By Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines is stepping up efforts to protect undersea cables – the unseen backbone of digital communications – as a string of regional and global incidents has sharpened concerns that seabed infrastructure could be targeted for sabotage or espionage. Officials and analysts say the moves signal that so-called grey-zone activities – coercive […]
Read MoreBy Seong Hyeon Choi in Hong Kong and Sylvie Zhuang in Beijing US President Donald Trump’s proposal to boost next year’s military budget to US$1.5 trillion aims to blunt China’s global influence, a move analysts said could push Beijing to speed up its own military build-up with “greater urgency”. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social […]
Read MoreBEIJING: China will hold naval and air exercises with Russia, South Africa and other BRICS countries off South Africa’s coast in early to mid January, China’s defense ministry said in a statement released on Friday. The ministry called the exercises “joint operations to safeguard vital shipping lanes and economic activities.” Strikes on maritime targets and […]
Read MoreSEOUL: South Korea’s special prosecutor is expected to make a sentencing request for former president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in 2024, as a lower court trial convened on Friday for its final session. Yoon, who is accused of masterminding an insurrection, could face the death […]
Read MoreCambodia’s arrest and extradition of a powerful tycoon accused of running a vast online scam network marks a rare strike against an industry that has stolen tens of billions of dollars worldwide. US and UK authorities say Chen Zhi led a transnational criminal enterprise that exploited trafficked workers and defrauded victims worldwide. For victims, the […]
Read MoreThailand accused Cambodia of violating a 10-day-old truce today (6 January), saying cross-border mortar fire wounded a soldier, while Phnom Penh said a “pile of garbage” exploded, injuring two of its own troops. A decades-old border dispute between the Southeast Asian nations erupted into military clashes several times last year, with fighting in December killing […]
Read MoreJi Siqi in Beijing and Xiaofei Xu in Paris China has banned the export of products with both commercial and military applications to end users linked to the Japanese military amid a protracted diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo. Effective immediately, the export of these items – known as “dual-use” goods – to those entities […]
Read MorePakistan’s leading business body has named its representatives to a newly formed committee aimed at managing border affairs with Afghanistan and addressing ongoing disruptions to cross-border trade. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry said in a statement that the Pakistan–Afghanistan Border Management Committee will be tasked with resolving border-related issues, improving coordination […]
Read MoreCommunal tension has flared in parts of Nepal bordering India, triggering a high-security alert. Protests started in Birgunj town of Nepal’s Parsa district after a video went viral on social media with alleged religious content. The demonstrations soon turned violent, with the Parsa district administration imposing a curfew in Birgunj city, near the Raxaul district […]
Read MoreBy Ahmed Saail Ali Male: In his writings on leadership, Sir Alex Ferguson, widely regarded as one of the most successful football managers in history, explains that effective leaders should not be consumed by routine, day-to-day tasks. When players were engaged in running drills, Ferguson did not run alongside them, issuing instructions. Instead, he observed. […]
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