Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Friday, the South’s military said, the latest in a blitz of launches that Washington and Seoul have warned could culminate in Kim Jong Un conducting another nuclear test. The launch comes as South Korea and the US conclude 12 days of amphibious naval joint military drills, and just ahead of the Monday start of major combined air drills that will involve […]
Asia
UPDATE: Thirteen killed as storm lashes southern Philippines
Cotabato, Philippines | AFP | Landslides and flooding killed 13 people as heavy rain from an approaching storm lashed the southern Philippines, with some residents stranded on rooftops, a disaster official said Friday. Torrents of rainwater unleashed flash floods laden with uprooted trees, rocks and mud overnight in mainly rural communities around waterlogged Cotabato, a city of 300,000 people. Seven people were missing, Naguib Sinarimbo, the spokesman and civil defence chief for the regional government, […]
World ‘holding breath’ over possible NKorea nuclear test: IAEA chief
United Nations, United States | AFP | The world is holding its breath over the possibility that North Korea might undertake a nuclear bomb test, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday. “Everybody is holding its breath about this, because another nuclear test would be yet another confirmation of a program which is moving full steam ahead, in a way that is incredibly, incredibly concerning,” IAEA head Rafael Grossi said […]
ASEAN ministers ‘even more determined’ to solve Myanmar crisis
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | by Marchio GORBIANO Southeast Asian foreign ministers said they were “even more determined” to solve the political crisis in Myanmar during talks in Indonesia on Thursday ahead of the ASEAN leaders’ summit in November. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military coup in February last year, but despite its expressions of concern, efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have yet to bear any fruit. But “ASEAN […]
Xi says China, US must ‘find ways to get along’
BEIJING, China (AFP) — President Xi Jinping said China and the United States must “find ways to get along” to safeguard world peace and development, state media reported Thursday, as he embarks on his precedent-breaking third term in power. China and the United States have butted heads in recent years on issues ranging from Beijing’s aggression towards self-governing Taiwan to its crackdown in Hong Kong and alleged rights abuses in Xinjiang. Washington has also accused […]
N. Korea nuclear test would meet ‘unprecedented’ response: US, Japan, S. Korea
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The United States, Japan and South Korea warned Wednesday that a North Korean nuclear test would warrant an “unprecedentedly strong response”, vowing unity after a blitz of missile launches from the hermit state. Following talks in Tokyo, the three nations’ deputy foreign ministers said they would ramp up their deterrence in the region. “We agreed to further strengthen cooperation … so that North Korea can immediately stop its illegal activities and […]
24 dead, million seek shelter as Cyclone Sitrang hits Bangladesh
by Sam JAHAN At least 24 people died after Cyclone Sitrang slammed into Bangladesh, forcing the evacuation of about a million people from their homes, officials said Tuesday. Cyclones — the equivalent of hurricanes in the Atlantic or typhoons in the Pacific — are a regular menace in the region but scientists say climate change is likely making them more intense and frequent. Sitrang made landfall in southern Bangladesh late Monday but authorities managed […]
DEVELOPING STORY: Strong 6.4-magnitude quake rocks northern Philippines: USGS
#TsunamiPH ADVISORY: NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO THE PHILIPPINES Tsunami Information No.1 Date and Time: 25 Oct 2022 – 10:59 PM Magnitude = 6.7 Depth = 028 kilometers Location = 17.76°N, 120.76°E – 007 km N 58° W of Tineg (Abra)https://t.co/JM9lJkGxv1 pic.twitter.com/9r8OrU9oGA — PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) October 25, 2022 NO TSUNAMI THREAT to Hawaii is expected from an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 occurring at 4:59 am HST Tuesday near Luzon, Philippines. pic.twitter.com/ej32qr95zw — Hawaii […]
URGENT: Strong 6.5-magnitude quake rocks northern Philippines: USGS
NO TSUNAMI THREAT to Hawaii is expected from an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 occurring at 4:59 am HST Tuesday near Luzon, Philippines. pic.twitter.com/ej32qr95zw — Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) October 25, 2022 There was a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines about 15 minutes ago. No tsunami threat is expected for the Marianas, please keep the people of the Philippines in your thoughts/prayers though. pic.twitter.com/47JUpErs1L — NWS Guam 🇬🇺 (@NWSGuam) October 25, 2022 […]
Megayacht sparks warnings Hong Kong could become Russia haven
by Jerome Taylor and Su Xinqi Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The recent visit of a Russian megayacht to Hong Kong has sparked warnings from corruption investigators that the city could become a haven for oligarchs and officials hiding from Western sanctions. The Nord — a $500 million vessel linked to Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov — spent a little over three weeks in the Chinese territory before leaving last Thursday. Mordashov is among […]
Japan minister quits after scrutiny over links to religious sect
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | by Natsuko FUKUE A Japanese minister resigned Monday following scrutiny over his links to a religious sect that is under pressure over ties with top politicians after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Daishiro Yamagiwa, minister for economic revitalisation, said his conduct had “caused trouble for the government” but did not name the Unification Church. The movement and its links to senior politicians have been in the […]
Bangladesh evacuates hundreds of thousands ahead of cyclone
Barisal, Bangladesh | AFP | by Sam JAHAN At least one person was killed and hundreds of thousands were evacuated Monday from the path of a cyclone careening towards densely populated, low-lying Bangladesh, according to officials. About 33,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, controversially relocated to a storm-prone island in the Bay of Bengal, were advised to remain indoors. Cyclones — the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the Northwest Pacific — […]
