US must stop suppressing China or risk ‘catastrophic consequences’: Foreign minister
2023-03-07
China also warned that Taiwan is the first red line the US must not cross. Continue Reading
China says Taiwan is first red line that the US must not cross
2023-03-07
BEIJING: Taiwan is China’s first red line that the United States must not cross, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday (Mar 7). Speaking at his first news conference as foreign minister during an annual parliament session in Beijing, Qin said that the resolution of the Taiwan issue is aContinue Reading
US House Speaker McCarthy plans to meet Taiwan’s president in the US: Report
2023-03-06
WASHINGTON: US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to meet Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in the US in coming weeks, two sources told Reuters on Monday (Mar 6), a move that could replace the Republican Speaker’s anticipated but sensitive trip to the democratically governed island claimed by China. The sources, whoContinue Reading
UN committee urges China to dismantle forced labour systems
2023-03-06
GENEVA: A UN committee said on Monday (Mar 6) it was concerned about China’s treatment of its Muslim minority, including the use of forced labour against Uyghurs, in a sweeping report that adds pressure on Beijing to improve its human rights record. The findings by the group of UN-appointed independentContinue Reading
Indonesia to relocate residents or move fuel facility after fire
2023-03-05
JAKARTA: Indonesia will relocate residents living near a fuel-storage fire that killed 16 people or remove the depot owned by state energy company Pertamina to a safer location, President Joko Widodo said on Sunday (Mar 5). The decision will rest with State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir, Pertamina and Jakarta GovernorContinue Reading
North Korea says UN should demand end to South Korea-US military drills
2023-03-04
SEOUL: North Korea’s foreign ministry on Sunday (Mar 5) called on the United Nations to demand an immediate halt to combined military drills by the United States and South Korea, saying they were raising tensions that threaten to spiral out of control. The drills and rhetoric from the allies areContinue Reading
Expanded US access to Philippines bases “not for aggression”, defence chief says
2023-03-02
MANILA : A decision by the Philippines to grant the United States greater access to its military bases was “not for engaging in war” but meant to enhance its ability to defend itself against external threats, its defence chief said on Thursday (Mar 2). “The geopolitical situation is becoming moreContinue Reading
China says COVID-19 ‘lab leak’ claims hurt US credibility
2023-03-01
BEIJING: Beijing accused Washington on Wednesday (Mar 1) of harming its own credibility after a top US intelligence official said his agency believed the COVID-19 pandemic “most likely” caused by a laboratory incident in Wuhan, China. FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News on Tuesday that the Bureau has nowContinue Reading
Ukraine war set to divide as India hosts G20 foreign ministers
2023-03-01
“SPY BALLOON” Similarly in doubt on the sidelines of the two-day G20 gathering in New Delhi was a meeting between Blinken and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang. Blinken had a fiery encounter with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi last month in Germany after the US shot down a suspected ChineseContinue Reading
Russian law amendments punish ‘discrediting’ military, including voluntary formations
2023-03-01
MOSCOW: Russia brought new law amendments to parliament on Wednesday (Mar 1) that further strengthen the country’s censorship laws, envisaging up to 15 years in jail for discrediting the armed forces and voluntary military organisations such as the Wagner Group. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group that is tryingContinue Reading