Bahrain, US firms sign $17 billion in deals to deepen economic ties: news agency BNA

Bahraini and US companies signed a series of agreements worth approximately $17 billion, aimed at strengthening economic ties and advancing cooperation across key sectors, Bahrain’s state news agency BNA reported on Wednesday. The deals span sectors such as aviation, technology, industry, and investment. Among the agreements, Cisco Systems will provide digital solutions for Bahrain’s government […]

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Beijing vows punishment over Taiwan’s tightened residency rules for mainland spouses

By Vanessa Caiin Shanghai Beijing has pledged to punish those who enforce Taiwan’s residency restrictions for mainland Chinese spouses, with Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily slamming Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s recent remarks about “removing impurities” on the island. On Wednesday, Chen Binhua, a spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, described the island’s tightened residency […]

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BD Interim govt doesn’t intend on CA Yunus to be declared ‘national reformer’

The interim government today (15 July) clarified that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus does not intend to be declared as “national reformer” nor does the government plan to confer any such title on him. “The writ petitioner appears to have filed the petition on his own, and it is unclear on what basis the direction has […]

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Anwar’s big surprise? Malaysians sceptical over ‘tribute’ teaser post

By Joseph Sipalan A cryptic promise from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has become the latest lightning rod for Malaysia’s restless public, whose patience is wearing thin after months of new taxes, political scandals and economic anxiety. Late on Monday, Anwar posted a stylised silhouette and the words Akan Datang (Coming Soon) across his social media […]

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China, ASEAN to submit upgraded free trade deal to leaders in October: China’s foreign minister

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to submit a pact upgrading their free trade areas to their leaders for approval in October, according to China’s foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday. Negotiations about the so-called 3.0 version of the free trade zone started in November 2022 and completed in May, seeking […]

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Rubio to meet China’s foreign minister in Malaysia as US-Chinese tensions mount

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wrapping his up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference with a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. After discussions with regional countries […]

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