By Sam Beltran A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness. Analysts say the anxious public reaction – from mass hysteria in schools to viral conspiracy theories about “The Big One” – […]
Read MoreBy Kandy WongandAlice Li With the US threatening to leverage its software strengths ahead of fresh trade talks with China in response to its recent export controls on rare earths, analysts say Beijing is unlikely to make major concessions, though progress could be made on issues such as soybeans or fentanyl. Washington is reportedly considering […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Bangladesh’s pursuit of the death penalty against the country’s ousted former leader, Sheikh Hasina, has emerged as a key obstacle in efforts to bring her back from exile in India, with analysts saying the demand is likely to stall extradition talks and may even strengthen her bid for political asylum. The case […]
Read MoreIndia and the United States are nearing a long-stalled trade agreement that would reduce US tariffs on Indian imports to 15% to 16% from 50%, India’s Mint reported on Wednesday citing three people aware of the matter. The deal, which hinges on energy and agriculture, may see India gradually scale back its imports of Russian […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran Half of Filipinos believe that former president Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable for the deaths related to his bloody drug war, with observers pointing out the findings of a new survey could further “lend legitimacy and support” to an international court’s investigation into the ex-leader. The results come amid the International […]
Read MoreBy Ji Siqiin Beijing and Mandy Zuo in Shanghai As China and the United States accuse each other of provoking the latest escalation in trade tensions and disrupting the world economy, analysts say both share a goal in their war of words: applying maximum pressure until a deal is struck. In the past few days, […]
Read MoreBy Tom Hussain Far from being a historic deal to end war in the Middle East as claimed by US President Donald Trump, the Gaza peace declaration has only established a bloc of regional countries that will work with Washington for now to stabilise the region, observers say. Composed of Egypt, Arab monarchies led by […]
Read MoreIsrael said on Thursday (16 October) it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to let Palestinians in and out, but set no date as it traded blame with Hamas over violations of a US-mediated ceasefire. A row over the return of bodies of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza retains […]
Read MoreBy Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s plan to join the Brics-led New Development Bank (NDB) and fulfil a payment requirement for membership has spurred a debate on whether the move is feasible given the country’s strained finances to fund President Prabowo Subianto’s priority projects. Earlier this year, Prabowo announced that Indonesia was planning to join the […]
Read MoreNEW YORK CITY: The UN’s top humanitarian official on Wednesday called on Israel to open more border crossings into Gaza to increase the flow of humanitarian aid. Facilitating access for civilians is a “legal obligation,” not a matter of political negotiation, he added. The appeal by Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief […]
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