It is believed that 54 jade miners in northern Myanmar are dead on Tuesday after a huge mound of tailings collapsed into an open-pit mine, burying workers and heavy equipment, officials said. The disaster occurred late Monday night in the remote Hpakant area of Kachin State, where miners produce billions of dollars’ worth of jade each year under harsh working… Read more »
China showed off the first of its new generation of guided missile destroyers on Tuesday as President Xi Jinping reviewed a major naval parade through mist and rain to mark 70 years since the founding of China’s navy. Xi is overseeing a sweeping plan to refurbish the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by developing everything from stealth jets to aircraft carriers… Read more »
TOKYO — We smelled them before we saw them. Amid an overwhelming reek of urine and scat, we descended a tight staircase into a cramped basement, where tattered ottomans faced a small wire cage. Within the cage stood the star attractions and source of the odor: four Asian small-clawed otters. Spotting us, the animals burst into chirps, whimpers, shrieks and… Read more »
ISIS claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings in Sri Lanka, as an official in the country said the preliminary investigation into the attacks showed it was “retaliation” for the massacre of Muslims at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The coordinated bombings on Sunday, targeting churches and hotels in and around the Sri Lankan capital, killed more than 320… Read more »
MANDALAY, Myanmar — At least 54 jade miners in northern Myanmar were believed to be dead on Tuesday after a huge mound of tailings collapsed into an open-pit mine, burying workers and heavy equipment, officials said. The disaster occurred late Monday night in the remote Hpakant area of Kachin State, where miners produce billions of dollars’ worth of jade each… Read more »
In 2013, Brunei decided to implement “harsh Islamic laws”, such as death by stoning, as a punishment to adultery and homosexual relations. All across the world, people condemned this for its obvious human rights violations. There were widespread boycotts and calls for divestment in opposition to this extreme decision. On the island of Borneo, a sultanate of nearly half a… Read more »
A harsh new criminal law in Brunei — which includes death by stoning for sex between men or for adultery, and amputation of limbs for theft — went into effect on Wednesday, despite an international outcry from other countries, rights groups, celebrities and students. Brunei, a tiny monarchy on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, based its new penal code… Read more »
SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG) – Legislation aimed at stopping violent crime and acts of extremism from being live-streamed on the internet was passed by Australia’s Senate amid warnings from the legal profession and technology companies that the proposed law is flawed. The Bill, aimed at preventing the “weaponising” of social media platforms by terrorists and criminals, cleared Parliament’s upper house late on… Read more »
HONG KONG • Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He will resume negotiations with his United States counterparts in Washington as both governments push for an agreement to end their protracted trade dispute. The latest round of talks follow discussions last week in Beijing, where Mr Liu met US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Outstanding issues include protection for… Read more »
China says it will crack down on all types of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, following a plea from the US. All fentanyl-related substances will be added to China’s list of controlled narcotic drugs from 1 May, officials said. It follows a pledge Beijing made during US-China trade talks in December. The powerful painkiller, much of it believed to be made… Read more »