Asia News fra SCMP

North Korea has condemned the United States over its latest sanctions measures, warning the policy could “block the path to denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula forever”. The warning from the North on Sunday came days after the US said it was imposing sanctions on three senior North Korean officials over human rights abuses. The sanctioned officials include Choe Ryong-hae, who has been considered a right-hand man to leader Kim Jong-un. In a statement carried by the official... […]

Successful, high-impact research helps make universities lively, thriving communities. This effect extends well beyond the academy: meaningful intellectual pursuit raises the economic and social well-being of the nation. When, based on leading academic research, economists such as Paul Krugman in the 1990s suggested Singapore’s growth would be unsustainable for relying too much on Singaporeans working too hard and saving too much – perspiration without inspiration – the... […]

A powerful blast ripped through a restaurant in northern Japan late Sunday, injuring 42 people, starting fires that took hours to bring under control and leading several neighbouring buildings to collapse, officials and reports said. Images from the scene showed large flames and plumes of smoke rising in the night air after the blast in the northern city of Sapporo. The cause of the blast was still under investigation, police said. One witness reportedly said he had smelled gas after the... […]

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Sunday criticised Australia’s move to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying countries had “no rights” to do so. At the same time, Israel complained that Canberra’s move was “a mistake”, insisting the whole of the city belongs to the Jewish state. Australia’s move follows US President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May, which... […]

More men are taking jobs in the traditionally female-dominated profession of Japanese airline cabin crew as smaller airlines actively look to distinguish themselves from their large domestic rivals. The increasingly physical nature of the work in combination with the growing need to deal with unruly or drunk passengers, mean soradan (airmen) are being seen in the skies above Japan in larger numbers. Koichi Ito joined Star Flyer, a medium-sized carrier based at Kitakyushu Airport in Fukuoka... […]

Chinese fans of the classic Japanese anime film My Neighbour Totoro are rejoicing at news that the heart-warming masterpiece is finally having an official screening in mainland cinemas, three decades after it was released worldwide. The acclaimed 1988 animated film about a giant furry woodland creature is one of Japan’s most recognisable cultural exports. Its mainland China release on its 30th anniversary may be a sign of warming Sino-Japanese ties, analysts say. “The theatre... […]

Sri Lanka has an undisputed prime minister for the first time in more than 50 days after one of the two men who have claimed to lawfully occupy the post was sworn in on Sunday, a day after his challenger resigned. Supporters of Ranil Wickremesinghe celebrated the defeat of a “coup” as he signed official papers in Colombo, marking the end of a crisis that left the country without a prime minister or cabinet and on the verge of a government shutdown. Hon. @RW_UNP has been sworn in... […]

Ear cleaners, roadside plumbers and typewriters for hire: just a sample of the antiquated jobs found on the pavements of Yangon’s Pansodan Street, where old-world businesses still find customers. For years, tourists have been fascinated by odd trades in Yangon, from cycle trishaws swerving through traffic to roadside clerks going clicketyclack on typewriters. Some professions have become victims of the political and economic reforms that started in earnest in 2011. Iced water sellers... […]

Cambodia seized more than 3.2 tonnes of elephant tusks hidden in a storage container sent from Mozambique, a customs official said Sunday, marking the country’s largest ivory bust. The discovery Thursday of 1,026 tusks at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port followed a tip from the US embassy, the official said, and highlights Cambodia’s emergence as a key regional transit point for the multibillion dollar trade in illicit wildlife. “The elephant tusks were hidden among marble in a... […]

A former chief of Australia’s defence forces was Sunday appointed as the next governor-general, the representative of Britain’s Queen, but will only assume the role after crucial state and federal elections next year. Retired general David Hurley, 65, will be the second ex-defence forces chief to assume the role, which is largely ceremonial in the constitutional monarchy but does hold the power to intervene in the government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison – whose embattled... […]