BEIJING: China and the Philippines said on Friday they launched rescue operations after receiving reports of a distressed cargo ship near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea which was carrying 21 Philippine crew members. The Chinese military said two crew had died and 17 had been rescued, after a report around 1:30 a.m. […]
Read MoreTOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house of Parliament on Friday, paving the way for a Feb. 8 snap election. The move is an attempt to capitalize on her popularity to help governing party regain ground after major losses in recent years, but will delay a vote on a budget that aims […]
Read MoreTAIPEI: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Friday offered talks with Ukraine to crack down on sanctions-busting after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky name-checked the island as a source of illicit missile components. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, semiconductor powerhouse Taiwan has successively updated export controls to stop high-tech goods being used for military purposes, and […]
Read MoreBEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping called on countries to protect the “central role” of the United Nations in international affairs, urging his Brazilian counterpart on Friday to help safeguard international norms, state media reported. The comments come after US President Donald Trump unveiled plans for his new “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum. […]
Read MoreA ceremonial event marking the opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Mexico City has been held at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Mexican States. The ceremony brought together representatives of the Kazakh Embassy, newly appointed Honorary Consul Carlos Barrera, senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, […]
Read MoreChina’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is often discussed in the vocabulary of spectacle-megaports, transcontinental railways, pipelines, and industrial zones that visibly announce Beijing’s arrival. Yet in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, China’s most consequential advance has unfolded with far less drama. By 2025, Beijing’s influence in these regions had become embedded not simply […]
Read MoreBEIRUT: An Israeli tank opened fire near a joint Lebanese army and UNIFIL patrol on Friday afternoon, in the latest incident to heighten tensions along the Blue Line. The tank shell reportedly landed near Wadi Al-Asafir, south of the town of Khiam, where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL were conducting a field operation. The fire […]
Read MoreDHAKA: Bangladeshi politicians held election rallies across the country on Friday, as campaigning began for the hugely anticipated polls in February, the first since the 2024 uprising that ousted longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh will hold general elections on Feb. 12, and the two main parties contesting it, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Indonesia has signed a new defence cooperation agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina in a move analysts say marks another step in Jakarta’s bid to expand its security partnerships beyond traditional Western partners. The pact was signed during a meeting between Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and his Bosnian counterpart Zukan Helez in […]
Read MoreHANOI: Vietnam’s leader To Lam was re-elected Friday as the general secretary of its ruling Communist Party, securing a new five-year term in the country’s most powerful position and pledging to rev up economic growth in the export powerhouse. Lam, 68, was reappointed unanimously by the party’s 180-member Central Committee at the conclusion of the […]
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