India tests Agni-5 ballistic missile; can strike all of China, even Europe

India successfully tested the Agni-5, an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) capable of striking targets up to 5,000km away, demonstrating the country’s strategic military strength. The defence ministry said the test-firing was carried out from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, under the supervision of the Strategic Forces Command, and validated all operational and technical […]

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British foreign minister condemns ‘man-made catastrophe’ after famine declared in Gaza City

LONDON: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid to Gaza as a “moral outrage” on Friday after the world’s leading food crisis authority confirmed famine in Gaza City. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said on Friday that famine is occurring in the territory’s largest city, home to hundreds of thousands […]

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South Korea to Support Air Quality Improvement in Kyrgyzstan

By Sergey Kwan The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has launched a major initiative to improve air quality in Kyrgyzstan, with a particular focus on the capital, Bishkek. On August 20, Bishkek hosted the signing ceremony for the Record of Discussions between KOICA and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, marking the […]

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‘South Korea needs Japan’: as Lee and Ishiba meet, hopes for closer ties grow

By Julian Ryall South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s push for closer ties with Tokyo has upended expectations in Japan, with analysts describing his outreach as a pragmatic shift that could reshape the tone of bilateral ties long coloured by historical disputes. Lee is due in Japan on Saturday for a two-day summit with Prime Minister […]

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Tokayev in Bishkek: Deals, Diplomacy, and a Golden Bridge

By Stephen M. Bland Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Kyrgyzstan on 21 August for an official visit that rolls into a full day of talks in Bishkek on 22 August, including a session of the Supreme Interstate Council. The Kyrgyz capital implemented rolling traffic restrictions around motorcade routes, a sign of how tightly choreographed […]

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China’s Coast Guard warns Philippines to immediately cease ‘provocations’

HONG KONG: China’s Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu warned the Philippines on Friday to immediately cease “provocations and hype,” saying that its vessels approached a Chinese Coast Guard ship “in an unprofessional and dangerous manner.” The Chinese Coast Guard would carry out protection of rights and law enforcement in the waters of Second Thomas Shoal […]

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South Korea must navigate the ‘Trump risk’ at key summits in Japan and US

SEOUL: South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung faces a pivotal foreign policy test barely two months after taking office, with back-to-back summits in Tokyo and Washington that reflect the wider struggle of US allies to navigate Donald Trump’s unilateral push to redefine postwar orders on trade, security and alliances. The meetings come after Seoul and […]

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