South Korea probes if spies funded drones flown into North by student

By Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s military intelligence command supported a civilian accused of sending drones into North Korea. The civilian at the centre of the allegations, a graduate student in his thirties identified only by his surname Oh, claims he flew […]

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Don’t expect Greenland crisis to realign EU with China, former US diplomat says

By Zhao Ziwen While there may be hopes in Beijing that Washington’s attempt to acquire Greenland has strained transatlantic ties and might draw European countries closer to China, a veteran US diplomat said such a fundamental realignment was unlikely. The core task of the European Union’s foreign policy will remain navigating intensifying US-China rivalry while […]

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Seoul takes aim at North Korea’s leadership bunkers with ‘monster missile’ Hyunmoo-5

By The Korea Times South Korea has begun deploying its most powerful conventional ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5 – dubbed the “monster missile” for its massive warhead – to frontline units, military officials said on Sunday, a move that underscores Seoul’s effort to strengthen deterrence against North Korea. The ground-to-ground missile, capable of carrying a warhead […]

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Why China may need to take the nuclear option for its next aircraft carrier

By Liu Zhen and Alcott Wei in Beijing China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has significant design flaws that future carriers can overcome only by adopting nuclear power, according to a military magazine. The Fujian is the country’s first domestically designed aircraft carrier and was commissioned in November. With a displacement of over 80,000 tonnes, […]

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‘False pride’: Indonesia’s UN rights role clashes with its domestic record

By Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia begins its tenure as president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this month under a cloud of contradiction, with officials hailing the prestige of the largely ceremonial role even as activists raise uncomfortable questions about the country’s own rights record. The 47-member body, a subsidiary of the UN General […]

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Vietnam’s To Lam eyes supreme power, seeks presidency at party congress

Agence France-Presse Vietnam’s leaders convene next week for a once-every-five-years congress, where General Secretary To Lam is looking to cement control over the Communist Party ruling one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. The nation of 100 million people is both a repressive one-party state and a regional economic bright spot, with the party seeking to deliver […]

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Taiwan says Chinese drone made ‘provocative’ flight over South China Sea island

TAIPEI: A Chinese reconnaissance drone briefly flew over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea on Saturday, in ​what Taiwan’s defense ministry called a “provocative and irresponsible” move. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, reports Chinese military activity around it on an almost daily basis, […]

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Journalists in Bangladesh demand protection amid rising attacks

DHAKA: Journalists, editors and owners of media outlets in Bangladesh on Saturday demanded that authorities protect them following recent attacks on two leading national dailies by mobs. They said the media industry in the South Asian country is being systematically targeted in the interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. They said […]

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US says Canada will regret decision to allow Chinese EVs into their market

Trump administration officials said on Friday that Canada would regret its decision to allow China to import up to 49,000 Chinese EVs, and that those cars would not be allowed to enter the United States. “I think they’ll look back at this decision and surely regret it to bring Chinese cars into their market,” US […]

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As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

By Sylvia Ma US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being […]

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