Xi boasts of Chinese ‘human miracle’ in tackling poverty
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared his country had achieved the “human miracle” of eliminating extreme poverty.
Category: International
Malaysian wins challenge against Islamic law banning gay sex
A Malaysian man wins the country’s first legal challenge against Islamic laws banning gay sex.
Indonesia hunts for missing after mine collapse kills three
Indonesian rescuers hunted for survivors yesterday after an illegal gold mine collapsed killing at least three people, with more believed to be buried under the rubble, officials said.
Australia passes landmark law, tech firms to pay for news
Facebook and Google will be forced to pay for Australian news under legislation passed yesterday that is being closely watched globally for precedents in the battle between Big Tech and media companies.
NASA releases panorama by Mars rover
The US space agency NASA released a spectacular panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars.
Toll climbs in Ecuador prison riot ‘massacre’
The body count from simultaneous riots at four prisons in Ecuador rose to 79 Wednesday as family members arrived to claim the remains of loved ones killed in hours of full-out gang warfare that left inmates decapitated and burnt.
Malaysia ‘sugar daddy’ website boss charged after outcry
The head of a controversial Malaysian “sugar daddy” dating website is charged.
Indonesia in talks to solve Myanmar coup crisis
Indonesia says it is in talks with both sides in Myanmar’s political crisis.
Bangkok Poll: Majority want vaccination against COVID-19
More than two-thirds of people polled want to be inoculated against COVID-19 when vaccines are available, but the rest do not, according to an opinion survey by Bangkok University, or Bangkok Poll.
Ghana receives world’s first doses of free Covax vaccines
Ghana received yesterday the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from Covax, a global scheme to procure and distribute inoculations for free, as the world races to contain the pandemic.
Italy asks UN for probe into killing of envoy in DR Congo
Italy’s foreign minister said yesterday he had asked the United Nations for an investigation into the killing of its ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo in an ambush.
US in mourning over 500,000 ‘heartbreaking’ C-19 deaths
Biden orders flags lowered to half-mast Monday after the US crossed 500,000 deaths.
G7 ‘firmly condemn’ Myanmar military attacks on protesters
G7 countries “firmly condemn” violence committed by Myanmar’s security forces.
Rights groups urge meeting with 1,200 Myanmar deportees
The Malaysian government should allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to visit and check on the 1,200 people that Malaysia planned on deporting to Myanmar, the rights group said, following a local court order to pause the deportation plans for one day.
Rohingya boat in distress, eight dead from dehydration
A boat carrying dozens of Rohingya has broken down at sea.
UK’s PM eyes end to lockdown as vaccines reach one-third of adults
Boris Johnson was set to start unwinding England’s third coronavirus lockdown.
IAEA reaches temporary agreement with Iran on nuclear verification
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reached a temporary bilateral understanding with Iran to salvage the nuclear deal for now, said its chief on Sunday.
53 hostages released in Nigeria
Governor of Nigeria’s central-north Niger State Abubakar Sani Bello said on Sunday that the state government has managed to secure the release of all the 53 passengers abducted by gunmen on February 14 at village Kundu of the state.
Air New Zealand to trial digital COVID -19 ‘vaccination passport’
Air New Zealand will trial a digital travel pass to give airlines and border authorities access to passenger health information, including their COVID-19 vaccination status, the carrier said yesterday.
Rich tourists arrive in Phuket to villa quarantine
Fifty-nine wealthy foreign tourists arrived in Thailand’s southern island province on Sunday night and went into “villa quarantine” at the Sri Panwa Hotel.
Severe floods kill five in Indonesia’s capital
5 people are killed in severe floods that submerged entire neighbourhoods in Jakarta.
Texas residents dealing with water, food shortages
Local residents are tackling food and water shortages and price spikes.
UN nuclear watchdog chief starts Tehran talks as deadline looms
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog met Iran’s atomic energy chief in Tehran Sunday, hours before a deadline set by the Islamic republic to limit inspections by the agency if US sanctions are not lifted.
Thai PM survives censure vote, three ministers’ fates unsure
The future of three Thai cabinet ministers hangs in the balance following the no-confidence vote in parliament on Saturday, despite the government surviving the motion, political analysts say.
Facebook news blackout over media law sparks Australia backlash
Australia slams Facebook as “heavy-handed” and “wrong” to impose a news blackout.
Anti-coup hackers target Myanmar gov’t sites
Hackers attack Myanmar government websites to protest against the military coup.
UN urges global COVID-19 vaccine plan, warns of dangerous inequity
UN warns that gaping inequities in initial efforts put the whole planet at risk.
Indonesia kicks off second wave of COVID-19 vaccinations
Market traders were among the first to benefit from Indonesia’s second phase of mass vaccinations against the coronavirus on Wednesday, as the government looks to right the country’s pandemic-battered economy.
US retail sales jump in January as recovery gains traction
US shoppers resume spending in January, the first increase since September.
Former Malaysia first lady’s graft trial to proceed
The corruption trial of Malaysia’s scandal-plagued former first lady will proceed after a judge ruled yesterday that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to make a case, boosting efforts to bring her to justice.
