Asia

    China's central bank has relaxed the rules on how much capital the country's lenders must hold in cash reserves as it seeks to maintain growth. It is the fifth such time during the last year that the People's Bank of China (PBoC) has made such a move. The measure comes amid growing concerns about weakening demand from Chinese consumers and businesses. Apple shocked Wall Street when, on Wednesday evening, it said sales in its most recent quarter would be weaker than expected. The measure is expected to free up a further £46bn and the PBoC said it hoped the move would "better satisfy the credit demands of small and micro enterprises". News of the latest relaxation of the rules gave a boost to Chinese stock markets, which also received a fillip after it was announce...

    The band was revving up the crowd at the private, beachside concert, the lead singer punctuating musical notes with pumping fists We. Are. Seventeen! unaware of the approaching danger. As he walked across the stage Saturday night, a tsunami hit the shore of Tanjung Lesung beach on the western tip of Java, Indonesia, knocking the stage out from under the band and bringing the concert to a sudden and tragic end. According to Reuters, four people connected to the band were killed: bassist M. Awal Bani Purbani, road manager Oki Wijaya, guitarist Herman Sikumbang and crew member Ujang. The band’s drummer was still missing, as was the lead singer’s wife. The private concert by pop band Seventeen was part of an end-of-year celebration for Perusahaan Listrik Negara, the c...

    At least 222 people have been killed after a tsunami likely triggered by a volcanic eruption devastated beaches around Sunda Strait in Indonesia. Another 843 other people have been injured and dozens are missing after giant waves slammed into the islands of Java and Sumatra on Saturday night. The British Embassy in Indonesia tweeted: On Sat, 22 Dec 2018 the coastline around Sunda Strait which lies btween Java & Sumatra experienced a tsunami/high-tide, with damage & casualties reported. If in the area, please follow local authorities’ advice & check our Travel Advice. Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan in the US, said the tsunami may have been caused by a partial collapse of Krakatoa. He said: Inst...

    Minutes before killing one of the most important generals in Afghanistan, the infiltrator made a final call to the Taliban. Though only a teenager, the assassin managed to get hired as an elite guard, slipping into government service with a fake ID and no background check. It put him so close to the center of power in Afghanistan that he was just paces away from Gen. Austin S. Miller, the commander of United States and NATO forces, when he suddenly raised his Kalashnikov and started firing in bursts. The attack was a nightmare scenario for American and Afghan security planners: a Taliban operation months in the making that succeeded in breaching a high-level meeting, killing a powerful Afghan general and a provincial intelligence chief, wounding an Afghan governor ...

    A Lion Air flight between Jakarta and an island off Sumatra has crashed, Indonesian search and rescue officials have said. A search and rescue effort has been launched after the passenger jet lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff on Monday morning. Debris including bags, mangled mobile phones and what appear to be pieces of aircraft have been found near where the plane is believed to have sunk, in waters 30 to 40 metres deep. The Boeing 737-800 left the Indonesian capital at 6.20am and was headed north to arrive in Pangkal Pinang, on the island of Bangka, at around 7.20am. An official from Indonesia's transport ministry has said there were 188 people on board, including crew. The crew of a tug boat nearby told authorities they saw a plane falling from the sky - r...

    At least 17 people have died after an express train derailed and flipped over on a popular coastal route in Taiwan on Sunday. The Taiwan Railways Administration confirmed 17 people had been killed and said 132 people had also been injured in the accident in northeastern Yilan county. Authorities have not confirmed if any passengers remain trapped alive inside the train. An AFP reporter at the scene said that more bodies were being brought out of the wrecked carriages. Images from the site showed the Puyuma Express train completely derailed and lying zig-zagged across the track. All of the train's eight carriages had derailed and five had flipped onto their side at Xinma station, the railways administration said. One passenger told Apple Daily Taiwan that the trai...

    A number of councils are re-thinking their recycling policies as dealing with unwanted plastic becomes more difficult. Until earlier this year, the UK sent a big chunk of its used plastic to China, where it was used to make items such as computers, toys and appliances. But the Chinese banned imports of plastic waste in January, leaving local councils searching for other options. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has told residents to recycle only plastic bottles, shampoo and bleach bottles, leaving all other plastic in regular waste bins. The council's cabinet member for regulatory services and the environment Hayley Eachus said: "There has been a drop in the market for recycling mixed plastics making it unviable for the company providing mixed plastic bring b...

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un intends to get rid of his nuclear stockpile and destroy any nuclear materials and facilities to achieve complete denuclearisation, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Friday. By complete denuclearization, he meant to start by stopping additional nuclear and missile tests, and then abolish the facilities that produce the nukes and develop the missiles, and all the existing nuclear weapons and materials, Moon said, according to a script of an interview with BBC shared with Reuters. Kim and President Trump held a summit in Singapore in June to negotiate North Korea's denuclearization. While North Korea has not tested any missiles or nuclear weapons since the summit and has returned three U.S. hostages and what the White House says...

    US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Sunday as he attempted to breathe new life into talks about dismantling that country’s nuclear program and set the stage for a summit between Kim and President Trump. Pompeo and Kim met for about two hours and then had lunch together. It’s good to see you again, Pompeo told Kim as the two men shook hands for the cameras before lunch. The Secretary of State then put his hand on Kim’s shoulder and the pair smiled. Well, I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting we can enjoy a meal together, Kim said as they walked down a hallway for lunch. As they sat for lunch, Kim said, It’s a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries. Pompeo said h...

    Typhoon Mangkhut is lashing China's most populous province, bringing winds of up to 100 mph (162 kph). Guangdong is on its highest alert for the storm, which also hit Hong Kong, where it swayed skyscrapers and blew out windows. The death toll from the Philippines meanwhile jumped from 30 to 49 - most of them killed in landslides caused by heavy rain. Mangkhut is considered the strongest storm of 2018. What's the impact in China? Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall on the Chinese coast near Jiangmen city on Sunday afternoon local time, state media reported. Thousands of people have been evacuated from Guangdong, and authorities there issued their highest warning level, a red alert. Image copyright EPA Image caption Typhoon Mangkhut brought flooding to Hong Kong Ima...