Eastern Asia

Australia-China relations in freefall as Beijing hikes wine tariffs

China says its move comes in response to "substantive harm caused to the relevant domestic wine industry" while Australia expresses disappointment over new tariffs on its wine.

South Korean chat room operator sentenced to 40 years in jail for blackmail

Cho Ju-bin, 24, was found guilty of running an online network that blackmailed at least 74 women, including 16 teenagers, into what authorities called "virtual enslavement" by forcing them to send increasingly degrading sexual imagery of themselves.

South Korea slaps Facebook with fine for sharing user info without consent

The country's agency for protecting personal information found that the personal information of least 3.3M of the 18M Facebook users in South Korea were provided to operators other than Facebook without their knowledge.

China accuses India of 'violating market principles' in banning apps

Beijing lashed out at India after it banned another tranche of Chinese apps for national security reasons, the latest sore point between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

South Korean hiker turns trash into art with inspiring messages

A South Korean hiker formed a group dedicated to picking up trash from mountain parks and turning the collection into art.

China launches probe to bring back lunar material

It has been four decades since lunar samples were retrieved to Earth in the 1970s to help scientists learn about the moon's origins, formation and volcanic activity on its surface.

Joshua Wong pleads guilty at Hong Kong protest trial

Wong and two other activists were taken into custody after the hearing. Wong was not a leading figure in last year’s anti-China protests but has drawn the wrath of Beijing, which sees his activism as a “black hand” of foreign forces.

Several dead as truck ploughs into funeral procession in China

At least 9 people killed in accident in Henan province’s Huabin county. Authorities investigating why truck failed to avoid the procession.

China's Xi: international effort needed for global economic recovery

In his statement ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stronger policy coordination among international communities and said globalisation is "irreversible".

Hong Kong police arrest three ex-lawmakers over May, June protests

Posts on the Facebook accounts of Ted Hui, Eddie Chu and Ray Chan say they have been arrested in relation to the incidents in the legislature's main chamber. The trio separately disrupted legislative meetings on two occasions.

China seeks CEPC's safety as Pakistan shares 'proof' India funding terror

"China opposes all forms of terrorism ... we believe that Pakistan will continue to take effective measures to ensure CPEC's security," China's Foreign Ministry says as Pakistan shares evidence of India's purported role in terrorism with P5 envoys.

How Japan achieved a 40-year economic high amid the pandemic

Japan has made a major economic recovery in the third quarter, thanks to the stimulus package it recently announced to promote private consumption.