The world’s biggest nuclear power plant is set to restart on Wednesday for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, its Japanese operator said, despite persistent safety concerns among residents. The governor of Niigata province, where the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is located, approved its resumption last month, although public opinion remains sharply divided. After receiving […]
Read MoreSeoul: A South Korean court sentenced former prime minister Han Duck?soo to 23 years in prison on Wednesday for aiding and abetting a declaration of martial law that briefly suspended civilian rule. The defendant “disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end,” said Judge Lee Jin-gwan, of the Seoul Central District […]
Read MoreBEIJING: China has handled its planning for a new UK embassy building in full compliance with international diplomatic practices and relevant laws and regulations, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. Britain’s government gave approval on Tuesday for China to build its largest embassy in Europe in London, hoping to improve ties with Beijing despite […]
Read MorePHNOM PENH: More than 1,400 Indonesians have left cyberscam networks in Cambodia in the last five days, Jakarta said on Wednesday, after Phnom Penh pledged a fresh crackdown on the illicit trade. Scammers working from hubs across Southeast Asia, some willingly and others trafficked, lure Internet users globally into fake romances and cryptocurrency investments, netting […]
Read MoreMANILA: As they prepare to travel to Riyadh next week for separation surgery, the parents of Olivia and Gianna Manuel have renewed hopes that their children will grow up like others, as they have become the fourth pair of Filipino twins to be taken care of by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. The girls from […]
Read MoreBy Masum Billah Dhaka, Bangladesh – For the first time in his life, Abdur Razzak, a 45-year-old banker in Bangladesh’s Faridpur district, believes the political party he supports has a real chance of coming to power as the leader of a governing alliance. Campaigning for the Jamaat-e-Islami party’s “scales” symbol in his town, Razzak said […]
Read MoreJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung rounded off their summit meeting today (20 January) with an unexpected jam session where the two played drums along to some K-pop hits. In a short video posted on the Japanese Prime Minister’s office YouTube channel on Wednesday morning, the two leaders played […]
Read MoreKazakhstan and Uzbekistan are moving forward with the installation of ten automated hydro posts along the Syr Darya River, five in each country, as part of a joint initiative to enhance transparency and accuracy in transboundary water accounting and distribution for irrigation. The project is supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). The […]
Read MoreBy Ralph Jennings As US President Donald Trump’s tariff increases have roiled global markets and strained America’s alliances in recent months, China has been pursuing the opposite strategy: keeping import duties low and pledging further cuts as a way to secure strategic resources and build ties across the developing world. China’s average effective tariff rate […]
Read MoreLONDON: Britain’s government gave approval on Tuesday for China to build its largest embassy in Europe in London, hoping to improve ties with Beijing despite British and U.S. politicians’ warnings that it could be used as a base for spying. The approval was subject to some conditions. China’s plans to build a new embassy on […]
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