By Lawrence Chung in Taipei A proposal to invite Taiwan to next year’s US-led Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) military exercises has been removed from defence policy legislation progressing through Congress, raising concerns in Taipei that Washington’s political calculus may be shifting. Some analysts have warned that the removal of language approved by the US […]
Read MoreBANTEAY MEANCHEY: Renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand entered a second week Sunday after Bangkok denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce had been agreed to halt the deadly fighting. The conflict, rooted in a colonial-era demarcation dispute along their 800-kilometer (500-mile) border, has displaced around 800,000 people, officials said. “I have […]
Read MoreNEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality. Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the […]
Read MoreBy Liu Zhen Underwater drones being tested by China could be used to blockade the Panama Canal or even the US west coast, an American defence publication has claimed. The drones, referred to as XXLUUVs (Extra-Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles), are highly classified and little is known for certain about them. However, some clues have been […]
Read MoreISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned that the Black Sea should not turn into an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine, after several strikes in recent weeks. “The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation. This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran An Italian defence company’s push to sell Eurofighter Typhoon jets to the Philippines could open the door to broader cooperation between Rome and Manila, with analysts calling the aircraft a promising choice for the country’s military modernisation. Leonardo, a government-linked company, said it was committed to investing in the Philippines’ defence capabilities […]
Read MoreKABUL: As tensions flare up again between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Afghan leadership has moved to reaffirm its commitment against cross-border militancy this week in what is seen as Kabul’s attempt to move the needle on peace negotiations, after multiple rounds of talks failed to produce a lasting truce. The neighboring countries have struggled to […]
Read MoreLONDON: The footage, secretly filmed by an onlooker and released by Reuters with a “graphic content” warning, is shocking. On Nov. 27, Israeli border police raiding a building in the West Bank camp of Jenin summarily executed two men who had surrendered. The Palestinian health ministry later named the dead men as Montasir Abdullah, 26, […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Bangladesh’s national security adviser recently made a low-profile visit to New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart, in what many in Dhaka saw as a sign that the neighbours might reset ties following months of tensions over the self-exile of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India. The meeting was the […]
Read MoreBy Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia should tread carefully before deepening ties with Russia, analysts said, after President Prabowo Subianto made an unplanned visit to Moscow this week, raising questions about the diplomatic and economic costs of closer engagement – including how Washington could respond. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Prabowo on Wednesday, hailing 75 years […]
Read More
