United States Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said efforts to de-escalate the situation were ongoing amid rising tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government. In a post on X on Friday, Barrack said that the US “remains in close contact with all parties in Syria and is working around the clock […]
Read MoreMANILA: The Philippines is seeking stronger cooperation with the UAE on advanced defense technologies under their new defense pact — its first such deal with a Gulf country — the Department of National Defense said on Friday. The Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation was signed during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Abu Dhabi […]
Read MoreDHAKA: Bangladesh appears to be moving with caution as Dhaka and Islamabad forge closer ties and explore a potential defense deal, experts said on Friday. Following decades of acrimonious ties, relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan have been growing since a student-led uprising ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Talks on a potential defense […]
Read MoreBEIJING: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping began talks in Beijing on Friday, marking the first meeting between the countries’ leaders in China’s capital in eight years. Carney lauded a “new strategic partnership” between the two countries after he arrived for the talks at the Great Hall of the People. Following […]
Read MoreEminent citizens, editors, business leaders, and academics at a citizens’ condolence meeting today (16 January) remembered former prime minister Khaleda Zia as a leader who rose above party lines through dignity, restraint and commitment to democratic values, urging the BNP to uphold the political ideals she embodied throughout her life. The programme, organised by the […]
Read MoreBy Tom Hussain As tensions between the United States and Iran threaten to plunge the Middle East into chaos again, regional military powers Turkey and Pakistan have revealed they are planning a tripartite defence partnership with Saudi Arabia. Thursday’s disclosure comes as Iran’s neighbours await clarity on US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25 […]
Read MoreBy Junaid Kathju India is facing multiple geopolitical challenges in the region as Bangladesh and Myanmar show signs of drifting away from New Delhi’s orbit amid its long-standing disputes with Pakistan and China. Dhaka has been drawing closer to Islamabad following the downfall in 2024 of its former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who had close […]
Read MoreBy Xinlu Liang in Beijing Chinese President Xi Jinping has refocused national anti-corruption efforts on illegal villas and “private resorts”, luxury developments that have come to symbolise excess and graft over the past two decades. According to newly released excerpts of a speech, Xi singled out the developments for special mention at the central urban […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s bid to strengthen her slim parliamentary majority through a widely expected snap election has grown riskier after the country’s largest opposition party struck an alliance with a former ruling coalition partner. The new alliance between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, announced on Thursday, […]
Read MoreBy Seong Hyeon Choi A US aircraft carrier has reportedly left the South China Sea after a live-fire drill and is heading to the Middle East amid anti-government protests in Iran. US cable news network NewsNation reported on Thursday that the Pentagon ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group, which includes Arleigh […]
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