Asia News from WN Network

Australian war crimes whistleblower David McBride jailed for six years 2024-05-14
Al Jazeera

Former Australian Army lawyer David McBride has been sentenced to five years and eight months for revealing information about alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. Supporters of McBride have long expressed his concern that the Australian government was more interested in punishing him for...

photo: AP / Rod McGuirk

Lawrence Wong set to take centre stage as Singapore’s new prime minister 2024-05-14
Al Jazeera

Singapore – For the first time in 20 years, Singapore will inaugurate a new prime minister, Minister for Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who will take the reins of power in a ceremony on Wednesday, May 15. The 51-year-old will replace Lee Hsien Loong – the eldest son of the...

photo: AP / Sonny Tumbelaka/Pool Photo

Asia stocks touch 15-month top, wary of US inflation 2024-05-13
Bahrain News Agency

Sydney, May 13 (BNA): Asian shares eked out a 15-month high on Monday in a week when inflation figures could either support or undermine expectations for earlier U.S. rate cuts, while Chinese activity data will test optimism about a sustained recovery in the world's No. 2 economy. Beijing has...

photo: AP / Eugene Hoshiko

Voting resumes with India-occupied Kashmir poised to oppose Modi 2024-05-13
Dawn

India’s six-week election resumed on Monday including in India-occupied Kashmir (IoK), where voters are expected to show their discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cancellation of the disputed territory’s semi-autonomy and the security crackdown that followed. Modi remains popular across...

photo: AP / Manish Swarup

Indonesia flood death toll rises to 41 with 17 missing 2024-05-13
Gulf-Times

The number of people killed by flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in western Indonesia over the weekend has risen to 41 with 17 more missing, a local disaster agency official told AFP Monday.Hours of heavy rain caused large volcanic rocks to roll down one of Indonesia's most active...

photo: AP / Ali Nayaka

Can Pakistan’s Imran Khan and army patch up, a year after violent clashes? 2024-05-13
Al Jazeera

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir was blunt. Addressing army officials during his visit to Lahore Garrison on May 9, Munir said, “There can be no compromise or deal with the planners and architects of this dark chapter in our history.” Munir was referring to the events of...

photo: AP / K.M. Chaudary

Devastating Afghanistan flash floods death toll climbs to 315 2024-05-12
Daily Sabah

At least 315 people have now been confirmed killed and 1,600 others wounded in northern Afghanistan flash floods caused by heavy rains, according to local authorities Sunday. Thou ......

photo: AP

Air Vanuatu goes into liquidation, thousands of passengers stranded 2024-05-10
Al Jazeera

Air Vanuatu, the national carrier of the Pacific Islands nation of Vanuatu, has gone into liquidation a day after it cancelled all flights leaving thousands of travellers stranded. More than 20 flights to and from the Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane, as well as the New Zealand city of...

photo: Creative Commons / Aki Kuwahara

Over a third of urban Chinese live in sinking cities 2024-05-10
Asiatimes

Across the world, many cities are slowly sinking. Most are on the coast, including tropical megacities like Jakarta in Indonesia or Manila in the Philippines, or places like New Orleans, Vancouver or much of the Netherlands. Other sinking cities, like Mexico City and many of those in China, can be...

photo: AP / Ng Han Guan

‘The next decade belongs to India’: Meet the winners of rising power’s economic boom 2024-05-10
CNN

As Indians head to the polls in a massive ongoing nationwide election, much attention has focused on the country’s explosive growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. During his past decade in office, India’s fast-growing economy has become the world’s fifth largest as the country woos...

photo: AP / Mahesh Kumar A. File