BEIJING (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced that his country is separating from the U.S. in a speech before a Beijing economic forum on Thursday October 20, 2016, after handing China a major diplomatic victory, agreeing to resume dialogue on their South China Sea territorial dispute following months of acrimony. The rapprochement between the … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — Typhoon Haima churned toward southern China on Friday, October 21, 2016, after smashing into the northern Philippines with ferocious wind and rain, triggering flooding, landslides and power outages and killing seven people. China suspended rail services in several provinces on the mainland’s south, where the typhoon is expected to make landfall in … Continue reading
SYDNEY (AP) — Four people including a young mother and her brother were killed Tuesday,October 25, 2016, after a river rapids ride malfunctioned at a popular theme park on Australia’s east coast, officials said. Two men and two women died while on the ride at Dreamworld, a park on Queensland state’s Gold Coast, Queensland police … Continue reading
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — America’s top diplomat for Asia said Monday, October 24,2016, that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial remarks and a “real climate of uncertainty” about his government’s intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries. Daniel Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also … Continue reading
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said Thursday, October 13, 2016, that she is “deeply concerned” about reports of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and users in the Philippines. Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda also said that statements by “high officials” in the Asian nation “seem to condone such killings.” The written … Continue reading
HONG KONG (AP) — Thailand stopped Hong Kong teen pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong from entering the country to give a talk and sent him home, raising questions about whether it acted at China’s behest. An activist and a Thai immigration official said Bangkok responded to a request from Beijing, though a Thai government spokesman denied … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — Buddhist monks, survivors, mourners and activists gathered Thursday, October 6,2016 to mark the 40th anniversary of one of the darkest days in Thailand’s history, when police killed scores of university students at a peaceful protest, and vigilantes defiled the dead. Students at Bangkok’s Thammasat University had been protesting the return from exile of … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — King Bhumibol Adulyadej was Thailand’s lone constant as the country hurtled from a traditional agrarian society to a modern, industrializing nation, and as myriad governments rose and fell. His loss is deeply felt by Thai people, who begin a period of extended mourning for the only monarch most of them have ever … Continue reading
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — In just 100 days in office, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has stirred a hornet’s nest by picking a fight with Barack Obama, the United Nations, the European Union and others who have criticized his brutal crackdown against drugs, which has left more than 3,600 people dead. In another defining aspect of … Continue reading
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is turning to another battle aside from illegal drugs: smoking. Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial told the Associated Press on Tuesday, October 11,2016 that she hopes the president can sign the draft executive order banning smoking in public nationwide before the end of the month. The department is … Continue reading
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — And the envelope, please! The Pyongyang International Film Festival wrapped up Friday, Sept.23, with top honors going to — wait for it — a domestically produced feature about a young woman who selflessly devotes herself to raising orphans. The winner of the “Best Torch Award,” selected by a panel … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are advising pregnant women to postpone travel to 11 countries in Southeast Asia because of Zika outbreaks in the region. The advisory issued Thursday, Sept.29, targets travel to Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said joint military exercises of Filipino and American troops next week will be the last such drills, although his foreign secretary quickly said the decision was not final. Duterte made the comments while addressing Filipino community members in Hanoi late Wednesday, Sept. 28, noting that the Philippines … Continue reading
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Laos has promised to phase out farms that breed endangered tigers for their body parts, a positive step from a country believed to be a major hub of wildlife trafficking in Asia, conservation groups said Friday, Sept. 24. The announcement by Laotian officials in South Africa came one day before the start … Continue reading
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities say they have evacuated most tourists from Mount Barujari on Lombok island after it spewed a massive column of ash into the atmosphere. The volcano, a popular attraction that is known as the Child of Rinjani because it sits within the Mount Rinjani caldera, erupted without warning on Tuesday, … Continue reading
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