WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on Wednesday said he had serious concerns about Senate Democrats’ planned $3.5 trillion spending plan, potentially gumming up efforts to move ahead with President Joe Biden’s top priorities.FILE PHOTO: Vehicles are parked outside the U.S. Capitol building the morning the Senate returned to session in Washington, DC, U.S., […]
KABUL (REUTERS) – Taleban fighters could isolate Afghanistan’s capital in 30 days and possibly take over it in 90, a US defence official told Reuters on Wednesday (Aug 11) citing US intelligence, as militants took control of an eighth provincial Afghan capital. The Taleban now control 65 per cent of Afghanistan and have taken or […]
SINGAPORE – A man who slashed 11 cats in Ang Mo Kio was sentenced last month to 12 weeks in jail. That punishment, say animal lovers, is not enough of a deterrent and they are calling for tougher penalties. Commenting on the case, Cat Welfare Society president Thenuga Vijakumar said there were seven charges. While […]
SINGAPORE – The annual Theemithi, or fire-walking festival, will go ahead this year with steps in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 11), organisers said only fully vaccinated devotees and those who show a negative pre-event test result will be allowed into Sri Mariamman Temple in South Bridge […]
SINGAPORE – Heeding advice given by “investment gurus”, seven victims bought more than 49,000 shares in a United States-listed company in recent months. Within two days, the share price plunged by nearly 80 per cent and they made sharp losses of over US$1.07 million (S$1.45 million). Their experience is not unique. In an advisory on […]
YANGON (REUTERS) – The authorities in Myanmar currently have no plan to include minority Rohingya Muslims living in densely packed camps as they begin vaccinating priority groups against Covid-19 in western Rakhine State, the junta-appointed local administrator said. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh during military operations in 2017 and those who remain […]
BANGKOK (REUTERS) – Thai police have defended their use of force against protesters as a necessary public safety measure, as Bangkok braced for more demonstrations on Wednesday (Aug 11) to demand the prime minister’s removal for mismanaging a coronavirus crisis. Police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets on Tuesday to disperse protesters gathered […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – China is keeping its guard up as its latest surge of Covid-19 cases entered its fourth week, with calls from officials to close containment loopholes unlikely to see cities easing strict virus control measures. China reported 83 new locally transmitted cases for Tuesday (Aug 10), the health authority reported, bringing the cumulative […]
SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Seoul appears to be moving to reduce the scale and duration of the South Korea-US joint military exercise set to kick off next week. The regular summertime exercise, along with other major annual combined drills between the allies, has taken the form of computer-simulated war games since 2018, […]
YANGON (REUTERS) – China will transfer more than US$6 million (S$8.16 million) to Myanmar’s government to fund 21 development projects, Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said, in a sign of cooperation resuming under the junta that overthrew an elected government on Feb 1. Unlike Western countries that have condemned the junta for cutting short democracy and the […]