TOKYO: Japan’s Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu announced his marriage late on Friday (Aug 4), drawing congratulations from his fanbase, though some seemed sad that the photogenic 28-year-old would no longer be romantically available. Hanyu did not say who his partner was when declaring his new marital statusContinue Reading
SHENZHEN: Floodwaters from Typhoon Doksuri continued to deluge farms and cities in northeast China into the weekend, with the country’s disaster relief systems struggling to contain the aftermath of one of the strongest storms in years. Almost 15,000 residents were moved out of the city of Shulan in corn-growing JilinContinue Reading
ISLAMABAD: Police arrested former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday (Aug 5), his lawyer said, after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts. Legal experts say a conviction in the case could end Khan’s chances of participating in national electionsContinue Reading
TAIPEI: Intense rains in the wake of Typhoon Khanun lashed the mountainous parts of Taiwan on Saturday (Aug 5), unleashing floods and landslides that blocked roads and stranded hundreds of people as authorities rushed to resume transportation links. Rains have pounded the central county of Nantou since Typhoon Khanun brushedContinue Reading
There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue, which is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season when the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the deadly virus thrives in stagnant water. Experts said they expect to get more cases through August and September. This year’s deathsContinue Reading
BANGKOK: Thai former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Saturday (Aug 5) he was postponing his return from self-exile as Thailand struggles to overcome a political deadlock after the general election in May was won by opponents of military-backed parties. Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon who became prime minister inContinue Reading
Temperatures have hit 34 degrees Celsius in Saemangeum, near the city of Buan on South Korea’s west coast, where 39,000 participants, mostly scouts aged 14 to 18, are camping.
The pullout by the United States comes as a further blow to the organisers and the South Korean government, which on Friday had said it would send more water trucks, air-conditioned spaces and medics to save the event.
Scouts from Britain, the largest grouping at the jamboree, said on Friday they were moving to hotels in Seoul for the rest of their stay, to alleviate pressure on the site.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement also said in a statement on Friday that it had asked the Korean Scout Association to consider “alternative options to end the event earlier than scheduled and support the participants until they depart for their home countries”.
SEOUL: The World Scout Jamboree in South Korea faced calls to be cancelled on Saturday (Aug 5) after large contingents from the United States and Britain pulled out a week early over extreme heat and weather conditions.
Saturday’s pullout by the US is a fresh blow to the organisers and the South Korean government, which on Friday promised more water trucks, air-conditioned spaces and medics in an attempt to save the event.
Temperatures have hit 34 degrees Celsius in Saemangeum, near the city of Buan on South Korea’s west coast, where 39,000 participants, mostly scouts aged 14 to 18, were camping as of Friday.
The Singapore Scout Association also said in an update on Saturday that they would be transferring from the jamboree site.
“The safety and welfare of our young people and adult volunteers are of the utmost importance,” said the association, adding that it consulted local stakeholders before making the decision.
The contingent will be transferred to Daejeon Metropolitan City.
“We know that may be a disappointment for some but we will continue the jamboree experience in Daejeon, working with our local partners on a programme of activities so our young people still get the most from their time in South Korea and learn about Korean culture and the way of life.”
The association said in an earlier statement on Friday that the ongoing heatwave could force the early return of their scouts.
It told CNA that no one from the Singapore contingent had fallen ill because of the heat. There are 67 participants from Singapore, of which 40 are students aged between 14 and 17. The others are volunteers and teachers.
Penang is the only state in Malaysia where a Chinese has been the leader of the state administration since independence in 1957 and the DAP, which wrested control of the state following the 2008 national elections, has made the state its stronghold ever since.
The behind-the-scenes tensions have eased in recent days following an announcement by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke that Mr Chow will remain as the party’s candidate for the post of chief minister after the elections. But state DAP leaders expect party conflicts to resurface after the polls over the formation of a new state government.
The Penang assembly election is one of six closely followed state electoral contests that will take place simultaneously on Aug 12. The other states that will go to the polls are PH-controlled Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, together with Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu that are under the leadership of the opposition right-wing Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).
The DAP-led coalition, which counts Mr Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) as partners in the state, is widely expected to retain power in the upcoming polls. But some serious setbacks are expected, spotlighting voter fatigue over Malaysia’s prolonged political gridlock and growing unhappiness with the DAP leadership and Mr Lim, factors that are likely to contribute to a lower voter turnout.
Before the state assembly was dissolved in late June, the DAP-led PH coalition controlled 30 of the 40 seats in Penang. An overwhelming victory is unlikely this time around and there are concerns that it may not secure a two-thirds majority in the state assembly.
To be sure, DAP’s grip over Penang remains intact.
Even with the expected lower voter turnout, the DAP is expected to win all of the 19 state seats it is contesting because the party remains the only choice among the Chinese voters. PKR is expected to pick up another six seats to give the PH coalition a simple majority to form the state government, while the remaining 15 seats will see tight contests that, at this point, favour the opposition.
WASHINGTON: The incoming hereditary ruler of Cambodia, a country Washington is keen to pull out of Beijing’s orbit, could meet CEOs of US firms interested in investing there in New York next month, the head of the US business lobby for Southeast Asia told Reuters. Cambodia’s long-ruling Prime Minister HunContinue Reading