Chinese authorities plan to shut down the company founded by prominent artist and dissident Ai Weiwei. Ai’s legal consultant Liu Xiaoyuan said in a blog post Tuesday local authorities are pulling the business license of Beijing Fake Cultural Development because it did not follow annual registration requirements. The company, which markets Ai’s art, last week […]
Six Crew Arrested in Fatal Hong Kong Ferry Crash
Hong Kong police have arrested six crew from two passenger boats that collided in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, as rescuers continue searching for survivors of the accident that left at least 37 people dead. Police officials said at a news conference Tuesday the crew members are being investigated for “endangering people’s lives at sea,” but […]
Hong Kong Boat Collision Leaves 36 Dead
Rescuers continue searching Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor for survivors of a ferry boat collision that killed 36 people who were headed to watch a holiday fireworks show. The ferry, belonging to the Hong Kong Electric Company, sank within minutes of colliding with another passenger boat late Monday, leaving little time for passengers to put on […]
Report: Great Barrier Reef Has Lost Half its Coral in Three Decades
A new study has found that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest living organism, has lost more than half its coral in the past three decades. Scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science say damage from cyclones and a population explosion of predatory “crown of thorns” starfish are mostly to blame for devastating […]
Rights Group Urges Burma to Drop Charges Against Peace Activists
Human Rights Watch is urging Burma to drop charges against activists who led protests to mark the United Nations’ International Peace Day without government permission. The New York-based group said Tuesday that up to 13 activists face possible charges for organizing last month’s peaceful demonstrations, which called for an end to violence against ethnic minority […]
Two S.Korean Nuclear Reactors Shut Down Due to Malfunction
Two South Korean nuclear power reactors have been shut down following apparently unrelated malfunctions. Officials say there is no danger of a radiation leak. South Korean nuclear operators say the Shingori-1 reactor, near the city of Busan, was shut down early Tuesday following a control rod malfunction. A short time later, the number 5 reactor […]
US Slams ‘Harsh’ Sentence Against Cambodia Gov’t Critic
The United States says it is “deeply concerned” at the conviction of a prominent Cambodian land rights campaigner who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on insurrection charges. In a statement Monday, the State Department characterized the sentence against Mam Sonando as “harsh” and called on the Cambodian government to immediately release the 71-year-old. […]
Hong Kong Boat Collision Leaves 36 Dead
Emergency workers in Hong Kong say at least 36 people died after two passenger boats collided in Victoria Harbor. Authorities say the accident happened late Monday when a boat carrying passengers to see a fireworks display collided with a ferry boat and quickly sank. The vessel belonged to the Hong Kong Electric Company and was […]
N. Korean Official: US Made Korea World’s Most Dangerous Hotspot
A senior North Korean official says a hostile U.S. policy toward Pyongyang has made the Korean peninsula the world’s most dangerous hotspot. Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil Yon told the United Nations General Assembly Monday that the Koreas are just a spark away from a nuclear war, thanks to the United States. He accused the […]
Hong Kong Boat Collision Leaves 25 Dead
Emergency workers in Hong Kong say at least 25 people died after two passenger boats collided in Victoria Harbor. Authorities say the accident happened late Monday when a boat carrying passengers to see a fireworks display collided with a ferry boat and sank. They say the vessel belonged to the Hong Kong Electric Company and […]