US and Australian troops plan to step up training so they are “fully prepared” to answer challenges in the Pacific, US Vice President Joe Biden says amid rising tensions over Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.
Asia
Erdogan declares 3-month state of emergency in Turkey
by Stuart WILLIAMS with Fulya OZERKAN and Frank ZELLER in Istanbul ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday declared a three-month state of emergency, vowing to hunt down the “terrorist” group behind last week’s bloody coup attempt. He has accused followers of his arch-enemy, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, of being behind the coup, which has led to a wave of some 50,000 arrests and sackings of suspected conspirators. The state of […]
Taiwan lawmakers, fishermen protest at disputed island
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwanese lawmakers and fishermen headed to an island in the disputed South China Sea Wednesday to protest at an international tribunal ruling which undermined Taipei’s claims there. Eight lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) boarded a military plane to the Taiwan-controlled Taiping island in the Spratlys archipelago. Five fishing boats decorated with Taiwanese flags and banners reading “Protect fishing rights, safeguard sovereignty” also set sail […]
Taiwan buses recalled after deadly fire disaster
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan authorities ordered some tour buses off the road Wednesday after one caught fire and killed 26 on board as questions swirl over why emergency doors and windows did not open. Local media reported that bodies were found stacked at the escape routes at the back of the bus full of Chinese tourists, which caught fire then crashed through an expressway barrier Tuesday on its way to Taipei’s main airport in […]
N. Korea says missile tests simulated nuclear strike on South
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea said Wednesday its latest ballistic missile tests trialled detonation devices for possible nuclear strikes on US targets in South Korea and were personally monitored by supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. Tuesday’s test firing of three missiles in violation of existing UN resolutions was seen as an angry reaction to the planned deployment of a US missile defense system in the South. The launch of the two Scud missiles and […]
Malaysia, Singapore team up on bullet-train project
by Satish Cheney KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia and Singapore signed an agreement Tuesday to pursue an ambitious high-speed rail link touted as a first for Southeast Asia that would knit the historically fractious neighbours more closely together. The 350-kilometer (217-mile) bullet-train line from the regional financial hub of Singapore to Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur is expected to slash travel times to 90 minutes from the five or more hours by road today. The […]
26 dead in Taiwan tourist bus crash: officials
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A Taiwan tour bus carrying visitors from mainland China crashed and caught fire Tuesday near the capital Taipei, killing 26 on board. Footage on local media showed the bus had rammed into an expressway fence with flames blazing from the front. It was then engulfed by thick plumes of smoke with the fire leaving burned-out wreckage at the roadside. The tour group of 24 people, eight men and 16 women, was from […]
China brushes off boycott calls after South China Sea ruling
BEIJING, China (Reuters) — A senior Chinese official on Tuesday (July 19) brushed off calls for a boycott of the Philippines after an international arbitration court ruled in Manila’s favour in its dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea. China has angrily rejected the verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and the initial case as illegal and farcical. It has repeatedly said it will not change its approach or its […]
Beijing vows to continue S. China Sea construction
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing will “never” stop building in the South China Sea prematurely, a top military official has vowed, despite an international ruling that its actions were illegal. The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high. “We will never stop our construction on the Nansha Islands halfway,” Wu Shengli, the commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, told US counterpart Admiral […]
Japan condemns North Korea missile launches
TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters on Tuesday (July 19) that North Korea’s latest missile launches were unforgivable and that the country would prepare to deal with any situations which may arise. North Korea fired three ballistic missiles early on Tuesday which flew between 500 and 600 kms (300 and 360 miles) into the sea off its east coast, according to South Korea’s military. “The government will strengthen our cooperation […]
N. Korea test-fires three ballistic missiles: S. Korea
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea test-fired three ballistic missiles on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, just over a week after issuing threats to respond to the planned deployment of a US anti-missile system in the South. The missiles, launched early Tuesday from the western city of Hwangju, flew between 500 and 600 kilometers (311-373 miles) toward the Sea of Japan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said in a press statement. The range […]
Beijing to hold South China Sea war games after ruling
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing will close off access to part of the South China Sea for military drills, officials said Monday, after an international tribunal ruled against its sweeping claims in the waters. An area off the east coast of China’s island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China’s maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was “prohibited”. The area of sea identified is some distance from the […]
