~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (251)

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar takes the throne at a time when royal intervention has been increasingly needed to deal with political instabilityMalaysia has sworn in an outspoken motorcycle-riding king in what’s believed to be the world’s only rotating system of monarchy.Nine ethnic Malay state rulers have taken turns as king for five-year terms since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. Continue reading...

Taro Aso, vice-president of ruling LDP, said Yoko Kamikawa ‘not that good looking’, got her name wrong, used ageist jibe and mixed up her place in historyA Japanese former prime minister and vice-president of the ruling Liberal Democratic party has been accused of sexism after making insulting comments about the foreign minister’s appearance and age.“She’s not that good looking,” Taro Aso, who has a...

Country may be the first to do so, amid increasing concerns about the health and environmental risks posed by the virtually indestructible chemicalsNew Zealand is banning so-called “forever chemicals” in cosmetics from 2026, in what could be the first example of a country doing so.The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) said it has banned the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetics to...

Statement signed by former foreign ministers, a Nobel laureate and academics outlines anxieties about possibility of conflict in Indo-Pacific regionBob Carr and Gareth Evans: China and the US must agree to peaceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralia must step up diplomatic efforts to “avert the horror of great power...

North Korea’s leader has increased his displays of military aggression but analysts are split on whether it’s a sign of electoral interference or a war footing When a highly militarised dictatorship fires artillery shells in the direction of its neighbour, which it has just denounced as its “greatest enemy”, then tests cruise missiles and underwater nuclear attack drones, it is reasonable to believe that...

Ferdinand Marcos Jr hits back with fentanyl insult amid breakdown in relations between political familiesThe former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte accused his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, of being a drug addict who risked being ousted from office in an expletive-laden tirade that underlined the breakdown in relations between the two powerful political families.Duterte’s speech on Sunday, in which he claimed Marcos Jr’s allies were...

Nathy Odinson, 33, had parachute problem after climbing up building in Pattaya and jumping offA British Base jumper has died after his parachute failed to open during a stunt in Thailand.Nathy Odinson, 33, from Cambridgeshire, who had performed skydives and Base jumps around the world, is said to have illegally climbed up a 29-storey building in the coastal resort of Pattaya and jumped off...

First two episodes inaccessible to viewers in city, with some attributing censorship to umbrella protest scenesAmazon’s big-ticket series Expats, set and filmed in Hong Kong, is not available for viewing in the city despite being billed as a worldwide release.The first two episodes of the drama, starring Nicole Kidman and directed by The Farewell’s Lulu Wang, were released on Friday but listed as “currently...

Justin Tkachenko says they are in ‘early stages of negotiation’ with Beijing on its offer to assist with police and security Papua New Guinea is in early talks with China on a potential security and policing deal, the country’s foreign minister Justin Tkachenko has told the Reuters news agency, weeks after deadly riots in the country’s capital.Amid jostling between Washington and Beijing for influence...

Judge says ‘enough is enough’ after developer, which has $300bn in debt, fails to provide convincing restructuring plan Embattled Chinese development company, Evergrande, has been ordered to liquidate by a Hong Kong court after an 18-month long hearing.Evergrande, which holds the ignominious title of the world’s most indebted property developer with about $300bn in liabilities, failed to convince the court that it had a...

Moon probe starts taking pictures of lunar surface after bumpy landing left its solar cells pointing in the wrong directionJapan’s Moon lander has resumed operations, the country’s space agency said on Monday, indicating that power had been restored after it was left upside down during a slightly haphazard landing.The probe, nicknamed the “moon sniper”, had tumbled down a crater slope during its landing on...

Legislation will further erode differences between legal systems of Hong Kong and mainlandA new law giving Chinese courts the authority to enforce rulings in commercial disputes in Hong Kong comes into effect on Monday, further reducing the barriers between the Hong Kong and Chinese legal systems.The law puts into effect an agreement signed between China’s supreme people’s court and the government of Hong Kong...

South Korean military says it is analysing the launch along with US intelligence authoritiesNorth Korea has fired multiple cruise missiles off an eastern military port, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff have said.The missiles were launched about 8am (2300 GMT Saturday) and were being analysed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities, South Korea said, without specifying how many missiles were fired. Continue reading...

The results fuel concern that the micronation could switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing, as votes continue to be countedThe pro-Taiwan leader of the Pacific islands nation of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, has lost his seat according to partial election results.The vote is being closely watched by Taiwan, China and the United States, amid speculation the micronation could be poised to switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing....

Sawangjit Kosoognern charged with illegal possession after video showing animal being driven around Pattaya gains 2.6m viewsA Thai woman has been charged with illegal possession of a lion cub, police said on Friday, after a video of the animal cruising in a Bentley went viral online.The police ordered an investigation after a video showing a lion cub riding around the raucous Thai resort town...

One candidate has said he wants to review the Pacific country’s relationships with Taiwan and China, just weeks after Nauru switched allegiances to BeijingTuvalu election explainedVoting has started in the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, in a national election that could reverberate from China to Australia, amid a tussle for influence in the region.With just over 11,500 people spread across nine islands, Tuvalu...

Opposition leader speaks of ‘political terrorism’ amid calls for full investigation into attack on Bae Hyun-jin, who is close confidante of the presidentA South Korean governing party lawmaker was treated for lacerations at a Seoul hospital after being attacked by an unidentified man who repeatedly struck her in the head with what appeared to be a rock.A police official in Seoul’s Apgujeong district said...

Japan media reported Shinji Aoba held a grudge against the studio when he doused the entrance in petrol and set it ablaze in 2019A court in Japan has sentenced to death a man convicted of murdering 36 people in an arson attack on an animation studio in 2019.The attack on Kyoto Animation, better known as KyoAni, sent shock waves through Japan, where violent crime...

Women will take part in the hadaka matsuri in Inazawa, in which thousands of men dressed in next to nothing drive away evil spiritsWomen in Japan have been permitted to take part in an ancient ceremony, known as the naked festival, for the first time in the event’s history, albeit with modifications.Every February, thousands of men dressed in next to nothing take part in...

Biggest reduction since December 2021 will allow 1tn more yuan to be released in form of new loansChina’s central bank has announced a surprise cut to the amount of cash that banks must hold in reserve, hoping to boost the lending available to households and businesses as policymakers try to steer the economy through a fragile recovery.Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People’s Bank...

Pita Limjaroenrat’s party was blocked from taking power last year after complaints led to his suspensionThailand’s constitutional court has ruled that a pro-reform opposition figure whose party was blocked from taking power last year did not violate election law and can be reinstated as an MP.The court rejected a complaint brought against Pita Limjaroenrat by conservative politicians that he had violated election law by...

The Arch of Reunification – built in 2000 after a landmark inter-Korean summit – has disappeared from satellite imageryNorth Korea has demolished a monument that symbolised hope for reconciliation with the South, days after the regime’s leader, Kim Jong-un, said the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas was no longer possible.In the latest sign of rising tensions on the peninsula, the Arch of Reunification...

Authorities warn of potentially widespread damage after the 7.0-magnitude quake, with tremors felt in neighbouring countriesA 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck along the China-Kyrgyzstan border, as authorities warned of potentially widespread damage.The China Earthquake Networks Center said the quake hit Wushu county in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2am local time, according to the state-run Xinhua press agency and about 200 rescuers were dispatched to the...

Exclusive: Leader of successful class action says government should ‘step in to overturn the convictions’, amid calls for a formal apologyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Indonesian fisher who led the challenge against Australia’s unlawful detention of hundreds of children found on people-smuggling boats has urged the government to...