Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was back in court Thursday over a government appeal against his sodomy acquittal, as he prepared to contest a key state by-election.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
NORTH KOREA Missiles Passed Near Jet
North Korea defended its recent missile firings as "ordinary military practice," as South Korea said Tuesday's volley passed above a Chinese passenger jet's route just minutes ahead of the airliner.
CHINA: Woman Self-Immolates In Tiananmen Square
A 40-year-old woman reportedly self-immolated in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on March 5 while another woman handed out leaflets, according to New Tang Dynasty Television. BBC reports indicated demonstration activity in the square.
JAPAN - PORT OF OTARU - Hokkaido city's new sport -- shoveling snow
The president of a consulting firm in Otaru, Hokkaido, has created a nationwide association to promote snow shoveling, with the aim of turning the tedious ...
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
CHINA: Shanghai Is More Expensive Than New York
Chinese cities are moving up in the rankings of the world's most expensive cities, a reflection of higher wages, rising inflation and the appreciation of the yuan.
SINGAPORE: Of price and place - The cost of living around the world
SAYONARA, Tokyo. Singapore is now the world’s most expensive city, according to the bi-annual cost of living index from the Economist Intelligence Unit, our corporate sibling. The Singapore dollar’s appreciation and high transport costs have propelled it to top spot. Tokyo and Osaka, which ranked first and second last year, have seen the biggest falls in costs because of a cheaper yen. The index is a weighted average of the prices of 160 products and services, with New York's figure set to 100 to provide a base for comparisons.
RUSSIA: Senators consider sanctions against Russia's Ukraine intervention
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday began considering whether to impose sanctions against Russia for sending thousands of soldiers into Ukraine's Crimea region following the ouster of the country's president, Viktor Yanukovych. Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said the intervention was "a clear violation of international law." Russia's United Nations ambassador said Russia sent the soldiers at Yanukovych's request.
CHINA: After 3/1 - The Dangers of China¹s Ethnic Divide
Violence as savage and public as the massacre that took place at a Chinese train station on Saturday shocks the chemistry of a country in a way that years of more remote, simmering conflict do not. Acts of such spectacular violence exert unpredictable forces on the public and on the leaders who are charged with protecting it, transforming judgments of when and how to use force and decisions about what can be sacrificed in the name of security, as well as the definitions of citizenship, patriotism, and innocence. Rarely do they leave anyone better off than they were before.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/03/after-31-the-dangers-of-chinas-ethnic-divide.html
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/03/after-31-the-dangers-of-chinas-ethnic-divide.html
CHINA'S Xi Broadens Graft Crackdown
President Xi Jinping, who took office last year, has expanded an anticorruption campaign that is now one of the broadest in China's modern history, positioning Xi as the country's most powerful leader in decades.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-03/china-s-xi-broadens-graft-crackdown-to-boost-influence.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-03/china-s-xi-broadens-graft-crackdown-to-boost-influence.html
Monday, March 3, 2014
JAPAN'S Samurai Spirit: Progeny of Japan's Warrior Elite Retain Edge Today
A new study finds that people carrying surnames associated with Japan’s feudal ruling class tend to be overrepresented among those high up on the social ladder today.
N. KOREA: US urges N Korea missile 'restraint'
The US urges North Korea to exercise restraint and avoid provocative acts after it fired two short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast.
MALAYSIA: Dengue Deaths Soar in Malaysia
Reeling from a severe dengue outbreak, Malaysia has launched a community-driven neighborhood cleaning program to destroy breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes that are responsible for spreading the virus.
RUSSIA Raises Interest Rates as Rouble Plummets
The Russian rouble dropped to a new all-time low against both the dollar and euro after the Russian Central Bank hiked interest rates to stem the decline as concerns mount over an expanded invasion of the Ukraine.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26414285
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26414285
CHINA: Separatists blamed for knife attack; 33 dead
CHINA: Authorities blamed Xinjiang separatists, whose members are mostly Muslim Uighurs, for a "slashing rampage" that killed twenty-nine people at a southern China train station on Saturday.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/2/separatists-blamedforchinaknifeattack33dead.html
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/2/separatists-blamedforchinaknifeattack33dead.html
NORTH KOREA Launches Two Missiles
North Korea launched two short-range missiles on Monday into the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, in what analysts say is a protest to the ongoing South Korean-U.S. joint military exercises. The move is North Korea's second missile firing in a week.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304585004579415803423444282?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLE_Video_Top&mg=reno64-wsj
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304585004579415803423444282?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLE_Video_Top&mg=reno64-wsj
RUSSIA seizes Crimea region in Ukraine
Russian troops took over Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula on Sunday without firing a shot. The interim Ukrainian government mobilized its armed forces and called up reservists. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the Ukrainian opposition's ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was a "seizure of power" that would end in "new blood." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to fly to Kiev on Tuesday to support Ukraine.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/world/europe/kerry-warns-russia-of-possible-eviction-from-g-8.html?emc=edit_na_20140302&_r=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/world/europe/kerry-warns-russia-of-possible-eviction-from-g-8.html?emc=edit_na_20140302&_r=1
Sunday, March 2, 2014
RUSSIA: G-7 Leaders Condemn Russia, Suspend Preparation For G-8 Summit
In a joint statement from the White House, leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine, March 3. Stating that Russia's actions in Ukraine are in contravention of its obligations under the U.N. Charter and its 1997 agreement with Ukraine, the leaders have decided to suspend activities associated with the preparation of the G-8 Summit.
NORTH KOREA: Missiles Fired Off Coast
North Korea launched two short-range missiles from its east coast March 2, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry, Yonhap reported. The missiles were fired from Gitdaeryeong and Wonsan and had a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles), twice the range of the missiles North Korea fired the previous week, CNN reported. North Korea has often engaged in provocative actions as part of its overall foreign policy strategy.
JAPAN'S casino gamble sets pulses racing
The prospect of the world’s third-largest economy opening up to casinos has excited the gaming industry, with estimates of $40bn in annual revenues
INDONESIA: Co-director of The Act of Killing says crew fear for their lives
A chilling documentary about one of the worst massacres since the second world war is up for an Academy Award. If it does win, don't expect the Indonesian co-director to go on stage to receive an Oscar: he's worried for his life.
CHINA'S Uighur Militants Make a Strategic Shift
A railway station attack in Kunming, China, on March 1 suggests that ethnic Uighur militants, whose attacks in the past mostly targeted police and public officials in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, have shifted to a strategy of seeking to inflict mass civilian casualties anywhere in the country. While these militants may be part of small, disparate cells with a relative lack of central control and training, they have now proved capable of striking in China's far southwest borderlands only months after another Uighur group attacked China's capital, Beijing. This suggests that China's counterterrorism efforts will have to expand nationwide.
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/chinas-uighur-militants-make-strategic-shift
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/chinas-uighur-militants-make-strategic-shift
CHINA blames separatist terrorists for deadly knife attacks
Chinese authorities are pursuing five assailants who slashed to death dozens of people at a train station in southern China on Saturday, an attack the government blamed on Xinjiang separatists. Police fatally shot four black-clad attackers — bringing the total body count to 33 — and captured one more, though another five escaped.
RUSSIA Could Lose Its Place In G-8, Face Sanctions
Russia’s actions in Ukraine could cause Moscow to lose its place in the G-8 and face economic sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said March 2, Reuters and RT reported. The European Union and the United States have called for Russia to show restraint, but they are unlikely to intervene militarily in Ukraine, though a NATO meeting has been called to discuss the situation.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
CHINA: At Least 27 Killed In Kunming Train Station Attack
At least 27 people were killed and another 109 people injured in an attack by a group of knife-wielding men at the Kunming Railway Station in Yunnan province on March 1, Xinhua and AP reported, citing local television and state-run Yunnan News. Several of the attackers, who were reportedly wearing uniforms when they stormed the train station, were shot by police. The motive for the attack is not yet clear.
RUSSIA: Parliament Asks Putin To Withdraw Ambassador From United States
Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of the parliament, asked President Vladimir Putin on March 1 to withdraw the Russian ambassador to the United States over aggressive statements made by U.S. President Barack Obama, RIA Novosti reported. Obama's criticisms of Russia's recent actions in Ukraine were a direct threat and insult to the Russian people, the vice speaker of the Federation Council said. Russia has been emphatically reminding the world that the United States will not confront Russia militarily, even if it confronts Russia politically and possibly financially.
CHINA: Authorities save 382 babies in Chinese trafficking sting
Chinese police rescued 382 abducted babies from four Internet-based trafficking rings, authorities announced on Friday. Fueled by China's one-child law, trafficking rings thrive in the country by selling kidnapped babies through fake adoption websites. Police arrested 1,094 suspects in the six-month operation, some of whom could face death sentences in a country with harsh trafficking punishments.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/china-busts-major-web-based-baby-trafficking-rings
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/china-busts-major-web-based-baby-trafficking-rings
JAPAN: Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox files for bankruptcy
Tokyo-based exchange Mt. Gox announced on Friday that it was filing for bankruptcy protection, following a security breach that allowed hackers to defraud the company's customers of more than 700,000 coins. The company admitted such a software flaw existed several weeks ago. “There were weaknesses in the system,” exchange executive Mark Karpeles said. “I’m truly sorry to have caused inconvenience.”
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/mt-gox-files-for-bankruptcy/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/mt-gox-files-for-bankruptcy/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1
Friday, February 28, 2014
CHINA: 'Let's spend the night together' in Macau
Casino companies in Macau are diversifying their businesses into music and martial arts to reduce the territory’s reliance on gambling
http://feedly.com/e/86F7sPIE
Friday Asia Update: Top Five Stories for the Week of February 28, 2014
1. Hong Kong editor attacked. Kevin Lau, former chief editor of Ming Pao Daily News, was slashed three times in his back and legs by an attacker and accomplice on a motorbike. The attack on Mr. Lau sparked protests and an offer of a one million Hong Kong dollar reward from Ming Pao for any information leading to the arrest of the attacker. Mr. Lau was the center of controversy last month when removed from his editorial role. Hong Kong journalist associations are concerned that Mr. Lau’s removal, alongside the firing of a radio talk show host, are encroachments upon press freedom. While threats and attacks against outspoken Hong Kong journalists are hardly new, the attack on Mr. Lau comes amid increasing fears of mainland China’s widening political and cultural influence over Hong Kong.
2. North Korea test-fires short-range missiles. On February 27, North Korea fired missiles with a range of less than 200 meters off the east coast of North Korea. North Korea has provided no information on the test’s purpose, but such tests are not unusual for North Korea, especially following joint U.S.-South Korea exercises. The U.S.-Republica of Korea Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills began February 24 and will continue until April 18. One South Korean analyst believes the missile tests are mainly to send a message about the U.S.-South Korea drills as well as being an angered over recent UN Commission of Inquiry report on North Korean human rights abuses. A U.S. State Department spokesperson has urged Pyongyang to “exercise restraint and take steps to improve its relations with its neighbors.” Observers do not believe these tests will trigger a rise in tensions.
3. Thai prime minister faces corruption charges related to rice subsidy; strife continues. Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is facing charges of negligence over an allegedly corrupt rice subsidy scheme; if convicted, she could be removed from office and face a five-year ban from politics. Under the rice subsidies, instated by the prime minister when she came to power in 2011, the government pledged to buy rice from Thai farmers at 40 to 50 percent above market value. This has pushed Thai rice prices to uncompetitive levels and cost the government $4 billion per year; the government has also been unable to pay farmers back, causing mass protests. Pro-government supporters surrounded the office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, forcing the hearing to move elsewhere. At the same time, clashes have continued between pro- and anti-government protesters; at least twenty people have died since the protests began in November 2013.
4. Japan announces draft of Basic Energy Plan, includes push to restart reactors. On February 25, the Abe administration unveiled a draft of the Basic Energy Plan, the first national energy policy since the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. While the plan calls for reducing Japan’s dependence on nuclear energy, it does not specify what mix of nuclear/renewables/fossil fuels Japan should rely on for its future energy needs. The plan also urges Japan’s government to push to restart reactors that meet new safety standards. All fifty of Japan’s operable reactors are currently idle, and only two reactors have been restarted since March 2011, though they were shut down again in September 2013 for routine maintenance. Cabinet approval of the draft Basic Energy Plan is expected in March.
Bonus: Yorkies are the newest attraction at Pyongyang’s zoo. A pack of miniature Yorkshire terrier dogs are the newest addition to the Capital Zoo in North Korea. The country’s official media agency has already announced that the pups have been taught “several feats.” Lonely Planet published an damning account of the zoo last year, saying the animals “look pretty forlorn.”
JAPAN: J. Crew in Talks to Sell to Japan's Fast Retailing
J. Crew Group is in talks to sell the clothing retailer to Japan’s Fast Retailing for as much as $5 billion.
Fast Retailing, which owns the Uniqlo apparel chain, this week approached J. Crew’s management about potentially buying the private-equity-owned business. J. Crew is seeking upward of $5 billion for the business. It remained unclear whether Fast Retailing would pay that much and whether the two sides have yet discussed a price.
Fast Retailing, which owns the Uniqlo apparel chain, this week approached J. Crew’s management about potentially buying the private-equity-owned business. J. Crew is seeking upward of $5 billion for the business. It remained unclear whether Fast Retailing would pay that much and whether the two sides have yet discussed a price.
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