Asia / Pacific
China and Brazil have world’s greenest central banks, activists say
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – China has the world’s greenest central bank, followed by Brazil, both beating richer countries thanks to concrete steps such as lower interest rates on loans for pollution-fighting projects, an activist group said on Wednesday. FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a mask walks past the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China, the …
Strong quake shakes Japan; no immediate reports of damage
TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake struck Saturday off northern Japan, shaking buildings even in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of the northern coast. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey put the strength at magnitude 7.0 and depth at 54 kilometers (33.5 miles). The …
Myanmar police break up protest in city of Mandalay
Police advance on the street during protests against the military coup, in Mandalay, Myanmar, February 20, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer (Reuters) – Police in the Myanmar city of Mandalay opened fire and used tear gas on Saturday to break up an anti-coup protest but it was not clear if they fired live ammunition or rubber bullets, according …
Bitcoin, ether hit fresh highs
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Bitcoin hit a fresh high in Asian trading on Saturday, extending a two-month rally that saw its market capitalisation cross $1 trillion a day earlier. The world’s most popular cryptocurrency rose to an record $56,620, taking its weekly gain to 18%. It has surged more than 92% this year. Bitcoin’s gains have …
Myanmar security forces intensify crackdown on protesters
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Security forces in Myanmar pointed guns toward anti-coup protesters and attacked them with sticks on Monday, seeking to quell the large-scale demonstrations calling for the military junta that seized power earlier this month to reinstate the elected government. More than 1,000 protesters rallied in front of the Myanmar Economic Bank in …
Australian city Melbourne begins 3rd lockdown due to cluster
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, will begin its third lockdown on Friday due to a rapidly spreading COVID-19 cluster centered on hotel quarantine. The five-day lockdown will be enforced across Victoria state to prevent the virus spreading from the state capital, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said. The Australian Open tennis tournament will …
U.S. concerned over China’s ‘predatory’ behavior when comes to technology: State Dept
FILE PHOTO: U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price answers a question during a news briefing at the department in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2021. Olivier Douliery/Pool via REUTERS WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has profound concerns over China’s “predatory” behavior when it comes to technology, the State Department spokesman said on Thursday, adding that …
Shots heard as police break up protest in southeastern town of Myawaddy: video
(Reuters) – Shots were heard on Sunday as police broke up a protest in the southeastern town of Myawaddy against Myanmar’s junta, which was demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi after last week’s coup, live video published on Facebook showed. The video showed uniformed police armed with guns rushing at a crowd of …
Military stages coup in Myanmar, detains Aung San Suu Kyi
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi — a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule. An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said Commander-in-Chief Senior …
Release man accused in Daniel Pearl’s death
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the release Thursday of a Pakistani-British man convicted and later acquitted in the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. The court also dismissed an appeal of Ahmad Saeed Omar Sheikh’s acquittal by Pearl’s family and the Pakistani government. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Sheikh would be …
