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From The Asian Reporter, V36, #2 (February 2, 2026), page 2.

Sri Lanka unveils a rare purple star sapphire

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A purple star sapphire weighing 3,563 carats which is claimed to be the world’s biggest of its kind was unveiled in the Sri Lankan capital by the owners, who are ready to sell the precious stone. The round shaped gem named "Star of Pure Land" is the world’s largest documented natural purple star sapphire, said Ashan Amarasinghe, a consultant gemologist. "This is the largest purple star sapphire of its kind," he told the media, adding that the gem "shows a well-defined asterism. It has six rays asterism. That’s something special out of all the other stones." The gem, which has been polished, is owned by the Star of Pure Land Team, who want to remain anonymous for security reasons. One of the owners said the gem was found in a gem pit near the remote Sri Lankan town of Rathnapura, known as the "city of gems," in 2023. It was purchased together with other gems in 2023 and about two years later, the owners found that it was a special stone. They then got it certified by two laboratories. Amarasinghe said the value of the stone has been estimated at $300 million to $400 million by international valuers. Sri Lankan sapphires are renowned for their unique color, clarity, and shimmer.

Japan’s last pair of pandas have arrived back in China

BANGKOK (AP) — Japan’s last pair of pandas have returned to China, leaving Japan without the lovable bears for the first time in half a century. The bears are heading back as diplomatic relations between the two countries are at their lowest point in years over the new Japanese Prime Minister’s stance on Taiwan, an island Beijing claims as its own, making it unlikely that there will be replacement bears. The twins, brother Xiao Xiao and sister Lei Lei, have an adoring fan base in Japan, where thousands of people flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo ahead of their departure. China first sent pandas to Japan in 1972, a gift meant to mark the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two neighbors. Beijing has long used the bears as a diplomatic tool: a sign of good will and an extension of the country’s soft power, and one that it can retract when bilateral relationships turn adversarial. Images from state broadcaster CCTV, showed the two pandas arriving in crates in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, where they will stay in quarantine at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. The twins were born in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 2021. While Beijing lends pandas to other countries, it maintains ownership over the animals, including new cubs.

India says it has contained Nipah virus outbreak

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian authorities say they have contained a Nipah virus outbreak after confirming two cases in the eastern state of West Bengal, as several Asian countries tightened health screenings and airport surveillance for travellers arriving from India. India’s Health Ministry said two Nipah cases had been detected since December and that all identified contacts had been quarantined and tested. The ministry did not release details about the patients but said 196 contacts had been traced and all tested negative. Nipah, a zoonotic virus first identified during a 1990s outbreak in Malaysia, spreads through fruit bats, pigs, and human-to-human contact. There is no vaccine for the virus, which can cause raging fevers, convulsions, and vomiting. The only treatment is supportive care to control complications and keep patients comfortable. The virus has an estimated fatality rate of between 40% and 75%, making it far more deadly than the coronavirus. There were no reported cases of the virus outside India, but several Asian countries introduced or reinforced screening measures at airports as a precaution. The safety measures were put in place after early media reports from India suggested a surge in cases, but health authorities said those figures were "speculative and incorrect." Indonesia and Thailand increased screening at major airports, with health declarations, temperature checks, and visual monitoring for arriving passengers. Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said thermal scanners had been installed at arrival gates for direct flights from West Bengal at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Myanmar’s Health Ministry advised against nonessential travel to West Bengal and urged travellers to seek immediate medical care if symptoms develop within 14 days of travel. It said fever surveillance introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic at airports has been intensified for passengers arriving from India, with laboratory testing capacity and medical supplies readied. Vietnam’s Health Ministry has urged strict food safety practices and directed local authorities to increase monitoring at border crossings, health facilities, and communities, according to state media. Earlier Nipah outbreaks were reported in West Bengal in 2001 and 2007. A major outbreak in 2018 killed at least 17 people in Kerala.

SK’s former first lady sentenced to 20 months

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The wife of South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption, as her husband awaits a verdict on a high-stakes rebellion charge that could result in the death penalty or life imprisonment. Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim Keon Hee for receiving luxury gifts like a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church in return for promises of political favors. "... the defendant exploited her position to seek personal gains," the court said in a televised verdict. Kim said via her lawyers that she would "humbly accept" the court’s view and apologized "again to everyone for causing concerns." The presidential couple, who have been jailed separately for months, suffered a spectacular fall from grace after Yoon’s martial law debacle in December 2024 led to his impeachment and eventual removal from office.

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