BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s leaders agreed on Friday to toughen requirements for entry to restaurants and bars, and decided to shorten quarantine and self-isolation periods as the Omicron variant spreads fast through the country. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
THE STRAITS TIMES – The Philippines has tallied its highest number of COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, just two weeks after recording fewer than 200 cases a day. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
THE STRAITS TIMES – Authorities on the Indonesian tropical island Bali released 33 endangered green sea turtles into the ocean on Saturday in an effort to boost a population threatened by poachers and illegal traders. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
PHNOM PENH (AP) – Cambodia’s Foreign Minister on Saturday defended Prime Minister Hun Sen’s trip to Myanmar, the first by a foreign leader since the military takeover last year plunged the country into turmoil, though there was little evidence the mission yielded any immediate breakthrough. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
BEIJING (AP) – A strong overnight earthquake shook a sparsely populated area in western China early on Saturday and forced the suspension of high-speed rail service because of tunnel damage, authorities said. More details in Sunday’s Borneo Bulletin.
CHONGQING (XINHUA) – Three people were killed and 14 remained trapped after a blast rocked a canteen of a subdistrict office in Wulong District, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality at noon yesterday.
The accident took place at 12.10pm as suspected gas leakage triggered the explosion and caused the collapse, trapping 27 people inside. As of 6pm yesterday, 10 people were rescued and three were found dead. Rescuers are still looking for the 14 others trapped in the damaged building.
According to witnesses, people were having lunch in the canteen when the blast took place.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a workgroup and several experts to guide the rescue efforts.
More than 150 firefighters and professional rescuers as well as a group of rescue dogs are racing against time to search the trapped people.
UPI – A viral video showing a woman carrying a lion in her arms on a Kuwait street shows the aftermath of the animal’s escape, local authorities confirmed.
The video, which circulated widely online after being shared on social media, shows a young woman carrying a young lion in her arms last Sunday in the Sabahiya area, south of Kuwait City, while the animal appears to struggle.
Environmental police said the lion belongs to the woman and her father. Officers helped capture the big cat when it was spotted wandering the streets, and it was returned to the woman’s custody.
Exotic animals, including lions, are legal to be kept as pets in Kuwait.
Daniel Lim
A 63-year-old man died following a car crash at the U-turn along the 84.1km mark of the Lumut Highway on Thursday night.
The driver of the other vehicle, meanwhile, sustained serious injuries.
Four other passengers who sustained minor injuries are reported to be in stable condition.
The accident was reported on the emergency hotline 993, the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) stated.
Preliminary investigations revealed one driver was found unconscious when RBPF personnel arrived at the scene.
The drivers and the other passengers were rushed to the Suri Seri Begawan Hospital, Kuala Belait by Emergency Medical Ambulance Services (EMAS) personnel with help from the Fire and Rescue Department.
The RBPF is investigating the cause of the accident, and urged drivers to always be alert and drive carefully.
They also highlighted the importance on the use of safety belts, adhering to speed limits, and to pay attention on the road, especially at night.
UPI – A rare copy of Marvel Comics’ The Incredible Hulk #1 smashed a world record when it was auctioned for USD490,000.
ComicConnect.com, which handled the sale, said the comic book, which was sold to an anonymous buyer, is a rare object for collectors. The auctioned comic is made all the more rare by its 9.0 Very Fine/Near Mint quality grading.
“Highly-graded copies of Hulk #1 are notoriously hard to find, due to the cheap paper used and the smudging of the grey colour on the front cover,” ComicConnect.com Chief Operating Officer Vincent Zurzolo said in the company’s announcement.
Zurzolo said there are only seven copies of the same issue known to exist with higher ratings, and it is extremely rare to find one offered for sale.
“The new owner of this book now owns a special piece of American mythology that will continue to gain in value,” Zurzolo said.
“It will be a cornerstone of his collectible investment portfolio. Hulk will only continue to get bigger with time, if you know what I mean.”
Zurzolo said the sale represents the highest price ever paid for a copy of The Incredible Hulk #1. He said the sale is part of a growing trend in vintage comic book sales.
MOSCOW (AP) – The President of Kazakhstan said yesterday he authorised law enforcement to open fire on “terrorists” and shoot to kill, a move that comes after days of extremely violent protests in the former Soviet nation.
In a televised address to the nation, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev blamed the unrest on “terrorists” and “militants” and said that he had authorised the use of lethal force against them. “Those who don’t surrender will be eliminated,” Tokayev said.
He also blasted calls for talks with the protesters made by some other countries as “nonsense”. “What negotiations can be held with criminals, murderers?” Tokayev said.
Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry reported yesterday that 26 protesters had been killed during the unrest, 18 were wounded and more than 3,000 people have been detained. A total of 18 law enforcement officers were reported killed as well, and over 700 sustained injuries.
Kazakhstan is experiencing the worst street protests since the country gained independence three decades ago. The demonstrations began over a near-doubling of prices for a type of vehicle fuel and quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent over the rule of the same party since independence.
Protests have turned extremely violent, with government buildings set ablaze and scores of protesters and more than a dozen law enforcement officers killed. Internet across the country has been shut down, and two airports closed, including one in Almaty, the country’s largest city.
In a concession, the government on Thursday announced a 180-day price cap on vehicle fuel and a moratorium on utility rate increases. Tokayev has vacillated between trying to mollify the protesters, including accepting the resignation of his government, and promising harsh measures to quell the unrest, which he blamed on “terrorist bands”.
