KARACHI (Reuters) – Flags of some nations competing in soccer’s World Cup fluttered overhead as boys in a dusty alley in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi kicked a ball around in a fever of excitement. The soccer-crazed neighbourhood of Lyari is also known as “Mini Brazil”, and this year a mural featuring the game’s stars, …
World Cup delirium ignites alleys of Pakistan’s ‘mini Brazil’ Read More »
By Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Protests in China against the world’s toughest COVID-19 restrictions are dying down because they have had an effect, a top U.S. diplomat said on Friday, as Beijing further eased testing and quarantine rules. Anger over the curbs had fueled dozens of protests in more than 20 cities in recent days …
U.S. diplomat says China protests had effect in easing COVID curbs Read More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping blamed mass protests in Chinese cities on youth frustrated by years of the COVID-19 pandemic, but said the now dominant Omicron variant of the virus paved the way for fewer restrictions, European Union officials said. The senior EU officials, who asked not to be named, recounted the main …
China’s Xi told EU less lethal Omicron opens way for fewer COVID restrictions Read More »
By Daphne Psaledakis and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Friday designated China, Iran and Russia, among others, as countries of particular concern under the Religious Freedom Act over severe violations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken in a statement said those designated as countries of particular concern – which also …
U.S. designates Iran, China as countries of concern over religious freedom Read More »
By Anita Kobylinska AL RAYYAN, Qatar (Reuters) -South Korea’s Hwang Hee-chan scored in added time to snatch a 2-1 comeback win over Portugal on Friday but they then faced an agonising 10 minute wait on the pitch before discovering it was enough to send them into the World Cup last 16 on goals scored. Having …
Soccer-South Korea leave it late, then wait, before reaching last 16 Read More »
By Tingshu Wang and Josh Arslan BEIJING (Reuters) – Almost three years of pandemic restrictions have been hard for 23-year-old Chinese villager Zu Wenbao, but thanks to Beijing-based Chen’s Studio, music has become his saving grace. Zu is one of the 14 million people in China who have autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability caused …
“Music is their language”: school gives autistic Chinese youth a voice Read More »
KABUL (Reuters) -Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul came under attack on Friday with gunfire wounding a Pakistani security guard, officials said, in what Islamabad called an attempt to assassinate its head of mission, who was unhurt. In a separate attack in the Afghan capital on Friday, one person was killed in a suicide bombing near the …
Pakistani embassy in Kabul attacked, one injured Read More »
By Martin Quin Pollard BEIJING (Reuters) – As a large Beijing street protest against strict COVID curbs reached a climax late last Sunday, several protesters shouted the unspeakable – for China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping to step down. They were quickly rebuked by some fellow protesters. “Don’t get people too riled …
‘Don’t yell that’: fears compete with calls for ‘freedom’ at China protests Read More »
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines must find a way to explore for oil and gas in the South China Sea even without a deal with China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday, emphasising his country’s right to exploit energy reserves in the contested waterway. “That’s a big thing for us, that is why we …
Philippines needs to find ways to exploit South China Sea resources, says Marcos Read More »
By Martin Quin Pollard and David Kirton BEIJING (Reuters) -Further easing of COVID-19 testing requirements and quarantine rules in some Chinese cities was met with a mix of relief and worry on Friday, as hundreds of millions await an expected shift in national virus policies after widespread social unrest. The looser measures were welcomed by …
Relief and worry as major Chinese cities ease COVID curbs Read More »
