DELICATE designs painted on the inside of miniature Chinese snuff bottles by artists like Zhang Yuhua and her husband usually feature calligraphy, floral compositions and traditional rural scenes. But to keep alive the centuries-old art known as “guihuahu”, or “bottle painted by ghosts”, some painters are appealing to younger tastes
Hong Kong’s police are confident they have the resources to continue battling pro-democracy protesters, even if violence escalates further, pouring cold water on concerns that the authoritarian mainland might need to intervene. Three senior commanders said they were unaware of any plans by China to bolster their own ranks with
SEOUL: South Korean President Moon Jae-in struck a conciliatory tone towards Japan yesterday, offering to “join hands” if Tokyo chooses dialogue as relations between the two countries dip to fresh lows. Seoul and Tokyo — both of them democracies and market economies — are mired in longrunning disputes over Japan’s
YANGON: Myanmar’s military was yesterday fighting rebels who mounted an unprecedented strike at an army academy killing at least one, apparently in retaliation for massive drug seizures. Ethnic armed rebel groups have for decades fought against the military — and often between themselves — for land and resources in Myanmar’s
TOKYO: Japan’s new emperor spoke yesterday of “deep remorse” over the country’s wartime past in his first speech to commemorate the end of World War II since his enthronement in May. Emperor Naruhito’s comments were being monitored in Tokyo and throughout Asia for any change in tone, but he closely
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed yesterday his “path-breaking” move to strip Kashmir of its autonomy, as his Pakistani counterpart warned of possible “ethnic cleansing”. Parts of Kashmir that India controls — it is split with arch-rival Pakistan — have been under lock down since August 4, with
TOKYO: A powerful tropical storm lashed Japan yesterday, bringing strong winds and torrential rain that claimed at least one life, prompted warnings of landslides and flooding, and sparked evacuation advisories and travel chaos at a peak holiday period. Severe Tropical Storm Krosa — one notch below a typhoon — slammed
GIBRALTAR: Gibraltar’s Supreme Court was to decide yesterday whether an Iranian oil tanker seized last month near the tiny British territory can be held longer amid speculation that it might soon be released. The Grace 1 supertanker, carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian oil, was seized on July 4 by
EL PASO (United States): The grieving US community of El Paso came together Wednesday night, standing up to the hatred that took the lives of 22 people, many of them Hispanic, in a mass shooting. Thousands of people including relatives of the victims gathered at a baseball field in the
AWARD-WINNING young Italian chef Martina Caruso’s love of food is in her blood — and she has the tattoos to prove it. At just 29, Caruso has become a hit in the world of haute cuisine by using the sunshine flavours of her tiny volcanic island of Salina and giving
