Australia on Thursday (Jan 13) reported its biggest pandemic caseload with a runaway Omicron outbreak driving up hospitalisation rates as the surge put severe strain on supply chains forcing authorities to ease quarantine rules for more workers. After successfully containing the virus earlier in the pandemic, Australia has reported nearly a million cases over the last two...
Former national badminton player Lin Dan (林丹) made quite a name for himself both on and off the court. The Chinese national player was also famous for his rivalry with Malaysia’s shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei. In fact, some joked their kids would carry on the rivalry! However, since retiring, Lin Dan has been living a quiet...
Respiratory expert from Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital Dr Manoon Leechawengongs gave his prediction that the Omicron variant may be an indicator that the dreaded Covid-19 will come to an end in 2022. Taking so social media, Dr Leechawengongs share that the reason why this may be the end of Covid-19 is down to his statement that the...
Emergency personnel from the FDNY provide medical aid as they respond to an apartment building fire in the Bronx borough of New York City, US, on Jan 9, 2022.Reuters Nineteen people were killed, including nine children, and dozens were injured when a fire started by a malfunctioning space heater spread smoke through a 19-floor building in...
Authorities on the Indonesian tropical island Bali released 33 endangered green sea turtles into the ocean on Saturday (Jan 8) in an effort to boost a population threatened by poachers and illegal traders. The turtles, from the Chelonia mydas species that is protected in Indonesia, were released on Kuta beach after they being rescued during a...
In 2021 there were a raft of reports about the Myanmar military regime’s mass killings, and the massacre in Hpruso, Kayah state, on Christmas Eve ranks as one of the deadliest attacks of the year. Anti-junta fighters, rights activists and officials from international aid agencies who spoke to This Week in Asia said that while news...
People lining up for Covid-19 tests during a citywide mass testing in Tianjin on Jan 9, 2022.Reuters The Chinese city of Tianjin, with around 14 million people, has tightened exit controls and now requires residents to obtain approval from employers or community authorities before leaving town and a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours of departure. The...
A 28-year-old Bangladeshi worker was taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon (Jan 9) after he fell from the fourth storey of Chinatown Point and landed on the second storey. In response to inquiries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that it received a call for assistance at 133 New Bridge Road at about...
Indonesia aims to wean itself off coal and become carbon neutral by 2060 or sooner.Reuters Mr Aji Tri Atmojo lives in a traditional Javanese house with wooden walls on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, but his rustic home got a modern touch after he installed a row of solar panels on his roof. Since...
A number of Chinese cities have started emergency screenings for coronavirus on imported food and ordered fruit buyers to quarantine after fresh produce from Southeast Asia tested positive. Despite little evidence that people can catch Covid-19 from food, at least nine cities in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces have reported positive coronavirus results on dragon fruit imported...
