Asia

Ousted S. Korean leader Park faces trial

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea’s ousted president Park Geun-Hye was due in court Tuesday to face trial over the massive corruption scandal that led to her stunning downfall. The fallen head of state will be taken from the detention centre where she is being held to Seoul Central District Court, for the opening of the final act in the drama that has engulfed her. Park was impeached by parliament and in March sacked […]

China calls for dialogue after North Korea missile test

BEIJING, China (AFP) – China called on Monday for dialogue to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula after North Korea carried out a new missile test. “The (UN) Security Council has clear stipulations prohibiting DPRK against using ballistic missiles and China opposes this as well,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing, using the initials of North Korea’s official name. “The situation on the Korean peninsula is complex and sensitive. We urge […]

Bomb wounds 20 at Bangkok military hospital: police

Map showing recent Thailand bombing   BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) – A small bomb struck a Bangkok military hospital on Monday wounding more than 20 people, police said, three years to the day since the army seized power of the politically unstable kingdom. Thailand remains starkly divided since the May 22, 2014 coup, but dissent has broadly been silenced by a military with sweeping security powers. It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast […]

Japan vows to block Pyongyang from getting money and technology for its nuclear ambitions

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japanese government said on Monday (May 22) that it’s determined to impose its own sanctions to curb North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions, a day after Pyongyang conducted its second missile test in a week. Japanese government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga said in a regular news conference that blocking off money, parts and technologies that Pyongyang needs for its nuclear weapon programme is essential to curtailing the communist regime’s nuclear programme. The […]

Cathay Pacific sacks 600 staff in major shakeup

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) – Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific said Monday it would cut 600 staff as part of a major overhaul to slash costs and repair its bottom line. The company posted its first annual net loss in eight years in March, citing intense competition as lower cost airlines, particularly from mainland China, eat into its market share. It pledged at the time to slash costs by 30 percent, saying that […]

North Korea declares medium-range missile ready for deployment

by Hwang Sunghee Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea on Monday declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, the latest step in its quest to defy UN sanctions and develop an intercontinental rocket capable of striking US targets. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North’s leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw Sunday’s launch, which sparked a fresh chorus of international condemnation and threats of tougher sanctions. […]

Saudi king slams Iran as ‘spearhead of global terrorism’

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Sunday accused regional rival Shiite Iran of exporting extremist Islamic movements to the world and vowed to eliminate the Islamic State group. “The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism since the (Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini revolution” in 1979, King Salman said in a speech to leaders including US President Donald Trump. “We did not know terrorism and extremism until the Khomeini revolution reared […]

N. Korea confirms ‘successful’ launch of ballistic missile: KCNA

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea on Monday confirmed the “successful” launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, Pyongyang’s state media said, adding the weapon was now ready to be deployed for military action. Leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported, adding that he “approved the deployment of this weapon system.” KCNA said the missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of Pyongyang’s submarine-launched weapon, which uses solid-fuel […]

North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectile’: Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea fired off an “unidentified projectile” Sunday according to South Korean defense officials, a week after its latest missile launch. “North Korea fired an unidentified projectile at Pukchang, South Pyongan province in the afternoon today,” the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. There was no further information given about the nature of the projectile. Last week Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range missile named the Hwasong-12 its longest-range […]

Chinese military planes intercept US aircraft: reports

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American military plane over the East China Sea, media in the United States reported Thursday, citing US officials. NBC News reported that the US aircraft, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a routine mission in international airspace Wednesday when it was intercepted over the East China Sea by two Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft. The WC-135 is a so-called “sniffer plane” designed to scan […]

Singapore car ‘vending machine’ dispenses with tradition

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — A vending machine that dispenses luxury cars to well-heeled buyers is the latest space-saving innovation in land-starved Singapore — just don’t try to shake it if it gets stuck. Used car dealer Gary Hong has taken to displaying his wares in a glass-fronted, 15-storey building. Like choosing a chocolate bar, the buyer can see everything on display, before pressing some buttons and having their choice delivered. Hong, 45, said he got […]

Japan cabinet approves bill allowing emperor’s abdication

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The Japanese government on Friday approved a one-off bill allowing ageing Emperor Akihito to step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne, in the first such abdication in two centuries. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet signed off on the legislation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters. It will now be sent to parliament for debate and final approval. Reports of the 83-year-old Akihito’s desire to retire surprised Japan when they emerged last July. […]