Malaysia boosts China palm oil exports as EU calls for ban of products from deforested land

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will increase palm oil exports to China by 500,000 tonnes a year as it faces pressure from new European Union restrictions targeting deforestation, a senior minister told AFP on Monday. The trading bloc introduced new rules this year that ban goods from land that has been deforested. It is a move […]

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Singapore core inflation drops for 4th straight month but analysts see strong price pressures ahead

By Claire Huang SINGAPORE – Consumer prices in Singapore rose at a slower pace for a fourth straight month in August, but economists believe the trend could falter if oil prices stay elevated and disruptive weather patterns lead to higher food prices. The analysts also expect policymakers to stay vigilant, but do not see a […]

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Taliban weighs using US mass surveillance plan, met with China’s Huawei

Kabul: The Taliban are creating a large-scale camera surveillance network for Afghan cities that could involve repurposing a plan crafted by the Americans before their 2021 pullout, an interior ministry spokesman told Reuters, as authorities seek to supplement thousands of cameras already across the capital, Kabul. The Taliban administration — which has publicly said it […]

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Philippines to remove barrier placed by China in South China Sea

The Philippines will take “all appropriate actions to cause the removal of barriers” in a disputed area of the South China Sea, the country’s national security advisor said on Monday. The Philippines on Sunday shared images of a floating barrier blocking fishing vessel access in the Scarborough Shoal with Chinese coast guard ships nearby, and […]

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China sentences Uyghur scholar to life in prison, rights group say

Beijing : China has sentenced a high-profile Uyghur academic to life in prison on charges of “endangering state security”, a US-based rights group said, citing a Chinese government source. Rights advocates have accused China of launching a mass internment campaign targeting Uyghurs, along with abuses such as forced sterilisation and cultural repression, termed “genocide” by some […]

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Afghanistan : Efforts Underway to Create New Crossing with Turkmenistan

Kabul: The Islamic Emirate said it plans to establish a new transit crossing with Turkmenistan through the Bala Murghab District of Badghis Province. The Islamic Emirate spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the purpose of creating this new route is to facilitate the export and import of goods. Mujahid noted that the construction cost of this […]

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Thailand’s opposition Move Forward Party names new leader

Bangkok : Thailand’s opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) has named a new leader after Pita Limjaroenrat, who led the party to a stunning election victory in May, was thwarted in his efforts to become premier. Chaithawat Tulathon, a former political magazine editor, will now head MFP, the party said on Saturday. The newly elected party leader […]

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Malaysia PM says China gave reassurance after map stirred South China Sea dispute

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said China had given an assurance that it would continue to negotiate with Southeast Asian countries over disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea, and avoid actions that risked escalation. Speaking to CNN in an interview broadcast on Saturday (Sep 23), Anwar said Chinese Premier Li Qiang […]

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China willing to work with South Korea ahead of summit with Japan: Xi

China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. Xi held talks with Han in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the […]

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