HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong reported 351 cases of coronavirus on Saturday, a record daily high since the outbreak of the pandemic, further pressuring the government’s “dynamic zero-COVID” strategy as other major cities opt to live with the virus. Health Secretary Sophia Chan said at a news conference she expects cases to rise “exponentially” following …
Hong Kong reports record daily high of 351 coronavirus cases Read More »
By Lidia Kelly (Reuters) -Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce apologised on Saturday to Prime Minister Scott Morrison for calling him “a hypocrite and a liar” and said that Morrison had rejected his offer to resign. Morrison said in a statement that he accepted Joyce’s apology. In a leaked message the deputy prime minister, who …
Australia Deputy PM apologises for calling PM Morrison ‘hypocrite and liar’ Read More »
(Reuters) – Western Australian officials warned on Saturday of forecast “extreme to catastrophic fire conditions” as a large bushfire burned out of control in the west of the country, forcing families to flee their homes. More than 2,300 hectares (8.9 square miles) have burnt over the past couple of days just west of the tourist …
Western Australian officials warn of catastrophic bushfire conditions Read More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s 96-year-old former prime minister, has been discharged from the National Heart Institute, the hospital said on Saturday. The country’s longest-serving prime minister, who served for more than two decades in the top job, will have follow-ups for continuation of his medical treatment as required, the hospital said in a …
Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir discharged from hospital Read More »
(Reuters) – A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Friday. The quake, revised down from a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, was at a depth of 209 km (130 miles), the centre said. (Reporting by Shivam Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
By Phil Stewart and Rami Ayyub WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Friday that a single Islamic State bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghans at Kabul airport last August, not the complex attack originally suspected, and that it could not have been prevented with the resources on hand. Briefing …
Single bomber carried out Kabul airport attack, U.S. military says Read More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore reported a record 13,046 local coronavirus infections on Friday, triple the previous day’s tally. Singapore has recorded 85,357 cases of the virus over the last 28 days, but 99.7% of them had no or mild symptoms. The country has fully vaccinated 89% of the total population against COVID-19, while 59% have …
Singapore’s daily local COVID-19 cases triple to more than 13,000 Read More »
By Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a multibillion-dollar bill aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China and boosting U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, despite Republican opposition. The Democratic-majority House backed the “America COMPETES Act of 2022” by 222-210, almost entirely along party lines. One Republican …
U.S. House backs sweeping China competition bill as Olympics start Read More »
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The key to solving the issue of North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs is in the United States’ hands, China’s U.N. envoy said on Friday, urging Washington to show “more sincerity and flexibility” if it wants a breakthrough. “They should come up with more attractive and more practical, …
Want North Korea breakthrough? China tells U.S. to show flexibility Read More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A meeting https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-china-tell-nato-stop-expansion-moscow-backs-beijing-taiwan-2022-02-04 between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing should have been an opportunity for China to encourage Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine, the U.S. State Department’s top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, said on Friday. Such an approach is what the world expects from …
Xi had opportunity to urge Putin to pursue Ukraine diplomacy in meeting -U.S. official Read More »
