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
MILAN (AP) — Wealthy Chinese remain the No. 1 buyers of luxury products worldwide, appearing inured to economic turmoil at home as they zigzag the globe in search of deals on everything from handbags to jewelry, according to a new study by Bain consultancy. The study released Thursday by the Altagamma association of Italian luxury … Continue reading
TOKYO (AP) — The film set in Japan after a nuclear catastrophe depicts greed, discrimination, loyalty, beauty — traits made more heartbreakingly human by the cast’s inhuman star — a robot. In this eerie film, aptly called “Sayonara,” people fearfully wait to be picked for evacuation abroad to flee radiation. Politics is involved. The sick, … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — China’s decision to abolish its one-child policy is a boon to couples and to sellers of goods from formula to diapers to toys. And it might help defuse economic stresses caused by an aging population. The impact of the surprise change announced Thursday is expected to be gradual. But with incomes rising … Continue reading
TOKYO (AP) — As a child, filmmaker Jan Thompson wondered why her father would not talk about his experiences as a World War II veteran. She was angry when she finally learned about his suffering as a prisoner of war of Japan, and then started to speak up for him and his comrades. It took … Continue reading
BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — A documentary film about the social and personal costs of South Koreans’ craze for being admitted to the nation’s top three universities depicts a system that is a far cry from President Barack Obama’s praise of the Asian country as a model for U.S. educational reforms. “Reach for the SKY” … Continue reading
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — South Korea’s Ha Na Jang used a late three-hole birdie run to take a one-stroke lead Friday in the LPGA Malaysia. The 23-year-old Jang shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 to reach 10-under 132 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. She made a downhill 10-footer on the par-4 14th, holed … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — The smoke-belching, ear-splitting, undisciplined rickshaws known as tuk-tuks are part of the chaos on Bangkok’s clogged streets. Soon however, the tuk-tuk will stroll down a more refined runway, when Miss Thailand pays homage to her country at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant dressed as the iconic motorized rickshaw. Her outfit comes complete … Continue reading
BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — A film from outside Bollywood reflecting generational gaps in India and an image-driven Iranian movie about a grieving old man were among the works showing new trends of Asian cinema at this year’s Busan International Film Festival. The New Currents section at one of the most influential film fairs in … Continue reading
BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s second-largest city is in a festive mood as the Busan Film Festival passes the midpoint. The latter half of Asia’s largest film festival will be spiced up with French celebrities in celebration of this year’s special section, My French Cinema. The section screens 10 movies recommended by French … Continue reading
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — While North Korea prepares a big show to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party, the daily struggles of life outside the capital — such as finding clean running water and putting nutritious food on the table year-round — pose a harsh, but largely unseen, contrast to the … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 