KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s ousted leader has denied wrongdoing over a $2.4 billion China-backed pipeline deal after the new government said the project was “highly suspicious” and linked it to a massive financial scandal. A company owned by Malaysia’s finance ministry signed the 9.4-billion ringgit deal in 2016 for a Chinese state-owned company to build a gas pipeline and an oil pipeline. Najib Razak — toppled in elections last month — was prime […]
Asia
UPDATE: Rescuers save 23 workers trapped in China mine, 11 others dead
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Rescuers pulled 23 workers out of a mine in northeast China on Wednesday, hours after they were trapped underground by an explosion that killed 11 and left two others missing, state media reported. Nine other workers were injured in Tuesday’s blast at the iron ore mine owned by Huamei Group, a subsidiary of China National Coal Group Co, in Benxi, Liaoning province. The blast took place when miners were dropping explosives […]
N. Korea’s Kim turns from threats to hugs in diplomatic drive
by Sunghee Hwang © Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — From threats of war to brotherly hugs, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has emerged as a skilled diplomat with the unexpected assistance of a new player in the game: US President Donald Trump. Kim’s sudden turn to statecraft at the height of tensions is straight out of a North Korean playbook that goes back decades, analysts say, but Trump’s spontaneity has allowed it […]
China mine blast kills 11, traps 25
BEIJING, China (AFP) — A truck carrying explosives blew up near the entrance of an iron-ore mine in northeast China on Tuesday, killing 11 people, injuring nine and leaving another 25 trapped underground, state media reported. Some 23 victims stuck inside the mine run by Huamei Group — a subsidiary of China National Coal Group Co — in Liaoning province were able to contact rescuers, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The workers were drilling a […]
JUST IN: Eleven dead, 25 trapped in explosion at iron-ore mine in NE China: CCTV
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Eleven people have killed and nine injured Tuesday in an explosion at an iron-ore mine in northeast China’s Liaoning province, state media reported. Twenty-five people are trapped in the mine run by China National Coal Group Co, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The injured have been rushed to the hospital and the municipal government of Benxi, where the accident occurred, has dispatched a rescue team, CCTV said. Deadly mining accidents are common […]
Singapore to mint Trump-Kim commemorative medallion
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore will strike commemorative medallions to mark the historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the city-state next week. The medallions will depict an “affirmative handshake” between the two leaders, the scheduled date of the summit, and the flags of both countries, the Singapore Mint said in a statement Tuesday. At the back are the national flowers of both countries — roses for […]
Could opposites attract at Trump-Kim summit?
by Sebastien Berger © Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — When Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un sit down in Singapore next week it will be among the most improbable diplomatic summits in history, with principals who could not be more different — but who also share some surprising similarities. Trump was the oldest US president ever to take office when he was sworn in last year, and will turn 72 two days after […]
Court rejects arrest of Korean Air ‘nut rage’ matriarch
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — A Seoul court has turned down a request from prosecutors to arrest the matriarch of the troubled Korean Air dynasty over multiple assault charges, sparking public anger. Lee Myung-hee, the wife of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, was released from police custody late Monday after the Seoul Central District Court refused to issue an arrest warrant for her. It was a rare piece of good news for the family, who […]
Australia concern as Qantas to list Taiwan as part of China
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Qantas is poised to list Taiwan as part of China on its websites, sparking concern Tuesday from Australia’s foreign minister who said private firms must be able to conduct business “free from political pressure”. The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration sent a notice to 36 foreign airlines in April, asking them to comply with Beijing’s standards of referring to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as Chinese territories. Despite Taiwan’s having been governed […]
US Democrats to Trump: Don’t spoil historic opportunity with N. Korea
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Democrats on Monday urged President Donald Trump not to squander the “historic” opportunity of a face-to-face summit with North Korea’s leader, as the lawmakers opposed any easing of sanctions without complete and verifiable denuclearization. Affirming their support for Trump’s scheduled June 12 meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, seven influential Democrats including Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump against signing a deal at any cost, and laid […]
Taiwan searches for missing F-16 fighter jet
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan’s air force said Monday it was searching for an F-16 fighter jet that went missing at the start of annual live-fire drills. The single-seat jet disappeared off the radar over mountainous terrain in the northeastern county of Keelung at 13:43 pm (0543 GMT), 34 minutes after take off, the air force said in a statement. It added that it was making “all efforts” to search for the missing pilot, […]
At least 18 killed as fresh storms hit north India
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Fresh wind storms swept across northern India killing at least 18 people and leaving a trail of damage, officials said Saturday. The latest in a series of freak storms that have left hundreds dead battered Uttar Pradesh state late Friday with winds of 100 kilometers (60 miles) an hour toppling walls, power pylons and thousands of trees. Sixteen people died in the state, according to T.P. Gupta, a spokesman […]





