Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Members of China’s paramilitary People’s Armed Police marched and practiced crowd control tactics at a sports complex in Shenzhen across from Hong Kong in what some interpreted as a threat against pro-democracy protesters in the semi-autonomous territory.

The sound of marching boots and synchronized shouts echoed from the grounds on Friday. Officers in green camouflage stood guard at closed entrances. A stadium security guard said “it wasn’t clear” when the paramilitary police would leave the grounds.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Saturday said leader Kim Jong Un supervised another test-firing of an unspecified new weapon, seen as an attempt to pressure Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear negotiations and their joint military exercises.

BISKHEK, August 16. /TASS/: The Bishkek City Court has ruled to keep Kyrgyzstan’s former President Almazbek Atambayev in custody, a TASS correspondent reported from the office of the country’s State National Security Committee where a court hearing had been held.

Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court earlier put Atambayev in custody until August 26.

"The Bishkek City Court has violated a number of legislative acts by making this decision, including those concerning guarantees for the ex-president," Atambayev’s lawyer Sergei Slesarev said.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is planning a stimulus package worth $10 billion that will include support for farmers and tourism, its finance minister said on Friday, in a move to shore up a flagging economy.

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy expanded 2.8% in the first quarter, the weakest annual pace in more than four years, as exports - a key growth driver - have declined amid rising trade tensions and a strong baht THB=TH.

16 August 2019; DW: President Joko Widodo has asked parliament to sign off on a plan to move the nation's capital to Borneo island. Jakarta is one of the world's fastest sinking cities; a third of its land could be submerged by 2050.

Indonesia's president on Friday vowed to press on with plans to relocate the nation's capital from Jakarta as the city sinks by up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) a year. 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said North Korea fired two projectiles into the sea Friday to extend a recent streak of weapons tests believed to be aimed at pressuring Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear diplomacy.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles launched from the North’s eastern coast flew about 230 kilometers (143 miles) on an apogee of 30 kilometers (18 miles) before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Friday as turbulence continued on global markets amid ongoing worries about U.S.-China trade conflict.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 recouped early losses to be up 0.3% at 20,456.96 in morning trading. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 inched down nearly 0.1% to 6,402.40, while South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.8% to 1,923.56. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.8% to 25,701.58. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.7% to 2,834.85.

15 August 2019; AFP: Donald Trump has urged China to "humanely" resolve the violent stand-off with pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, on the back of growing concerns that Beijing is considering direct intervention in the crisis.

Images taken by AFP on Thursday showed thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags and parading at a sports stadium in the city of Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong.

15 August 2019; DW: There are reasons why the paramilitary troops of the Peoples Armed Police have not yet rolled across the border crossing at Shenzhen to crush the protests in Hong Kong. Chiefly because China needs Hong Kong.

China doesn't need the former Crown colony quite as much as it did back in 1997 when Hong Kong switched from British rule. But the Special Administrative Region remains a valuable conduit for Beijing. One the ruling Communist Party cannot risk undermining.

TOKYO, Japan, Aug 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Japan has been hit by heavy rain, as the country braces for a severe tropical storm, with hundreds of flights cancelled and large areas evacuated.

Storm Krosa is expected to make landfall Thursday afternoon, on the southern island of Shikoku.

More than 400,000 people have been evacuated from the region, while many trains were halted and highways closed.

Almost 700 flights have been cancelled, affecting travel during the summer holiday season.