Asia Pacific / Social Issues Dec 13, 2019
Sold to China as a trafficked Christian bride, she came back to Pakistan home on brink of death
Sold by her family as a bride to a Chinese man, Samiya David spent only two months in China. When she returned to Pakistan, the once robust woman was nearly unrecognizable: malnourished, too weak to walk, her speech confused and disjointed. "Don't ask me about ...
Asia Pacific Dec 12, 2019
North Korea says U.S. criticism has helped it make decision on stalled nuclear talks
by Jesse Johnson
North Korea took aim at the United States on Thursday for convening a U.N. Security Council meeting, saying the "provocative act" had helped it decide which path to take in deadlocked nuclear talks. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced a year-end deadline in April ...
Commentary / World Dec 12, 2019
Can old ideas in a new package deter China?
by Hal Brands
A fresh doctrine — "pluralism" — aims to help allies and friends balance Beijing in the Indo-Pacific.
Business Dec 12, 2019
Huawei wins contract to develop German 5G network, subject to approval from Berlin
Chinese telecom giant Huawei won a contract Wednesday to supply 5G infrastructure in Germany, but the politically sensitive deal remains subject to government approval following U.S. concerns about snooping. Telefonica Germany, the second biggest operator after Deutsche Telekom, said it was giving Huawei and Finland's ...
Asia Pacific Dec 12, 2019
China aims to double water transfers from wet south to arid north
China aims to double the amount of water it transfers from the flood-prone south to arid northern regions, officials said Thursday, as the government prepares to launch the second phase of its controversial cross-country water diversion program. The South-North Water Diversion Project was first proposed ...
Business / Tech Dec 12, 2019
China's bitcoin miners scoop up two-thirds of crypto-network's processing power
China's bitcoin miners now control two-thirds of the crypto-network's processing power, research showed on Wednesday, a growing share that is likely to benefit the country's miners. Miners in China control 66 percent of the global "hashrate," a measure of the power of computers hooked up ...
World / Science & Health Dec 12, 2019
Greta Thunberg slams 'misleading' climate pledges at chaotic U.N. summit
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg accused rich countries of "misleading" people over climate action at U.N. talks in Madrid on Wednesday hours before a veteran leader of the global environmental movement with whom she shared the podium was locked out of the conference. The U.N. climate ...
Asia Pacific / Politics Dec 11, 2019
Chinese officials lashed out at the U.S. on Wednesday over recent legislation passed by Congress criticizing Beijing for its policies in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang region in western China, as well as ongoing trade disputes. They marked the latest salvos in an ongoing campaign ...
Business / Economy Dec 11, 2019
Confidence at big Japanese firms at three-year low, hit by China slowdown and tax hike
The confidence index covering firms capitalized at ¥1 billion or more stood at minus 6.2 in the fourth quarter of 2019, sharply down from 1.1 in the previous quarter.
Business Dec 11, 2019
ADB downgrades 2019 and 2020 growth forecast for developing Asian nations
The Asian Development Bank expects slower growth than expected for developing nations on the continent this year and next, it said in a report Wednesday, citing weakening domestic investment due to external factors such as the U.S.-China trade war for its 5.2 percent expansion ...
Asia Pacific Dec 11, 2019
China imprisoned more journalists than any other country this year, report says
China imprisoned at least 48 journalists in 2019, more than any other country, displacing Turkey as the most oppressive place for the profession, a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists report said on Wednesday. At least 250 journalists were imprisoned worldwide this year, according ...