MANILA: The Philippines and Japan have signed a new defense pact, adding to a growing list of security cooperation Manila has been forging with partner countries as it faces a growing Chinese presence in the disputed South China Sea. Philippine-Japan security ties have strengthened in recent years over shared concerns in the region, with the […]
Read MoreIndia has selected the national song Vande Mataram as the main theme for the Republic Day parade to be held in New Delhi on 26 January, marking 150 years since it was written. Bengali litterateur Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in the 1870s as a poem, and it remains a prominent cultural and patriotic […]
Read MoreCanada and China struck an initial trade deal on Friday that will slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola, as both nations promised to tear down trade barriers while forging new strategic ties during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit. The first Canadian prime minister to visit China since 2017, Carney is seeking to rebuild ties […]
Read MoreSyria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree affirming the rights of the Kurdish Syrians, formally recognising their language and restoring citizenship to all Kurdish Syrians, state news agency SANA reported on Friday. Sharaa’s decree came after fierce clashes that broke out last week in the northern city of Aleppo, leaving at least 23 people dead, […]
Read MoreWASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday gave a key role in post-war Gaza to former British prime minister Tony Blair and appointed a US officer to lead a nascent security force. Trump named members of a board to help supervise Gaza that was dominated by Americans, as he promotes a controversial vision of economic […]
Read MoreBy Raissa Robles For the Philippines, 2026 promises to be a roller-coaster ride of political intrigue as President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his deputy lock horns in an existential clash that risks tanking the economy, dividing military loyalties and derailing Asean’s regional diplomacy. “It will be a very messy year both in politics and the […]
Read MoreBy Zhao Ziwen Beijing is urging Phnom Penh to broaden its crackdown on Cambodia’s online fraud industry, keeping up pressure following the arrest and extradition to China of alleged fraud kingpin Chen Zhi. In a meeting with Phnom Penh’s interior and foreign ministers, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said criminal acts of online fraud, […]
Read MoreBy Sadokat Jalolova President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has directed Uzbekistan’s diplomats to take a more proactive role in protecting the rights of citizens living and working abroad, amid rising public concern over reported abuses during migration checks and raids in foreign countries. The issue was raised during a video conference chaired by Mirziyoyev on the performance […]
Read MoreRussian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova addressed comments by television journalist Vladimir Solovyov related to Central Asia and Armenia. Earlier, Russian television host Vladimir Solovyov had expressed that Armenia and Central Asia are more important to Russia than countries such as Syria or Venezuela, arguing that losing influence in these regions would pose a serious […]
Read MoreBy Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on countries that do business with Iran has dented India’s ambition for the strategic Chabahar port and affected New Delhi’s trade with Tehran. Trump’s latest threat could curtail shipments of Indian basmati rice to Iran, but is likely to have a […]
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