The big earthquake that struck New Zealand last year may have been the most complex ever, say scientists. November’s Magnitude 7.8 event ruptured a near-200km-long swathe of territory, shifting parts of NZ’s South Island 5m closer to North Island. Whole blocks of ground were buckled and lifted upwards, in places by up to 8m. Subsequent investigations have found that at… Read more »
A ferry has been raised from the sea bed, three years after it sank in one of South Korea’s deadliest disasters. The Sewol sank off the south-western island of Jindo on 16 April 2014 killing 304 people, almost all school children on a trip. It has been winched to the surface so a platform can be inserted under it for… Read more »
Some 70,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar into Bangladesh in the last six months, and the UN has gathered accounts of gang rapes and mass killings. A Burmese official said the move was “not acceptable” as Myanmar was carrying out its own investigation. China and India did not back the decision, however. The two countries said they would “disassociate” themselves from… Read more »
A panel of judges at Taiwan’s top court are hearing a case that could make the island the first place in Asia to introduce gay marriage. The case has been brought by a gay activist as well as municipal authorities from the capital, Taipei. Taiwan’s parliament has also been debating whether to pass laws that would allow same-sex marriage. The… Read more »
Beijing will increase its defence budget by about seven percent in 2017, an official said on Saturday, continuing what experts see as a trend of “reduced ambitions” from the Chinese military as Donald Trump seeks to build up US military might. The announcement comes days after Mr Trump said he intended to boost by about 10 percent the US military… Read more »
North Korea said on Tuesday it had temporarily banned Malaysians from leaving the country to ensure the safety of its diplomats and citizens in Malaysia amid an escalating row over the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. The North’s foreign ministry notified the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang of the reason for the measure and said it had hoped… Read more »
A video has emerged of the son of Kim Jong-nam, the murdered half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In the short and censored clip, the man says: “My name is Kim Han-sol, from North Korea, part of the Kim family.” He says he is with his mother and sister, but there are no details on the date or location…. Read more »
China has proposed that North Korea suspend its tests of missile and nuclear technology to “defuse a looming crisis”. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that in exchange, the US and South Korea could halt annual joint military drills, which consistently infuriate the North. The appeal comes after North Korea test-launched four missiles on Monday, breaking international sanctions. In response, the… Read more »
MANILA, Philippines — A possible war between China and the United States (US) would start and remain in East Asia where nearly all Chinese forces are located, according to a new study published by an international research organization. In its study entitled “War with China: Thinking through the Unthinkable,” California-based Rand Corp. said that both China and the US wants… Read more »
BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand’s new king has chosen who will be the country’s top monk, the leader of the ruling junta said Tuesday (Feb 7), ending a lengthy power struggle over the venerated post. The post of Supreme Patriarch has been left open for more than three years as Thailand’s various Buddhist factions tussle over a successor. Critics of the… Read more »