News archive for ‘Asia’

Yeddyurappa gives up brinkmanship, but devises a new game plan

Yeddyurappa gives up brinkmanship, but devises a new game plan

On the 70th birthday of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, ShivarudraSwamy of Beli Mutt pointed out the most glaring weaknesses of the former chief minister: lack of patience and manipulative skills of a Chanakya needed for a politician. But Yeddyurappa seems to be making amends, though a bit too late in his political career, as was evident on Monday when he changed his game plan to [...]

Day care centers’strike enters 2nd day in S. Korea

Day care centers’strike enters 2nd day in S. Korea

A nationwide strike launched by private day care centers in South Korea entered a second day on Tuesday, but the impact of the collective action turned out to be limited despite widespread worries among working parents. Last week, the association of private nurseries, which represents about 15,000 daily care centers in the country, called a [...]

Hong Kong’s amorous pandas get a little privacy

Hong Kong’s amorous pandas get a little privacy

Hong Kong’s pandas Le Le and Ying Ying have been given some privacy away from the prying eyes of tourists this week in a bid to encourage them to mate, their handlers said Tuesday. Ocean Park aquarium and animal theme park closed its panda exhibit for three days from Monday after Ying Ying started showing signs that she was [...]

Myanmar relaxes grip on media, vows end to censors

Myanmar relaxes grip on media, vows end to censors

It was a newspaper article that just months ago, Myanmar’s draconian state censors never would have approved. It told how prison authorities crudely attempted to cure a scabies outbreak by wiping down naked inmates with medicine-laden brooms — a demeaning act that revealed the poverty of the nation’s prisons and the decrepit state of its [...]

One year on, ‘ghosts’ stalk Japan’s tsunami city

One year on, ‘ghosts’ stalk Japan’s tsunami city

A year after whole neighbourhoods full of people were killed by the Japanese tsunami, rumours of ghosts swirl in Ishinomaki as the city struggles to come to terms with the awful tragedy. One reconstruction project appears stalled because of fears the undead spirits of those who perished last March will bring bad luck. “I heard people working [...]

Fossils show huge penguin once roamed New Zealand

Fossils show huge penguin once roamed New Zealand

Fossilised remains of one of the largest penguins ever, an “elegant” giant standing 1.3 metres (52 inches) tall, have been found in New Zealand, scientists said Tuesday. The penguin lived 27-24 million years ago, when New Zealand was mostly underwater and consisted of isolated, rocky outcrops that offered protection from predators and plentiful food supplies, researchers said. The first traces [...]

Australian PM mulls cabinet reshuffle

Australian PM mulls cabinet reshuffle

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday refused to rule out punishing ministers who failed to back her in a bitter leadership ballot with Kevin Rudd as she mulls a cabinet reshuffle. Gillard retained office on Monday by crushing rival Rudd 71-31 in a secret vote of Labor parliamentarians after the former leader challenged her as head of the [...]

Microsoft India retail site hit by ‘cyber attack’

Microsoft India retail site hit by ‘cyber attack’

Microsoft said on Monday it was investigating an attack by hackers on its Indian retail website, reportedly carried out by a Chinese group called the “Evil Shadow Team.” The team struck at www.microsoftstore.co.in late Sunday, stealing login IDs and passwords of people who had used the website for buying Microsoft products, the Times of India newspaper [...]

Indian gov’t says row over Army Chief’s age over

Indian gov’t says row over Army Chief’s age over

The Indian government said Monday the “unfortunate controversy” over Army Chief General V.K. Singh’s age is now over, after the country’s Supreme Court disposed off his case. “I am very happy that this very unfortunate controversy is over. The judgement of the Supreme Court has come. I request my colleagues to please close this chapter [...]

Pakistani Prime Minister charged with contempt

Pakistani Prime Minister charged with contempt

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday formally indicted Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani for contempt over his failure to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, Gilani’s defence lawyer said. Head of the seven-member bench of the apex court, Justice Nasir- ul-Mulk read out the charge sheet in the presence of Gilani in the packed [...]