By AFP, published by The Straits Times New Delhi – An Indian couple chartered a passenger jet to stage a mid-air wedding that hijacked coronavirus restrictions by taking more than 160 guests, reports said today (May 24). India’s civil aviation authority has ordered an investigation and suspended the crew of the jet, officials said. Because
World news
Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court in person for first time since coup
By Agencies and published by Channel NewsAsia Yangon – Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in person at a court hearing today (May 24) for the first time since her government was overthrown by the military in a Feb 1 coup, her lawyer told Reuters. Aung San Suu Kyi looked in good health
Read moreIndia’s capital New Delhi to ease Covid-19 restrictions as cases drop
By Reuters and published by Channel NewsAsia New Delhi – India’s capital New Delhi will start relaxing its strict coronavirus lockdown next week if new cases continue to drop in the city, Delhi’s chief minister said today (May 23). The nation today reported 240,842 new infections nationwide over 24 hours – the lowest daily
Read moreMyanmar ethnic army attacks jade mining town: Media
By Reuters, published by The Straits Times Yangon – Forces of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of the ethnic factions opposed to Myanmar’s coup, attacked military positions at the north-western jade mining town of Hkamti today (May 22), local media reported. The attack marks an advance into new territory by the KIA at a
Read moreMyanmar electoral body to dissolve Aung San Suu Kyi party: Local media
By Reuters, published by The Straits Times Yangon – Myanmar’s junta-appointed election commission will dissolve Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party (NLD) because of what it said was fraud in a November election, news outlet Myanmar Now said today (May 21), citing a commissioner. Myanmar Now said the decision was made during
Read moreMyanmar junta fires protesting diplomats in Tokyo: Report
By AFP, published by Channel NewsAsia Tokyo – Two officials at Myanmar’s embassy in Tokyo have become the latest diplomats dismissed by the junta after protesting the military coup in their country, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported today (May 20). Administrator Aung Soe Moe and a junior colleague were fired after they went on strike,
Read moreFears for supplies in Myanmar’s Chin State as exodus grows from fighting
By Reuters, published by Channel NewsAsia Yangon – People displaced by an upsurge of fighting in Myanmar’s Chin State voiced concerns over shelter and supplies as more flee the conflict that has sprung up between the army and insurgents opposed to the junta that seized power in February. The exodus also threatens to push more
Read more‘No truth’ in Indian minister’s claims of Singapore Covid-19 variant
By Channel NewsAsia Singapore – Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has expressed its concerns to India’s High Commissioner over comments made by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal about a purported Covid-19 variant found in Singapore. In a press statement today (May 19), MFA said it “regrets the unfounded assertions made on Facebook and Twitter”
Read moreIsraeli police: 2 Thais killed in strike launched from Gaza
By Associated Press, published by New Indian Express Gaza City – A strike launched from Gaza today (May 18) killed two Thai workers inside a packaging plant in southern Israel, police said, as Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers continued to trade attacks throughout the day. The Magen David Adom rescue service said it transported another
Read moreMyanmar junta attacks western town that resisted coup
By Grant Peck, AP, published by US News & World Report THE US and British embassies in Myanmar expressed concern about reports of fierce government attacks on a town in western Chin state, where the ruling junta declared martial law because of armed resistance to military rule. The fighting began around 6 a.m. Saturday
Read moreIndia ‘on war footing’ as Covid-19 infections pass 24 million
By Reuters, published by The Straits Times New Delhi – Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded the alarm over the rapid spread of Covid-19 through India’s vast countryside today (May 14), as the official tally of infections crossed 24 million, and 4,000 people died for the third straight day. The highly transmissible B1617 variant of the
Read moreMyanmar junta declares martial law in town after attacks
By Reuters, published by CNA MYANMAR’S junta has declared martial law in a town in Chin State after blaming “armed terrorists” for attacks on a police station and a bank, state media reported today (May 14), amid an upsurge in fighting between the military and ethnic rebels in border areas. In the face of widespread
Read moreMore than 4,000 Indians die of Covid-19 for second straight day
By Reuters, published by The Straits Times Bengaluru/New Delhi – India recorded more than 4,000 Covid-19 deaths for a second straight day today (May 13), while infections stayed below 400,000 for a fourth day, though the virus has become rampant in rural areas where cases can go unreported due to a lack of testing. Experts
Read moreBuddhist monks in Myanmar split on anti-junta movement
By AFP, published by Channel NewsAsia Yangon – Myanmar’s Buddhist monkhood led an earlier struggle against military rule but is split on the coup that ended the country’s nascent democracy, with some prominent religious leaders defending the new junta. Three months of turmoil have followed the February pre-dawn raids in which soldiers arrested civilian leader
Read moreMyanmar arrests 39 over blasts, seeking training with rebels: Media
By Reuters, published by The Straits Times Yangon – Myanmar security forces have arrested 39 people suspected of being behind explosions and arson attacks as well as trying to get military training with an ethnic minority rebel group, media controlled by the junta said today (May 12). Since the military seized power on Feb 1,
Read moreChinese rocket debris lands in Indian Ocean, draws criticism from NASA
By Reuters Staff, published by Channel NewsAsia Beijing – Remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean today (May 9), with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit. The coordinates given by state
Read moreMyanmar’s Karen insurgents burn another government military outpost
By AP and published by Channel NewsAsia GUERRILLA soldiers from Myanmar’s Karen ethnic minority burned down a government military outpost on Friday (May 7) after capturing it without a fight when its garrison fled, a senior Karen officer said. The position is about 15km from a larger camp that the Karen National Liberation Army stormed
Read morePortion of Chinese rocket expected to hit Earth Saturday, but where is a mystery
By Newsweek and published by MSN News THE Long March 5B rocket carried the main module of Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, China’s first permanent space station into orbit on April 29. Discarded rocket stages are usually immediately guided into a controlled demolition by friction in Earth’s atmosphere. But China’s space agency has yet to comment
Read moreTaiwan bars arrivals from India amid Covid crisis
By Reuters, published by Channel NewsAsia Taipei – Taiwan became the latest place to ban arrivals from coronavirus-stricken India today (May 3), as it moves to prevent new infections, with more nations reporting cases of a variant first identified in the subcontinent. The variant, B1617, has reached at least 17 countries, from Britain and Iran
Read moreMyanmar rebels claim military helicopter downing
By AFP, published by Channel NewsAsia Yangon – A leading Myanmar ethnic rebel army said that it had shot down a military helicopter today (May 3), a day after a renewed junta crackdown on anti-coup protests left at least five civilians dead. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) said it downed the helicopter gunship during fierce
Read more