJING: China's President Xi Jinping visited the Tibet autonomous region on Wednesday (Jul 21) and Thursday, according to the official Xinhua news agency, in his first recorded visit as leader of the nation. It was the first such visit by the coun...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 14:17:25 +0800
Philippines to bar travel from Malaysia, Thailand to curb spread of COVID-19 Delta variant
MANILA: The Philippines will ban travellers coming from Malaysia and Thailand, as well as tighten restrictions in the Manila area, in a bid to prevent the spread of the contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, the presidential spokesperson said o...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 10:03:01 +0800
China's Zhengzhou begins clean-up after deadly storms
BEIJING: Residents of the storm-ravaged central Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Thursday (Jul 22) were shovelling mud from their homes and hauling away wrecked cars and piles of destroyed belongings following floods that killed at least 33 people in the...

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 06:41:23 +0800
Commentary: Is carbon neutrality possible for coal-addicted Indonesia?
State utility company PLN has pledged carbon neutrality by 2060, but the pledge merits greater scrutiny, says a researcher.

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 10:22:14 +0800
Commentary: Toned-down Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony can set new standard for future games
The hope is the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony will be a humble reminder of what the games are truly about rather than a wasteful display of pomp, says John Duerden.

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 02:01:27 +0800
Batch of 736,000 Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Myanmar
A batch of Chinese Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Myanmar on Thursday, an AFP reporter said, as the coup-wracked country battles a devastating new surge in cases.

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:00:51 +0800
India denies millions have died from COVID-19
The Indian government rejected on Thursday recent studies suggesting that millions of people have died in the country from Covid-19, several times the official toll of almost 420,000.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 23:21:32 +0800
'Utterly ruined': The debris-strewn aftermath of China's record rains
Homes in ruins, pulverised roads and a sea of mud coating cars, the once affluent central Chinese town of Mihe was still in shock Thursday as residents turned to food handouts and slept rough after record-breaking storms.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 20:17:13 +0800
More than 90% of adult Beijing residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19
China's capital Beijing has fully vaccinated nearly 91per cent of its adult residents against COVID-19, data from the municipal government showed, as the country expands its nationwide vaccination efforts.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 19:55:49 +0800
As Indonesia mulls easing COVID-19 lockdown, WHO urges tougher restrictions
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged Indonesia to implement a stricter and wider lockdown to combat surging COVID-19 infections and deaths, just days after the country's president flagged the easing of restrictions.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 19:10:37 +0800
Malaysia reports more than 13,000 new COVID-19 cases, second highest daily tally
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia logged more than 13,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday (Jul 22), marking its second highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic. More than half of the 13,034 new cases were from the Klang Valley area with 6,049 in Sel...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 18:06:02 +0800
Security clampdown in Indian capital for new farmers' protest
Thousands of security forces deployed across New Delhi on Thursday for protests by farmers who are renewing a campaign against government agriculture reforms.

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 03:22:00 +0800
Vietnam in talks with US for local production of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine
HANOI: Vietnam is in talks with the United States on domestic production of mRNA vaccines, its foreign ministry said on Thursday (Jul 22), as the country looks to boost supplies amid its worst coronavirus outbreak yet. After reining in the virus for...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 17:42:12 +0800
Man infected with COVID-19 poses as wife on Indonesian flight
An Indonesian man who is infected with COVID-19 has boarded a domestic flight disguised as his wife, wearing a niqab covering his face and carrying fake IDs and a negative PCR test result.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 16:56:02 +0800
All 14 workers lost in tunnel flood in China confirmed dead
The bodies of all 14 workers trapped when a tunnel under construction was flooded last week have been recovered, authorities in southern China said on Thursday (Jul 22).

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 14:23:21 +0800
Hong Kongers arrested for sedition over 'sheep village' children's books
HONG KONG: Five members of a Hong Kong union behind a series of children's books about sheep trying to hold back wolves from their village have been arrested for sedition, police announced Thursday. The arrests by the new national security police un...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 21:23:13 +0800
Chinese hackers stole Mekong data from Cambodian foreign ministry: Sources
Buried in a long U.S. indictment accusing China of a global cyberespionage campaign was a curious detail: Among the governments targeted by Chinese hackers was Cambodia, one of Beijing's most loyal Asian allies.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:26:27 +0800
China rejects WHO plan for COVID-19 origin study, says it 'defies science'
BEIJING: China rejected on Thursday (Jul 22) a World Health Organization (WHO) plan for a second phase of an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus, which includes the hypothesis it could have escaped from a Chinese laboratory, a top healt...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:24:46 +0800
Taiwan orders further 36 million Moderna vaccine doses
TAIPEI: Taiwan has ordered a further 36 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, the government said on Thursday (Jul 22), as it seeks to lock in deliveries for the months ahead. Taiwan has received about 9 million doses to date of Moderna and A...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:02:59 +0800
Hong Kong court sentences seven for 2019 attack on protesters at Yuen Long train station
HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court on Thursday (Jul 22) sentenced seven men to between three-and-a-half and seven years in prison for their role in a 2019 attack on protesters, reporters and bystanders at a train station at the height of anti-government ...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 12:35:29 +0800
City in China's Henan province picks through debris after record rains kill 33
ZHENGZHOU, Henan: Piles of cars were strewn across a central Chinese city on Thursday (Jul 22) as shocked residents picked through the debris of a historic deluge that claimed at least 33 lives, with more heavy rain threatening surrounding regions. ...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 12:01:38 +0800
Thailand reports record new COVID-19 cases for second day, apologises for slow vaccine roll-out
BANGKOK: Thailand on Thursday (Jul 22) reported 13,655 new COVID-19 cases, a daily record for a second consecutive day and bringing the country's total accumulated cases to 453,132. The COVID-19 task force also reported 87 additional deaths, bringin...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 16:43:04 +0800
Angry Indian farmers gather near parliament to protest over farm laws
NEW DELHI: Indian farmers, protesting against new agriculture laws they say threaten their livelihoods, started a sit-in on Thursday (Jul 22) near parliament in the capital, renewing a push for repeal of the laws. In the longest-running growers' pro...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 11:20:29 +0800
Opening ceremony director dismissed after past comments on Holocaust, Tokyo 2020 says
The director of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been dismissed, organisers said on Thursday, following news reports about his past comments on the Holocaust.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:16:44 +0800
China orders immediate review of subway flood controls as storms spread northwards
BEIJING: Tens of thousands of people were being evacuated from flood-hit regions of central China on Thursday (Jul 22) as officials raised the death toll from heavy rains that have deluged Henan province for almost a week to 33 people. More cities ...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 10:41:41 +0800
Japan former PM Abe to miss Olympics opening ceremony: Report
TOKYO: Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who memorably dressed up as the titular plumber from the Super Mario video game to promote the Tokyo Olympics in Rio, will not attend the opening ceremony, public broadcaster NHK and other media report...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 12:49:02 +0800
Malaysia's Muar MP Syed Saddiq charged with criminal breach of trust, misappropriating RM1.12 million of Bersatu funds
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman pleaded not guilty to criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds belonging to his former party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).  He was charged on Thursday (Jul ...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 20:07:13 +0800
Olympics: Opening ceremony director fired over Holocaust joke on Games eve
TOKYO :On the eve of the Tokyo Games, organisers fired the director of the opening ceremony over a joke he made about the Holocaust, while media reported former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a staunch advocate for the Tokyo Games, would skip the showpie...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 09:33:02 +0800
South Korea reports 1,842 new COVID-19 cases, highest daily increase
SEOUL: South Korea on Thursday (Jul 22) reported another daily record of 1,842 COVID-19 cases, as it struggles to tame its worst-ever wave of outbreaks amid rising infections nationwide fuelled by the more contagious Delta variant. The latest num...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 09:13:24 +0800
Looking at a lemon and no high-fives: Flying into Tokyo for the Olympics
Matthew Mohan, who is covering the Tokyo Olympics for CNA, describes how getting into Japan against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic was more straightforward than he expected.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:10:38 +0800
Commentary: Southeast Asia is buckling under a second year of COVID-19
COVID-19 is a sustained test of state capacity, and Southeast Asian countries are faring poorly, says a doctor.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:10:38 +0800
Commentary: How Tokyo Olympics moved from a story of Japan's renewal to become a litmus test for leaders
The story that Japan wants to tell the world has shifted profoundly from when it won the bid in 2013 to host the 2020 games, say researchers.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:10:37 +0800
Commentary: Olympic football matters more than most people think – at least for Asian teams
Although the UEFA World Cup and the European Championships are more prestigious competitions in the football sporting calendar, the Olympics is special to Asian teams, explains John Duerden.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:22:55 +0800
As spike in COVID-19 cases taxes healthcare system, some Indonesians have little choice but to isolate at home
JAKARTA: Indonesian Rudi Zafar, 31, could barely breathe and walk at the end of June after testing positive for COVID-19.  Despite his weak condition, for days he went from one hospital to the other to seek medical treatment in his hometown Bekas...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:13:29 +0800
Americas are facing pandemic of the unvaccinated, PAHO says
The Americas are facing a pandemic of the unvaccinated, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday (Jul 21), as it warned that countries with low inoculation rates are seeing increases in COVID-19 and repeated a call for vaccine do...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:14:19 +0800
Hong Kong police charge four former Apple Daily staff members under security law
Hong Kong's national security police charged four former senior staff members of shuttered newspaper Apple Daily late on Wednesday night (Jul 21).

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:13:06 +0800
Taliban seem to have 'strategic momentum' in Afghanistan: Top US general
The Taliban appear to have the "strategic momentum" in their sweeping offensives across Afghanistan, but their victory is far from assured, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley said Wednesday.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:06:43 +0800
India reports first human death from bird flu
An 11-year-old boy has died in India from a bird flu virus of the H5N1 strain, the first such fatality in the country, highlighting a potential new risk for the world's second-most populous nation battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 09:06:40 +0800
India records more than 45,000 cases of 'black fungus'
NEW DELHI: India recorded more than 45,000 cases of the deadly "black fungus" over the last two months, the health ministry said, as a nationwide outbreak sweeps through COVID-19 patients. The country's junior health minister Bharati Pravin Pawar t...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 20:46:39 +0800
Philippines obliged to cooperate with ICC despite withdrawal, says top court
MANILA: The Philippines' top judges have ruled that the International Criminal Court can prosecute "government actors" for alleged crimes committed before the country withdrew from the tribunal - contradicting President Rodrigo Duterte's assertion ...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 19:50:37 +0800
Record 199 deaths in Malaysia, nearly 12,000 new COVID-19 cases
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported a record 199 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday (Jul 21), its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic. Thirty-three of the victims were brought in dead as the national death toll reached 7,440. The health ministry...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 19:30:19 +0800
Horror on 'Line 5' as subway floods in China's Henan province
BEIJING: A manicured hand touches the train carriage window as a brown swirl of floodwater squeezes up against the tunnel outside - one of many scenes of desperation from an underground tragedy shared on Wednesday (Jul 21) across a stunned Chinese ...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 18:00:37 +0800
Vietnam makes test batch of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 jab
MOSCOW: Russia announced on Wednesday (Jul 21) that a batch of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine was produced for the first time in Vietnam, which is battling a new wave of COVID-19 infections. The test batch was produced in partnership with Vietnam...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 18:32:42 +0800
Sinopharm's COVID-19 shot induces weaker antibody responses to Delta: Study
Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine elicited weaker antibody responses against the Delta variant, based on the first published study of its effect against the more contagious version.

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:34:49 +0800
US, Japan, South Korea send clear message to North Korea: US diplomat
The United States, Japan and South Korea are sending a clear message with their coordination on policy towards North Korea, a senior US official said on Wednesday (Jul 21), despite some recent friction between the two Asian allies.

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:20:37 +0800
Japan boosts renewable energy target for 2030 energy mix
TOKYO: Japan will raise its target for renewable energy in the country's electricity mix for 2030 as it pushes to cut emissions to meet commitments under international agreements on climate change, according to a draft of its latest energy policy. T...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:00:37 +0800
7 Thai airlines seek US$152 million in government soft loans
BANGKOK: A group of seven Thai airlines are seeking a combined 5 billion baht (US$152.16 million) in low interest loans from the Thai government to help weather the effects of the coronavirus crisis, the Thai Airlines Association said on Wednesday (J...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:59:29 +0800
Hong Kong police arrest former Apple Daily editor in chief: Reports
HONG KONG: Hong Kong police arrested the former executive editor-in-chief of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper on Wednesday (Jul 21), local media reported, the latest arrest in a national security investigation of media tycoon Jimmy Lai's newspape...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:12:03 +0800
Taiwan bumps BioNTech vaccine order to 15 million with Buddhist donation
TAIPEI: A major Taiwanese Buddhist group said on Wednesday (Jul 21) it had signed a deal to buy 5 million doses of BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine via the German firm's Chinese sales agent, bumping the island's order for the shot up to 15 million doses. ...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 11:59:34 +0800
Philippine drug war dead exhumed as grave leases expire
MANILA: Rodzon Enriquez's skeletal remains are pulled out of a coffin-sized tomb in Manila and placed in a body bag. Five years after the 21-year-old was killed in the Philippines' drug war, the lease on his grave is expiring. Activists estimate ten...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:33:23 +0800
Olympics: Japan win softball opener as Games 'of hope' begin
TOKYO: Japan's women's softball team got the Tokyo 2020 Olympics off to a winning start for the hosts on Wednesday (Jul 21), kicking off a pandemic-postponed Games that the World Health Organization says can be "a celebration of hope" even as COVID-1...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 10:20:20 +0800
China's Nanjing tells residents not to leave city after 9 airport workers contract COVID-19
BEIJING: The Chinese city of Nanjing on Wednesday (Jul 21) urged its citizens not to leave the city unless necessary after nine airport workers tested positive for COVID-19. Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, said those who leave will haveÂ...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:09:22 +0800
South Korea reports record daily COVID-19 infections as Delta variant drives surge
SEOUL: South Korea reported a daily record of 1,784 COVID-19 cases for Tuesday (Jul 20), breaking a mark set last week, as the authorities struggled to get on top of a surge in outbreaks linked to the Delta variant. Transmission rates have been ke...

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 00:24:21 +0800
At least 25 dead as China's Henan province deluged by heaviest rains in 1,000 years
BEIJING: At least 25 people have died in China's flood-stricken central province of Henan, a dozen of them in a subway line in its capital Zhengzhou, and more rains are forecast for the region. About 100,000 people have been evacuated in Zhengzhou,...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 07:48:18 +0800
Two-thirds of India's population have COVID-19 antibodies, survey shows
Two-thirds of India's population have antibodies against the coronavirus, according to data released on Tuesday (Jul 20) from a survey of 29,000 people across the nation conducted in June and July. The fourth national blood serum survey which tests ...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 07:30:37 +0800
Commentary: Malaysia king’s role comes into sharper focus as country sails through bleakest COVID-19 days
Might Malaysia’s royal fraternity be the people’s only hope? Malaysians will watch next week’s parliament first, says ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Serina Rahman.

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 07:14:42 +0800
Hong Kong begins talks on controversial 'anti-doxxing' privacy Bill
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's legislature, which has no opposition party, begins discussions on Wednesday (Jul 21) on privacy laws tackling "doxxing behaviour" that some technology giants fear are so broad and vague that they could hamper operations in the ...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 06:10:37 +0800
Commentary: A different Malaysia may emerge from the ashes of its COVID-19 crisis
COVID-19 has placed the issue of inequality centre-stage, bringing longstanding divides to the surface, but in a manner that differs starkly from the zero-sum ethnocentric lens of the past, says a researcher.

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 06:29:31 +0800
US eases COVID-19 travel advisories for India, Pakistan
WASHINGTON: The US State Department has lowered its COVID 19-related travel advisory for India to "Level 3 – Reconsider Travel," the department said in a statement on Tuesday (Jul 20). The advisory for Pakistan was similarly eased, it said. The C...

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 02:37:43 +0800
Cricket: India edge Sri Lanka in nervy run chase to clinch ODI series
India beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the second one-day international to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar guided the tourists home with maiden half-centuries on Tuesday.

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 18:07:44 +0800
Chinese army warns dam battered by storms could collapse
BEIJING: The Chinese army warned that a stricken dam in the centre of the country "could collapse at any time" after being severely damaged in torrential storms that killed at least 12 people and brought the region to a standstill. Weather authoriti...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 23:08:40 +0800
Indian parliament disrupted over Pegasus snooping claims
India's parliament was disrupted for the second day running on Tuesday by noisy opposition calls for an investigation into reports of snooping on politicians and others with Israeli-made spyware Pegasus.

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 23:10:37 +0800
Japan police find Ugandan weightlifter who went missing from Olympic camp
TOKYO: A Ugandan weightlifter has been found four days after he disappeared from an Olympic training camp in Japan leaving a note saying he wanted to find work, police said Tuesday (Jul 20). The disappearance of Julius Ssekitoleko came at a time of ...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 22:30:37 +0800
Indonesia’s COVID-19 cases have fallen, curbs to ease on Jul 26 if trend continues: President Jokowi
JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday (Jul 20) that the country’s COVID-19 cases have fallen and if the trend continues, the current restrictions will gradually be lifted from Jul 26. Indonesia had imposed COVID-19 restriction...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:40:37 +0800
Japan becomes first country to approve Ronapreve COVID-19 treatment
GENEVA: Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said on Tuesday (Jul 20) that Japan had become the first country to fully approve its Ronapreve antibody treatment for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. The approval was based on phase 3 trials finding...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:29:40 +0800
Taiwan to use its own name at new Lithuania office
Taiwan on Tuesday announced it will set up an office in Lithuania using its colloquial name in a significant diplomatic departure that is bound to rile China.

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:17:04 +0800
Landmark Hong Kong security trial wraps up in test for rule of law
HONG KONG: The trial of the first person charged under Hong Kong's national security law wrapped up on Tuesday (Jul 20), with the prosecution seeking to designate a slogan popular during 2019 protests as subversive in a crucial test of the city's rul...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:10:37 +0800
China says Washington hacking claims 'fabricated', condemns US allies
BEIJING: China on Tuesday (Jul 20) 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 st...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:16:52 +0800
China to allow tax deductions for care of young children to help boost births
BEIJING: China will allow tax deductions for expenses on children under three as part of a major relaxation in child-bearing policy to stem a dramatic decline in births in the world's most populous country, an official document showed on Tuesday (Jul...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 23:41:45 +0800
A dozen cities in China's Henan province flooded as river banks burst
BEIJING: Heavy rain pounded the central Chinese province of Henan on Tuesday (Jul 20), bursting the banks of major rivers, flooding the streets of a dozen cities and shutting the world-famous Shaolin Temple. Henan, a major logistics hub, has been h...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 20:34:02 +0800
Confidante of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi dies after contracting COVID-19 in junta jail
YANGON: A confidante of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and stalwart democracy campaigner died on Tuesday (Jul 20) after becoming infected with COVID-19 in prison, authorities said. Nyan Win, a veteran senior member and former spokesperson o...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 18:57:51 +0800
South Korea leaders apologise for navy ship COVID-19 outbreak amid vaccine furore
SEOUL: South Korea's prime minister and defence minister apologised as hundreds of COVID-19-infected sailors were flown to Seoul on Tuesday (Jul 20) after a navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa was found to be riddled with the coronavirus....

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 22:30:14 +0800
Olympics: Tokyo 2020 chief does not rule out cancelling Games
TOKYO: The chief of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee on Tuesday (Jul 20) did not rule out a last-minute cancellation of the Olympics, as more athletes tested positive for COVID-19 and major sponsors ditched plans to attend Friday's opening ceremo...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 18:10:32 +0800
Indonesians celebrate Eid al-Adha festival under COVID-19 curbs
JAKARTA: Millions of Muslims in Indonesia on Tuesday (Jul 20) celebrated Eid al-Adha, one of the most important Islamic festivals, as President Joko Widodo pledged that tighter COVID-19 restrictions would remain in place until infections dropped. CO...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 17:30:38 +0800
Singapore, Hong Kong to review travel bubble when COVID-19 situation allows: MOT
SINGAPORE: Discussions on the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble will resume only when the COVID-19 situation allows, Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) said on Tuesday (Jul 20). This is given the recent surge in community cases and the imp...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:37:20 +0800
Olympics chief admits 'sleepless nights' over troubled Tokyo Games
TOKYO: Olympics chief Thomas Bach revealed "doubts" and "sleepless nights" over the postponed Tokyo Games on Tuesday (Jul 20) as the opening ceremony nears after a year's delay and COVID-19 chaos that has made them deeply unpopular with the Japanese ...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 12:16:38 +0800
Myanmar targets higher vaccinations as COVID-19 cases soar
Myanmar's military-controlled health ministry expects half of the population to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this year, state media reported on Tuesday (Jul 20), a day after authorities announced a record tally of coronavirus deaths. The inoculati...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:21:49 +0800
Japan government says companies targeted by China-backed cyber hacking group
TOKYO: Japanese companies were targeted by a cyber hacking group called APT40, government spokesperson Katsunobu Kato said on Tuesday (Jul 20), adding "the Chinese government is highly likely" behind the attack. The comment by Kato comes after the U...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:30:51 +0800
Olympic Village COVID-19 infection bubble already 'broken': Health expert
TOKYO: The so-called bubble to control COVID-19 infections at the Olympic Athlete's Village in Tokyo is already "broken" and poses a risk of spreading infections to the general populace, a prominent public health expert said on Tuesday (Jul 20). Gam...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 09:50:20 +0800
China reports spike in new COVID-19 cases on border with Myanmar
BEIJING: China on Tuesday (Jul 20) reported the highest daily tally of new confirmed COVID-19 cases since January, driven by a surge in imported infections in southwestern Yunnan province, which shares a border with Myanmar. Mainland China recorded ...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 12:51:31 +0800
US Defense Secretary to visit Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam
WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Southeast Asia later this month, the Pentagon said, in a trip that will include stops in the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, according to the US embassy in Hanoi. "Secretary Austin's visi...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:56:23 +0800
Commentary: Can Phuket's sandbox be a model for vaccine tourism?
Phuket opened to tourists despite COVID-19 deaths surging on the mainland. But the sandbox provides lessons for other tourist-friendly countries in the region, says a Southeast Asia observer.

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 06:10:37 +0800
Indonesians turn to healthy drinks and food as COVID-19 rages, but authorities warn of misinformation
JAKARTA: From sterilised milk to green coconuts, Indonesians have been stocking up on healthy drinks, food and spices as the COVID-19 caseload rose sharply. Messages claiming that these are effective in preventing and treating COVID-19 have proli...

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 04:23:35 +0800
Pakistan says needs Afghan cooperation for probe into envoy's daughter's kidnapping
Pakistan said on Monday it was waiting for information from the Afghan government in an investigation into the brief kidnapping of the Afghan ambassador's daughter in Islamabad, after Afghanistan raised questions over the credibility of the probe.

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 06:49:39 +0800
Prince Harry will publish a memoir in late 2022
Britain's Prince Harry is writing a memoir about his life that will be published in late 2022, publisher Penguin Random House said in a statement on Monday.

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 01:21:56 +0800
Olympic sponsor Toyota passes on Games TV commercials amid lacklustre support in Japan
Tokyo 2020 sponsor Toyota will not run Olympics-related TV commercials amid lacklustre public support for the Olympics, with two-thirds of Japanese doubting organisers can keep the Games safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a local media p...

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 23:38:57 +0800
Olympics opening ceremony composer quits over past bullying
A composer for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony said Monday he would step down following an outcry over old interviews in which he described bullying disabled schoolmates.

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 22:50:38 +0800
Leaked letters show AstraZeneca vaccine commitment not as Thailand claimed
BANGKOK: AstraZeneca has told Thailand it should be able to supply around 6 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine per month, leaked correspondence showed, contradicting assertions by Thai officials that the government had been promised 10 million. T...

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 21:10:18 +0800
International community calls for 'urgent end' to Taliban offensive
More than a dozen diplomatic missions in Afghanistan on Monday called for "an urgent end" to the Taliban's ruthless military offensive, saying it was at odds with claims they want a negotiated settlement to end the conflict.

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:21:42 +0800
US and allies accuse China of global hacking spree
WASHINGTON: The United States and its allies accused China on Monday (Jul 19) of a global cyberespionage campaign, mustering an unusually broad coalition of countries to publicly call out Beijing for hacking. The United States was joined by NATO, th...

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 19:55:32 +0800
Olympics: South Korean team to screen its food over Fukushima radiation concerns
South Korea's Olympic team will cook food for its athletes separately and screen ingredients for radiation during the Tokyo Olympics, an official said on Monday, a potential further irritant to frayed Seoul-Tokyo relations around the Games.

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 19:38:25 +0800
Bus crashes in Pakistan, killing 33 people and injuring 40
A speeding bus carrying mostly labourers travelling home for a major Muslim holiday rammed into a container truck on a busy highway in central Pakistan on Monday (Jul 19), killing at least 33 people and injuring 40, police and rescue officials said.

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 20:10:56 +0800
Malaysia COVID-19 task force cooperating with authorities over claims of improperly administered vaccine doses
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) said it is cooperating with police and the armed forces to investigate claims of recipients not being properly injected with vaccines.  This came after accounts of separate incidents ...



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