China authorities apologise after boy dies in COVID-19 lockdown

On Thursday district health authorities published a detailed account of the incident on social media and expressed their “sincere condolences” to the boy’s relatives. “We sincerely accept criticism and supervision from the media and netizens, and are determined to rectify (mistakes),” they wrote. The Lanzhou authorities admitted it took moreContinue Reading

Siblings of children with existing appointments can receive COVID-19 vaccination together without prior booking

SINGAPORE: Siblings of a child with an existing appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccination will be able to receive the shot at the same time without the need to make a booking, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Thursday (Nov 3). The new arrangement is available from Mondays to Thursdays, beginning onContinue Reading

The perils of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy

On April 25, 2007, the Caribbean state of St Lucia, which in 1997 had established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, switched sides and opened an embassy in Taiwan accredited to the Republic of China. The move was a result of what had been termed as “checkbook diplomacy,” namely the efforts by Taiwan […]Continue Reading

Kinetic Korea: missile tests, war drills and Kim’s dead hand

SEOUL – Life continued as normal in central Seoul today (November 3), but in the corridors of power and in command bunkers across this flashpoint peninsula, nerves are being tested as rarely before. South Korea said today that massed aerial drills taking place this week with US aircraft – the first such exercises in five […]Continue Reading