CNN – Asia/Pacific

By Yoonjung Seo, Junko Ogura and Brad Lendon, CNN North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the waters off its east coast on Sunday, the latest in what has been a record year for test launches by the Kim Jong Un regime. The launches, reported by both South Korean and Japanese authorities, marked the 35th

By Brad Lendon, CNN It was one of the heaviest bombardments in history. A shock-and-awe campaign of overwhelming air power aimed at bombing into submission a determined opponent that, despite being vastly outgunned, had withstood everything the world’s most formidable war machine could throw at it. Operation Linebacker II saw more than 200 American B-52

By Eric Cheung, CNN Taiwan has noticed a hole in its defense plans that is steadily getting bigger. And it’s not one easily plugged by boosting the budget or buying more weapons. The island democracy of 23.5 million is facing an increasing challenge in recruiting enough young men to meet its military targets and its

Story by Reuters and CNN The number of people killed in a landslide Friday near the Malaysian capital has risen to 23, while 10 people are still missing, Malaysia’s state media agency Bernama reported Saturday. The authorities have identified six bodies so far, Bernama reported, citing Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency. The landslide in Batang

CNN By Paula Hancocks, Yoonjung Seo and David Hawley, CNN “She’s smiling, look at her smile, her face.” Oh Il-seok looks lovingly at a photograph of his daughter taken in the last hours of her life. As he takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes, his wife whispers, “Ji-min is my friend, she is

By Brad Lendon, Wayne Chang, Emiko Jozuka and Junko Ogura, CNN Japan on Friday unveiled a new national security plan that signals the country’s biggest military buildup since World War II, doubling defense spending and veering from its pacifist constitution in the face of growing threats from regional rivals. In an early evening televised address

By Paula Hancocks, Yoonjung Seo and David Hawley, CNN “She’s smiling, look at her smile, her face.” Oh Il-seok looks lovingly at a photograph of his daughter taken in the last hours of her life. As he takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes, his wife whispers, “Ji-min is my friend, she is my

By Brad Lendon, CNN North Korea on Friday said it has successfully tested a solid-fueled rocket motor, a development that could lead to Kim Jong Un’s regime being able to more quickly and reliably fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the future. The new high-thrust rocket motor was tested at a satellite launching ground

By Kocha Olarn, CNN Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha is in a stable condition after she was hospitalized due to a heart problem, the Thai royal palace said in a statement on Thursday. The statement said the princess, 44, lost consciousness early Wednesday in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, where she was treated at a local hospital. She

By Kathleen Magramo and Kathleen Benoza, CNN Police in Japan’s capital are urging people to moderate their alcohol consumption this holiday season following an increase in deaths of drinkers hit by vehicles after falling asleep on the street. As of November 25, 10 people had been killed in such accidents this year, Tokyo police said

By Jessie Yeung and Celina Tebor, CNN A Chinese student appeared in a federal court in the United States on Wednesday, charged with one count of stalking after allegedly threatening and harassing someone who advocated for democracy in China, US authorities said. Xiaolei Wu, 25, a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston,

By Brad Lendon, CNN The US military activated its first Space Force command on foreign soil on Wednesday in South Korea, with the unit’s new commander saying he is ready to face any threat in the region. The creation of the US Space Forces Korea gives the newest branch of the US military its first

By Jessie Yeung, CNN Video of what appears to be a previously unreported violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops at their disputed Himalayan border has emerged online, offering a rare window into the long-simmering territorial tensions between the two Asian powers. The video, according to a serving Indian military officer with knowledge of the

CNN By Nectar Gan and Cheng Cheng, CNN China’s abrupt and under-prepared exit from zero-Covid could lead to nearly 1 million deaths, according to a new study, as the country braces for an unprecedented wave of infections spreading out from its biggest cities to its vast rural areas. For nearly three years, the Chinese government

By Simone McCarthy, Selina Wang, Cheng Cheng and Wayne Chang, CNN Empty streets, deserted shopping centers, and residents staying away from one another are the new normal in Beijing — but not because the city, like many Chinese ones before it, is under a “zero-Covid” lockdown. This time, it’s because Beijing has been hit with

By Wayne Chang and Jessie Yeung, CNN China has sent a record 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bomber aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense zone, the island’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as Beijing continues to step-up pressure on the self-ruled island. The 18 bombers were part of 21 total Chinese warplanes sent into Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification