‘Flowers’ bloom between Singapore and Tokyo despite travel ban

Families of refugee athletes who come from Kenya's Kakuma settlement have been sending them prayers and messages of hope, before they compete at the Olympic Games. They are among 29 athletes and refugees scheduled to compete in Tokyo in 12 sports, under the banner of the Olympic flag, according to the UNHCR. This is only the second appearance of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. The first was in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Tokyo 2020 mascot's Miraitowa tours the main press centre, greeting and posing for photos with media from around the world.

Residents in Shanghai react as China takes home 38 gold medals, the second-highest number at the Tokyo Olympics and one less than the United States. Morning commuters say they are proud of Chinese athletes' "historic" achievements, and look forward to Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which they hope will be "better" than Tokyo's Games.

Giant pumps whir deep underground at a plant in Singapore that helps transform sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption.

A panda bred via artificial insemination has been born in Singapore's zoo, the first cub to be born in the city-state. Jia Jia, the zoo's 12-year-old female giant panda, gave birth to the cub after she was artificially inseminated with frozen semen from 13-year-old Kai Kai.

The Japanese authorities install a giant symbol of the Paralympic Games off the coast of Tokyo, just days before the competition begins.

At this cafe in Tokyo, robots are intended to be more than a gimmick, offering job opportunities to people with disabilities unable to work outside their homes.

As the Paralympic Games begin, Japan's efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion are in the spotlight, with many arguing there is still plenty of work to do. Some 4,400 athletes with impairments will compete in Tokyo at the world's biggest parasports tournament.

A layer of green foliage blankets a red tower in the heart of Singapore's business district, a feature that helps keeps the building cool as the densely-populated tropical city battles rising temperatures. The Oasia Hotel Downtown, in the heart of Singapore's business district, was designed to stay cool with the help of more than 20 species of creeping plants growing on its bright red aluminum facade. Its facade is 10 to 20 degrees Celsius cooler compared to nearby buildings, according to architecture firm WOHA, which designed the building. The 27-story structure houses over ten times the amount of greenery found on the site before its construction, and its large open terraces allow natural ventilation and lighting and reduce energy use. In an effort to reduce emissions, Singapore aims to green 80 percent of its buildings by 2030. Buildings account for over 20 percent of the city-state's carbon emissions.

After two weeks of competition and a colorful closing ceremony, the Tokyo Paralympics have ended and the flag has been passed on to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo ahead of the 2024 Summer Games.

Singapore's new wildlife forensics centre aims to help in the fight against smuggling networks by analysing seized body parts from endangered animals to determine where they originated from.

Two fluffy white terriers wearing tartan berets pant quietly as their owner waves a treat and snaps a photo for the dogs' tens of thousands of Instagram followers. They are among a growing number of pet influencers on social media in Singapore, a trend fuelled by a rise in online shopping and pet ownership during the coronavirus pandemic.