Indonesia Denies Smog from Forest Fires Drifted to Malaysia

JAKARTA —Indonesia’s environment ministry on Monday denied accusations that forest fires in Sumatra and its portion of Borneo island, which have blanketed some of its cities with thick haze, have also affected air quality in neighboring Malaysia. Malaysia on Friday warned residents of high pollution levels in most areas on the west coast of Peninsular […]

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Millions of Chinese tourists are going on holiday again. Many of them are headed for Thailand

Thailand’s golden beaches, shopping districts and ornate temples are filling with tourists once again and Chinese vacationers are getting an especially VIP welcome under a new visa-free scheme. Vowing to revive the country’s economy, newly appointed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced a visa-free policy for Chinese and Kazakh tourists that would run from September 25 […]

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Philippines, US hold joint naval exercise as Manila seeks to boost territorial defense

MANILA: Philippine and US navies on Wednesday launched their joint exercise and were joined by seven partner countries, as Manila seeks to boost its naval warfare capabilities and readiness to confront security challenges in the region. Exercise Sama Sama started off as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in 1994 between the Philippines and America but […]

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Indonesia launches Southeast Asia’s first high-speed rail

Jakarta: Indonesia launched Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway on Monday, a delayed, multibillion-dollar project backed by China that President Joko Widodo hailed as “a symbol of our modernisation”. With a top speed of 350 kilometres (220 miles) per hour, the bullet train “Whoosh” can get between the capital Jakarta and Bandung in 45 minutes. The […]

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Bangkok Readies New Airport Terminal Before Tourist Rush

By: Anuchit Nguyen Thailand’s capital city will add a third passenger terminal to its biggest airport as the Southeast Asian nation prepares for a surge in tourist arrivals under a visa waiver program for Chinese visitors during the peak holiday season. Airports of Thailand Pcl, which operates Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport, on Friday opened for […]

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Turkmenistan marks 32nd anniversary of independence

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan Turkmenistan celebrated its 32nd anniversary of independence on Wednesday, with events held across the country. Turkmenistan embarked on its journey towards independence with a significant milestone. On Oct. 26, 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR), the nation held a referendum titled “State Sovereignty of Turkmenistan.” As a result of the […]

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The US needs India to buffer China, and Modi knows it

Hal Brands; Bloomberg The killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada in June, allegedly by agents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian government, has opened a rift between one of America’s closest allies and one of its most vital geopolitical partners. It has also illustrated an unavoidable irony of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy. Biden […]

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