Asia

Indonesia quake kills 82, leaves hundreds wounded

  MATARAM, Indonesia (AFP) — A powerful quake which struck the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok has killed 82 people and wounded hundreds, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said early Monday, with thousands of buildings left damaged. The 6.9 magnitude tremor, which triggered panic among tourists and locals on Sunday evening, was also felt on the neighbouring island of Bali, one of Southeast Asia’s leading tourist destinations. Nugroho said an initial tsunami warning […]

Afghans bury victims of mosque attack as toll rises to 35

  KHOST, Afghanistan (AFP) — Hundreds of mourners Saturday buried the victims of a twin suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan, as the death toll rose to 35, officials said. Two suicide bombers dressed as women struck a Shiite mosque in Gardez, capital of Paktia province, Friday as it was crowded with worshippers for weekly prayers. The burqa-clad attackers shot at the mosque’s security guards before opening fire on worshippers then detonating […]

North Korea has not stopped nuclear, missile programs: UN report

  by Carole Landry Agence France Presse North Korea has pressed ahead with its nuclear and missile programs and continues to evade UN sanctions through increased illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products at sea, a UN report said Friday. In a 62-page report sent to the Security Council, the UN panel of experts also listed violations of a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, seafood and other products that generate millions of dollars […]

UN moves to unblock humanitarian aid to North Korea

  by Carole Landry Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The UN Security Council is poised to back a US proposal aimed at removing some of the hurdles that tough sanctions on North Korea have thrown up in the way of delivering humanitarian aid, according to documents obtained by AFP. North Korea’s humanitarian crisis has left about 10 million people — nearly half of the population – undernourished, according to UN officials, who have […]

Seoul deploys warship to Libya after S. Korean, Filipinos kidnapped

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Seoul said Thursday it had deployed a warship to Libya in an apparent show of force to secure the release of a South Korean national kidnapped along with three Filipinos in the North African country. The 4,000-ton vessel, Munmu the Great, which takes part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, was now on its way to Libya, officials said. In addition to “carrying out its duty of […]

Trump threatens to ramp up tariffs on Chinese goods

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The United States may jack up the tariff rate on the next $200 billion in Chinese imports it plans to target as it pressures Beijing to reform its trade practices, US officials said Wednesday. President Donald Trump asked the US Trade Representative to consider increasing the proposed tariffs to 25 percent from the planned 10 percent, USTR Robert Lighthizer said. “We have been very clear about the specific changes China […]

US Korean War dead heading home at last

by By Ronen Zilberman with Thomas Watkins in Washington Agence France-Presse PEARL HARBOR, United States (AFP) – Sixty-five years after the Korean War ended, the remains of dozens of American soldiers killed during the brutal conflict are finally coming home. Wednesday’s repatriation marks an important step after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit, during which Kim agreed to send home the war dead. Trump, who has faced […]

Fears grow as flooding displaces 130,000 in Myanmar

BAGO, Myanmar (AFP) – Fears that embankments could burst under fresh rains mounted Wednesday in flooded southeastern Myanmar, where more than 130,000 people have been forced from their homes and a dozen people killed. A vast area of farmland across four provinces lies under muddy water with rescue teams trying to reach villages by boat to provide food to those who are unable or refuse to leave their homes. Above the town of Madauk in […]

Electricity crisis leaves Iraqis gasping for cool air

by Ammar Karim Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — As the stultifying summer heat sends Iraqis in search of cool spots, restaurateur Ali Hussein provides sanctuary — even though it means hooking up to an expensive generator. “The clients must be comfortable when they eat,” said Hussein, who stakes his reputation on ensuring customers are constantly blasted by air conditioning. Outside, temperatures at this time of year can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), sending […]

UN chief to discuss North Korea in Japan

  UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to discuss the North Korea crisis with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to Japan next week, a UN spokeswoman said Tuesday. Guterres will be in Tokyo for talks with Abe on August 8, before traveling to Nagasaki to attend the annual peace ceremony the following day. The meeting comes amid reports that Abe is seeking a meeting with North Korean […]

Nearly 120,000 displaced in Myanmar floods

YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Nearly 120,000 people have been displaced after floods submerged a vast swathe of southeastern Myanmar, killing 11 people and sending panicked residents fleeing for dry ground with children perched on their shoulders and few belongings in tow. An official told AFP Tuesday over 118,000 people have taken refuge in 285 camps so far, as the toll climbed to 11 dead — including three solders — with more deaths feared. Swirling, muddy […]

N. Korea developing new missiles: report

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US intelligence agencies have found that North Korea is building new missiles, based on satellite photographs taken in recent weeks and other new evidence, The Washington Post reported Monday. Just weeks after a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang appears to be developing at least one or two liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Post said, citing officials familiar with the intelligence. The […]