Tuesday, 19 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…

Evening Update: Today's headlines from The Straits Times on Feb 17

Good evening! Catch up on some of the main headlines on Wednesday, Feb 17. First shipment of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine arrives in S’pore earlier than expected MOH had initially said that the first shipment would arrive around March. READ MORE HERE Man arrested for alleged murder of woman found with multiple stab wounds in Jurong […]

Banana Leaf Apolo charged over alleged Covid-19 breaches

SINGAPORE – Restaurant chain Banana Leaf Apolo was charged in a district court on Wednesday (Feb 17) over alleged Covid-19 breaches. The Indian restaurant, well known for its fish head curry, faces five charges under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. Media reported earlier that the alleged offences included providing a self-service buffet and failing to […]

Australian media firms squeeze more from Google as new law looms

SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Australia claimed an early win in a protracted licensing battle with Google on Wednesday (Feb 17) as media companies lined up to announce content deals with the Internet giant that were reportedly far more lucrative than their global rivals. A month after the Alphabet-owned company threatened to shut down its search engine […]

Column: Central bank digi cash spooking shadow economy to crypto

LONDON (Reuters) – If central bank digital cash is to rapidly replace banknotes, a shadow economy worth trillions of dollars may creep deeper into the darkness.Representations of Bitcoin, Saudi riyal, yuan, Turkish lira, pound, U.S. dollar, ruro and Jordanian dinar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken January 6, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationA big issue for […]

Spin doctors target Hong Kongers seeking UK visas

HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) – The UK has terrible weather. Taxes are high, job prospects scarce, and the people aren’t all that friendly. Moving there could also put your Chinese citizenship at risk. At least that is how things are being portrayed in China-friendly Hong Kong newspaper editorials and online chat rooms, and by senior officials […]

Wife of North Korea leader Kim makes first public appearance in a year

SEOUL (REUTERS) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, appeared in state media for the first time in more than a year on Wednesday (Feb 17), joining her husband at a concert on one of the country’s biggest holidays. The official ruling Worker’s Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun released photos of the […]

New Zealand to end military deployment in Afghanistan

WELLINGTON (AFP) – New Zealand will withdraw the last of its military personnel from Afghanistan in May, concluding a deployment that has lasted two decades, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Wednesday (Feb 17). Ardern said Afghanistan’s internal peace process represented the best prospect for an enduring political solution in the troubled country, meaning the New […]

India to multiply Covid-19 vaccinations amid coverage concerns

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – India will increase the number of its Covid-19 vaccination sites by up to five times after administering nearly 9 million shots in a month, a government official said on Tuesday (Feb 16), amid concerns about the speed of coverage in the country. Having reported the highest number of coronavirus infections after […]

Bangladesh Court Sentences Five to Death for Killing American Blogger

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A court in Bangladesh sentenced to death five members of an Islamist militant group on Tuesday for killing an American blogger critical of religious extremism six years ago. Avijit Roy, a United States citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants in February 2015 while returning home with his […]