Asia-Pacific News

Trump halts new China tariffs and rolls back 2019-12-13 15:53:13Trump says Washington will not charge Beijing with any new tariffs and will slightly reduce existing tariffs.

Apple dodges iPhone tariff after Trump confirms trade 2019-12-13 11:36:27The deal in the midst of the Christmas shopping season is a major reprieve for Apple, which has established a massive supply chain based in China that

'Christmas has come early': Japan and Hong Kong 2019-12-13 03:46:54Shares in Asia jumped on Friday following news that Washington and Beijing have agreed to a phase one trade deal in principle.

Asia stocks mixed as Fed signals no rate 2019-12-12 02:20:25The U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, capping a year where the Fed cut its benchmark rate three times. The central bank

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Singapore's Prime 2019-12-11 20:31:08Lee Hsien Loong said they had a "lively exchange on how the tech scene has changed since" they first met nearly four years ago.

Stocks in Asia mixed ahead of Fed interest 2019-12-11 02:15:33Investors awaited the Fed's final interest rate decision for the year, expected later Wednesday stateside, with expectations that the central bank wi

Goldman Sachs sees a 'pretty big opportunity' for 2019-12-10 21:07:11The Indonesia rupiah "checks that box" as it is not that far out the risk spectrum while also being a high-yielding currency that can be funded with

South Korea is the 'most undervalued' equity market 2019-12-10 18:31:04South Korean stocks are the "most undervalued" among the North Asian equity markets at present, according to one strategist from State Street Global

Asia stocks mixed as China consumer inflation jumps 2019-12-10 03:21:30Chinese consumer inflation jumped in November, according to date released by the country's National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. On the other han

Asia stocks inch higher as China's exports decline 2019-12-09 02:32:00Asia stocks edged higher on Monday as China's exports declined in November for the fourth consecutive month, according to the country's customs data

Hong Kong unrest hits 6-month milestone, protesters' demands 2019-12-08 21:46:01Approval of the city's leader Carrie Lam has plunged in the past six months. Hong Kong now expects its economy to contract 2.9% this year and there'

Tesla cars built in China have been recommended 2019-12-06 06:29:47Tesla has constructed a factory in the city of Shanghai.

L.A. Times - Asia

Remain in Mexico has a 0.01 percent asylum 2019-12-15 08:44:20It has been almost a year since the government began sending asylum seekers back to Mexico and only 11 people have been granted asylum. That accounts

Police targets of both love and anger at 2019-12-15 08:03:55Several thousand people, some making heart signs with their hands, turned out in Hong Kong on Sunday in an unusual display of support for the police f

Turkey doubles down on the fight in Libya, 2019-12-15 07:00:22Last month, Turkey signed a memorandum with the Libyan government in Tripoli establishing economic maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean.

Strong quake kills 1, collapses building in Philippines 2019-12-15 05:31:11DAVAO, Philippines (AP) — A strong earthquake jolted the southern Philippines on Sunday, killing at least one person and causing a three-story b

Earthquake: 6.8 quake strikes near Hagonoy, Philippines 2019-12-15 01:39:43A magnitude-6.8 earthquake was reported 1 mile from Hagonoy, Philippines.

Reparations mark new front for U.S. colleges tied 2019-12-14 18:12:52Georgetown University and two theological seminaries announce funding commitments for descendants of slaves whose work or sale aided the schools.

Ex-Sudan strongman al-Bashir gets 2 years for corruption 2019-12-14 05:27:01KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — A court in Sudan convicted former President Omar al-Bashir of money laundering and corruption on Saturday, sentencing him

China welcomes preliminary deal in trade war it 2019-12-14 04:54:59China puts a positive face on a first-step trade agreement that dials down a war it blames the U.S. for starting.

North Korea conducts another test at long-range rocket 2019-12-14 04:27:16North Korea said Saturday that it successfully performed another “crucial test” at its long-range rocket launch site that will further str

`'Safer opioid’ has sparked a crisis in vulnerable 2019-12-13 17:05:16'`Safer opioid’ has sparked a crisis in vulnerable countries

Trumps anti-Semitism order raises tough issue of defining 2019-12-13 16:31:14President Trump’s order to expand potential anti-Semitism complaints on campuses raises the stakes over how to define discrimination against Jew

Jersey City attack is being investigated as domestic 2019-12-13 16:30:14Officials in New Jersey say the attackers in the Jersey City shooting are believed to have acted alone.

Asia - Voice of America

UK Opposition Chief Corbyn 'Sorry' for Election Wipeout 2019-12-15 09:11:41But the veteran socialist defended his far-left platform and blamed the media for helping relegate his century-old party to its worst performance sinc

Sources: Boko Haram Kill 19 Nigeria Herders in 2019-12-15 09:00:40Boko Haram has increasingly targeted farmers, herders and loggers, accusing them of spying and passing information to the military and the local milit

Major States Snub Calls for Climate Action as 2019-12-15 07:55:40The conference was expected to endorse only a modest declaration on the 'urgent need' to close the gap between existing emissions pledges and the te

Police Targets of Both Love and Anger in 2019-12-15 05:16:38People made heart signs with their hands at officers, with some calling them heroes for their policing of six months of demonstrations

Strong Quake Kills 1, Collapses Building in Philippines 2019-12-15 04:34:34The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the magnitude 6.9 quake struck an area about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) northwest of Padada

Decades on, Soviet Bombs Still Killing People in 2019-12-15 03:44:53Forty years after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan – and three decades since the conflict ended – the war's legacy continues to claim

In Pakistan, Free Surgeries, A Lifetime of Smiles 2019-12-15 03:20:47In some places like Pakistan there are thousands of children with the birth defect, but not enough doctors who can perform the corrective surgery

New Challenges Force Kenya Farmers to Replace Coffee 2019-12-15 03:10:10Arabica coffee, the higher-quality variety that Kenya grows, ends up in specialty coffees in Europe and the United States

Iran Says it's Defused 2nd Cyberattack in Less 2019-12-15 02:09:35This time 'aimed at spying on government intelligence'

Southeast Asian Environmental Activists Say Region Must do 2019-12-15 01:33:16Activists have exerted pressure on regional governments to offer a climate action plan but those governments say they are doing their best, as develop

China Suspends Planned Tariffs Scheduled for Dec. 15 2019-12-15 00:20:55The deal, rumours and leaks over which have gyrated world markets for months, reduces some US tariffs in exchange for what US officials said would be

This Little Piggy Went to Court: German Piglets 2019-12-14 23:56:12The painful procedure has become increasingly controversial in Europe and has been banned in Sweden, Norway and Switzerland

Asia

Olympics: Abe opens Tokyo 2020 National Stadium 2019-12-15 03:02:00TOKYO (REUTERS) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the completion of the National Stadium built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday (Dec 15

Hong Konger 'missing' after crossing China bridge checkpoint 2019-12-15 00:53:00HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong's immigration department said Sunday (Dec 15) they have received reports a man went missing on a cross-border mega bridge

Winter revives Bangkok's air pollution problem 2019-12-14 23:47:00The stagnant winter air has resulted in the re-emergence of PM2.5 dust particles in Bangkok, the city's administration reported. Bangkok Metropolita

Indonesia has its own 'tropical glaciers', but climate 2019-12-14 21:30:00Indonesia's little-known glaciers are melting so fast they could disappear in a decade, a new study says, underscoring the imminent threat posed by c

Homemade 'Nikes' give Filipino athlete a golden edge 2019-12-14 02:57:30MANILA - To some athletes, brands count for everything when it comes to performance. Filipino schoolgirl Rhea Bullos bagged three gold medals at an a

5 teenagers held over man's death in Hong 2019-12-13 22:27:28HONG KONG - Five Hong Kong teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man hit on the head by a brick during clashes between p

Apple’s Tim Cook surprises locals at Wat Arun 2019-12-13 06:44:00Apple Inc’s chief executive officer Tim Cook is on a surprise visit to Thailand, posting on his personal Twitter account on Friday (Dec 13)

Saving Indonesians from climate disasters, one social media 2019-12-13 03:37:38Can bots save lives? An Indonesian architect who harnesses social media to improve disaster relief - a project that on Dec 12 could win a US$250,000 (

Firefighters sent to Hong Kong airport after blaze 2019-12-13 03:16:00Emergency services were sent to Hong Kong International Airport on Friday when dense smoke was seen billowing from a construction site. A blaze had b

Nearly $173.1 million spent on police overtime pay 2019-12-13 03:13:00Nearly HK$1 billion (S$173.1 million) has been spent on police overtime pay over the past six months of social unrest in Hong Kong, the Security Burea

Engrossed in PUBG, man in India accidentally drinks 2019-12-12 23:50:00In his quest for 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' aka victory on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), a man in India has reportedly died after accid

Thousands cheer as Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn wraps 2019-12-12 23:32:59Flanked by more than 2,000 oarsmen rowing to a steady drumbeat, Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn travelled down Bangkok's Chao Phraya river as pa

Gulf News, Latest Middle

Graft trial for Syrian President Assad's uncle opens 2019-12-09 09:56:50The dock was empty as the hearing got underway, with lawyers for 82-year-old Rifaat al-Assad citing health problems as the reason for his absence."Hi

Iran says ready for more US prisoner swaps 2019-12-09 06:45:48US President Donald Trump thanked Iran for what he called a "very fair negotiation" after an American scholar was released Saturday in exchange for

Main Lebanon PM candidate withdraws from consideration 2019-12-08 11:25:19Khatib's statement also comes shortly after his visit to the country's top Sunni religious authority, who told him the community supports resigned f

Around 200 displaced Syrians leave Al-Hol camp: Kurds 2019-12-08 11:19:00

Saudi restaurants no longer need to segregate women 2019-12-08 11:15:37The decision, which essentially ends gender segregation rules in public, was quietly announced Sunday in a lengthy and technically worded statement by

Iran unveils budget of 'resistance' against US sanctions 2019-12-08 10:30:28Iran's President Hassan Rouhani announced on Sunday a "budget of resistance" against US sanctions targeting the country's vital oil sector, backed

Protests grip Iraq's capital and south despite rising 2019-12-08 10:03:41Thousands of Iraqi protesters streamed into streets and public squares in the capital and restive south on Sunday, saying they were not deterred by de

Netanyahu pushes annexation plan as new elections loom 2019-12-08 09:17:53Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday touted his plan to annex a swathe of the occupied West Bank & Israeli settlements in a last-ditch effort

Iran says new budget bucks US oil embargo, 2019-12-08 02:30:23"The budget is based on maximum pressure and sanctions," by the US, Rouhani said. Rouhani added that the Iranian government's budget will also bene

Air strikes kill 19 civilians in northwest Syria: 2019-12-07 10:48:51Syrian regime and Russian air strikes on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war

Iraq's top Shia cleric says new PM must 2019-12-06 07:04:08Iraq's top Shia Muslim cleric said on Friday that a new prime minister must be chosen without foreign interference after the incumbent Adel Abdul Mah

France, Germany, UK accuse Iran of developing nuclear-capable 2019-12-06 01:18:23A joint letter written by ambassadors of France, Germany and the UK to the UN, refers to the footage shared on social media in April this year of the