Kuan Chen
Kuan Chen is a writer for the News Lens International. A Purdue Boilermaker!
What you need to know
A weekly roundup of the region's most important news.
China:
The Trump administration on Friday lifted a ban on the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE that had pushed the company to the brink of financial collapse by preventing it from acquiring parts and software from American companies. — The New York Times
Photo credit: Reuters / 達志影像
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for cheaper and more accessible cancer drugs after a successful new film sparked public debate on the issue. — BBC
At the heart of the trade war between the United States and China lies a profound and unsettling question: Who should control the key technologies that will rule tomorrow? — The New York Times
China has sentenced a veteran pro-democracy campaigner to 13 years in prison on vaguely defined subversion charges, one day after releasing the widow of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. — The Wall Street Journal
China has become a global leader in policy and diplomacy on limiting the effects of climate change, but it still needs to take significant steps to curb its own carbon dioxide emissions, according to a report released on Thursday. — The New York Times
Japan:
As the Brexit divisions are laid bare in the House of Commons, with the Conservative party split apart, there was more than a little irony that the EU and Japan signed a huge trade deal this week that cuts or eliminates tariffs on nearly all goods. — The Guardian
Japan's nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States was automatically extended July 16 despite growing concerns overseas about Tokyo's huge stockpile of plutonium. — The Asahi News
Photo Credit: Reuters/達志影像
For most of its existence, SoftBank was known as a Japanese phone company that made some lucky bets. But in the future, being an investor in the company will mean betting on the investment prowess of its founder, Masayoshi Son. — The New York Times
Hong Kong:
The UK has said it is 'concerned' after police in Hong Kong requested a ban on a small political party that campaigns for the territory's independence. — BBC
Singapore:
Hackers stole the personal health records of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and 1.5 million others in an unprecedented data breach, officials said, casting a light on the risks facing cities around the world as they begin centralizing data to provide smoother government services. — The Wall Street Journal
Photo Credit: Reuters / TPG
India:
Seventeen men have been charged in India with the gang-rape of an 11-year-old deaf girl in the city of Chenna. — BBC
Photo Credit:AP/達志影像
If global greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace, heat and humidity levels could become unbearable, especially for the poor. — The Sydney Morning Herald
Myanmar:
Every year, as the monsoons deluge northern Myanmar, the jade mountains turn into a cemetery. — The New York Times
Philippines:
In Duterte’s Philippines, having a beer can now land you in jail. — The New York Times
Vietnam:
Vietnam’s new cybersecurity law is designed to protect online rights and create a safe and healthy cyberspace,' the foreign ministry said Thursday, though critics have warned it gives the Communist-ruled state more power to crack down on dissent. — Reuters
Malaysia:
Around US$7 billion originating from Malaysian state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd. and its former unit flowed through the global financial system between 2009 and 2015, the Swiss Attorney-General said, underscoring the scale of financial scandal that has engulfed the fund. — The Wall Street Journal
Photo Credit: Reuters/達志影像
Turkey:
Even before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey was inaugurated last week, he began elbowing his way into the front ranks of the globe’s strongmen. — The New York Times
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