Was Philippine police chief sacked for rejecting US$140 million ‘overpriced’ gun deal?

By Raissa Robles A controversy over an alleged overpriced firearms deal has intensified in the Philippines, with insiders claiming that national police chief Nicolas Torre III was removed from his post for rejecting a proposed procurement of 80,000 assault rifles – a transaction some believe was padded by billions of pesos. While officials framed Torre’s […]

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UN Resident Coordinator Meets Chief Adviser, Pledges Support for February Elections

DHAKA, September 4, 2025 —United Nations Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka. During the meeting, Lewis praised the strong cooperation between the UN and the Interim Government. They discussed a wide range of topics on Bangladesh’s development priorities and reform […]

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Kazakhstan’s Rare Earth Exports Under Political Spotlight as Strategic Role Grows

Kazakhstan’s rare earth metal exports are once again under scrutiny. On September 3, the leader of the Ak Zhol party in Kazakhstan’s parliament, Azat Peruashev, renewed his call for tighter control over rare earth exports. Peruashev formally urged the Minister of Industry and Construction, Ersaiyn Nagaspayev, to investigate and improve oversight after concerns that state […]

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Explainer: What’s fuelling the rage in Indonesia?

Protests have flared in parts of Indonesia since August 25 in some of the country’s worst violence in decades, presenting the biggest challenge so far to Prabowo Subianto’s 10-month-old presidency. WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? Protests started outside parliament in the capital, Jakarta, initially by groups angered by reports that lawmakers were receiving huge housing allowances on […]

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Taiwan criticizes strongmen cults as China holds military parade

TAIPEI: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te criticized strongmen personality cults and secret police networks on Wednesday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the leaders of Russia and North Korea at a military parade marking the end of World War Two. Democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, has repeatedly lambasted China for what Taipei […]

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Homeless and fearful, Afghan quake survivors sleep in the open

DARA-I-NUR, Afghanistan: Families huddled hungry and homeless days after a deadly earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, not daring to set foot in the few remaining buildings for fear an aftershock could bring them down. The initial powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck remote regions along the border with Pakistan, killing more than 1,400 people, with at least six […]

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