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by Michelle Yun Agence France Presse HUALIEN, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwanese rescuers Thursday braved aftershocks coursing through a dangerously leaning apartment block that was partially toppled by a deadly earthquake as their search for survivors uncovered two more bodies. At least nine people were killed and dozens remained missing after a 6.4-magnitude quake hit the popular eastern tourist city of Hualien late Tuesday, according to a revised toll from the national fire agency. The […]
by Hiroshi Hiyama and Richard Carter © Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Washington will soon unveil its “toughest sanctions ever” on North Korea, US Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday, adding that the Pyongyang regime would not be allowed to “hijack” the upcoming Olympics. Speaking in Japan before attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in South Korea, Pence pledged that Washington would “intensify its maximum pressure campaign” on the North, working with Tokyo. “I’m […]
BANGKOK, Thailand ( AFP) – The US military’s top officer said Wednesday that planning is underway after President Donald Trump ordered a military parade, an unconventional demand that has drawn comparisons to sabre rattling more commonly associated with autocrats. “I am aware of the president’s request and we are in the initial planning stages to meet the president’s direction,” General Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during a visit to the Thai capital […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Kindergartens and primary schools in Hong Kong will shut early for the Chinese New Year break due to a deadly flu outbreak, the government said Wednesday. This winter flu season, some 111 people have died since January, including two people aged under 18, according to figures from the Centre for Health Protection. Health experts have warned the epidemic may not have reached its peak. Authorities are seeking to reduce contact […]
MANILA, Philippines (AFP The Philippines has bought 16 new Bell helicopters from Canada for about US$235 million to strengthen its fight against Islamic militants and other domestic insurgencies, defence officials said Wednesday. The two governments announced the deal less than three months after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clashed with host President Rodrigo Duterte over Philippine drug war killings, on the sidelines of a Manila summit. The Philippine defence department signed the 12- billion-peso (US$234.8 million) Bell […]
by Michelle Yun and Paul Yang in Hualien with Amber Wang in Taipei Agence France Presse HUALIEN, Taiwan (AFP) — Rescue workers scrambled to search for survivors in buildings left tilting precariously on their foundations in the Taiwanese city of Hualien Wednesday, after an overnight earthquake killed four and injured more than 200. Authorities said they could not verify how many residents were still missing after the 6.4-magnitude quake which hit the popular tourist […]
MALE, Maldives (AFP) — A decade after he swept to power in the Maldives’ first democratic elections, exiled opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed is again pushing for change — by force if necessary — as his island homeland spirals into crisis. Nasheed made history in 2008 when he defeated Maumoon Abdul Gayoom — then Asia’s longest-serving leader — after three decades of unchallenged rule. In the years that followed, the charismatic young president won international renown […]
by Amber WANG / Michelle YUN / Paul Yang Agence France-Presse HUALIEN, Taiwan (AFP) — Rescue workers in the Taiwanese city of Hualien searched for survivors in buildings left tilting on their foundations Wednesday, after an earthquake that killed two and injured more than 200. Authorities said they could not verify how many residents were still missing after the 6.4-magnitude quake which hit the eastern port city late Tuesday, taking out the lower storeys of […]
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A hotel on the east coast of Taiwan has collapsed after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake, the national fire agency said, with reports that several other buildings have been toppled with some people trapped. Images on local television showed the Marshal Hotel in Hualien slanted on its side, partially crumpled into the ground. Media reports said there were 30 people trapped inside with others crawling to safety. The fire agency said a […]
by Amber Wang / Michelle Yun © Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A 6.4-magnitude quake on the east coast of Taiwan has left two dead and more than 200 injured, the government said, after buildings crumbled and trapped people inside. A hotel and a residential block were the worst hit by the quake in the port city of Hualien, according to the national fire agency. Five more buildings including a hospital had also been damaged, […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Boeing said Tuesday its global services unit has signed deals worth nearly $1 billion at the Singapore Airshow in areas like parts, maintenance, modification and training. The deals underscore the growing importance of the huge commercial aviation market in the Asia-Pacific region. “Boeing is serious about helping customers optimise the performance of their fleets and reduce operational costs,” said Stan Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Global Services. Among the […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) – Joshua Wong and two other leading Hong Kong democracy activists won an appeal against their jail terms at the city’s highest court Tuesday in a case seen as a test for the independence of the city’s judiciary, which some fear is under pressure from Beijing. But the trio warned it was not a time for celebration because the city still faced threats to its freedoms. Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow […]
