On frontline island, Taiwan president rejects China’s rule for freedom

Taiwan wants to continue its free way of life and rejects being ruled by China’s Communist Party, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Friday, visiting a frontline island between the two sides to mark a key battle with Chinese forces.

China’s economy struggles: Consumer confidence at 30-year low - Reports

The world’s second-largest economy is in significant trouble. Bloomberg reported on August 14 that “China’s economy is plodding along in the absence of a consumption spark.” This concern was confirmed the following day when China’s National Bureau of Statistics released its monthly data.

Bangladeshi cricket star Shakib Al Hasan named in murder case

Bangladeshi cricket star and ousted lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan has landed in big trouble as a murder case has been filed against him in Dhaka, according to local media reports.

Shooting on school van in Attock kills 2 children, injures 5

Two girls were killed while five children and a man were injured when unknown men opened fire at a school van in Attock District’s Dheri Kot area on Thursday, police and rescue officials said.

Experts suspect Chinese hand behind Finland-Estonia gas pipeline damage

Western officials and analysts are suspicious about the involvement of a Chinese container ship in damaging the Balticconnector Gas Pipeline, a vital Baltic Sea gas pipeline linking Estonia and Finland, reported Voice of America (VOA).

China youth unemployment jumps to 17.1% in July

Youth unemployment in China ticked up to 17.1 % in July, official figures showed, the highest level this year as the world’s second-largest economy faces mounting headwinds.

British entrepreneur Mike Lynch among missing after luxury yacht sinks off Sicily

One man died and six people were missing, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, after a luxury yacht was struck by an unexpectedly violent storm and sank off Sicily early on Monday.

US lawmaker demands deep probe into China-produced tech products in US

US lawmaker and Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP) in a letter to US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, has called for an investigation into Chinese wi-fi routers available in the US.

Flights cancelled in Japan after scissors go missing

Thirty-six flights were cancelled and 201 were delayed at a Japanese airport on the weekend after a pair of scissors went missing in a store near the boarding gates.

NATO steps up naval presence in Western Pacific to counter China

NATO is bolstering its presence in the Western Pacific by sending warships to more places, a move that risks stoking tensions with China, which is worried about the alliance’s growing influence in the region.

Sri Lankan among passengers as luxury yacht sinks off Sicily Coast

A Sri Lankan national was among the passengers aboard a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning, according to reports.

IMF’s Gita Gopinath says India could become 3rd largest economy by 2027

The Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr Gita Gopinath, has said that she is hopeful of India becoming the third-largest economy by 2027.

2 policemen among 5 injured in Peshawar IED blast: official

Five people, including two policemen, were injured in a Friday morning blast in Peshawar, according to a police official.

French film giant Alain Delon dies aged 88

French film legend Alain Delon has died at the age of 88. The actor was a star of the golden era of French cinema, known for his tough-guy persona on screen in hits including The Samurai and Borsalino.

Chinese jets fire flares on Philippines patrol plane, Manila protests

The Philippine government has lodged a diplomatic protest with China following a dangerous encounter in which Chinese jets flew perilously close to a Philippine air force patrol plane and fired flares in its path over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Quake of magnitude 7.2 hits off coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region at a depth of 51 km (32 miles), the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Saturday.

Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrated in planned new capital

Indonesia has celebrated Independence Day in its future new capital city Nusantara for the first time - with scaled-back festivities as construction continues.

Ukraine incursion destroys key Russian bridge

Ukraine has destroyed a strategically important bridge over the river Seym, as it continues its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

China’s policy u-turn on private education reveals failures in ‘Common Prosperity’ goals

China’s recent reversal on its private education policy reveals significant flaws in its “Common Prosperity” agenda. Last week, the government overturned a July 2021 ruling that banned private schools and tuition centers, which had led to the collapse of the $100 billion education sector. Many institutions and tutoring companies had closed following the 2021 clampdown.

India set to open first lithium mines in Chhattisgarh

India will open its first lithium mines in the Katghora region of Korba district, Chhattisgarh, following the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) confirmation of substantial lithium deposits, ToI reportd.

Philippines investigates allegations of Chinese journalist acting as state agent

Authorities in the Philippines are investigating claims that a Manila-based foreign journalist could be a Chinese agent, an allegation that analysts say reflects an ongoing campaign targeting the Southeast Asian country through covert operations.

Hong Kong court rejects Jimmy Lai appeal against conviction over 2019 pro-democracy protest

Hong Kong’s top court on Monday unanimously dismissed the bid to overturn the convictions of media mogul Jimmy Lai and six other pro-democracy campaigners for an unauthorised assembly in 2019.

India, Maldives renew MoU to train 1,000 civil service officers

India and Maldives have renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide capacity-building training to 1,000 Maldivian civil servants between 2024 and 2029, as announced during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Male from August 9-11.

Japan set for new PM as Kishida bows out as party leader

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not seek re-election as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which he says needs a ’’new start’’.

Shah Rukh Khan ’pushes old man’ at Locarno film festival red carpet

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has added a new feather in his cap. On Saturday, SRK became the first Indian to receive the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera award at the Locarno Film Festival.

Philippines, Vietnam hold first joint drills amid escalating tensions in South China Sea

Amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea, the coast guards of the Philippines and Vietnamese conducted their first joint drills in firefighting, rescue, and medical response in Manila Bay, off the west coast of Luzon, the Philippines’ main island, leading into the South China Sea, Voice of America reported.

India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives

India and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the Unified Payments Interface in the archipelago nation, which will have a ’’very positive’’ impact on its tourism sector, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar’s three-day official visit to the Maldives.

India’s forex reserves touch fresh high of $675 billion, rose over $50 billion so far in 2024

New Delhi: India’s foreign exchange reserves have yet again touched their all-time high.

U.S. Navy strengthens presence in South China Sea: Deploys advanced submarine to counter China

In a strategic move to reinforce its presence in the Western Pacific, the U.S. Navy is set to deploy the advanced Virginia-class submarine USS Minnesota to Guam at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1.

Bangladesh chief justice & central bank chief resign amid student protests

Bangladesh‘s chief justice and central bank governor have resigned, officials said on Saturday, as student protests that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee have widened to target more officials appointed during her time in office.