BEIJING (AFP) – China on Wednesday (Oct 21) told Sweden to reverse a ban on Chinese tech firms from its 5G network, warning of “negative impacts” if it did not. The Swedish telecoms regulator issued a ban on Tuesday that would require carriers to remove existing Huawei and ZTE equipment by 2025, citing national security […]
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — A stampede in a crowded stadium in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday left at least 12 women dead, officials said. The women were among thousands of people hoping to get visas to enter Pakistan for medical treatment. Many people in Afghanistan, a war-ravaged country with minimal health care facilities, cross the border into […]
SINGAPORE – Prospective tourists will soon be able to view 3D models of Singapore icons like the Merlion from their living room, as part of an augmented reality (AR) push by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The tourism board is building a database of such content that businesses in the industry can use to promote […]
HANOI (AFP) – More than 100 people have died and 20 others are missing in central Vietnam following weeks of severe flooding and landslides, the authorities said on Wednesday (Oct 21), as the country braced for yet another storm this weekend. About 178,000 homes have been submerged by floodwaters, according to the International Federation of Red […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – China will strike a balance between stabilising economic growth and preventing risks, even as debt was allowed to temporarily rise this year to support the coronavirus-hit economy, central bank governor Yi Gang said on Wednesday (Oct 21). Mr Yi told a financial forum in Beijing that he expected China’s macro leverage ratio […]
LONDON (Reuters) – The public’s financial caution around lockdowns continues to give governments and central banks both the reason and room for open-ended support of their economies through another looming wave of this year’s devastating pandemic.FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve building is set against a blue sky, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Washington, […]
LONDON (Reuters) – The public’s financial caution around lockdowns continues to give governments and central banks both the reason and room for open-ended support of their economies through another looming wave of this year’s devastating pandemic.FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve building is set against a blue sky, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Washington, […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – A Chinese soldier who had strayed across a contested de facto border with India in the Himalayas has been handed back by the Indian side, according to a report by China’s official military newspaper, the PLA Daily. The soldier was handed over early Wednesday morning (Oct 21), according to the report. Both […]
BANGKOK (BLOOMBERG) – In Thailand’s democracy, emoticons and retweets are becoming the new ballots. On Monday (Oct 19), protest organisers asked supporters on Facebook whether they should hold rallies that evening: The “Care” emoticon signalled “rest for one day,” while the “Wow” emoticon was a vote to “keep going!” The majority on Facebook chose to […]
SINGAPORE – Loot boxes in video games, including mobile titles, are akin to virtual goodie bags that have random rewards. These boxes can be bought with digital currencies earned in a game or purchased indirectly with real cash. As a result, loot boxes are considered a type of video game micro transaction. Loot boxes tend […]