Foreign

Myanmar military slaps Suu Kyi with another charge

Myanmar military slaps Suu Kyi with another charge

April 13, 2021, 1:56 pm

ANKARA – Myanmar’s military regime on Monday filed another lawsuit against ousted state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing her of “violating natural disaster law." "A new charge of violating natural disaster law was added to charges ... bringing the total to six cases," Myanmar Now news… Read More

Europe has most new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours: WHO

Europe has most new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours: WHO

April 12, 2021, 12:44 pm

GENEVA – More than 646,000 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed globally in the past 24 hours, which pushed the total number of infections to 134.95 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its daily bulletin on Sunday. According to the WHO updates, coronavirus-related deaths… Read More

6 dead, 1 injured in East Java quake

6 dead, 1 injured in East Java quake

April 11, 2021, 5:28 pm

JAKARTA – Six persons died and one sustained serious injuries after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Malang district, East Java on Saturday, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency informed. Three deaths were reported in Lumajang district, one in Malang district, and two between Lumajang and… Read More

Prince Philip funeral set April 17

Prince Philip funeral set April 17

April 11, 2021, 5:22 pm

LONDON – Prince Philip’s funeral will take place next Saturday and there will be a national minute’s silence at 3 p.m., local time (1400GMT), local media reported on Saturday. Due to the pandemic, the public will not be allowed to attend the funeral that will be televised. “While this is… Read More

No state funeral for Prince Philip due to pandemic

No state funeral for Prince Philip due to pandemic

April 10, 2021, 1:37 pm

LONDON – Arrangements of Prince Philip’s funeral have been revised due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to exclude lying in state and other ceremonies with public participation, the College of Arms said on Friday. "The funeral will not be a State Funeral and will not be preceded by a Lying-in-State.… Read More

Covid-19 cases worldwide reach 132 million: WHO

Covid-19 cases worldwide reach 132 million: WHO

April 9, 2021, 5:17 pm

GENEVA – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has exceeded 132.73 million across the globe, growing by more than 667,000 cases in the past 24 hours, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday. It was the highest single-day figure since January 17, the WHO said. As of 5:08 p.m.… Read More

French Senate OKs proposal to ban prayers at universities

French Senate OKs proposal to ban prayers at universities

April 8, 2021, 8:02 pm

PARIS – France’s Senate approved the addition of a ban on religious practices in university corridors to a controversial bill to fight "Islamist separatism" late Wednesday. Discussing the draft bill, which has been criticized for alienating Muslims, the center-right Republicans (LR) party… Read More

IMF: Uncertainty on fiscal outlooks ‘unusually high’

IMF: Uncertainty on fiscal outlooks ‘unusually high’

April 8, 2021, 3:59 pm

ANKARA – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday said that uncertainty on fiscal outlooks is “unusually high,” adding the longer the pandemic lasts, the greater the challenge for public finances will be. "At present, the evolution of Covid-19 and its fallout on economic and social… Read More

Asean+3 to remain lucrative for global value chains investment

Asean+3 to remain lucrative for global value chains investment

April 7, 2021, 8:46 pm

JAKARTA – Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) Chief Economist Dr. Hoe Ee Khor said the Asean+3 region will remain a highly attractive location for global value chains (GVC) investment during the post-pandemic era. "Although we have seen some cross-border relocation of GVCs globally, the… Read More

Not enough data to support vaccine passports: WHO

Not enough data to support vaccine passports: WHO

April 7, 2021, 6:21 pm

GENEVA – There is not enough data to suggest whether vaccines prevent transmission of the coronavirus and whether the use of vaccine passports would be an effective strategy, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Tuesday. In a UN news briefing, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said… Read More

Cyclone Seroja: At least 157 dead in Indonesia, East Timor

Cyclone Seroja: At least 157 dead in Indonesia, East Timor

April 6, 2021, 6:43 pm

JAKARTA – At least 157 people have died, dozens more are missing, and thousands have been rendered homeless after a tropical cyclone battered Indonesia and neighboring East Timor, authorities said on Tuesday. The death toll stands at 67 in Lembata regency, 49 in East Flores, 12 in Alor,… Read More

Putin signs law allowing him to run for 2 more terms

Putin signs law allowing him to run for 2 more terms

April 6, 2021, 2:40 pm

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a bill into law enabling the incumbent head of state to run for two more terms starting 2024. The bill was approved by the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, and the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, last month.… Read More

India records highest Covid-19 daily spike of over 100K cases

India records highest Covid-19 daily spike of over 100K cases

April 5, 2021, 2:27 pm

NEW DELHI – India recorded a single day spike of 103,558 Covid-19 cases on Monday, the highest so far, thus taking the total tally to 12,589,067. With 478 deaths since Sunday morning, the death toll stood at 165,101. There are still 741,830 active cases in the country, while 11,682,136 people… Read More

Nguyen Xuan Phuc elected as Vietnam's new president

Nguyen Xuan Phuc elected as Vietnam's new president

April 5, 2021, 2:22 pm

HANOI – The National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam on Monday elected Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the state president. A resolution on electing Phuc as the new president was adopted with an approval rate of 97.5 percent at the ongoing 11th session of the 14th NA, Vietnam News Agency… Read More

WTO predicts strong but uneven global trade upturn after pandemic

WTO predicts strong but uneven global trade upturn after pandemic

April 1, 2021, 7:07 pm

GENEVA – The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Wednesday global trade was primed for a strong but uneven recovery, forecasting an increase of 8 percent in world merchandise trade this year. Prospects for a quick recovery in world trade have improved as merchandise trade expanded more… Read More

Biden presents $2-T infrastructure plan to US public

Biden presents $2-T infrastructure plan to US public

April 1, 2021, 6:08 pm

WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden presented his USD2-trillion plan to revitalize America's badly aged infrastructure to the public on Wednesday, seeking a tax hike on corporations to cover its costs. Speaking in the blue-collar city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Biden said his proposal is a… Read More

Report forecasts rosy economic prospects for Asean+3 region

Report forecasts rosy economic prospects for Asean+3 region

April 1, 2021, 4:14 pm

SINGAPORE – Asean and some of the bloc's closest trading partners have been forecast to enjoy an economic expansion of 6.7 percent this year and 4.9 percent in 2022. The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) released the forecast on the Asean+3 region, which includes the 10 Asean nations… Read More

Myanmar junta declares 1-month cease-fire

Myanmar junta declares 1-month cease-fire

April 1, 2021, 3:40 pm

KUALA LUMPUR – Myanmar’s military, which overthrew the country’s elected government through a coup in February this year, declared a month-long cease-fire in the country Thursday. In an address to the nation, military chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the army has declared a unilateral… Read More

Pfizer-BioNTech jab 100% effective on kids aged 12-15

Pfizer-BioNTech jab 100% effective on kids aged 12-15

April 1, 2021, 1:57 pm

ANKARA – US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced on Wednesday that their Covid-19 vaccine has shown “100 percent efficacy” among children aged between 12 and 15. “We share the urgency to expand the authorization of our vaccine to use in younger populations and are… Read More

Putin, Merkel, Macron hold trilateral consultations

Putin, Merkel, Macron hold trilateral consultations

April 1, 2021, 8:36 am

MOSCOW – Russian, German and French leaders discussed the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, use of the Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine in the EU, and the EU-Russia relations at a video conference held on Tuesday. Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron focused on the measures that… Read More