Japan grapples with its worst fire in 30 years
Today's headlines: Asia is looking at the fallout from the Trump-Zelensky scrap in the White House. Opposing protests square off in Seoul as the Supreme Court gets ready to rule on Yoon’s impeachment. Israel is putting pressure on the US to let Russia keep its bases in Syria to resist Turkish influence on the new government. Despite growing renewable energy capacity, China missed its targets on reducing carbon dioxide emissions in 2024.
JAPAN
Japan is battling the country’s worst forest fire in three decades that has already resulted in one death and more than a thousand residents evacuated. Since the blaze broke out on Wednesday, it has affected an estimated 1,200 hectares in the Ōfunato Forest, in the northern Iwate Prefecture, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency reports.
RUSSIA – UKRAINE – ASIA
The astonishing live TV clash last night between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is front-page news in Asia, with focus on the repercussions on relations between various Asian countries and the United States. For Singapore’s Straits Times, “What has been whispered around world capitals since the Nov 5 election is true after all: There are no free lunches at the White House any more; Uncle Sam is now eager to present the bill for every meal.”
SOUTH KOREA
Thousands of protesters for and against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol have begun gathering for large-scale rallies planned for today in Seoul, while the country is still grappling with the political fallout from last December's failed attempt to impose martial law. The protests, which coincide with the anniversary of the 1st March Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule, come as the Constitutional Court held its final hearing on Yoon's impeachment trial this week and is expected to decide midmonth whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.
ISRAEL – PALESTINE – SYRIA
The ceasefire in Gaza has stalled with Hamas rejecting Israel's proposal to change the terms of the agreement, extending the first phase with new releases of hostages and prisoners without negotiating an end to the conflict. Meanwhile, sources told Reuters that Israel was pressuring the United States to keep Syria weak and divided, including allowing Russia to maintain its military bases in the country to counter Turkey's growing influence in the country.
INDIA – EUROPEAN UNION
India and the European Union agreed to work on a security and defence partnership to jointly counter common threats. The commitment was laid out at a meeting in New Delhi between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who travelled to India together with 22 of the 27 members of the EU College of Commissioners, a sign that the EU is intensifying its efforts to boost ties with India despite the uncertainty created by the policies of the Trump administration in the United States.
CHINA
Despite the massive growth in the use of renewable sources, China missed a key target in the fight against climate change in 2024: emissions from the world's second-largest economy rose, albeit slightly, as fossil fuels remain dominant. Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that carbon intensity, a measure of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, dropped by 3.4 per cent in 2024, falling short of the 3.9 per cent target.
TAJIKISTAN
Tajikistan goes to the polls tomorrow with six parties vying for votes. However, the campaign was so lowkey, according to Asia-Plus, polls that most voters do not know the names of the candidates or their parties’ programmes, or even how many parties there are in the country.
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12/02/2016 15:14
