JAKARTA: An Indonesian minister’s denial of mass rapes that took place during the country’s 1998 riots has been slammed by rights activists and the National Commission on Violence Against Women. Culture Minister Fadli Zon’s remarks that the mass rapes were “all hearsay” and “rumours” have incited fresh concerns over the government’s plan to release new […]
Read MoreMasum Billah | Dhaka | 17 June 2025 In a significant development toward parliamentary and constitutional reforms, Bangladesh’s major political parties have reached a consensus on two key issues: increasing the number of reserved seats for women in parliament from 50 to 100, and amending the controversial Article 70 of the Constitution. BNP Standing Committee […]
Read MoreDhaka : Around 400 Bangladeshis currently residing in Tehran are under serious threat amid Israeli attacks, Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique said today (17 June). “Over 2,000 Bangladeshis live across Iran, of whom around 400 are based in Tehran, including officials of the Bangladesh embassy. We are deeply concerned about their safety,” he said at […]
Read MoreBy Holly Chik Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict to avoid further tensions, while emphasising that Beijing is prepared to “play a constructive role” in restoring peace, according to state news agency Xinhua. “All parties should work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible and avoid further escalation […]
Read MoreBy Raissa Robles The Philippine army has signalled it would welcome additional US Typhon missile systems to accelerate troop training and strengthen deterrence, despite Beijing’s repeated denunciations of the system as a destabilising force that risks fuelling tensions in the South China Sea. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie […]
Read MoreBy Finbarr Bermingham in Brussels European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has accused Beijing of deliberately creating a near-monopoly in the global supply of rare earth elements, then weaponising the world’s reliance on those chains. Addressing the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday, von der Leyen made a hawkish return to form, […]
Read MorePakistan has closed its border crossing points with Iran for an indefinite period following attacks by Israel across the Islamic Republic, reports Dawn citing official sources. Meanwhile, hundreds of Pakistani students and pilgrims have been evacuated from Iran, government officials has said. Pakistan and Iran share an approximately 905-km-long border with multiple crossing points. The […]
Read MoreBy Shi Jiangtao While last week’s trade talks in London generated cautious optimism about de-escalating US-China tensions, observers have questioned whether this momentum can spur broader bilateral dialogue on challenging issues like military communications, security, climate and fentanyl cooperation. Negotiators from Washington and Beijing agreed in London on a framework to implement the consensus reached […]
Read MoreChinese President Xi Jinping reached Kazakhstan on Monday to attend the second China–Central Asia Summit, a high-stakes diplomatic gathering aimed at deepening Beijing’s economic and strategic ties with the region. The summit, which will be held on Tuesday in the Kazakh capital Astana, comes at a time when China is intensifying its outreach to Central […]
Read MoreCambodia has threatened to halt imports of fruit and vegetables from Thailand unless its neighbour lifts border restrictions as tempers flare during a long-running dispute that turned deadly last month. The ban will take effect if Thailand doesn’t lift all border crossing restrictions within 24 hours, Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen said in a televised […]
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