Category Archives: Asia Pacific

New Zealand charity unknowingly gives out sweets with lethal levels of meth

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Up to 400 people received parcels that could contain the contaminated lolly as police open a criminal investigation

A charity working with homeless people in Auckland, New Zealand unknowingly distributed sweets filled with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine in its food parcels, after the items were donated by a member of the public.

Auckland City Mission told reporters on Wednesday that staff had started to contact up to 400 people to track down parcels that could contain the sweets – which were solid blocks of methamphetamine enclosed in lolly wrappers. New Zealand’s police have opened a criminal investigation.

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Corey Yuen, martial arts director and Jet Li collaborator, died in 2022, Hong Kong film federation confirms

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Film-maker who directed films starring Li, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh and later worked as a Hollywood fight coordinator, died during the Covid pandemic two years ago

Celebrated Hong Kong martial arts actor and director Corey Yuen died two years ago during the Covid pandemic, it has been reported.

The Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers confirmed Yuen’s death following a social media post by action star Jackie Chan naming Yuen (also known as Yuen Kwai) among a list of late disciples of China Drama Academy head Yu Jim-yuen, who died in 1997.

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Nancy Pelosi rebukes former Australian PM Paul Keating over ‘stupid statement’ on Taiwan

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In return, Keating chastises former US House speaker for her ‘recklessly indulgent visit to Taiwan’ in 2022

A war of words has broken out between the former Australian prime minister Paul Keating and the former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan, after the prominent Democrat accused Keating of making a “stupid statement” about the territory.

Keating was quick to hit back on Tuesday, suggesting Pelosi had “very nearly” sparked a military confrontation between the US and China over her “indulgent” 2022 visit to Taiwan.

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Asian cities and countries jostle in Paris for right to host 2036 Olympic Games

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  • IOC says it has ‘double-digit’ nations interested in hosting future events
  • Asia seen as strong option to follow Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032

If historic waterway settings are the new must-have accessory for Olympic host cities, then Istanbul’s mayor wants the IOC to know his city has one.

If the key to getting the 2036 Summer Games is having hosted world championships in top-tier Olympic sports, then Qatar can point to its track record over the past decade.

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Conviction of Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai ‘unjust’, says Chris Patten

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Former governor speaks out after appeal court upholds convictions of seven activists over 2019 protest

Chris Patten, the former governor of Hong Kong, has decried as “unjust” a decision by the Chinese city’s top court to uphold the conviction of Jimmy Lai and other prominent pro-democracy activists for participating in a peaceful protest in 2019.

On Monday, Hong Kong’s court of final appeal unanimously agreed to uphold the convictions of seven activists who participated in an unauthorised 2019 protest in which 1.7 million people – roughly a quarter of Hong Kong’s population – took to the streets to oppose Beijing’s tightening grip on the city.

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Lammy plans China visit for September to kick-start high-level engagement

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Exclusive: Move highlights ambition to reconnect with Beijing but minister will face pressure over human rights

David Lammy is planning a visit to China in September that would fall within the first 100 days of him taking office.

The foreign secretary is in talks over a trip to Beijing next month that would signal the UK wants to resume high-level engagement with the country.

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Philippines court voids order to shut down independent news site Rappler

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Outlet, which was hit with order during Rodrigo Duterte administration, hails ruling after ‘eight years of harassment’

A court in the Philippines has voided a shutdown order that was issued against Rappler, an independent news outlet known for its scrutiny of the former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Rappler, which was co-founded by the Nobel peace prize laureate Maria Ressa, had been issued a shutdown order in 2018, during Duterte’s administration, over claims it had violated restrictions on foreign ownership in media.

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Japan’s PM cancels overseas trip after experts issue ‘megaquake’ warning

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The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued its first-ever warning of the risk of a huge earthquake along the Pacific coast

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has cancelled a visit to central Asia this weekend after experts warned that the risk of a “megaquake” occurring off the country’s Pacific coast had increased following Thursday’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the south-west.

Kishida, who is battling low approval ratings and faces challenges to his leadership in a ruling party presidential election next month, announced his decision at a press conference on Friday.

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China lists Taiwanese independence supporters it wants people to denounce

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Beijing website asks for information about supposed ‘crimes’ of ‘secessionist’ current and past Taiwan officials

China’s government has called for people to denounce “diehard secessionists” and give information about their “criminal activities” as it intensifies its legal and rhetorical intimidation of Taiwan.

The Taiwan affairs office and ministry of public security this week launched new webpages with lists of 10 current and former officials in Taiwan who have been named as “diehard” separatists.

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Aukus pact will turn Australia into ‘51st state’ of the US, says Paul Keating

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Former prime minister argues Australia has made itself a target by aligning with American ‘aggression’ towards China

Australia’s participation in the Aukus defence pact risks handing military control of the country to Washington and becoming the “51st state of the United States”, according to former prime minister Paul Keating.

Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday night, Keating argued that Australia had made itself a target for aggression by joining the military alliance with the US and the UK in implicit opposition to China’s growing power in the Asia Pacific region.

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US ambassador to skip Nagasaki bomb commemoration over Israeli exclusion

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City’s mayor says Israel not invited because of risk of protests at event honouring victims of 1945 nuclear blast

The US ambassador to Japan will skip this year’s memorial service for the nuclear attack on Nagasaki because Israel has not been invited, the embassy has said.

Rahm Emanuel would not attend the event on Friday because it had been “politicised” by Nagasaki’s decision not to invite Israel, the embassy said. Instead, he would honour the victims of the Nagasaki bombing at a ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo and a lower-ranked US official would attend the Nagasaki event, it said.

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Earthquake strikes off Japan’s coast and triggers tsunami warning

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No immediate signs of damage reported after powerful quake hits off eastern coast of Kyushu

A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s southern coast on Thursday, triggering a tsunami advisory, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but there were no immediate signs of major damage.



The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and was centred off the eastern coast of Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu at a depth of about 30km (18.6 miles).

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Court bans largest Thai political party over pledge to change lese-majesty law

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Leaders of progressive group Move Forward, which won most votes in last year’s election, also barred from politics for 10 years

Thailand’s constitutional court has ordered the dissolution of the country’s most popular party, and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years, over its election promise to reform the country’s strict lese-majesty law.

Move Forward, a youthful pro-reform party, won the most votes in the 2023 election after pledging major changes to the country’s political system, including a promise to amend a law that punishes criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in prison for a single charge. However, the party and its leader were blocked from taking power by military royalist opponents, and have since faced legal cases.

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US plans more frequent bomber deployments to Australia amid China’s ‘escalatory behaviour’

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Australia-US talks also turn to Middle East conflict as representatives ramp up calls for Gaza ceasefire

The US says it plans “more frequent” deployments of bomber aircraft to Australia amid concerns over China’s “dangerous and escalatory behaviour” in the region.

The announcement after annual talks on Wednesday builds on a long-term trend of increased rotations of American forces to Australia, along with moves to upgrade Australian military bases and pre-position US army equipment in Australia.

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Global markets partly recover but analysts fear ‘we’re not out of woods’

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Shares on Wall Street and in Asia and Europe start to recover after Monday’s rout

Shares on Wall Street rose and many Asian and European markets staged a recovery after this week’s global stock market rout, but analysts warned: “We might not be out of the woods.”

The FTSE 100 index in London rose 18 points, or 0.2%, on Tuesday to close at 8,026.69, after losing 166 points, or 2%, on Monday, its biggest one-day points drop in more than a year.

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‘Hobbit’ bones from tiny species of ancient humans found on Indonesian island

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Flores arm bone suggests Homo floresiensis was forced to undergo a dramatic reduction in body size

The remains of a member of the smallest ancient human species on record, who stood at just 1m tall, have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores.

The fossil arm bone belonged to a tiny adult human who roamed the island 700,000 years ago alongside pygmy elephants, Komodo dragons and giant rats the size of rabbits. It is thought to be from a very early individual of the “hobbit” species Homo floresiensis that has perplexed scientists since its discovery two decades ago.

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Japanese stocks soar after massive sell-off shook global markets

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Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closes more than 10% up with other Asia markets rebounding on Tuesday

Japanese stocks soared more than 10% on Tuesday, a day after experiencing their biggest fall in 37 years, setting markets tumbling in Europe and on Wall Street.

Other markets in Asia also appeared to settle somewhat after the rollercoaster ride that started the week.

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Mac and cheese for life! Philippines’ heartfelt gifts to Carlos Yulo after double Olympic gold

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Pledges of pesos, property and pasta as ‘Caloy’ makes history for his country with floor exercise and vault victories in artistic gymnastics

The Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo’s historic double gold medal win at the Paris Olympics has been celebrated across the Philippines, with businesses showering the athlete with gifts – from cash and a new home, to a lifetime supply of mac and cheese.

Ferdinand Marcos, the president, said the Philippines had “witnessed history” when Yulo became the first Filipino man to win an Olympic gold medal after competing in the artistic gymnastic floor exercise on Saturday. He is only the second Filipino athlete to win an Olympic gold, after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in 2020. On Sunday, Yulo soared to the top of the podium again in the vault, thus becoming the first Filipino to win two golds – and at a single Olympics.

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Papua separatists kill helicopter pilot from New Zealand, say police

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Shooting in Indonesia’s easternmost region comes almost 18 months after kidnap of another New Zealand pilot

Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua killed a helicopter pilot from New Zealand, police have said, adding that four passengers onboard the aircraft were safe.

Glen Malcolm Conning, a pilot for Indonesian aviation company PT Intan Angkasa Air Service, was shot to death, said Faizal Ramadhani, a national police member and head of the joint security peace force in Papua. The gunmen were allegedly with the West Papua Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, Ramadhani said.

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Shares in New York and London tumble on fears of US recession

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FTSE 100 on track for its lowest close since April and Japan’s Nikkei suffers biggest fall since crash of 1987

Shares on Wall Street and in London have fallen heavily amid a global stock market rout triggered by fears of a recession in the US.

The tech-focused Nasdaq index dropped by 6% as trading in New York opened on Monday, while the broader S&P 500 index fell by 4.2% in a sell-off triggered by weak US jobs data. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 1,100 points, a 2.8% decline.

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