Helsinki: Finland will scale back some of its coronavirus restrictions early, the government announced Thursday as the strain on the healthcare system eases despite the Omicron wave sweeping the continent. Starting February 1, curbs on low-risk events and businesses will be eased. “The burden on hospitals is still high, but the most serious cases are […]
Reuters
North Korea suggests it may resume nuclear, missile tests
SEOUL: North Korea would bolster its defences against the United States and consider restarting “all temporally-suspended activities,” state media KCNA reported Thursday, an apparent reference to a self-imposed moratorium on testing its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Tension has been rising over a recent series of North Korean missile tests. A US push for fresh […]
Australia suffers deadliest day of pandemic: read how
SYDNEY: Australia on Tuesday suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic as a fast-moving Omicron outbreak continued to push up hospitalisation rates to record levels, even as daily infections eased slightly. Australia is dealing with its worst COVID-19 outbreak, fuelled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that has put more people in hospitals and […]
North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile into sea
SEOUL: North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, just hours before South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a rail line he hopes will eventually connect the divided Korean peninsula. The first launch since October underscored leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year vow to bolster the military […]
Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photographer killed in Afghanistan
A Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer with the Reuters news agency was killed Friday covering fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban near a border crossing with Pakistan, the media outlet reported, citing an army commander. Afghan forces were fighting to retake Spin Boldak when Siddiqui and the senior officer were killed in Taliban crossfire, the […]
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkish ministers to discuss Afghan peace prospects
Afghanistan, Turkey, and Pakistan‘s foreign ministers have decided to hold talks in Istanbul on Friday after the wider Afghan peace conference was postponed due to the Taliban’s refusal to participate. The originally planned peace talks in Turkey were scheduled for April 24 to fast-track an agreement between the Taliban and Afghan government in light of the announcement by […]
Why China cannot dominate the AI scene (for now)
At a recent CEO forum hosted by a university in Ipoh, a gentleman representing Universal Music regionally spoke with wide-eyed wonder about the rapid strides China is making in cutting-edge technology. To illustrate his point, he used the example of beggary in Beijing that has apparently gone hi-tech. Today, street beggars in China use smart […]
Myanmar’s top court rejects final appeal by jailed Reuters journalists
Myanmar’s top court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in jail for breaking the Official Secrets Act, in a landmark case that has raised questions about the country’s transition to democracy. “They were sentenced for seven years and this decision stands, and the appeal is rejected,” Supreme Court […]
Pakistan says it shot down Indian jets, carried out airstrikes in Kashmir
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI – Pakistan carried out airstrikes and shot down two Indian jets on Wednesday, Pakistani officials said, a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a war in 1971, prompting leading powers to urge both sides to show restraint. Both countries have ordered airstrikes over the last two days, […]
Reuters reporters jailed for seven years in Myanmar secrets case
Two Reuters journalists accused of breaching Myanmar’s state secrets law while reporting on a massacre of Rohingya Muslims were jailed for seven years Monday, fuelling international outrage a week after the army was accused of genocide. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who have been held in Yangon’s Insein prison since their arrest […]