The use of blockchain in financial services could pose a risk to competition, a senior official at the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.
South Koreans rush to recreate leaders Kim and Moon’s peace handshake at run-down film set
When a smiling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the border of their countries during a summit last month, images of the historic moment grabbed the world’s attention.
It was the first time a North Korean leader had set foot in the South since the 1950-1953 Korean war. Moon and Kim said they would work to denuclearise the Korean peninsula and seek a peace agreement to replace the 1953 armistice.
Since that April 27 encounter,…
‘Militant’ inmates kill five police in prison where Jakarta’s ex-governor is held for blasphemy
Five Indonesian police officers and a prisoner were killed in clashes at a high security jail that saw Islamist inmates take an officer hostage, authorities said Wednesday, with negotiations underway to secure his release.
The deadly riot broke out late Tuesday at the facility inside the Mobile Police Brigade headquarters in Depok on the outskirts of Jakarta.
It comes several days after the arrest of three terror suspects accused of plotting to attack the police headquarters and other…
Vietnam asks China to withdraw military equipment from South China Sea
Vietnam requested on Tuesday that China withdraw military equipment from the South China Sea, following media reports this month that China had installed missiles there.
“Vietnam requests that China, as a large country, shows its responsibility in maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea,” Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement, referring to the South China Sea.
China ‘installs cruise missiles on South China Sea outposts’
The…
UK manufacturers call for government action on boosting productivity
The UK government must “immediately” establish the new Industrial Strategy Council, a manufacturing trade body has said.
President Widodo’s only possible challenger in Indonesia’s next election may not even be able to run
Indonesian President Joko Widodo may find himself without a challenger in the next election.
While Prabowo Subianto – leader of the main opposition party and runner up in the 2014 election – has accepted his party’s endorsement, it’s uncertain if he can assemble a viable coalition to be nominated by an August deadline. Widodo is leading in opinion polls and wooing the former general, who’s seen as his only real competition.
The lack of a credible contender in next…
Strong smelling animal repellent leaves dozens of Kyoto temple visitors in pain
A strong chemical smell that prompted more than 20 visitors to complain of throat pain at a popular Kyoto temple last week may have been caused by an animal repellent spray used nearby, the city government said Monday.
A city contractor used the spray containing capsaicin, found in chilli peppers, near Nanzenji temple around the time the visitors complained of throat and other pain Wednesday morning, according to local authorities.
Police are investigating the incident as a possible case of…
Philippines, US hold biggest joint military drills seen during Duterte’s rule but swear they’re not aimed at China
US and Philippine forces have begun their largest annual military exercises under President Rodrigo Duterte, who wanted to scale down America’s military presence and involvement in combat drills as he sought closer ties with China and Russia.
The Balikatan exercises opened on Monday and were to involve combat drills in mock urban settings to train special forces in battling terrorists in cities following an Islamic State-linked siege on southern Marawi city last year.
After rising to…
North Korea warns US: don’t mistake our good mood for ‘weakness’ ahead of talks
North Korea warned the United States on Sunday not to misread peace overtures as a sign of weakness, accusing the Trump administration of deliberately provoking Pyongyang with tough talk and a show of military strength.
“It would not be conducive to addressing the issue if the US miscalculates the peace-loving intention of the DPRK [North Korea] as a sign of ‘weakness’ and continues to pursue its pressure and military threats,” a spokesman for the North Korean foreign…
Rusty people-smuggling ship carrying 127 Sri Lankans busted on route to Australia, New Zealand
Malaysia has arrested more than a dozen members of an alleged people smuggling syndicate after intercepting a ship carrying 127 Sri Lankan migrants believed to be bound for Australia and New Zealand, authorities said.
Maritime authorities on Tuesday halted a modified tanker named “Etra” in Malaysian territorial waters off southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said.
Nearly 100 Sri Lankan men, 24 women and nine children were aboard the ship, which was making…