Archive for October, 2019

Fire engulfs World Heritage Japanese castle in Okinawa
A fire ripped through a historic Japanese castle on the southern island of Okinawa early on Thursday morning, spreading throughout the World Heritage site’s complex, [...] » More

Philippines’ 6.5 earthquake kills at least five
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake rocked southern Philippines still reeling from two strong tremors this month, killing at least five people and causing previously damaged buildings [...] » More
Business Briefs 31 October 2019
* Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) and PetroVietnam Gas Joint Stock Corporation (GAS) started work on October 28 on Thi Vai LNG receiving terminal in Ba Ria-Vung Tau [...] » More

Nintendo moves closer to China Switch launch after nod for first game sale
China granted approval for Nintendo Co <7974.T> to sell its first Switch console game in the country, a regulator announced, drawing closer the official launch of the [...] » More
Korea compares Japan’s ‘rising sun’ flag to swastika as Olympic row deepens
MPs voice outcry as Tokyo 2020 organisers say they have no plans to restrict use of flag that Seoul says has militaristic roots South Korea is intensifying its campaign to [...] » More

Greater Jakarta prepares for rainy season
As downpours start hitting Greater Jakarta after a prolonged dry season, regional administrations and officials in the capital and neighbouring cities are scrambling to [...] » More
University shuts down student forum on Jokowi administration, claims permit not issued
A student discussion scrutinising President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration at Udayana University in Bali has been dispersed by the campus’ [...] » More
A year on from Lion Air crash, Indonesians pray, scatter petals for victims
One year after a Lion Air plane crash that killed 189, relatives and friends of victims held prayer vigils and cast flower petals into the Java Sea at the site where the [...] » More

China’s Xi renews commitment to HK amid protests
Chinese Communist Party leader and President Xi Jinping on Monday renewed his government’s commitment to allowing Hong Kong to manage its own affairs amid continuing [...] » More
Asian markets mostly down as focus turns to Fed meeting
Asian markets slipped Wednesday as traders play a wait-and-see game ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision, with expectations of another interest rate [...] » More
Beijing censures HK activist Joshua Wong for being pro-independence despite his denials and state media accuses him of receiving aid from the United States
Beijing authorities and state-owned media have censured pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, accusing him of being a pro-independence radical taking financial aid [...] » More
HK’s reluctant police officer: ‘It’s not for us to deliver punishment’
One Hong Kong police officer says the force has become ‘a tool of authorities for stability maintenance’. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Larry Yeung* [...] » More
Some HK protesters are adopting the Joker as their own. Others are horrified
Halloween is just days awayand with “Joker” smashing box-office records, it seems inevitable that throngs of film fans will dress as killer clowns for the [...] » More
Standard Chartered third-quarter profit beats estimates, warns on ‘challenging’ global headwinds
Standard Chartered, one of three lenders authorised to issue currency in Hong Kong, surprised the market with a third-quarter profit that topped estimates, as strong growth [...] » More

Decision to ban HK pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong from district council elections may face challenge in court
The banning of Joshua Wong Chi-fung from the coming district council elections may have put an end to the exchange of words between the young activist and two electoral [...] » More