Author: News Desk

China appoints new military commander in restive Xinjiang
10Aug By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

China appoints new military commander in restive Xinjiang

BEIJING (AP) — China has appointed a new military commander in restive Xinjiang where authorities have locked up more than a million members of Muslim minorities in what they call a bid to curb terrorism and radicalism. Lt. Gen. Wang Haijiang will oversee a massive military presence in the sprawling northwestern region that borders on several unstable Central Asian states, along with Pakistan and Afghanistan, from which U.S. troops are withdrawing. Like Xinjiang’s hardline Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo, Wang previously served in Tibet, which also hosts large numbers of troops to suppress anti-government sentiment among the native Tibetan population and guard the disputed border with India, where the two nations had a deadly clash last year. Wang’s unannounced appointment was reveal
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Covid returns to China’s Wuhan as global Delta variant woes mount
10Aug By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

Covid returns to China’s Wuhan as global Delta variant woes mount

Covid returns to China's Wuhan as global Delta variant woes mount Long believed to have beat the worst of the pandemic, cities across China has been forced to reintroduce lockdowns and begin mass-testing millions. BEIJING: Authorities in China's Wuhan said Tuesday they would test the city's entire population for Covid-19, as the virus returned to the place where it first emerged and the highly contagious Delta variant drove tightening lockdowns worldwide. A resurgent virus has returned with a vengeance, buoyed by stalling vaccination rates and deadly new mutations even in places which had long touted their successes in overcoming the worst of the pandemic. China brought domestic cases down to virtually zero after the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, allowing the economy to rebound a...
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Indonesian Muslims mark grim Eid amid devastating virus wave
10Aug By News DeskNo Comments
World

Indonesian Muslims mark grim Eid amid devastating virus wave

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Muslims across Indonesia marked a grim Eid al-Adha festival for a second year Tuesday as the country struggles to cope with a devastating new wave of coronavirus cases and the government has banned large gatherings and toughened travel restrictions. Indonesia is now Asia’s COVID-19 hot spot with the most confirmed daily cases, as infections and deaths have surged over the past three weeks and India’s massive outbreak has waned. Most of Indonesia’s cases are on the densely populated island of Java, where more than half of the country’s 270 million people live. Authorities in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation have banned many of the crowd-attracting activities that are usually part of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice that marks the end of the annual M
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No Olympic breather, here comes Beijing in less than six months
10Aug By News DeskNo Comments
World

No Olympic breather, here comes Beijing in less than six months

TOKYO - Another Olympic Games with more layers of dissent and debate than Tokyo are less than six months away in Beijing. The postponement of Tokyo 2020 to 2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Summer Games into the timeline territory of a Winter Games. Tokyo’s organizing committee and the International Olympic Committee were questioned and criticized in the weeks before the opening ceremonies and during the Games over whether it was prudent to hold an international multi-sport festival while coronavirus numbers spiked in the city. The world will not likely be entirely free of the COVID-19 pandemic before Beijing’s Feb. 4 opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. The coronavirus is expected to again be the backdrop of an Olympic Games in terms of restrictions and pr
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The crafting of Asean’s ‘protector’ role
9Aug By News DeskNo Comments
Business, World

The crafting of Asean’s ‘protector’ role

The crafting of Asean's 'protector' role The Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was established just over a decade ago to promote and protect human rights in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Yet, its activities, to date, have been more to do with promotion activities, such as workshops, rather than protection measures, such as to receive complaints and to provide remedies. Currently a panel of experts is due to be set up to review the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the AICHR, but until now, only four countries -- Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia -- have named their appointees, and none of the appointees are women. There is thus an urgent need for all the other six Asean countries to name their appointees so that the panel can start to fun...
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Thousands protest lockdown in Sydney, several arrested
9Aug By News DeskNo Comments
Business, World

Thousands protest lockdown in Sydney, several arrested

SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of people took to the streets of Sydney and other Australian cities on Saturday to protest lockdown restrictions amid another surge in cases, and police made several arrests after crowds broke through barriers and threw plastic bottles and plants. The unmasked participants marched from Sydney’s Victoria Park to Town Hall in the central business district, carrying signs calling for “freedom” and “the truth.“ There was a heavy police presence in Sydney, including mounted police and riot officers in response to what authorities said was unauthorized protest activity. Police confirmed a number of arrests had been made after objects were thrown at officers. New South Wales Police said it recognized and supported the rights of free speech and peaceful assembly, but the
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Live at Budokan: Famed arena gets another Olympic spotlight
9Aug By News DeskNo Comments
World

Live at Budokan: Famed arena gets another Olympic spotlight

TOKYO (AP) — The Nippon Budokan sits serenely nestled in a verdant park at the heart of Tokyo. Visitors admire the elegant lines of its Buddhist temple-based design before they step into the graceful reverence of the arena, where countless martial arts champions have been crowned since it opened in 1964 with the first Olympic judo tournament. The Budokan simply feels like a special place, even to those who don’t understand the astounding amount of sports and music history that has occurred under the flowing roof meant to evoke Mount Fuji. Although no fans will be in attendance when the Budokan hosts judo and the Olympic debut of karate in the second Tokyo Games, this is so much more than a martial arts hall — the literal translation of its name. “This is where it all began,” said Neil A
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2 rare Sumatran tigers recovering after catching COVID-19
9Aug By News DeskNo Comments
World

2 rare Sumatran tigers recovering after catching COVID-19

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Two rare Sumatran tigers at the zoo in the Indonesian capital are recovering after being infected with COVID-19. Nine-year-old Tino became ill with shortness of breath, sneezing, and a runny nose on July 9. He also lost his appetite. Two days later, 12-year-old Hari was showing the same symptoms. Swabs were taken and results came back positive for COVID-19, Suzi Marsitawati from the Jakarta Parks and Forestry Agency said in a statement on Sunday. The tigers were immediately treated with antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-inflammatory drugs and multivitamins. They were getting better after 10-12 days, and have now recovered under close observation at Jakarta’s Ragunan Zoo. “Their condition is good now. Their appetite has returned and they’re being active,” Mars
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No veil, no life: Taliban
6Aug By News DeskNo Comments
World

No veil, no life: Taliban

Kabul, Afghanistan: Taliban has killed a 21-year-old for not wearing veil in Afghanistan, the afghan police said, she was dragged from the car because she wasn’t wearing veil while she was on her way to Balkh district  The Taliban terrorists shot a young girl while blaming her for not wearing a veil, an official said on Wednesday. 21-year old Nazaneen, who was dragged out by the Taliban from a car while she was on her way to Balkh district centre in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has denied these claims. After capturing new areas in Afghanistan, the Taliban has re-imposed repressive laws and retrograde policies on Afghan women that defined its 1996-2001 rule when they enforced their version of Islamic Sharia law. The Taliban is forcing wom
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Taiwan media reported hack of LINE messaging accounts- investigation launched
30Jul By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

Taiwan media reported hack of LINE messaging accounts- investigation launched

The hacked accounts reportedly belong to 'high ranking officials' in the presidential office, the cabinet, the military and members of the ruling and opposition parties AFP/Fred TANNEAU TAIPEI: An investigation has been launched as local media reported over 100 LINE messaging app used by high officials of the country are hacked. The hacked accounts belong to "high ranking officials" in the presidential office, the cabinet, the military, members of the ruling and opposition parties, and regional government chiefs, the Liberty Times reported, citing unnamed sources. The Criminal Investigation Bureau confirmed it had begun investigating after LINE formally reported the case to authorities on Tuesday, but did not provide further details. Taiwan's cybersecurity agency says the isla...
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