US approves $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan: Taipei

TAIPEI: Washington has approved $11 billion-worth of arms to Taiwan, Taipei said Thursday, announcing one of the largest weapons packages for the island as it seeks to deter a potential Chinese invasion. While Washington is traditionally Taiwan’s biggest arms supplier, remarks by US President Donald Trump raised doubts about his willingness to defend the democratic […]

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Terrorism arrests in UK surged by 660% after Palestine Action ban

LONDON: Arrests for terrorism offenses in the UK have spiked by a massive 660 percent year-on-year due to support for Palestine Action, new government figures show. The pro-Palestine group was listed as a terrorist organization and banned in July. Now any public demonstration of support for the group is outlawed, and hundreds of protesters — […]

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After year of shocks, EU faces crunch talks on Ukraine, China and its economic future

By Finbarr Bermingham in Brussels Late last year, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began her second term in office, a giant purple banner was draped over the side of the EU executive arm’s headquarters, declaring: “United for our Future, 2024-2029.” While unity among the EU’s 27 member states has always been elusive, […]

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Kazakh MP Sarym Proposes Legal Measures Over Social Media Posts on Pipeline Strike

By Andrei Matveev A Kazakhstani lawmaker has proposed criminal liability for social media posts that express support for attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. During a recent session of the Mazhilis (lower house of parliament), MP Aidos Sarym called for posts endorsing Ukrainian military strikes on oil infrastructure to be examined under existing laws on […]

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South Korea’s police chief removed for supporting Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law plot

Associated Press South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Thursday formally removed the country’s impeached police chief for deploying hundreds of officers to support ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The court said Cho Ji-ho “actively disrupted” legislative activities by deploying hundreds of police officers to the National Assembly and […]

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Turkiye urges peaceful Syria-SDF talks, warns patience running out – foreign minister

ANKARA: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Turkiye did not want to resort to military action again against Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but warned that the patience of the actors involved was running out over what he described as delays in implementing an integration deal. “We just hope that things go […]

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Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

By Raissa Robles Washington is set to deepen its defence support for the Philippines after approving billions of dollars for a loan and a grant to its Southeast Asian ally next year to counter what an American senator has called “serious threats” from China and its partners. Philippine defence officials have welcomed the approval by […]

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India signs free trade deal with Oman, expands footprint in Gulf region

NEW DELHI: India signed a free trade agreement with Oman on Thursday, marking its second such deal with a Gulf Cooperation Council country and expanding its economic presence in the region. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Qais bin Mohammed Al-Yousef, ‘s minister of commerce, during Prime Minister […]

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