BEIJING (AP) – Latvia and Estonia say they have left the China-backed forum aimed at revitalizing relations with Eastern European countries in what appears to be a new setback for China’s increasingly assertive diplomacy. The move follows China’s tightening of ties with Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is seen as a possible first step in … Read more
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says WorldPride would contribute to increasing regional diversity and equality in East Asia. The international LGBTQ meeting in Taiwan was canceled after global organizers demanded that the name of the autonomous island be removed from the event in 2025. Taiwan on Friday blamed “political considerations” for the cancellation of WorldPride … Read more
CHAUTAUQUA, NY (AP) – Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to a death threat from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked on Friday and apparently stabbed in the neck by a man who burst onto the stage when he was about to give a lecture in the West part of the city. New York. … Read more
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – In a striking speech to thousands of North Koreans, leader Kim Jong Un’s sister said she suffered from a fever, leading the country to victory over the coronavirus. She accused her rival South Korea of the outbreak and swore “deadly” retaliation. Kim Yo Jong, a powerful inter-Korean relations official, praised … Read more
Kinmen Islands, Taiwan – There is a storm raging on the small Taiwanese island of Kinmen. On an empty beach along the west coast of the island, strong waves strike a line of rusty defensive pegs secured in concrete foundations that run like spikes on the back of a hedgehog along the rocky coast. Further … Read more
Scientists say the Langya virus, which can cause fever, fatigue and nausea, was found in 35 people in eastern China. Researchers in Asia have identified a new virus that can cause severe fever and has likely been transferred to humans from animals in eastern China. Henipavirus Langya (LayV) was detected in 35 people in the … Read more
TOKYO (AP) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reshuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, apparently trying to distance his administration from the conservative Unification Church over his ties to the murdered leader Shinzo Abe and senior members of the ruling party. The reshuffle, the second in just 10 months of Kishida’s entry into office, followed his … Read more
BEIJING (AP) – China on Wednesday confirmed the threat of military force to seize control of self-governing Taiwan in the face of the threat of a Chinese military exercise that has raised tensions between the parties to the highest level in years. A lengthy political declaration from the government’s Taiwan Bureau and Information Department after … Read more
BEIJING (AP) – China said on Monday it was prolonging dangerous military exercises around Taiwan, which disrupted shipping and air traffic and raised concerns about a potential conflict in a region critical to world trade. The announcement further adds to the uncertainty over the crisis that unfolded last week involving US House President Nancy Pelosi … Read more
The announcement comes amid growing frustration at the isolation of the international financial center as the world lives off COVID. Hong Kong will cut hotel quarantine from seven to three days as businesses and residents in the international financial center become increasingly frustrated with one of the world’s most draconian border regimes. As part of … Read more
