CDE News

Binance removes Singapore products on main platform after regulator’s warning

Embattled Binance, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, said it will restrict its services in Singapore days after the city state's central bank said it should stop offering payment…

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UPDATED: Taliban claim complete control of Afghan province of Panjshir

The Taliban claimed victory on Monday over opposition forces in the Panjshir valley northeast of Kabul, completing their takeover of the country following the stunning capture of Kabul last month…

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Photo Story: Afghan airports reopen for domestic travel

Passengers arrive to board a Boeing 737-4Y0 of Ariana Afghan Airlines for a domestic flight, after flight operations resumed across Afghanistan, at Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan,…

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Taiwan scrambles jets against renewed Chinese military activity

Taiwan's air force scrambled on Sunday against renewed Chinese military activity, with its defence ministry reporting that 19 aircraft including nuclear-capable bombers had flown into Taiwan's air defence identification zone.…

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India reports 42,766 new coronavirus cases

India reported 42,766 new coronavirus infections overnight, the federal health ministry said on Sunday, taking its tally to 32.9 million cases. The death toll rose by 308 to 440,533, data…

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Photo Story: 24th death anniversary of Mother Teresa in Kolkata

A visitor offers a kiss to a picture poster of Mother Teresa at Mother House on Mother Teresa's 24th death anniversary in Kolkata, eastern India, 05 September 2021, amid the…

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Taliban and opposition forces battle for control of Panjshir Valley

Taliban and opposition forces battled on Saturday to control the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, the last Afghan province holding out against the militant group, as the top U.S. general…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macau bridge, China

The Hong Kong Link Road of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, (HZMB) spans over the South China Sea in Hong Kong, China. The HZMB is 55-kilometre long and consists of a…

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Japan PM Suga to back vaccine minister Kono in LDP leadership race – media

TOKYO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga intends to back the popular minister in charge of Japan's vaccination rollout, Taro Kono, for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's…

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Thai PM survives no confidence vote as more anti-government protests planned

BANGKOK, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and five cabinet ministers comfortably survived a vote of no confidence in parliament on Saturday as activists planned more protests…

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Taliban sources say last Afghan holdout region falls; resistance denies claim

Sept 3 (Reuters) - Three Taliban sources said the Islamist militia had on Friday seized the Panjshir valley north of Kabul, the last province of Afghanistan holding out against it,…

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Fall of Japan PM Suga triggered by criticism over pandemic, failure to communicate

When Yoshihide Suga took over as Japan's prime minister last year, hopes were high that skills honed over years as a keen backroom operator, and a common touch from his…

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Evacuated Afghans, hoping to resettle in U.S., face extended limbo in third countries

In mid-August, Ahmad got an urgent call from his nephew, Zia, telling him to come immediately to Kabul airport to try to get on an evacuation flight. Members of the…

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North Korea’s Kim calls for preventing natural disasters and COVID-19 outbreaks

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged efforts to prevent natural disasters or coronavirus outbreaks from damaging the economy as he convened a meeting of the ruling party's politburo, state…

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Taliban sources say Mullah Baradar to lead new Afghanistan government; Rebels hold out in Afghan valley

Mullah Baradar, the head of the Taliban's political office, will lead the new government in Afghanistan, at least three sources in the Islamist group said on Friday. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob,…

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Japan PM Suga to drop out of party election, setting stage for new prime minister

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will pull out of a party leadership race in September, officials said, setting the stage for his replacement after just one year in office. Suga,…

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India reports biggest Covid rise in two months

India reported the biggest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases in two months on Thursday, as the government worries about the virus spreading from the most-affected Kerala state, schools reopening, and…

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Taliban preparing to reveal new Afghan government amid economic turmoil

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers were preparing on Thursday to unveil their new government as the economy teetered on the edge of collapse more than two weeks after the Islamist militia captured…

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EU says it will not rush into recognising the Taliban

The European Union will need to engage with the Taliban but it will not rush into formally recognising the Islamist militant group as the new rulers of Afghanistan, a senior…

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Vaccinated Singapore eases into reopening as other nations watch for lessons

Ronney Ng, who sells souvenirs in Singapore's Chinatown, can hardly wait for the country to reopen its borders now that 80% of its population has been inoculated against COVID-19 -…

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Hair cuts and dining in as Thai malls reopen after virus cases ease

Thailand allowed shopping malls in the capital Bangkok to reopen on Wednesday and restaurants to operate at half capacity, after nearly three months of tough restrictions aimed at containing the…

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Warnings as Southeast Asia’s biggest economies ease COVID-19 curbs

As Indonesia and Thailand start to ease COVID-19 curbs after seeing case numbers fall, health experts say cases of new infections could rise again with vaccination rates still low. After…

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With airport closed, fearful Afghans scramble for the border

Crowds seeking to flee Afghanistan gathered on its borders while long queues formed at banks on Wednesday, as an administrative vacuum after the Taliban's takeover left foreign donors unsure how…

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Taiwan says China threat worsening

China’s armed forces can “paralyse” Taiwan’s defences and are able to fully monitor its deployments, the island’s defence ministry said, offering a stark assessment of the rising threat posed by…

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Biden says Afghanistan exit marks the end of U.S nation-building

Facing sharp criticism over the tumultuous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden said it was the best available option to end both the United States' longest war and decades…

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Japan finds another Moderna vial suspected to contain foreign substance

Japan's Kanagawa prefecture said it has found another vial of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine suspected of containing a foreign substance and has put the rest of the lot on hold.…

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Out of Afghanistan: Joe Biden and the future of America’s foreign policy

President Joe Biden’s decision to press ahead with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has prompted the first major foreign policy crisis of his presidency. The harrowing pictures after the bombing…

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Hong Kong’s strict quarantine rules threaten to erodes allure of financial hub

Hong Kong's government is facing growing pressure from business lobby groups to open borders or risk losing executives and investment as it shows no sign of easing one of the world's strictest…

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China shuts American Chamber of Commerce in Chengdu, organisation says

Chinese authorities have instructed an American Chamber of Commerce in the southwestern city of Chengdu to cease operations, officials with the organisation said on Tuesday. The chamber notified members on…

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U.S. climate envoy Kerry visits Japan, China for talks on emissions

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry arrived in Tokyo for talks on Tuesday with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on cooperation on carbon emissions and cutting support for fossil fuels, especially coal, before…

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Britain denies pushing to leave Kabul airport gate open before blast

Britain co-ordinated closely with the United States and did not push to keep a gate open at Kabul airport where a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and scores of Afghan civilians, British…

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China culture crackdown a sign of ‘profound’ political change

China's crackdown on celebrity culture and its moves to rein in giant internet firms are a sign of "profound" political changes under way in the country, a prominent blogger said in a…

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Taliban celebrate ‘complete independence’ as last U.S. troops leave Afghanistan

Celebratory gunfire echoed across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport before dawn on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops, ending 20 years of war that left…

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U.S. completes troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The United States on Monday said it had completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan in a chaotic airlift nearly 20 years after it…

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UPDATE – Rockets target US troops as core diplomats fly out of Kabul

Aug 30 (Reuters) - U.S. anti-missile defences intercepted rockets fired at Kabul's airport on Monday as the United States flew its core diplomats out of Afghanistan in the final hours…

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Islamic State attack signals West’s least bad option for Afghanistan: the Taliban

The deadly attack on Kabul airport has underlined the realpolitik facing Western powers in Afghanistan: engaging with the Taliban may be their best chance to prevent the country sliding into…

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South Korean lawmakers to vote on cameras in operating rooms after surgery deaths

South Korean lawmakers will vote as early as Monday on whether to require hospitals to place surveillance cameras in operating rooms after a series of medical accidents involving unqualified staff…

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Philippines reports record 22,366 new COVID-19 cases

The Philippines reported 22,366 new coronavirus cases on Monday, its largest daily increase, bringing the Southeast Asian country's total confirmed infections to 1.976 million. In a bulletin, the Department of…

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China cuts amount of time minors can spend on online games

Chinese regulators on Monday slashed the amount of time players under the age of 18 can spend on online games to an hour of gameplay on Fridays, weekends and holidays,…

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What we know about Japan’s contaminated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine supplies

Japan's COVID-19 vaccination push has been dealt a blow by widening reports of contamination in supplies of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine. Here are some key points in the issue so…

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Afghan commandos could fight for British Army like Gurkhas

Afghan special forces personnel could become a new regiment of the Army akin to the Gurkhas under proposals put forward to ministers, The Telegraph reported. Hundreds of commandos from Afghanistan…

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UPDATED: Rockets fired at Kabul airport, Islamic State takes responsibility

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Kabul airport on Monday, the group's Nasher News said on its Telegram channel. "By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers…

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“Far greater humanitarian crisis” looms in Afghanistan – UNHCR

As evacuations from Kabul wind down in coming days, "a larger crisis is just beginning" in Afghanistan and for its 39 million people, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on…

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Japan PM Suga’s ratings hit record lows as party leader race looms

Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hit record lows, polls for two major newspapers showed on Monday, turning up the heat on the unpopular premier less than a…

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FATF urges Japan to boost fight against money-laundering

A global financial crimes watchdog urged Japan on Monday to improve cooperation between different government agencies as part of efforts to combat money-laundering and the financing of terrorism. Responding to…

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Around 500 Russian troops in drills near Afghanistan

Around 500 Russian motorised infantry troops are carrying out drills in the mountains of Tajikistan against the backdrop of instability in neighbouring Afghanistan, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying…

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EU says Afghanistan shows need for rapid-reaction force

EU governments must push ahead with a European rapid reaction force to be better prepared for future crises such as in Afghanistan, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.…

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UPDATED: EU to seek to stop mass Afghanistan migration flows, draft statement says

European Union states are determined to prevent uncontrolled migration from Afghanistan following the takeover of the country by the Taliban, a draft statement prepared for a meeting on Tuesday says.…

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UPDATED: U.S. says North Korea nuclear report shows “urgent need for dialogue” -official

A U.N. watchdog report that North Korea appears to have restarted a nuclear reactor reflects an urgent need for dialogue and the United States is seeking to address the issue…

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India’s COVID vaccine supply jumps, raising export hopes

India's rising output of COVID-19 vaccines and the inoculation of more than half its adult population with at least one dose are raising hopes the country will return as an…

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Japan’s Moderna vaccine contamination woes widen as 1 mln more shots withdrawn

Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine contamination woes in Japan have widened with another million doses being suspended, after foreign substances were found in more batches and two people died following shots…

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Malaysian PM in quarantine after contact with COVID-19 patient

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is under quarantine following a close contact with a COVID-19 patient, his office said in a statement on Monday. His office did not say…

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U.S. drone strike destroys Islamic State car bomb in Kabul, officials say

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - American forces launched a drone strike in Kabul on Sunday that killed a suicide car bomber suspected of preparing to attack the airport, U.S. officials…

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Macron says France, Britain to propose Kabul safe zone

PARIS (Reuters) - France and Britain will submit a resolution to an emergency United Nations meeting due Monday on Afghanistan proposing a safe zone in Kabul to try and protect…

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Biden promises further strikes against ISIS-K

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday promised further strikes against the Islamic State in Afghanistan in retaliation for a deadly bombing outside Kabul airport and warned that…

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Taliban prepare to set up new Afghan government as U.S. evacuation nears end

Aug 28 (Reuters) - The Taliban said on Saturday they would announce a new government for Afghanistan in the coming week and expected the economic turbulence and sharp currency falls…

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UK and Germany seek common G7 approach on Taliban

LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the situation in Afghanistan on Saturday and agreed on the need for international aid and a common…

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