Asia & Pacific

The U.S. State Department has approved a long-standing request from Taiwan to solicit help from American companies in building the island nation’s own indigenous submarines. While the go-ahead is only the first step in a long process, observers say the decision reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to strengthening Taiwan’s defense and deterring the Chinese regime’s […]

A 112-year-old man in Japan’s Hokkaido Province was recognized as the oldest man alive by  Guinness World Records on Tuesday, April 10, in a ceremony attended by family and local officials. Masazo Nonaka was born on July 25, 1905, 42 days before the Russo-Japanese War ended with the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by Theodore Roosevelt. […]

A new report published by a U.S. think tank says that it is just “a matter of time” before the People’s Republic of China launches a limited yet decisive military invasion against the Senkaku Islands, the disputed islands in the East China Sea currently controlled by Japan. Published by the Project 2049 Institute, the report’s […]

Defense experts and lawmakers in the United States are calling for selling offensive weapons and advanced military equipment to Taiwan, amidst the rapid buildup of the Chinese regime’s military and the threat it poses to the island nation and the surrounding Asia-Pacific region. “China’s military buildup threatens not just Taiwan but also other Asian democracies, […]

TOKYO—A series of shallow earthquakes shook parts of western Japan on Monday and authorities warned that further strong shaking is possible over the coming days. A quake at 1632 GMT measured at magnitude 5.8 by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), at a depth of 10 kms (7.5 miles), causing strong shaking in parts of Shimane […]

BORACAY, Philippines–Along the shores of Philippines’ top holiday island, Boracay, businesses like massage parlors, souvenir stalls, tattoo shops and boat rentals are still thriving while tourists bask in the sun on the powdery white sand, but not for long. Workers in Boracay, the Philippines’ most popular tourist spot, appealed for aid on Sunday before the […]

SYDNEY—A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the highlands of Papua New Guinea on Saturday April 7, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, as the region struggles to recover from a massive 7.5 quake only two months ago. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The quake was 82 kms (51 miles) southwest of […]

SEOUL—A South Korean court jailed former President Park Geun-hye for 24 years on Friday, April 6, over a scandal that exposed webs of corruption between political leaders and the country’s conglomerates. Park became South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be forced from office last year when the Constitutional Court ordered her out over a […]

Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi visited South Korea this past weekend, where he made moves to assert China’s inclusion in talks between the United States and North Korea. Yang backtracked on previous measures punishing South Korea for hosting the United States’ missile defense system, getting in South Korea’s good graces in order to gain its […]

MANILA—Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced in an abrupt presidential order on Wednesday, April 4, that the government had decided to close the holiday hotspot of Boracay, which Duterte has called a “cesspool.” According to the order, Boracay will be closed to tourism for six months from April 26. The move is aimed at rescuing the […]

Quetta, Pakistan—Terrorist group ISIS on Tuesday claimed responsibility for killing four members of a Christian family in southwestern Pakistan. A statement issued by the group claimed that militants belonging to ISIS fired on the group of Christians as they were traveling in the city of Quetta, killing four on Monday. ISIS has affiliates in both […]

JAKARTA—Ride-hailing companies Go-Jek and Grab must register in Indonesia as transport companies within two months to ensure they meet safety requirements as a public transport provider, Indonesia’s transport minister said on Monday. “We in the Transport Ministry have finalised this and within one or two days we will meet stakeholders to discuss,” Minister Budi Karya […]

An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, 427 kilometers (265 miles) southwest of the island of Tonga, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage and the Pacific Tsunami warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.   Recommended Video: What You […]

YANGON—Burma’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi called on Sunday for her people to remain united, saying the Southeast Asian country faces “challenges” at home and abroad, as she marked two years since her party swept to power in a historic vote. In a televised speech, Suu Kyi made only a passing reference to […]

SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, were among the hundreds in Pyongyang on Sunday watching South Korean K-pop singers perform in the North for the first time in more than a decade as tensions between the two countries thaw. It was the first time a North Korean leader had […]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju were among the hundreds in Pyongyang on Sunday, April 1, watching South Korean K-pop singers perform in the North for the first time in more than a decade as tensions between the two countries thaw. It was the first time a North Korean […]

Landspouts were spotted over Hawaii. Landspouts are similar to waterspouts but occur over land. They are tall columns of cloud-filled wind that circle under a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. The rare occurrence was due to intense wind and high humidity in the area, Big Island Video News reports. The landspouts were spotted off Hawaii’s volcano […]

SEOUL–South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint military exercises on Sunday after they were delayed by about a month for the Winter Olympics. The Foal Eagle field exercise, which usually involves combined ground, air, naval and special operations troops, will continue for a month. The computer-simulated Key Resolve will be held […]

BANGKOK—A fire on board a bus in western Thailand killed 20 migrant workers from Myanmar early on Friday, police said. The bus was carrying 47 workers who had just crossed the border into Thailand to work legally. Three other people on the bus were injured but the rest escaped unharmed, police said. “The driver said […]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his commitment to denuclearization and to meet U.S. officials, China said on March 28 after his meeting with President Xi Jinping, who promised China would uphold friendship with its isolated neighbor. After two days of speculation, China and North Korea both confirmed that Kim had traveled to Beijing […]