SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to have demoted one of his top officials and sent him to a rural collective farm for reeducation, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Tuesday. If confirmed, the banishment of Choe Ryong Hae would be the latest in a series of executions, purges and … Continue reading
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — With a towering warship behind him, President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that the U.S. will hand over two ships to the Philippine Navy to boost its maritime security capabilities, in a bid to show the U.S. and its allies won’t be cowed by China in disputed waters far off its … Continue reading
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Four tourists from Britain and two from Australia were among seven people killed Saturday when a helicopter crashed on a scenic New Zealand glacier, police said. An image released by police showed the wreckage wedged between walls of ice in a crevasse on the Fox Glacier. Police said in a … Continue reading
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — President Barack Obama promised that Islamic extremists would find no safe haven anywhere, while the leader of Muslim-majority Malaysia branded the Islamic State group as a “new evil” that has blasphemed the religion, and urged world leaders to confront it forcefully. Obama and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak were speaking … Continue reading
TOKYO (AP) — An explosion Monday damaged a public restroom at a controversial shrine in Tokyo that honors Japanese war dead, with police suspecting foul play. No one was injured. The Yasukuni shrine, which honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including executed war criminals, has been the target of criticism from China and South Korea, … Continue reading
HONG KONG (AP) — Canada’s outspoken Miss World contestant said she was barred Thursday from entering China to take part in this year’s pageant and accused Beijing of overreach in extending its campaign of censorship even to beauty contests. Chinese-born Anastasia Lin said she was unable to board her connecting flight from Hong Kong to … Continue reading
SYDNEY (AP) — Australian officials were working Monday to contain unrest at a remote detention center for asylum seekers in the Indian Ocean, with protesters lighting a series of small fires and guards withdrawing from the compound. The immigration department confirmed there was a “major disturbance” at the detention center on the Australian territory of … Continue reading
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet Sunday for their first summit talks in more than three years as the Northeast Asian powers struggle to find common ground amid bickering over history and territory disputes. No major breakthrough is expected from the summit. But analysts say that … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — It has no membership in the United Nations. In the Olympics, it competes as “Chinese Taipei.” Most nations don’t recognize it as a country. The economically dynamic, self-governing island of Taiwan has struggled with diplomatic isolation and a conflicted identity that makes it not quite a sovereign nation — although many … Continue reading
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Chinese stocks surged for a second day, leading world markets higher on Thursday, as confidence grew that stimulus measures are helping the world’s No. 2 economy to stabilize. The gains helped offset concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve appears set to raise interest rates in December. KEEPING SCORE: Germany’s DAX … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — China has changed course and emerged as a leader in curbing greenhouse gas emissions six years after it was accused of obstructing the last high-level climate talks in Copenhagen. Heading into this month’s Paris meeting, the world’s biggest source of climate-changing gases has yet to accept binding limits. But it has invested … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities expect that easing the country’s one-child policy will add more than 30 million people to the country’s labor force by 2050, a senior official said Tuesday. Wang Pei’an, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at a news conference that more than 90 million women will become … Continue reading
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Asian stock markets were lower Tuesday as investors awaited monetary policy announcements from central banks and the outcome of China’s economic planning meeting. KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.4 percent to 18,870.08 and South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.2 percent to 2,043.98. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.8 percent to … Continue reading
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Tens of thousands of North Koreans are being sent to work abroad in conditions that amount to forced labor to circumvent U.N. sanctions and earn foreign currency for the country, amounting to between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion annually by one estimate, a U.N. investigator said Wednesday. Marzuki Darusman, the special … Continue reading
TOKYO (AP) — Japan resumed construction work needed to relocate a U.S. air base from one area of Okinawa’s main island to another on Thursday, overriding vigorous protests by local residents. The land reclamation work on Henoko Bay came as police dragged away opponents of the plan who were seeking to block access to the … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 