Asia - CDE News - The Dispatch

Asia extends lockdowns, adds curbs to fight surge in Delta infections

Nations from Australia to Vietnam announced more drastic curbs and longer lockdowns for citizens on Friday, as authorities struggle to rein in outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta variant of…

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Afghans at risk “have no clear way out” – UNHCR

Most Afghans are unable to leave their homeland and those who may be in danger "have no clear way out", the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. Shabia Mantoo,…

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Thailand reaches 1 million COVID-19 cases, plans vaccine boosters

Thailand's passed the 1 million mark in coronavirus cases on Friday, 97% of which were recorded in the past five months, as the country struggles to boost vaccinations and get…

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NATO pledges to speed evacuations from Afghanistan as criticism mounts

More than 18,000 people have been flown out of Kabul since the Taliban took over Afghanistan's capital, a NATO official said on Friday, pledging to redouble evacuation efforts as criticism…

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Taliban carrying out door-to door manhunt, Relative of Deutsche Welle reporter killed by Taliban

The Taliban have begun rounding up Afghans on a blacklist of people they believe have worked in key roles with the previous Afghan administration or with U.S.-led forces that supported…

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Singapore to start gradual easing of border restrictions

Singapore will allow quarantine-free entry to vaccinated travelers from Germany and Brunei from next month, its aviation regulator said on Thursday, as part of a plan to reopen its borders…

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Asian airlines report high vaccination uptake among crew

Asian airlines are reporting high vaccination take-up rates among pilots and cabin crew as they wait for the region's tight pandemic-related border controls to be relaxed. International travel in the…

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Photo Story: Mopping-up of non-native species in South Korea

A hunter holds up an American bullfrog captured in a fishing net installed at Onseok Reservoir in the city of Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. The Seosan municipality said…

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Philippines reports second largest daily COVID-19 infections

The Philippine health ministry on Thursday recorded 14,895 new coronavirus cases, the second highest daily increase in infections since the start of the pandemic. In a bulletin, it said total…

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Briton to be deported from Singapore for refusing to wear mask

A British man jailed in Singapore for breaking coronavirus protocols by refusing to wear a face mask was released on Thursday and will be deported, the country's prison department said.…

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Reports of several killed amid firing by Taliban and stampede during rally in Afghan city

Flag-waving protesters took to several Afghan cities on Thursday and several people were killed when Taliban fighters fired on a crowd, a witness said, in the first popular opposition to…

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China reports further drop in new local COVID-19 cases

China reported on Thursday a further decline in new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the country's current outbreak, now in its fourth week. China posted five new locally transmitted infections…

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Taliban keep some evacuees from reaching Kabul airport, as U.S. vows to finish airlift

Armed members of the Taliban kept people desperate to flee Afghanistan from reaching Kabul's airport on Wednesday, witnesses said, while President Joe Biden vowed to keep U.S. troops in the…

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Biden says August 31 deadline in Afghanistan might have to be extended

U.S. troops may stay in Afghanistan past an Aug. 31 deadline to evacuate Americans, President Joe Biden said on Wednesday, and the Pentagon said the U.S. military does not currently…

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Chinese ports choke over ‘zero tolerance’ COVID-19 policy

Several Chinese ports are facing congestion as vessels due to call at Ningbo are being diverted and cargo processing is slowed partly due to stricter disinfection measures under China's "zero-tolerance"…

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Southeast Asia needs vaccine access to curb record deaths -Red Cross

Southeast Asian countries need more help securing COVID-19 vaccines, as the region struggles to contain record infections and deaths driven by the Delta variant, the International Federation of Red Cross…

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Reports of deaths following anti-Taliban protests in Jalalabad

At least three people were killed and more than a dozen injured after Taliban militants opened fire during protests against the group in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, two witnesses…

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Pandemic fatigue complicates Japan’s COVID fight, risks recovery delay

Japan's state of emergency restrictions are not curbing movement as effectively as in the past, according to mobility data, hurting the government's fight to slow COVID-19 infections and raising the…

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The Taliban could be different this time, Britain’s army chief says

The world should give the Taliban the space to form a new government in Afghanistan and may discover that the insurgents cast as militants by the West for decades have…

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UPDATED: Evacuations from Afghanistan gather momentum as Taliban promise peace

More than 2,200 diplomats and civilians have been evacuated from Afghanistan on military flights, a Western security official said on Wednesday, as the Taliban made first efforts to set up…

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UPDATED: Dutch get 35 citizens out of Afghanistan after chaos holds up evacuations

The Netherlands managed to get 35 of its citizens out of Afghanistan on Wednesday in a slow start to its evacuation operation amid chaos outside Kabul airport, Defence Minister Ank…

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Human remains found in landing gear of military flight from Kabul, says U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force said that it was investigating the circumstances surrounding human remains that were found in the wheel well of one of its C-17s that flew out of…

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UK’s Johnson wants to discuss Afghanistan with G7 as soon as possible

Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to hold a virtual meeting of Group of Seven leaders at the earliest opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, his office said after the British leader spoke…

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Taliban say they want peace, will respect women’s rights under Islamic law

KABUL, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The Taliban held their first official news conference in Kabul on Tuesday since the shock seizure of the city, declaring they wanted peaceful relations with…

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Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover presents fresh challenge for social media companies

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan poses a new challenge for big U.S. tech companies on handling content created by a group considered to be terrorists by some world governments. Social media giant…

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Merkel says Germany may need to rescue 10,000 people from Afghanistan

BERLIN, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Germany must urgently evacuate up to 10,000 people from Afghanistan for whom its has responsibility, Chancellor Angela Merkel told party colleagues, warning that the fallout…

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France’s Macron urges UN to act with single voice on Afghanistan

Islamist militants will seek to benefit from the turmoil in Afghanistan, said French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, adding that France would do all it could to ensure Russia, the United States…

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UPDATE – Evacuation flights resume at Kabul airport as Biden defends U.S. withdrawal

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan resumed early on Tuesday after the runway at Kabul airport was cleared of thousands of people desperate to…

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Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs

A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the…

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Britain asks: Is America back or has it turned its back?

The humiliation of the lightning Taliban takeover in Afghanistan after a 20-year war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives has raised a question for the United States' staunchest European…

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CDU says Germany can’t repeat 2015 migrant influx over Afghanistan, Austria calls for ‘deportation centres’

Germany cannot fix the situation in Afghanistan through a repeat of the open-door migrant policy it pursued in 2015, the general secretary of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party said on Monday.…

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Joe Biden under fire over unfolding chaos in Afghanistan

Joe Biden is facing the worst crisis of his presidency as his plans for an orderly US withdrawal from Afghanistan crumbled. The frantic scramble to evacuate American diplomats before the…

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Chaos and death at Kabul airport

Five people were killed in chaos at Kabul airport on Monday, witnesses said, as people tried to flee a day after Taliban insurgents seized the Afghan capital and declared the…

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Hong Kong reclassifies 15 countries as ‘high risk’ for COVID-19

Hong Kong's government said it would upgrade 15 overseas places including the United States, Spain and France to "high risk" from "medium risk" by Aug. 20, meaning international arrivals from…

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Reports of an Afghan military jet crash in Uzbekistan

An Afghan military jet has crashed in Uzbekistan, an Uzbek news website reported on Monday, citing sources and images shared via messaging apps. The Afghan government collapsed on Sunday and…

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China’s new local COVID-19 infections fall for sixth day

New local COVID-19 infections in China declined for a sixth day, official data showed on Monday, as most regions pulled the latest outbreak under control, while others kept up vigilance…

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UPDATED: Malaysia PM resigns

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrives at Royal Palace to seek audience with Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16 August 2021. Malaysian Prime Minister…

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Airlines reroute flights to avoid Afghanistan airspace

Major airlines are rerouting flights to avoid Afghanistan airspace after insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul as U.S.-led forces departed and Western nations scrambled on Monday to…

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Taliban declares ‘war is over’ as president and diplomats flee Kabul

The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over after insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul as U.S.-led forces departed and Western nations scrambled on Monday to…

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirms having left Kabul to avoid bloodshed

Update - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has confirmed he left the country as the Taliban entered Kabul, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed. Earlier Ashraf Ghani was reported as having…

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Taliban say they have control of Afghan presidential palace

KABUL, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan's presidential palace, two senior Taliban commanders present in Kabul told Reuters on Sunday, after President Ashraf Ghani left…

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Photo Story – India Celebrates Independence Day anniversary

Members of ‘SHE for Society’ a non-governmental organistation with Indian tri-color flags on their bikes pose for photographs and Indian muslim girl holds Indian tri-color flag during the 75th Independence…

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Taliban insurgents enter Afghan capital Kabul

KABUL, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Taliban insurgents entered the Afghanistan capital Kabul on Sunday, an interior ministry official said, as the United States evacuated diplomats from its embassy by helicopter.…

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Blood and billions of dollars: NATO’s long war in Afghanistan

Here are some facts about NATO's military involvement in support of the United States in Afghanistan: * On Sept. 12, 2001, NATO allies invoked their mutual defence clause for the…

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Qatar urges Taliban to cease fire at meeting in Doha

DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar said it had urged the Taliban to cease fire and pull back their offensive in Afghanistan during a meeting between the Qatari foreign minister and a…

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British ambassador to be flown out of Afghanistan on Sunday -newspaper

LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Britain's ambassador to Afghanistan will be flown out of the country by Sunday evening, the Sunday Telegraph reported, after UK troops moved to evacuate most…

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Factbox: What to watch for as the Taliban inch closer to Kabul

Aug 14 (Reuters) - The insurgent Taliban have captured Afghanistan's second- and third-largest cities, and a town just south of Kabul, and now have their sights set on the capital.…

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Biden adds forces for Afghan evacuation, defends withdrawal decision

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he had approved additional military forces to go to Kabul to help safely draw down the American…

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Canada to accept 20,000 vulnerable Afghans such as women leaders, human rights workers

Canada plans to resettle more than 20,000 vulnerable Afghans including women leaders, human rights workers and reporters to protect them from Taliban reprisals, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino revealed. The effort…

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UPDATED: Afghan president in urgent talks as Taliban take key town near Kabul

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani held urgent talks with local leaders and international partners on Saturday as Taliban rebels pushed closer to Kabul, capturing a town south of the capital that…

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China’s new locally transmitted COVID cases down for the 4th straight day

China on Saturday reported 30 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for Aug. 13, down for the fourth consecutive day, offering fresh signs that a month-long outbreak may be waning. The…

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India reports 38,667 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

India reported 38,667 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, a government statement said on Saturday. Daily COVID-19 deaths in the country rose by 478, health ministry data showed.…

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One dead, two missing as torrential rains slam Japan, risk alerts broadened

One woman was dead and two other people were missing on Saturday after torrential rains touched off a landslide and engulfed two houses in Nagasaki prefecture in western Japan. With…

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Afghanistan spiralling into failed state where al Qaeda will thrive – UK says

Afghanistan is spiralling into a failed state and a civil war in which militant groups such as al Qaeda will thrive and likely pose a threat again to the West,…

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Port, shipping firms divert vessels after a Ningbo terminal shuts

Ports and shipping companies are diverting vessels from a container terminal in China's busiest marine transportation hub which was forced to close after a coronavirus case emerged, as the pandemic…

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Thailand projects doubling of daily coronavirus infections next month

Thailand could see coronavirus cases double to 45,000 per day by early next month, even with current lockdown measures in place, its COVID-19 taskforce said on Friday, as authorities urged…

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China reports smallest number of local COVID-19 cases since July

China on Friday reported declining numbers of new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day, extending tentative signs that the latest month-long outbreak may be waning. The National Health…

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