Thailand-Cambodia border tensions and Myanmar’s civil war will be key topics of discussion at the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia, Asean’s current rotating chair, will host over 30 heads of state at the 26-28 October event, including US President Donald Trump, who is expected to […]
Read MoreBy Aidan Jones and Joseph Sipalan A crackdown on a notorious Myanmar scam base is cosmetic and timed to appease world leaders meeting in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, a senior security source has told This Week in Asia, as links between politicians and fraud empires threaten to embarrass Asean with US President Donald Trump flying […]
Read MoreBy Sylvie Zhuang in Beijing Beijing will leave no room for any form of “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, one of Beijing’s most senior leaders said on Saturday, marking the 80th anniversary of the island’s return from Japanese rule. “We should work together to advance the cause of national reunification and must leave no room for […]
Read MoreThe trade conflict between the US and China shows no signs of easing, with both sides digging in, hoping they can endure the economic pain longer than the other. The dispute has once again thrust a group of metals known as rare earth elements into the global spotlight. China dominates every stage of the rare-earth […]
Read MoreThailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, who brought glamour and elegance to a postwar revival in the country’s monarchy and who, in later years, would occasionally wade into politics, has died aged 93, the Thai Royal Household Bureau said today (25 October). Sirikit had been out of the public eye since a stroke in 2012. The palace […]
Read MorePakistan would lose any conventional war with India, a former US intelligence officer has said, recalling that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) believed the two nuclear-armed nations would go to war after the 2001 Parliament attacks. John Kiriakou, who has served in the CIA for 15 years, opened up about the unease between Washington and […]
Read MorePakistan’s defence minister said today (25 October) he believes Afghanistan wants peace but that failure to reach an agreement during talks in Istanbul would mean “open war,” days after both sides agreed to a ceasefire following deadly border clashes. The talks in Istanbul, which began today and are expected to continue into tomorrow (26 October), […]
Read MoreBy Jeoffrey Maitem Manila’s long-time ally, the United States, has launched a training programme aimed at strengthening the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) operational strategies and maritime law enforcement capabilities. The move, however, could deepen dependence on Washington under the guise of civilian capacity-building, according to some observers, who point to a familiar “pattern” inherent in […]
Read MoreASHGABAT: Turkmenistan renewed its call Friday for the creation of a pipeline linking its vast gas fields to Europe, a long-mooted project that would require significant foreign investment. The idea of a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to Europe has been discussed since the 1990s but has been hindered by financial and logistical hurdles. “We’re always interested […]
Read MoreCAIRO: The main Palestinian factions, including Hamas, said Friday they had agreed that an independent committee of technocrats would take over the running of post-war Gaza. During a meeting in Cairo, according to a joint statement published on the Hamas website, the groups agreed to hand “over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a […]
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