Analysing Chinese Foreign Policy
Xi Jinping’s forceful, ambitious and Machiavellian personality is key to understanding China’s foreign policy in recent years.
Asia Pacific
Bangkok air pollution prompts advice to work from home
Thai capital’s already bad air made worse by forest fires and burning on farmsPeople in Bangkok have been advised to work from home and wear face masks due to air pollution that has worsened to unhealthy levels.Officials urged people to use public tran…
Guinea worm disease could be second ever human illness to be eradicated
As cases fall, the condition that once affected millions of people in Africa and Asia could also be the first to be wiped out without medicinesThe number of cases of a painful and debilitating tropical illness fell last year to a record low, fuelling h…
North Korea locks down capital due to ‘respiratory illness’ outbreak
North Korea has ordered a five-day lockdown in the capital over “respiratory illness”, a report said Wednesday, in what appears to be the first citywide restrictions since the country declared victory over Covid-19 in August 2022.
Japan and North Korea sound warning as deadly cold snap sweeps across Asia
Extreme weather kills at least one person in Japan and more than 100 in Afghanistan while parts of China hit record low temperaturesWeather authorities in Japan and the Korean peninsula have issued warnings over freezing temperatures and gales that hav…
Cargo ship sinks between South Korea and Japan; 11 found unconscious
Ships searching in wind-whipped waters between South Korea and Japan have picked up at least 12 of the 22 crew members from a cargo ship that sank early Wednesday. Officials said only one of them remained conscious, but they did not immediately confir…
North Korea locks down capital Pyongyang over respiratory illness
Residents told that rising cases mean they must stay home for five days and do frequent temperature checksAuthorities in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, have ordered a five-day lockdown due to rising cases of an unspecified respiratory illness, Se…
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern officially replaced as prime minister
Jacinda Ardern was officially replaced on Wednesday as New Zealand prime minister, after stunning the country by announcing her abrupt departure from the role last week.
Campaigners criticise Japan firm selling whale meat from vending machines
Kyodo Senpaku opened ‘stores’ at two locations in Tokyo after successful trialA Japanese whaling company has sparked an angry response from animal rights campaigners after it started selling whale meat from vending machines in an effort to boost consum…
Iran condemns EU, UK sanctions over protest crackdown and vows retaliation
Iran on Tuesday strongly condemned new sanctions imposed by the European Union and Britain and said it would retaliate, after the West stepped up pressure on Iran over its crackdown on protests.