Court acquits Thailand’s former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in royal insult case

A court in Thailand on Friday dismissed a royal insult case against influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire and his lawyer said, the first in a series of high-stakes rulings involving the powerful Shinawatra dynasty. The criminal court in Bangkok has yet to publicly announce the decision. “The case was dismissed,” Thaksin told reporters […]

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Saudi Arabia condemns Gaza famine as ‘stain on conscience of international community’

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday voiced “deep concern” over the official confirmation of famine in the Gaza Strip, condemning what it described as “genocide crimes” committed by Israeli forces against civilians. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was the direct result of the lack of accountability for […]

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Sri Lankan ex-president Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested over misuse of state funds

Former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday in connection with allegations of misuse of state funds, local television channel Ada Derana reported. Wickremesinghe, 76, was taken into custody after arriving at the CID office in the capital, Colombo, to record a statement in an investigation into […]

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Trump-Lee summit: what can a ‘turtle ship’ do for the US-South Korea alliance?

By Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is set to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time next week, seeking to dispel doubts in Washington about his progressive government’s commitment to strengthening their military alliance. The meeting, scheduled for Monday in Washington, comes with President Lee under pressure to demonstrate unwavering support […]

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‘Why not Sheikh Hasina?’: Hyderabad MP questions Modi govt’s plan on deporting Bangladeshis

Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) today (21 August) said that if the Indian government intended to deport illegal Bangladeshi nationals, it should begin with deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since her government was ousted in August last year. “Why are we keeping that deposed leader […]

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Why Japan is pushing a transparent, ‘human-centred’ development model for Africa

By Maria Siow Japan is positioning itself as a partner offering a transparent and “human-centred” approach to development in Africa, providing an alternative to China’s economic influence through what analysts describe as a rules-based and mutually accountable model. Unveiling a proposal to create a regional economic zone linking the Indian Ocean to Africa, Japanese Prime […]

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Saudi Arabia, Syria step up industrial cooperation with new economic integration plans

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Syria are set to strengthen cooperation in the industrial sector and establish joint working groups to advance economic integration between the two countries. The announcement came after the Kingdom’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammed Nidal Al-Shaar in Riyadh to […]

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Kazakhstan’s President to Visit Kyrgyzstan for High-Level Talks on Aug. 21–22

By Stephen M. Bland Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is due in Kyrgyzstan for an official visit at the invitation of President Sadyr Japarov, with the main program set in Bishkek. An announcement, carried by state media, confirmed the trip and outlined that talks would take place on deepening political and economic ties. Local authorities have […]

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