HONG KONG: Daredevil Alain Robert — dubbed the ‘French Spiderman’ — climbed a Hong Kong skyscraper yesterday and unfurled a “peace banner” as the financial hub is rocked by historic political unrest. The 57-year-old adventurer, who specialises in unsanctioned ascents of tall buildings, shimmied up the 68-storey Cheung Kong Centre
SEOUL: North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range missiles into the sea yesterday and launched a scathing attack on “foolish” calls for dialogue from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, rejecting further peace talks with Seoul. It was the sixth round of launches in recent weeks in protest at
BEIJING: More than a dozen workers remained missing yesterday after a landslide in southwest China buried a section of railway that was under repair, according to state media. The 17 missing people were carrying out maintenance work on the track Wednesday when the hill above them gave way, China Daily
SRINAGAR (India): India has eased some restrictions on movement in Kashmir but phones and the internet remained cut off for a 12th day yesterday, a police official in the restive territory said. Jama Masjid, the main mosque in the Muslim-majority region with space for thousands of worshippers, also remained shut
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka yesterday ordered an investigation after a skeletal 70-year-old elephant was paraded at a high-profile Buddhist pageant in a move criticised as cruelty to the ailing animal. Tourism and wildlife minister John Amaratunga said he ordered wildlife authorities to investigate how the elephant known as Tikiri was forced
WASHINGTON: US health officials are investigating the cases of dozens of people, mainly teens, who were hospitalised with severe lung injuries in recent weeks after vaping, though the precise cause of their illnesses remains a mystery. Health departments in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin have issued statements describing cases involving patients
DELICATE designs painted on the inside of miniature Chinese snuff bottles by artists like Zhang Yuhua and her husband usually feature calligraphy, floral compositions and traditional rural scenes. But to keep alive the centuries-old art known as “guihuahu”, or “bottle painted by ghosts”, some painters are appealing to younger tastes
Hong Kong’s police are confident they have the resources to continue battling pro-democracy protesters, even if violence escalates further, pouring cold water on concerns that the authoritarian mainland might need to intervene. Three senior commanders said they were unaware of any plans by China to bolster their own ranks with
SEOUL: South Korean President Moon Jae-in struck a conciliatory tone towards Japan yesterday, offering to “join hands” if Tokyo chooses dialogue as relations between the two countries dip to fresh lows. Seoul and Tokyo — both of them democracies and market economies — are mired in longrunning disputes over Japan’s
YANGON: Myanmar’s military was yesterday fighting rebels who mounted an unprecedented strike at an army academy killing at least one, apparently in retaliation for massive drug seizures. Ethnic armed rebel groups have for decades fought against the military — and often between themselves — for land and resources in Myanmar’s
