Sunday, 17 Nov 2024

Asia

Asia News – Get latest breaking news & top stories today in Asia, South-East Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Australia/New Zealand at…

NFT artwork by humanoid robot sells at auction for more than $900k

HONG KONG (REUTERS) – A digital artwork by humanoid robot Sophia was sold at auction on Thursday (March 25) for US$688,888 (S$927,794) in the form of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), the latest sign of a frenzy in the NFT art world. NFTs, a digital signature saved on blockchain ledgers that allows anyone to verify the […]

'I will die protecting my country': In Myanmar, a new resistance rises

YANGON (NYTIMES) – In a jungle in the borderlands of Myanmar, the troops sweated through basic training. They learned how to load a rifle, pull the pin of a hand grenade and assemble a firebomb. These cadets are not members of Myanmar’s military, which seized power last month and quickly imposed a battlefield brutality on […]

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 25

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Thursday, March 25.  Experts urge caution even as more in Singapore can return to workplace Employers are encouraged to stagger their employees’ start times and implement flexible working hours. READ MORE HERE Further easing of Covid-19 measures in Singapore: What you need to know Up […]

Australians begin returning home after floodwaters recede

SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Australians hit by devastating floodwaters began returning to their homes on Thursday (March 25) as skies cleared and authorities accelerated clean-up efforts following the biggest deluge in its most populous state in more than half a century. Relentless rains for five straight days burst river banks inundating homes, roads, bridges and farms […]

Travel bubbles will depend on overall situation, not just vaccination

SINGAPORE – Singapore is actively discussing mutual travel arrangements with other countries, and such arrangements are likely to vary between different countries, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has said. These agreements may not hinge solely on vaccination as it depends on what the overall situation is like in each country, said Mr Gan, who co-chairs […]

Hong Kong officials reassure residents of vaccine safety after packaging problem

HONG KONG – Officials on Wednesday (Mar 24) scrambled to reassure residents that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was safe after “observed deviations” in the vial seal of one batch. The Hong Kong and Macau governments have announced the suspension of all BioNTech jabs until further notice. The suspension in Hong Kong was announced at 10am […]

Airlifted bride joins clean-up after Australian floods turned deadly

SYDNEY – A bride who was airlifted to her wedding after being stranded by floodwaters in Australia last Saturday (March 20) has revealed she is not on a honeymoon but is instead undertaking the same dreary activity as her fellow residents in rain-hit areas – cleaning up. Mrs Kate Bell, formerly Fotheringham, had arrived at […]

Covid-19: Why is Singapore still capping social gatherings at groups of 8?

SINGAPORE – While capacity limits for some events like weddings will be increased from April 24 with precautions in place, social gatherings still have to be limited to eight people as a relaxation of this measure could considerably increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday (March 24). “Any […]