Asia

N. Korea’s Kim seeks to level up ‘huge’ gaps in living standards

SEOUL, Jan 25, 2024 (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for “leveling up” the living standards of rural areas, saying a failure to provide necessities, including food, was a “serious political issue”, state media said Thursday. Nuclear-armed North Korea has a fragile economy and its government has long been criticised for prioritising the military and its banned weapons programmes over adequately providing for its people. The North has periodically been hit by […]

Death sentence expected in Japan anime arson trial

By Hiroshi HIYAMA KYOTO, Japan, Jan 25, 2024 (AFP) – A Japanese court found guilty on Thursday the perpetrator of a 2019 arson attack on an animation studio that killed 36 people, with a death sentence widely expected later in the day, local media reported. The arson attack four-and-a-half years ago at the studios of Kyoto Animation was Japan’s deadliest crime in decades, stunning the anime industry and its fans around the world. Shinji Aoba, […]

Thai court clears reformist ex-PM candidate Pita

By Thanaporn Promyamyai, Montira Rungjirajittranon and Rose Troup Buchanan BANGKOK, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday cleared thwarted prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat of violating election law in a case that could have seen him banned from politics, reinstating him as an MP. The 43-year-old led the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) to win the most votes in last year’s general election, but was blocked from becoming prime minister after he […]

At least 39 dead in central China fire

BEIJING, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – At least 39 people died and nine were receiving treatment for injuries Wednesday after a fire broke out at a store in the central Chinese province of Jiangxi, state media reported. “At 3:24 pm (0724 GMT) on January 24, a fire broke out on the below-ground level at a store… in Xinyu, Jiangxi,” the country’s state broadcaster CCTV reported. “Up until now, the accident has resulted in the death […]

Thousands lose $16 mn in Singapore ‘fake friend’ scams

SINGAPORE, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – More than 6,300 people fell prey to “fake friend” scams in Singapore last year and collectively lost an equivalent of nearly $16 million, according to police. Such scams involve contacting victims, pretending to be someone they know, and asking for financial assistance. The wealthy city-state has been hit with a surge in scams in recent years, with authorities issuing frequent warnings to the public against fresh schemes from criminals. […]

Thousands lose $16 mn in Singapore ‘fake friend’ scams

Such scams involve contacting victims, pretending to be someone they know, and asking for financial assistance. The wealthy city-state has been hit with a surge in scams in recent years, with authorities issuing frequent warnings to the public against fresh schemes from criminals. Police said in a statement Tuesday the scams had cost victims Sg$21.1 million ($15.7 million) in losses between January and November last year. In the latest case, five Malaysians were extradited on […]

N. Korea fires several cruise missiles towards Yellow Sea: Seoul military

SEOUL, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, the latest in a series of tension-raising moves by the nuclear-armed state. Pyongyang has accelerated weapons testing in the new year, including tests of what it called an “underwater nuclear weapon system” and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile. “Our military detected several cruise missiles launched by North Korea towards the Yellow Sea at around […]

Taiwan douses speculation it may lose another Pacific ally

SYDNEY, Jan 23, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwanese diplomats on Tuesday said they were confident of retaining “a strong bond” with key partner Tuvalu as speculation mounted that the Pacific micronation could soon switch its allegiance to Beijing. The dwindling list of countries that officially recognize Taiwan shrunk earlier this month when Nauru abruptly severed diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing. With Tuvalu heading to the polls on Friday, some Pacific watchers have questioned whether Beijing […]

Major 7.0 earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border

BEIJING, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – A major 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the mountainous China-Kyrgyzstan border on Tuesday, triggering warnings of potentially widespread damage though no casualties were immediately reported. Local authorities dispatched a team to reach the quake’s epicentre, the Xinhua state news agency said, while some 800 people were on stand-by ready for any large disaster relief mission. The quake was registered just after 2:00 am (1800 GMT Monday) at a depth of […]

Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir condemns son’s questioning, blames govt

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday condemned the questioning of his son by the country’s anti-graft agency, calling it “selective” and driven by his political rivalry with the sitting government. The 98-year-old former two-time leader is a political rival and fierce critic of current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who came to power in 2022 vowing to stamp out high-level corruption. Last week the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission […]

Three Pakistan universities shut over security threats: police

ISLAMABAD, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – Three universities affiliated with Pakistan’s military were shut over security threats in the capital Islamabad on Monday, police said. Pakistan is due to vote in general elections in two weeks amid overlapping political, economic and security crises — with a spike in militant attacks targeting police and soldiers. An Islamabad police official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the National Defence University, Bahria University and Air University in […]

Dozens buried, eight killed in southwest China landslide

By Matthew WALSH BEIJING, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – Dozens of people were buried and eight confirmed killed when a landslide struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China on Monday. The pre-dawn landslide buried 18 homes and sparked the evacuation of more than 200 people when it struck in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province, state media said. Eight people are confirmed dead and rescuers have extracted four, according to a report by state broadcaster […]