Briefly

INDIA

Gujarat state braces for severe cyclone

Nearly 150,000 people were moved from their homes in the Indian state of Gujarat to safety on Monday and authorities closed ports and a main airport as the most intense cyclone in more than two decades roared up the west coast. Cyclone Tauktae has killed at least 12 people and left a trail of destruction as it brushed past the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, authorities said. It was set to make landfall in Gujarat late on Monday. "This will be the most severe cyclone to hit Gujarat in at least 20 years. This can be compared with the 1998 cyclone that hit Kandla and inflicted heavy damage," state revenue secretary Pankaj Kumar said. The 1998 cyclone killed at least 4,000 people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

JAPAN

80 percent of people oppose Games

More than 80 percent of Japanese oppose hosting the virus-postponed Summer Olympics this year, a new poll published on Monday showed, less than 10 weeks before the Tokyo Games open. The latest survey came after Japan expanded a coronavirus state of emergency on Friday as the nation battles a fourth wave of virus infections. The surge has put pressure on the country's healthcare system, with medical professionals repeatedly warning about shortages and burnout. The weekend survey by the Asahi Shimbun daily found 43 percent of respondents want the 2020 Games canceled, and 40 percent want a further postponement.

SOUTH KOREA

Envoy's wife invokes immunity over assault

The wife of Belgium's ambassador to South Korea will exercise her diplomatic immunity to avoid criminal charges on accusations she hit two boutique staff in the head in a row over shoplifting, police said on Monday. Ambassador Peter Lescouhier has previously said he "sincerely regrets the incident involving his wife". A detective at Yongsan police station in central Seoul said police would not pursue the case. Reports say the envoy's wife tried on clothes in a Seoul store before walking out, prompting an assistant to run after her to ask about an item she was wearing and triggering the confrontation. CCTV camera footage showed her pulling at one employee's arm and hitting her in the head, before slapping another worker who tried to intervene across the face. The footage was widely reported by local media and circulated online and turned public opinion sharply against the ambassador's family.

Xinhua - Agencies