Elaborate “virtual kidnappings” are being used to extort money from the friends and relatives of Chinese students Down Under, Australian police warned Monday, after a spate of transnational scams were reported.
AFP
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Vietnam Suspends Wildlife Trade as Pandemic Prods Action
Vietnam, one of Asia’s biggest consumers of wildlife products, has suspended all imports of wild animal species “dead or alive” and vowed to “eliminate” illegal markets across the country.
Giant Whale Washes up on Indonesian Beach
A giant 23-meter (75-foot) whale briefly washed up near a beach in Indonesia but it was unclear how the enormous marine mammal died, a conservation official said Wednesday.
World Championship Skater Opens up about China Abuse
A world championship figure skater has opened up about physical and mental abuse she allegedly suffered while training in China, which included being kicked, hit and called insulting names.
NBA Pulls out of Xinjiang Project
The National Basketball Association has severed ties to a training center in China’s western Xinjiang region, where Beijing faces growing international condemnation over its treatment of minorities.
Mumbai Deploys ‘Smart Helmets’ to Screen for Coronavirus
As coronavirus infections climb in Mumbai, authorities in India’s worst-hit city are turning to high-tech “smart helmets” to speed up screenings and identify suspected cases in the financial capital’s densely-populated slums.
Pakistani Man was Fined Eight Buffaloes for Racial Slur
A Pakistani man has been fined eight buffaloes and eight gongs by a court on the Malaysian part of Borneo for insulting indigenous groups, an official said Wednesday.
Japanese-American Woman Who Symbolized WWII Tragedy Dies at 80
Yuki Okinaga Hayakawa Llewellyn, who came to symbolize one of America’s darkest chapters, has died nearly eight decades after being shipped to a US internment camp during World War II.
Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine Starts Final Tests in Brazil
A Chinese-made vaccine against the new coronavirus entered the final stage of testing Tuesday in Brazil, where volunteers received the first doses of what officials hope will be a game-changer in the global pandemic.
Thai Metal Workshop Dazzles Tourists With Movie-Inspired Creations
Towering Transformers, life-sized Marvel superheroes and extraterrestrial lifeforms — a “House of Steel Robots” in Thailand has made a name for itself by transforming scrap metal into dazzling sculptures inspired by Hollywood blockbusters.
Burger King Apologizes over Expired Food Sold in China
Burger King has apologized to customers in China after state media reported that two of the US fast food chain’s outlets sold expired food in the country, causing an uproar on social media.
Vietnam, Where Independent Media is Outlawed, Opens Press Museum
Undeterred by its dismal ranking in media freedom and grim reputation for jailing reporters who stray from the government line, Vietnam has launched a museum dedicated to the open press.
Punches, Water Balloons Thrown in Taiwan Parliament Melee
Taiwanese lawmakers threw punches and water balloons inside the legislature on Friday, the third parliamentary brawl in a fortnight, over the nomination of the head of a top government watchdog.
Hong Kong Reimposes Tough New Restrictions after Virus Re-emerge
Hong Kong reimposed tough social distancing measures on Wednesday — shuttering many businesses and making facemasks on public transport mandatory — after a spike in coronavirus cases threatens to undo months of success against the disease.
Tokyo Amusement Park’s Instructional Video on How to ‘Scream Inside’ on Rollercoaster Goes Viral
It might be the unlikeliest instructional video ever, but footage of two Japanese amusement park executives demonstrating how to “scream inside your heart” to avoid spreading COVID-19 while on a rollercoaster has been a roaring success.
Teenage Boy Dies of Plague in Mongolia
A 15-year-old boy has died from the bubonic plague in Mongolia, health authorities said Tuesday, one of a handful of cases that recently emerged in the country and neighboring China.
From the Moon to Mars: China’s March across Space
After sending humans into orbit and landing a probe on the Moon, China is aiming for another milestone in its space ambitions with the launch of a Mars rover next week.
Ten Million Kids ‘May Never Return to School’ after Virus
The coronavirus pandemic has caused an “unprecedented education emergency” with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class, Save the Children warned Monday.
Alpine Glacier Melts Reveals Layers of Historical Treasures
The Mont Blanc glacier in the French Alps yields more and more secrets as it melts — this time a clutch of newspapers with banner headlines from when Indira Gandhi became India’s first and so far only woman prime minister in 1966.
South Korean Man Escaped Twice from Strict Hong Kong Quarantine Rules
A South Korean man who twice broke coronavirus lockdown regulations jumped out of a moving minibus in a failed bid to escape being transferred to a strict government-controlled quarantine facility, Hong Kong police and media reported Monday.