Asia

Japan bullet train driver puts feet up on the job

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Japanese bullet train driver came under fire Thursday after an online photo emerged of him operating it with his feet up. Central Japan Railway said the 29-year-old acknowledged that he operated the high speed train in that position for 10 seconds on Tuesday. “He told the company that he had tired feet,” a spokesman for the operator said, also telling AFP that there was never any danger to the 320 […]

Trump says Putin is ‘far more’ of a leader than Obama

by Jerome CARTILLIER NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is “far more” of a leader than Barack Obama, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Wednesday, echoing previous praise for the Kremlin strongman. Putin is “very much of a leader,” Trump said in a televised interview, where he and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton were separately grilled over their national security and military credentials. Trump has made no secret of his admiration for […]

Ex-Japan PM Koizumi says Fukushima not ‘under control’

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Former Japanese leader Junichiro Koizumi on Wednesday accused current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of lying when he claimed the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant was “under control.” Abe made the assertion in 2013 at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which voted to grant the Japanese capital the right to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. “That was a lie,” Koizumi told reporters when asked about Abe’s remark. “It is not […]

27 dead in Egypt bus, train accidents before holiday

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — At least 27 people were killed in a bus collision and five died when a train derailed in separate accidents south of Cairo Wednesday during a busy holiday travel time. The bus collided with a truck in the southwestern province of Wedi El-Gedid, the Egyptian health ministry said. The number of passengers on the bus was not immediately clear. Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, where many of the country’s roads […]

Ahead of summit, Philippines shows images of Chinese boats at disputed shoal

  (REUTERS)  The Philippines’ defense ministry released pictures on Wednesday showing what it said were Chinese boats near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, just hours before Southeast Asian nations were due to meet China’s premier at a summit in Laos. There was no explanation for the timing of the release, but it came two days after Manila expressed “grave concern” about the increasing number of Chinese vessels around the Scarborough Shoal and […]

U.S. says relationship with Philippines remains “rock solid”

  (Eagle News) — The United States said the relationship between the US and the Philippines remained “rock solid” as a US official stressed that a “very close working relationship” between the two countries will continue. This was despite the cancellation of a bilateral meeting between US President Barack Obama and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during the ASEAN Summit in Laos on Tuesday (September 6) Obama’s deputy National Security director Ben Rhodes told reporters the […]

Dozens choke’ in Syria Aleppo after barrel bomb attacks

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Dozens of people had to be treated for breathing problems in the Syrian battlefront city of Aleppo after regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs on a rebel-held district Tuesday, a monitor said. In addition, rebel gunfire killed five people in Azamiyeh, a government-controlled area in Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The bombs that left more than 70 people choking and in need of treatment were dropped from helicopters on […]

Kim Jong-Un stresses need to bolster nuclear arms: KCNA

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un called on his military to continue building up Pyongyang’s nuclear force after issuing orders for the latest test-firing of ballistic missiles, the North’s state media said Tuesday. North Korea test-fired three missiles into the sea Monday, Seoul said, in a new show of force as world leaders met for the G20 summit in China. “He stressed the need to continue making miraculous achievements in bolstering […]

Tricky last G20 summit for Obama

by Andrew BEATTY HANGZHOU, China (AFP) — From the moment Barack Obama touched down in China, his last G20 summit seemed likely to be a tricky one. A kerfuffle over aircraft stairs — or lack of them — and overzealous Chinese apparatchiks drowned out Obama’s efforts to laud his “pivot” to Asia and a deal between Beijing and Washington to jointly ratify a major climate accord. By the end of Obama’s three days in Hangzhou, he […]

Singapore expects Zika to spread as cases surpass 250

  SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) –The number of cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Singapore reached 258 Monday, with health authorities warning it is no longer contained in one part of the city-state and likely to spread further. In a joint statement, the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency confirmed 16 new cases, four of which were not linked to existing cluster areas. “Over time, we expect Zika cases to emerge in more […]

Five things to take away from the G20 summit

HANGZHOU, China (AFP) — This year’s most exclusive and closely-watched diplomatic party –- the G20 summit –- saw presidents and prime ministers from countries representing 85 percent of the global economy gather in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. How did the first China-hosted G20 go? While analysts correctly foresaw little prospect of big economic breakthroughs, there were some notable moments –- and notable flops. As heads of state bid farewell to the scenic city, which […]