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by Harry Pearl © Agence France-Presse JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia is battling a wave of fake news and online hate speech ahead of presidential elections in 2019, as a string of arrests underscore fears it could crack open social and religious fault lines in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. The pluralist nation’s reputation as a bastion of tolerance has been tested in recent months, as conservative groups exploit social media to spread lies and […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China voiced hope on Wednesday Donald Trump’s sudden firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will not impact bilateral relations or planned talks between the US president and North Korea’s leader. Beijing is believed to have a positive assessment of Tillerson, who was seen as a light touch in contrast to Trump’s “good cop, bad cop” routine of slamming Beijing on Twitter while simultaneously flattering its leadership in person. “We hope […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, local media reported, as diplomatic efforts to engage Pyongyang ramp up. The reports come after the surprise announcement that US President Donald Trump plans his own talks with the North Korean leader, part of fast-paced diplomatic developments following an Olympic detente. However, there have been no public proposals of talks by either Pyongyang or […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak reported to prosecutors for questioning in a corruption probe Wednesday and apologized for the controversy. “I’m very sorry for causing concern to the people,” Lee said on arrival at the prosecutors’ office in Seoul. The investigation into Lee means all living former South Korean presidents have been convicted, charged, or embroiled in criminal inquiries. Allegations of corruption involving the 76-year-old’s relatives and aides during […]
by Becky Davis Agence France-Presse China appears to be “winning” its war on air pollution, making so much progress that life expectancy could rise by more than two years, according to a US university study. The Chinese government has been waging a battle to clear its skies of smog that has cut life expectancy in some regions and prompted its citizens to buy masks and air purifiers to protect themselves during peak pollution days. The […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — A day after he won the mandate to rule for life, President Xi Jinping called on China’s military to follow the country’s newly-amended constitution in which his political thought is now enshrined. “The whole army must strengthen its constitutional awareness, promote the constitutional spirit and be a loyal admirer, conscientious follower and staunch defender of the constitution,” Xi told military officials on Monday. China’s rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday endorsed Xi’s move […]
ABUJA, Nigeria (AFP) — The United States has still “not heard anything directly back” from Pyongyang over plans for a US-North Korean summit, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday as he urged patience. “There will be several steps (which) will be necessary to agree on the location and the scope of those discussions. We have not heard anything directly back from North Korea although we expect to hear something,” he said in the […]
by Paavan MATHEMA Agence France Presse KATHMANDU, Nepal (AFP) — Forty-nine people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane crashed and burst into flames near Kathmandu airport on Monday, in the worst aviation disaster to hit Nepal in nearly three decades. Officials said there were 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines turboprop plane from Dhaka when it crashed just east of the runway and skidded into a nearby football field. Rescuers cut apart the mangled […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s finance ministry admitted to doctoring key documents related to a favoritism scandal dogging Shinzo Abe, a ruling lawmaker said Monday, as a new poll suggested the affair is hitting the prime minister’s popularity. Abe and his finance minister Taro Aso face mounting pressure over the scandal, which has resurfaced in recent days with allegations that officials altered key evidence to parliament. Among the names removed from the documents was that […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Here are five major dates in Russia since the disintegration of the USSR or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 1991: the Soviet Union dies December 8, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, elected six months earlier at the first multi-party election, agrees with his Belarussian and Ukrainian counterparts to replace their union, the USSR, with a commonwealth. As the Soviet Union disintegrates, leader Mikhail Gorbachev resigns. The USSR ceases to exist in […]
by Joanna CHIU / Ryan MCMORROW Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s Xi Jinping on Sunday secured a path to rule indefinitely as parliament abolished presidential term limits, handing him almost total authority to pursue a vision of transforming the nation into an economic and military superpower. The move reverses the era of “collective” leadership and orderly succession that was promoted by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to ensure stability following the turbulent […]
by Elaine Yu © Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp will try to claw back lost seats as polls opened early Sunday in controversial by-elections that have exposed the heart of the city’s political divide. The vote comes as China signals a harder line against any challenges to its sovereignty, with high-profile young candidate Agnes Chow barred from standing because her party promotes self-determination for the semi-autonomous city. Beijing has become […]
