Category Archives: Asia Pacific

Thailand in limbo as Move Forward’s electoral impetus hits political roadblocks

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Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat becoming mired in inquiries into his eligibility and still faces the uncertainty of a vote in the military-appointed Senate

More than a month has passed since Thai voters went to the polls to choose their next government. Yet the country remains in limbo, with little clarity about whether the most popular party will be able to take power and with its leader placed under investigation.

The progressive Move Forward party stunned many observers by winning the most seats in May’s election after promising change in a country that has been ruled by coup-maker Prayuth Chan-ocha for nine years. Move Forward, which is hugely popular among younger voters, has since announced it has agreed to form a coalition with other opposition parties.

But Thailand’s election rules, combined with a legal case hanging over the party’s leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, means its path to power is uncertain.

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Glum Chinese graduates go viral with pictures of misery amid jobs anxiety

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Photos shared on social media show students draping themselves over park benches or stairs in poses of dejection

As millions of young people in China graduate from university this month, the traditional pictures of joyful students throwing their hats and gowns into the air have been replaced by photos of them lying on the ground or throwing their degree certificates into the bin.

Some photos show students draping themselves over bridges or park benches in poses of dejection. In others, students lie face down on stairs or in grassy fields.

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US military will have ‘unimpeded’ access to Papua New Guinea bases under new security deal

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Deal signed last month gives US ‘exclusive use’ of parts of bases, as Palau PM says he has asked US to step up patrols after Chinese incursions into its waters

The US military can develop and operate out of bases in Papua New Guinea, according to a landmark security pact that is part of Washington’s efforts to outflank China in the Pacific.

The full text of the deal was tabled in Papua New Guinea’s parliament on Wednesday evening and obtained by AFP, shedding light on details that have been closely guarded since the pact was signed in May.

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Protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong starts to vanish from online sites as government seeks ban

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Version of the song that rose to fame during 2019 pro-democracy protests disappear from platforms including Spotify, iTunes and Facebook

Versions of Glory to Hong Kong, the unofficial anthem of the city’s pro-democracy movement in 2019, have disappeared from several streaming platforms, amid a government bid to ban online distribution of the song.

Variations of the song distributed by DGX Music, the team of creators who own the rights to the title, were no longer available on Spotify, Apple’s iTunes, Facebook and KKBOX worldwide on Wednesday, though a rendition performed by a Taiwanese band still remained. Several music videos were also accessible on YouTube on Thursday.

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NZ climate activist faces up to 10 years in prison over fake letter saying fossil fuel event cancelled

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Rosemary Penwarden said her letter telling oil executives a petroleum conference was off was satirical protest but was found guilty of forgery offences

A New Zealand climate activist who wrote to oil executives posing as a fossil fuel conference organiser and telling them their gathering was cancelled has been found guilty of forgery, and could face up to a decade in prison.

Rosemary Penwarden, 64, who sent the letter to an oil company’s delegates argued it was a form of “satirical protest”, and said she was astonished by the outcome.

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Canada freezes ties with Chinese bank AIIB over claim it is ‘dominated by Communist party’

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Finance minister announces immediate review of Canada’s involvement with Beijing’s alternative to the World Bank

Canada is freezing its ties with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) after the bank’s global communications director resigned and said the bank was “dominated by the Communist party”.

Finance minister Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday Canada was putting its ties with AIIB on hold while it investigated the allegations and did not rule out any outcomes, a clear hint that Ottawa could pull out of a bank it officially joined in March 2018.

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Japan military shooting: two soldiers killed and one hurt after fellow recruit opens fire

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Suspect charged with attempted murder after incident at military training ground

An 18-year-old military recruit has been detained after he shot and killed two fellow soldiers and wounded a third at a training range in central Japan.

“During a live-bullet exercise as part of new personnel training, one Self-Defense Force candidate fired at three personnel,” the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) said in a statement.

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Malaysia to ask Interpol for help to track down comedian over MH370 joke

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US-based comic Jocelyn Chia strains relations between Singapore and Malaysia with joke about how Malaysia’s planes cannot fly

Malaysian police will seek Interpol’s help to track down a US-based comedian who mocked the country and joked about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Jocelyn Chia will be investigated under the country’s laws relating to insulting speech and offensive or obscene online content, Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama reported. Police chief Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani was quoted as saying that the police would ask Interpol for assistance in finding out her full identity and whereabouts.

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Nobel laureate Maria Ressa says research by Oxford institute can be used against reporters

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Exclusive: methodology used by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism risks undermining media in global south, says Ressa

Nobel peace laureate Maria Ressa has claimed Oxford University’s leading journalism institute is publishing flawed research that puts journalists and independent outlets at risk, particularly in the global south.

One of the world’s most prominent and respected journalists, Ressa said she resigned last year from the advisory board of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), because of deep concerns about how it compiles an annual Digital News Report.

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Gold bars used to lure Chinese homebuyers amid market slowdown

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Property developers struggle to rebuild confidence in housing market after three years of economic pain

Gold bars, new cars and mobile phones are among the incentives being offered to potential homebuyers by Chinese property developers as they grow increasingly desperate to boost sales.

Huafa Tianfu, a developer in the eastern city of Hangzhou, has been offering up to a kilo of gold bullion to tempt people into buying its flats.

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Hong Kong protesters allegedly attacked by Chinese activists in Southampton

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Police investigate after footage apparently shows three men assaulting a man and a woman

Police are investigating after footage emerged apparently showing pro-Hong Kong demonstrators being violently attacked by a group of Chinese activists in Southampton.

The alleged incident occurred after a rally to mark the anniversary of the 2019 protests for democratic changes in Hong Kong.

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Police arrest British man free-climbing South Korean skyscraper

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Man identified locally as George King-Thompson, who was previously jailed after free-climbing London’s Shard

A British man, previously jailed after free-climbing the Shard in London, has reportedly been arrested in South Korea after attempting to climb the country’s tallest skyscraper without equipment, police said.

The man was scaling the 123-storey Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul early on Monday when staff spotted him, forcing him to stop his ascent as he reached the 73rd floor.

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China concerns prompt US move to rejoin Unesco

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Return of US ends decade-long dispute sparked by agency’s move to admit Palestine as a member

The UN’s cultural and scientific agency, Unesco, has announced that the US plans to rejoin – and pay more than $600m (£477m) in back dues – after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organisation’s move to include Palestine as a member.

US officials say the decision to return was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by Washington in Unesco policymaking, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.

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US and China take steps towards thaw as Blinken prepares to visit Beijing, but mistrust remains

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Effort is being stepped up to rebuild relations after the spy ballon incident led to Blinken’s original visit being cancelled

In the clearest sign yet that president Joe Biden’s predicted “thaw” in US-China relations may actually come to pass, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is expected to visit Beijing on 18 June.

But after several months in which tensions between the two countries have only increased, both sides will need to overcome a mutual mistrust that has been allowed to build following a number of recent incidents.

Guardian Newsroom: Is China ushering in a new world order? Join a panel of Guardian journalists for a livestreamed event on Wednesday 14 June 2023, 8pm BST | 9pm CEST | 12pm PDT | 3pm EDT. A video recording will also be available for ticket-holders. Book here

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Philippines’ Mayon volcano spews lava as thousands told to prepare to flee

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Over 13,000 people already evacuated but many more may have to leave if eruption turns violent

The Philippines’ most active volcano was spewing lava down its slopes on Monday, prompting officials to warn tens of thousands of villagers to be prepared to flee their homes if the gentle eruption turns into a powerful and life-threatening explosion.

More than 13,000 people have left the mostly poor farming communities within a 6km (3.7-mile) radius of Mount Mayon’s crater in mandatory evacuations since volcanic activity increased last week. But an unspecified number of people remain within the permanent danger zone below Mayon, an area long declared off-limits but where generations have lived and farmed because they had nowhere else to go.

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Number of nuclear weapons held by major powers rising, says thinktank

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There are now an estimated 12,512 warheads across the globe, with most of the new ones in military stockpiles said to be China’s

The number of operational nuclear weapons in the arsenals of the major military powers is on the rise again according to a leading thinktank, whose analysts warn the world is “drifting into one of the most dangerous periods in human history”.

At a time of both deteriorating international relations and the escalation of nuclear sabre-rattling, there are now said to be an estimated 12,512 warheads globally, of which 9,576 are in military stockpiles ready for potential use, up 86 on a year ago.

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China’s Palestinian moment is about global standing rather than peace

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Experts quash claims by Beijing that the Palestinian Authority president’s visit will facilitate new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

The Palestinian Authority president’s imminent state visit to China is believed even by senior Palestinian officials to be aimed at bolstering Beijing’s credentials on the world stage, rather than a serious attempt to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mahmoud Abbas’s four-day visit, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, has been described by Chinese state media as aimed at facilitating new talks predicated on a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. It also comes on the heels of Beijing’s recent success in brokering a detente between the Middle East’s two major religious and geopolitical poles, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

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Disney’s Little Mermaid flops in China amid racist backlash over casting

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Poor box office performance reflects broader challenge for Hollywood as it vies with domestic productions

The poor performance of Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the Chinese box office has reopened questions on Hollywood’s increasing difficulties in the world’s second-largest economy and the role racism has played in the film’s reception.

The live action remake has grossed just $3.6m (£2.9m) since its release in Chinese cinemas on 26 May, according to Box Office Mojo.

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Radio New Zealand investigates Russia-friendly editing of Ukraine articles

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At least four wire articles published by national broadcaster had been edited to add pro-Kremlin phrasing

New Zealand’s national radio broadcaster is conducting an internal investigation after evidence emerged that an employee had edited wire reporting on the Ukraine war to add Russia-friendly phrasing.

The state-funded RNZ, or Radio New Zealand, published at least four articles attributed to the Reuters wire service that had been edited to add pro-Kremlin phrasing.

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Weather tracker: Canada wildfires rage in what could be worst season to date

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Plumes of smoke move southwards across US east coast. Elsewhere, Japan hit by remnants of Typhoon Mawar

Wildfires in Quebec, Canada, continue to rage, following a spring that was drier and warmer than normal, creating perfect conditions for wildfires to develop. As of 7 June, at least 150 fires remained active across the province, with more than 400 across the country according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Officials warned this could be the country’s worst wildfire season to date, with at least 9.4m acres of land destroyed so far.

Plumes of smoke from the fires have been moving southwards across the US east coast, delaying thousands of flights. The US National Weather Service also issued air quality alerts for many states, with air quality index levels above 400 – a level of 300 is considered “hazardous” – in some states. A fairly static weather pattern this weekend will mean further plumes of smoke moving towards eastern parts of the US.

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