October 2021

Kishida’s conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) emerged with fewer seats in the powerful lower house than it won in the last election in 2017. But the LDP maintained its single-party majority in a big victory for Kishida, who took power only a month ago. The result was at odds with expectations and initial exit polls that suggested the LDP would need to rely on its junior coalition party for a majority. Kishida, a soft-spoken former banker who has struggled to shake off an image that he lacks charisma, is also likely to be emboldened by the win. The vote was…

Bangkok (CNN) — Thailand has relaxed its quarantine restrictions and is reopening to vaccinated travelers arriving from several dozen countries and territories, providing a much-needed boost for the country’s embattled tourism industry. As of November 1, fully vaccinated travelers who have stayed a minimum of 21 days in one of 63 approved “low risk” countries and territories— including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Canada — can avoid a lengthy hotel quarantine for the first time in more than 18 months. Instead, incoming travelers who meet the updated requirements will only need to stay one night in…

On Tuesday, the northwestern city of Lanzhou, with a population of more than 4 million people, went into lockdown after just six Covid-19 cases were reported there. And this approach seems set to stay, at least for now. Even though some Chinese health officials have suggested a tentative or partial relaxation once vaccination rates hit 85%, analysts say most restrictions are unlikely to ease within the next 12-months. In China’s Asia Pacific neighbors, however, things couldn’t be more different. From Monday, South Korea will begin to live with the virus despite thousands of new confirmed cases every week. New measures…

“Thankfully no one has died,” the BTP tweeted shortly after 9:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. EDT) Sunday. Officers are continuing to respond to the incident at the Fisherton Tunnel, the agency added. Earlier Sunday, BTP officers had been called to assist, “following reports a train derailed.” A tweet from the Wiltshire Police also said police officers were responding with fire and ambulance service “at the scene of a train crash involving two trains between Andover and Salisbury.” A statement from Network Rail Wessex said the incident involved the 17:08 p.m. Great Western Railway service between Portsmouth Harbour and Bristol…

President Biden, the United States’ second Catholic president, met Pope Francis at the Vatican. They were expected to discuss climate change, migration and income inequality, among other issues. Source link

“Since August 31, as of today, we’ve gotten out — of the Americans left who said that they wanted to leave — about 340,” Blinken told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.” “What’s happened since is this: more people have come forward in two ways. There were some small number of Americans in Afghanistan who didn’t want to leave who have now seen that we’ve successfully been able to get some of the few remaining Americans out who have now come forward and said, ‘We do want to leave,’ and there are a couple hundred of those who…

The incident took place, authorities say, at around 8 p.m. (7 a.m. ET) on a train on the Keio railway line, NHK reported. The train was operating near Kokuryo Station, in the city of Chofu, west of Tokyo. The suspect was also reported to have scattered liquid in the train car, which he then set ablaze. At least eight people were injured, NHK reported citing police. One of the victims, a man in his 60s, is seriously injured and unconscious, the broadcaster added. Police said a man in his 20s, carrying a knife, has been taken into custody, according to…

The cable car to the 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) Jested mountain uses two cabins, each operated by a member of staff. “One cabin fell while on its way down. There was one person inside, who unfortunately succumbed to their injuries,” spokesman Michael Georgiev told Czech Television. “Fortunately, the other cabin stayed in its normal place, some 15 people were evacuated, they should be without injuries, just suffered mental shock,” he said. Source link

(CNN) — There are only two months left in 2021 and as we enter November, countries around the world are relaxing their Covid-19 restrictions. Here are 10 destinations that have made headlines in pandemic travel news this week. 1. Anguilla: A Lonely Planet best pick Anguilla’s Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel. Courtesy Belmond Cap Juluca Anguilla, a Leeward Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, this week geared up for the winter tourism season by updating its travel requirements, effective November 1. Only pre-approved, fully vaccinated visitors can enjoy its azure waters, luxury resorts, 33 public beaches and 80-degree temperatures (with…

“We woke up to people screaming for help,” said Yadav, 26, of that night in July 2019. “The water had risen to our heads … and I saw people being swept away with the water with my own eyes.” For his entire life, the wall had protected Yadav and his neighbors from increasingly severe monsoon storms. His house had never been damaged before — but with the wall now gone, he has had to rebuild his home four times in three years. Every year, thousands of people die in India from flooding and landslides during the monsoon season, which drenches…