KASHIHARA (Japan): Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe died in hospital on Friday, local media reported, hours after being shot at a political campaign event in an attack condemned as “absolutely unforgivable”. Citing a senior member of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party, national broadcaster NHK said “former prime minister Abe died
SINGAPORE: Singapore hanged two drug traffickers today in what campaigners condemned as a shameful and inhuman punishment, taking to four the number of executions in the city-state since March. The latest executions come after the hanging of a mentally disabled man in April sparked widespread international outrage, with the European
SEOUL: South Korean police are investigating the Central African Republic’s sports minister over unspecified fraud allegations, authorities in Seoul said Thursday. Aristide Briand Reboas had travelled to the country at the invitation of the International Youth Fellowship, a Christian organisation, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry. He was questioned over
SYDNEY: Thousands of people on Australia’s east coast fled their homes today as torrential rains tracked north after unleashing floods in Sydney that submerged communities, roads and bridges under mud-brown water. New South Wales authorities issued fresh flood alerts north of Australia’s largest city and warned that rising, rain-swollen rivers
HONG KONG: After five years in the making, the prestigious Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) opened Sunday, as the latest addition to Hong Kong’s arts and cultural offerings and the West Kowloon Cultural District. Joining a host of other landmark attractions on the storied Victoria Harbour waterfront, such as the
KUALA LUMPUR: Dominant world number one Viktor Axelsen withdrew from badminton’s Malaysia Masters starting Tuesday, saying he needed to rest and recharge after winning the Malaysia Open, Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters in the past month. “I would have loved to compete again here in Kuala Lumpur this week, and
SAN SALVADOR: Tropical storm Bonnie was upgraded to a category one hurricane yesterday as it swept towards Mexico after killing three people in El Salvador and Nicaragua, the US National Hurricane Centre said. The hurricane, the third of the season off Mexico’s coast, is carrying maximum sustained winds of 125
MECCA, Saudi Arabia: White-robed worshippers from across the world have packed the streets of Mecca as Islam’s holiest city prepares to host the biggest hajj pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic. Banners welcoming the faithful, including the first international visitors since 2019, festooned squares and alleys, while armed security forces patrolled
COPENHAGEN: Three people were killed and several wounded in a shooting at a Copenhagen mall yesterday, Danish police said, adding they had arrested one suspect, a 22-year-old Dane. The young man, who according to witnesses was armed with a large rifle, was arrested peacefully shortly after police arrived at the
TOKYO: Japan’s Sony is launching a new brand that will offer PC gaming gear, the company announced yesterday, as it tries to compete for a share of the lucrative gaming peripherals market. Sony is looking to expand beyond its flagship PlayStation console and boost revenue from other sectors, including PC
