Kim Jong-Un warns war can break out without any prior notice
Melbourne – North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has urged the country’s military to bolster its combat readiness, saying a war could break out “without any prior notice”. There are growing concerns over the regime’s stability after the execution of Jang Song-Thaek, a... read more »
Abe visits Yasukuni war shrine, China protests
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid his respects on Thursday at a shrine honouring Japan’s war dead in a move that drew a quick rebuke from China warning that the visit celebrated Japan’s military attacks on its neighbouring countries. The visit to the shrine, which honours 2.5 million war dead... read more »
Rocks, tear gas fly as Thai protests escalate
Protesters trying to halt preparations for elections fought running battles with police in the Thai capital on Thursday, as the country’s festering political crisis again flared into violence. Officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets toward protesters trying to force their way into a sports... read more »
Japan raises defence spending budget
Tokyo – Japanese cabinet Tuesday approved a record-high 95.88 trillion yen (about $922 billion) budget for fiscal 2014, of which the defence spending was up 2.8 percent, marking the second straight year of rise. The defence budget stands at 4,884.8 billion yen, up 131 billion yen from the... read more »
More from Far East
Thai protesters try to block election sign-up
Thai opposition protesters have stepped up their campaign to disrupt upcoming elections, trying to block candidate registrations as part of efforts to banish Prime Minister Yingluck... read more »
Japan seeking US assistance to obtain counter cyberattack capability
Tokyo – Japan is reportedly seeking to curb the increased cyberattacks on the nation’s government systems and in a bid to have the ability to counter the attacks by a foreign... read more »
Thai opposition to boycott 2 February elections as mass protests continue
London – The main opposition party in Thailand has announced it will boycott snap elections set for 2 February. Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told a news conference it would... read more »
Taiwan court suspends trial of ailing ex-president
Taipei – A Taiwanese court has suspended the trial of former president Chen Shui-bian on the ground that he is suffering from depression, dementia and other health problems, officials... read more »
Singapore man jailed for three years for cyber-stalking
Singapore – A man in Singapore was sentenced to three years in jail Friday for cyber-stalking US singer Leandra Ramm for six years from 2005 to 2011. Colin Mak Yew Loong, 38, had pleaded guilty... read more »
