The Vatican and Vietnam have agreed to have a Resident Papal Representative in Hanoi, they said on Thursday (Jul 27), a step years in the making that could lead to full diplomatic relations with the communist-run country and provide a model for ties with China. The move, first reported byContinue Reading
KABUL: Shirin booked her bridal makeover weeks ago, but instead of relaxing as beauticians pampered her, everyone in the Kabul salon was on edge, ready to hide the bride should the police appear. Shirin was the last customer at a salon in Afghanistan’s capital, one of thousands across the countryContinue Reading
Most of the border between the two Koreas is heavily fortified. But at the JSA, the frontier is marked only by a low concrete divider and is relatively easy to cross, despite soldiers on both sides. The JSA has been closed to tourists since King’s border crossing, and it willContinue Reading
WASHINGTON: The United States said on Sunday (Jul 23) it was deeply concerned by reports of viral videos showing two women paraded naked in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, a sexual assault case that enraged the country. The assault, in which a mob allegedly raped and paraded the naked women,Continue Reading
MOSCOW: Russia and China have ended their joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan, the Russian defence ministry announced on Sunday (Jul 23), as the two allies seek to deepen their military ties. The two massive countries, which share a common desire to counter what they see as American hegemony,Continue Reading
Beijing-linked hackers accessed US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns’ email account in an espionage operation thought to have compromised at least hundreds of thousands of individual US government emails, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday (Jul 20). Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, was alsoContinue Reading
WASHINGTON: The United States fears an American soldier held by North Korea may be mistreated by Pyongyang, which has yet to respond to inquiries about his fate, officials said on Thursday (Jul 20). Private Second Class Travis King was due to return to the United States to face disciplinary consequences afterContinue Reading
AUCKLAND: New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday (Jul 17) that the Pacific region is becoming more contested, less predictable, and less secure as China becomes more assertive. “China’s rise and how it seeks to exert that influence is also a major driver of the increasing strategic competition,Continue Reading
CAPIRA, Panama: Police in Panama seized more than six tonnes of shark fins bound for Asia on Thursday (Jul 13), arresting five people in connection to the illegal trade, authorities said. The black-market shark fin trade is estimated to be worth US$500 million annually, and Panama last year spearheaded international effortsContinue Reading
SYDNEY: Solomon Islands said on Friday (Jul 14) that its policing pact with China posed no “threat” to the Pacific, rebuking Western powers who raised fears the deal could inflame regional tensions. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare inked a raft of deals during a trip to China this week, including anContinue Reading