Japan on Wednesday kicked off a national travel campaign aimed at reviving its battered tourism industry, but the effort has drawn heavy criticism amid a jump in new coronavirus cases. ( read original story ...)
Japan’s GoTo domestic tourism push stalls amid fears of Covid-19 ‘disaster’
Surge in cases forces the government to create an exclusion zone around the capital and pay out for cancellations ... ( read original story ...)
Matiullah Jan: Pakistan anger as video shows reporter’s abduction
A video purported to be of the kidnapping sparked an outcry on social media, with many pointing fingers at the Pakistani secret services. It is widely seen as being behind the country's mounting ... ( read original story ...)
AIIB approves $250 million loan to Pakistan to fight COVID-19 impact
The Beijing-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said on Wednesday it would lend $250 million to Pakistan to help the country deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. ( read original story ...)
Pakistan blocks Bigo live streaming app, issues ‘final warning’ to TikTok
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority banned live streaming app Bigo and issued a "final warning" against TikTok citing complaints of "immoral, obscene and vulgar content" on the apps. ( read original story ...)
Baloch seek answers from Pakistan as more disappear in conflict
Balochistan separatists say more than 5,000 people have gone missing in decades of conflict in southwestern Pakistan. ( read original story ...)
AP PHOTOS: Indonesia shelter sees surge in abandoned dogs
The barking of the dogs at the entrance of Pejaten Shelter grows louder as they rush to welcome Susana Somali, the 55-year old pathologist who runs ... ( read original story ...)
Indonesia faces unusual challenges as Covid cases climb — theft of corpses, smiling
A clash between culture and medical procedure is resulting in frequent reports of corpse stealing, where family members or, in extreme cases, local mobs take away bodies. ( read original story ...)
India coronavirus: Amarnath pilgrimage cancelled due to Covid-19
Hindu pilgrimage to a Himalayan cave shrine in Indian-administered Kashmir has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Officials cited rising cases as the reason, saying the health concerns ... ( read original story ...)
Mars is the latest arena in the US-China rivalry, with both countries launching probes this month
Two years after humans last landed a probe on Mars, both the United States and China are launching missions to the red planet this month and setting up a new arena for their growing rivalry. ( read original story ...)