Asia

China condemns U.S. warship sails near island in disputed South China Sea

REUTERS — China condemned the U.S. action after its warship sailed near an island claimed by China in disputed South China Sea, state media reported on Sunday (January 31). A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of an island claimed by China and two other states in the South China Sea on Saturday (January 30) to counter efforts to limit freedom of navigation, the Pentagon said, prompting an angry reaction from Beijing. China […]

China’s stock market fluctuations squeeze country’s army of granny investors

Chinese markets have had a bumpy start to the new year. Buffeted by the falling yuan and two days of stock exchange suspensions at the start of the month, the fluctuations have left the country’s legions of retail investors on edge. Unlike many western markets, where institutional investors like insurance and pension funds dominate, 80 percent of transactions in China’s markets are made by small investors. Many of them are retirees like He Meizhen, a […]

Suspected aviation debris washes up in Malaysia

Malaysian aviation officials were on Thursday (January 28) examining a metal object believed to be plane wreckage which washed up on the Malaysian east coast, prompting speculation for the second time in a week that debris from missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft MH370 may have surfaced. Local media reported that the object, which was white and measured two metres long, was spotted floating in the waters near the town of Besut in the eastern state of […]

President of Taiwan defends visit in South China Sea

The President of Taiwan defended his visit on an island claimed by his country in the West Philippine Sea, saying that he does not understand why the United States of America and the other claimants are reacting negatively to his visit. The Taiwanese president added that he only went to said island to visit Taiwanese personnel stationed there. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Dexter Magno, Uploaded by MRFaith Bonalos)

Images show North Korea activity, US officials say points to possible space launch

The United States has seen increased activity around a North Korean missile site, suggesting preparations for a possible space launch in the near future, U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday (January 28). The finding was revealed as Washington shows growing concern that Pyongyang could use space technology to enhance its missile capability and while United Nations Security Council members discuss fresh sanctions against North Korea after it conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6. […]

Addressing terrorism top priority for Syrian peace talks delegation: analysts

With a new round of Syrian peace talks scheduled to begin on Friday in Geneva, analysts offered opinions on what the Syrian government and the opposition seek to achieve. The chief goal of the delegation of the current Syrian government led by Bashar Ja’afari, permanent representative of Syria to the UN, is to address terrorism, according to some analysts. “I think what the Syrian government prioritizes is to combat all kinds of terrorist groups, those […]

China to construct nuclear power plant in territorial waters

China plans to construct a new nuclear power plant within its vast territorial waters. According to China’s Atomic Energy Authority, said nuclear aims to double China’s nuclear power capability by 2020. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Dexter Magno, Uploaded by MRFaith Bonalos)

Syria ignores most UN requests to deliver humanitarian aid in 2015: UN official

The Syrian government ignored most United Nations requests to deliver humanitarian aid to some of its 4.6 million people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas in 2015 and only 620,000 received help, according to Stephen O’Brien, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, in a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Syria on Wednesday. It comes just two days before UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura is to facilitate intra-Syrian talks in Geneva. “The continued suffering of the Syrian […]

Air strikes in Homs; rebels fight back in Sheikh Maskin

Amateur videos posted to social media websites purported to show air strikes on rebel positions in Homs province of Syria on Wednesday (January 27), as well as intense fighting for control of the strategic town of Sheikh Maskin. Fighting raged as plans to hold the first negotiations to end the civil war in Syria for two years were in doubt. The main Syrian opposition group said on Wednesday that they would not show up for […]

Authoritarian governments are running scared in the face of civil society – HRW

    (Reuters) — Russia and China are imposing their biggest clampdown on civil society in a generation and Europe’s efforts to manage its migrant crisis risk undermining its core values, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in its annual global review. The review of more than 90 countries’ human rights records, released in Istanbul on Wednesday (January 27), highlighted Russia and China but said rights crackdowns are also taking place in countries from Ethiopia to […]

China urges U.S. to play constructive role in dealing with South China Sea

  CHINA urged the United States to play a constructive role in dealing with sensitive issues, referring to the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday. China has been firmly committed to safeguarding peace in the South China Sea, Wang said at a joint press conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing. “The South China Sea has been China’s territory since ancient times. China has the right […]

South Korea suspects North Korea may have attempted cyber attacks

South Korea said on Wednesday (January 27) it suspected North Korea of attempting cyber attacks against targets in the South, following a nuclear test by the North this month that defied United Nations sanctions. South Korea has been on heightened military and cyber alert since the January 6 test, which Pyongyang called a successful hydrogen bomb test, although U.S. officials and experts doubt that it managed such a technological advance. “At this point, we suspect […]