TOKYO, Aug 30, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s prime minister ate what he called “safe and delicious” fish from Fukushima on Wednesday, days after wastewater was released from the area’s crippled nuclear plant into the Pacific. A video clip showing Fumio Kishida eating Fukushima fish, published on social media by his office, comes after China banned all seafood imports from its neighbour following the discharge that began on August 24. “This is very good,” Kishida […]
Asia
India deploys ‘monkey-men’ to scare away primates from G20 summit
Indian officials preparing for the G20 summit next week have hired teams of “monkey-men” and erected primate cutouts to deter marauding monkeys from munching on the floral displays laid out for global leaders. New Delhi’s city council has hired more than 30 “monkey wallahs”, or “monkey-men”, who mimic the hoots and screams of the aggressive langur monkey — the natural enemy of the smaller rhesus macaque primates who wreak havoc in the capital’s leafy government […]
China warns US against ‘disastrous’ trade curbs
BEIJING, Aug 29, 2023 (AFP) – China’s premier warned US officials Tuesday that moves to “politicise” trade issues would prove “disastrous” for the global economy, state media reported. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is currently on a four-day bridge-building visit to China aimed at better managing tensions between the world’s two largest economies. But a meeting with Premier Li Qiang Tuesday saw the top official lay into American trade curbs against Beijing, which Washington insists […]
Toyota factories in Japan hit by massive glitch
TOKYO, Aug 29, 2023 (AFP) – Toyota said Tuesday it halted operations at 12 of its 14 factories in Japan due to a system glitch, but that it did not appear to be a cyberattack. The world’s biggest automaker refrained from discussing other details of the incident, which began Tuesday morning. “Twelve vehicle factories, affecting 25 lines, are not able to process orders for parts due to a system glitch… At this point, we believe […]
7.1-magnitude quake, aftershocks rattle Bali residents
DENPASAR, Indonesia, Aug 29, 2023 (AFP) – A strong, deep 7.1-magnitude earthquake and several aftershocks rattled Bali and other Indonesian islands on Tuesday, the USGS reported, sending panicked tourists into the streets but causing no major damage. The quake struck at a depth of around 515 kilometres off the northeastern coast of Bali at around 3:55 am local time (1955 GMT Monday), according to the US Geological Survey. The tremors were felt across Bali, and […]
Japan PM condemns China over stone throwing at embassy, schools
TOKYO, Aug 28, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s prime minister urged China to ensure its people “act in a calm and responsible manner” after instances of stones being thrown at diplomatic missions and schools, following the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Last week, China banned all seafood imports from its neighbour as Japan began releasing cooling water from the Fukushima plant in an operation that Tokyo and the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog have […]
Japan postpones ‘Moon Sniper’ liftoff for third time
TOKYO, Aug 28, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s space agency on Monday postponed for the third time the launch of its “Moon Sniper” lunar mission due to poor weather. The H2-A rocket due to blast off from the southern island of Tanegashima was also carrying a research satellite developed with NASA and the European Space Agency. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) gave no new date for the start of the mission, which comes after India […]
Hundreds flee floods as super typhoon brushes past Philippines
MANILA, Aug 27, 2023 (AFP) – More than a thousand people fled their homes as floods unleashed by Super Typhoon Saola swept through mainly rural villages in the northern Philippines, rescue officials said Sunday. Saola brushed past the northeast of the main island of Luzon overnight Saturday and continued south just off the Pacific coast packing winds of up to 185 kilometres (115 miles) per hour, the state weather bureau said. No casualties or substantial […]
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Philippine Arena makes history: FIBA World Cup attendance soars to 38,115
Making 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 in Manila 🤩 3️⃣8️⃣,1️⃣1️⃣5️⃣ fans packed Philippine Arena, setting a new FIBA Basketball World Cup record as the 2023 edition started with PUSO and passion!#FIBAWC x #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/PCoE67plIP — FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 25, 2023 The Philippines garnered an impressive crowd of 38,115 for the FIBA World Cup opener against the Dominican Republic at the iconic Philippine Arena in Manila. FIBA officially confirmed this massive turnout, surpassing the prior […]
Philippine, Australian troops hold South China Sea drills
By Pamela CASTRO Australian and Filipino troops held exercises on Friday near flashpoint South China Sea waters claimed by China, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hailing them as an “extremely important” example of close cooperation. China deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise reefs in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis. Friday’s joint drills took […]
Myanmar extradites seven suspects to China over online scams
YANGON, Aug 24, 2023 (AFP) – Myanmar authorities have handed over seven people suspected of involvement in online scams targeting Chinese citizens to Beijing authorities, state media reported Thursday. Criminal syndicates are accused of kidnapping or luring citizens of China and other countries to lawless enclaves along Myanmar’s northern and eastern borders and forcing them to work as online scammers. The scammers typically target their compatriots and groom them for weeks before cajoling them into […]