World

Shanghai reports first Covid deaths since start of lockdown Shanghai officials say just three people have died from Covid-19 since the megacity's outbreak began. SHANGHAI: China said Monday that just three people have died from Covid-19 in Shanghai since a gruelling lockdown began last month, despite recording hundreds of thousands of cases of the fast-spreading Omicron variant in the eastern megacity. Authorities said the first deaths from China's biggest outbreak since the virus wave in Wuhan over two years ago were three elderly people aged 89 to 91, all of whom had underlying health issues. Beijing insists that its zero-Covid policy of hard lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines has curbed fatalities and avoided the public health crises that have engulfed much of the rest ...

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Himalayan Kashmir on Sunday for his first public event since New Delhi stripped the disputed region’s semi-autonomy and took direct control in 2019. Modi remotely inaugurated a tunnel and work on two hydropower projects before delivering a speech that was punctuated by his government’s developmental achievements. He said that the territory was put on a path of unprecedented development since 2019 but made no political commitments to the region’s people, who have been without an elected local government for four years. “Let me assure the youth of the valley that they will not face difficulties and tribulations that their parents and grandparents faced,” Modi said, referring to the Kashmir Valley, the heartland of anti-Ind

New Delhi: One of the great teachers of all times is the Buddha Shakyamuni who was born as prince Siddhartha in the kingdom of Magadha (now India) and taught the 8,4000 teachings to unravel the mind's true nature to help alleviate the suffering of the sentient beings through the rigorous practice of learning, reflection, and meditation. Contemporary to Buddhism, other Indian schools of thought like Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimansa, Vedanta, Carvaka, Jainism, etc. flourished making the Indian sub-continent a great centre for learning for subjects like Philosophy, Mathematics, Cosmology, Astrology, Metaphysics, Logic, Art, Poetry, etc. In Dhammapada, the Buddha says: "The Mind is the chief and precedes all phenomena." And further the Buddhist philosopher Vasubandu (4th ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian nations in Washington next month for a summit, the White House said Saturday. The May 12-13 gathering is meant to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to being a partner with countries in the region. The White House previously had announced that the summit would be held March 28-29, but the regional grouping of countries known as ASEAN sought a postponement due to scheduling concerns among some of its members. The summit will commemorate 45 years of relations between the U.S. and the ASEAN nations. The gathering follows Biden’s participation in an October 2021 summit where he announced $102 million in new initiatives to help these countries with COVID-19 and health security, climate change

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides have accepted a two-month truce, starting with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the U.N. envoy to Yemen said Friday. The envoy, Hans Grundberg, announced the agreement from Amman, Jordan, after meeting separately with both sides in the country’s brutal civil war in recent days. He said that he hoped the truce would be renewed after two months. The agreement comes after a significant escalation in recent weeks that saw Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim several attacks across the country’s borders, targeting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the truce would pave the way toward peace, but added, “we know that these agreements are always fragile.“ The truce is to start on Satur

RDS questions accuracy of antigen cases A saliva sample is taken for antigen testing from a student before class commences in Samut Prakan in February. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard) The Rural Doctor Society (RDS) has raised questions over the accuracy of the number of new Covid-19 cases detected using a rapid antigen test kit (ATK), which is reported daily by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). The number of new infections found via ATK tests in three provinces on Wednesday was far higher than the total number of ATK positive cases nationwide for the same day recorded by the CCSA the following morning, said the group in a Facebook post on Thursday. On Wednesday, Chon Buri reported 8,323 ATK positive cases, Songkhla 4,839 and Chiang Rai 3,322, adding up to 16,484, said ...

Canada continues to be represented as a tolerant, progressive, multicultural land of opportunities through countless recruitment events, orientation seminars, and educational fairs welcoming international students to this country. At the same time, I’m aware that an important facet of the Canadian identity — the Indigenous community with whom we share this land — often remains unspoken. As a former diplomat to Canada with knowledge of the historical and jurisdictional issues, I had nowhere close to a real understanding of the tragic history and ongoing impacts of the atrocities committed at residential schools until I had the opportunity to engage with Indigenous people who dedicate their lives to sharing and teaching about their individual and collective lived experiences. It has taken

The northeastern region of Isan has recently become a destination treasured for its culinary wisdom represented through distinctive and flavourful cuisine. So much so that the Michelin Guide Thailand announced that it has listed four Isan provinces -- Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen, to its upcoming 2023 edition. Set on a large plateau bordered by the Mekong River, mountain ranges and Cambodia, the Isan region encompasses 20 provinces and is a home to one-third of Thailand's population. Food-wise, the mostly landlocked region produces some of the world's best jasmine and glutinous rice, where a freshwater harvest is also abundant. River fish, rice paddy field crab, ant eggs and livestock are common sources of protein in local meals. While pla ra, or fish fe...

It’s a convergence that happens only rarely. Coinciding with Judaism’s Passover, Christianity’s Easter and Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, Buddhists, Baha’is, Sikhs, Jains and Hindus also are celebrating their holy days in April. The springtime collision of religious holidays is inspiring a range of interfaith events. In Chicago, there’s the Interfaith Trolley Tour coming up on April 24, in which a trolley will make stops at different faiths’ houses of worship. In cities across the country, Muslims are inviting people to interfaith iftars so they can break their daily Ramadan fasts in community with their non-Muslim neighbors. In addition to Passover, Easter and Ramadan, holy days occurring in April this year include the Sikhs’ and Hindus’ Vaisakhi, the Jains’ Mahavir Jayanti, the Baha’i

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Dingoes might look like regular mutts, but in fact they are genetically in between wolves and dogs, according to a new study published on Friday (April 22) in Science Advances. The species - revered in Aboriginal culture but the bane of modern ranchers - has been Australia's top predator since the extinction of Tasmanian tigers last century. However, "the evolutionary position of the dingo has been debated for a substantial period of time", co-author Bill Ballard of La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne told AFP. Some hold that the lean, tan-coloured canines, brought to the continent 5,000 to 8,500 years ago, are simply another form of domestic dog, though one which is far harder to tame or keep as a pet. Though not normally aggressive, they are not espe...