Church official says he was upset to hear suspect told police his anger towards church led to attack on former Japanese PMThe Unification Church, whose close ties with Japan’s governing party have emerged after the assassination of former prime ministe…
‘Fat Leonard’, fugitive contractor in US navy’s worst corruption scandal, arrested in Venezuela
Malaysian defence contractor fled before sentencing in US over bribery scheme that lasted more than a decade and involved dozens of US navy officersA Malaysian defence contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated one of the largest bribery scand…
Hong Kong journalist charged days before leaving for Oxford fellowship
Ronson Chan was due to travel to the UK when he was arrested for ‘obstructing police’The head of Hong Kong’s journalist union was charged with obstructing police on Monday, 10 days before he was set to leave the city and begin an overseas fellowship at…
Chengdu, Chinese city of 21m, has Covid lockdown extended indefinitely
No date given for end of extended lockdown in city that is a crucial supplier of Apple productsChengdu, the capital of the south-western Chinese province of Sichuan, has extended the coronavirus lockdown of most of its districts indefinitely as it hope…
US warships sail through Taiwan Strait for first time since Pelosi visit
China’s military says it is monitoring the US ships, maintaining a high alert and ready to defeat any provocationsThe US Navy said two warships were sailing through international waters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, in the first such operation since …
US returns to Cambodia dozens of antiquities looted from historic sites
Some of the artefacts, which range from the bronze age to the 12th century, were stolen from ancient Khmer capital Koh KerThe United States will return to Cambodia 30 looted antiquities, including bronze and stone statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities …
Taiwan crisis: China imposes sanctions on Pelosi over ‘provocative actions’
Beijing also targets relatives of US House speaker as major military activity continues around Taiwan Taiwan crisis – liveChina’s government has announced sanctions against the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, for “vicious and provocative actions” in go…
Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan: calls for calm in Asia as US-China tensions rise
South Korea calls for dialogue and Japan conveys concerns over drills, while North Korea praises ChinaThe historic visit to Taiwan of the US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has provoked a furious response from China, and heightened fear…
FBI and MI5 leaders give unprecedented joint warning on Chinese spying
Christopher Wray joins Ken McCallum in London, calling Beijing the ‘biggest long-term threat to economic security’The head of the FBI and the leader of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency have delivered an unprecedented joint address raising fresh a…
‘China’s Taiwan’: Beijing’s defence minister rails against ‘smearing and interfering’ US
Wei Fenghe says ties are at critical juncture and puts onus on United States to improve bilateral relationshipChina will “fight to the very end” to stop Taiwan from declaring independence, the country’s defence minister has vowed in a speech amid his c…
US warns of ‘stark’ stakes in Taiwan Strait if status quo unilaterally altered
Defence secretary says US does not support Taiwan independence, which China says would prompt it to take island backThe US has warned of “especially stark” stakes in the Taiwan Strait if the status quo is unilaterally altered, as China reiterated its r…
Samoa signs China bilateral agreement during Pacific push by Beijing
Scant details released apart from promises of infrastructure support, amid western concerns that China is seeking to expand its security presence in regionSamoa signed a bilateral agreement with China on Saturday, promising “greater collaboration”, as …
Timor-Leste hit by 6.4-magnitude earthquake that was felt in Darwin
Quake struck to east of Timor-Leste, with residents in Northern Territory capital reporting strong shakingAustralian election 2022 results: live votes tracker and federal seat countsGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingAn earthquake wit…
Indonesia’s palm oil export ban sparks concern over global food prices
Expert says every country will suffer as world’s biggest palm oil producer bans exports of commodity used in food, cosmetics and cleaning productsThe price of edible oils such as soyoil, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil is expected to rise after Indonesi…
North Korea suspected missile fails after launch, says South Korea
North Korea recently conducted its ninth weapons test of 2022 but the latest appears to have misfiredNorth Korea fired an “unknown projectile” on Wednesday that appeared to fail immediately after launch, South Korea’s military said after Japanese media…