WASHINGTON: On Wednesday, August 2, senior US and Chinese national surveillance officers had a unique high-level conversation with an official from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the Pentagon. According to a Pentagon spokesman, Assistant Secretary Ratner and Director Yang talked about local security concerns as well as US-PRCContinue Reading
WASHINGTON: The United States has formally invited China’s newly reappointed foreign minister, Wang Yi, to Washington, the US State Department said on Tuesday (Aug 1), after Wang’s predecessor was abruptly removed from his post by Beijing. China reappointed veteran diplomat Wang last week, replacing former rising star Qin Gang, whoContinue Reading
BRISBANE: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday (Jul 28) said that the United States believes Russia’s defence minister is in North Korea to secure supplies of weapons to aid the stalled invasion of Ukraine. Following Sergei Shoigu’s arrival on a rare trip to Pyongyang, Blinken said that Russia isContinue Reading
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland on Aug 18, the White House said on Friday (Jul 28). “The three leaders will discuss expanding trilateral cooperation across the Indo-PacificContinue Reading
WASHINGTON: China is helping Russia evade Western sanctions and likely providing Moscow with military and dual-use technology for use in Ukraine, according to an unclassified US intelligence report released on Thursday (Jul 27). The assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was published by the USContinue Reading
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