Japan’s monarchy was once so removed from the public that in 1945, people were shocked to even hear Emperor Hirohito’s voice when he announced the country’s surrender in World War Two. His son, Emperor Akihito, has overseen the transformation of the imperial household into a friendlier, more engaged symbol of the “unity of the people”, […]
SINGAP0RE – A teenager was out on bail for drug-related offences when he bashed and robbed a woman, causing multiple facial fractures. The 53-year-old woman was so shaken by the attack last October that she had to undergo psychotherapy sessions. Her attacker, Rishi Christopher, who turned 20 last December, was sentenced on Tuesday (April 30) […]
North Korea’s leader makes an unexpected appearance, saying he wishes for another joint concert in the autumn in Seoul. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju have joined hundreds of people who watched South Korea’s K-pop stars perform in Pyongyang for the first time in more than a decade. The concert on […]
A cyclone revolves off the Queensland coast while Western Australia harbours record heat. Tropical cyclone Iris has been around for what seems like ages. Indeed she wandered up the Great Barrier Reef last week, went around Willis Island, and came back down, closer to the Australian coast. Iris has come close enough to Queensland to […]
Lashkar Gah residents started the hunger strike in a desperate call for peace between the government and the Taliban. A hunger strike that called for peace in Afghanistan’s southern province has ended after the country’s Council of Religious Scholars, known as the Ulema Council, vowed to help reach a deal between the government and Taliban. The […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s president on Tuesday called for the “immediate” lifting of a temporary ban on several social media networks, a clampdown that had been intended to prevent the spread of misinformation after devastating suicide bombings on Easter. The restrictions, which were put into place quickly after attacks at three churches and […]
KUALA LUMPUR – International Labour Day on Wednesday (May 1) will not be a day of rest for Malaysian Cabinet ministers, with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad giving each of them the task of preparing a paper on issues related to their respective ministries. The ministries will take turns making presentations Dr Mahathir from 2pm for […]
Japan will officially begin a new era on 1 May when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne as the new emperor. His father, Emperor Akihito, will be the first Japanese ruler in more than 200 years to abdicate, bringing the current Heisei imperial era to an end on 30 April. The incoming emperor […]
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan’s incoming emperor Crown Prince Naruhito faces the delicate task of balancing tradition within the world’s oldest monarchy and his own modern values, including protecting his family from the palace’s rigid rules. The 59-year-old heir has not been shy about criticising the sometimes stifling lifestyle imposed on royals, particularly as his wife […]
GENEVA (Reuters) – Iran will continue to export oil despite U.S. pressure aimed at reducing the nation’s crude oil shipments to zero, Iran President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on Iranian state TV on Tuesday. “America’s decision that Iran’s oil exports must reach zero is a wrong and mistaken decision, and we […]