Singapore

Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Singapore early Monday, kicking off her Asian tour as questions swirled over a possible stop in Taiwan that has fueled tension with Beijing.

The speaker of the House will stop in four Asian countries this week, but made no mention of a possible stop in Taiwan. Rumors she might visit the island democracy has fueled tension with China.

Supporters and lawyers of the man said he had an IQ of 69 and was intellectually disabled, and that the execution of a mentally ill person was prohibited under international human rights law.

The Malaysian man recognized as having an intellectual disability has been on death row since 2010 for trying to smuggle less than 1.5 ounces of heroin into Singapore.

Singapore's government will stop covering the cost of COVID-19 treatment for those who are "unvaccinated by choice" next month, citing the strain they are placing on its health care system.

While some governments have returned to full or partial lockdown, Singapore has a different plan: Accept the pandemic as endemic and return to normal operations.

The government had previously said data collected by its widely used app would only be used for contact tracing. The program is seen as a key part of the country's success in managing the coronavirus.

The man had undergone mandatory testing before embarking on the ship. But after the journey was cut short, the man tested negative twice as authorities sought to confirm his status.

The arrangement, originally slated to begin Sunday, would have provided some travelers the ability to bypass a 14-day quarantine period. But new cases in Hong Kong have put the plan on hold.