Asia

Pope Francis, in Muslim-majority Indonesia, warns against religious extremism

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged political leaders in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, to guard against religious extremism, which he said distorted people's religious beliefs through "deception and…

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Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia to begin ambitious Asia-Pacific tour

Pope Francis arrived on Tuesday in Indonesia, the first leg of an ambitious four-country Asia-Pacific tour in which he is expected to urge global action on climate change. The 87-year-old…

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China’s major public airlines report losses

China's leading state-owned airlines reported losses in the first half of the year, affected by a slower-than-expected recovery in international travel, an oversupply in the domestic market, and increased global…

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China decides not to impose tariffs on EU brandy

Beijing said on Thursday it would not impose provisional tariffs on brandy imported from the European Union despite finding it had been sold in China below market prices, giving both…

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China holds 2nd day of talks on Taiwan, fentanyl with top Biden aide

U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan started his second day of meetings with top Chinese officials in Beijing on Wednesday, aimed at quieting tensions between the two…

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Chinese military plane reportedly carries out first violation of Japanese airspace

Japan has condemned a reported violation of its airspace by a Chinese military aircraft as “utterly unacceptable” and a threat to its security. The incursion, described by Japanese media as…

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China’s military conducts armed patrols, joint police patrols near China-Myanmar border

China's military said on Monday it had organised army units and joint air-ground police patrols near the Myanmar border to maintain security and stability as fighting between Myanmar's ruling junta…

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Taliban laws ban women’s voices and bare faces in public

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have issued a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public under new laws to combat immoral behaviour and promote virtue. The laws were approved by…

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Schools, internet shut near Mumbai as protests grow against sexual abuse of minors

Internet services were cut off and schools were closed for a second straight day in a town near India's financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday, as protests over the alleged sexual…

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China’s probes on EU products following EV tariffs

China has opened an anti-subsidy probe into imported dairy products from the European Union, stepping up tension with the bloc a day after Brussels released its revised draft decision related…

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Thailand says mpox case recorded in traveller from Africa

Thailand has detected an mpox case in a European man who arrived from Africa last week and is awaiting test results to determine the strain, a disease control official said…

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A magnitude 5.3 earthquake rattles Pakistan and Kashmir

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook parts of Pakistan and the Himalayan region of Kashmir early Tuesday, panicking residents. There were no immediate reports of damage, officials said. The epicenter of…

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One case of clade 2 mpox detected in Pakistan

One case of the mpox virus has been detected in Pakistan of the clade 2 variety, the country's ministry of health said, adding that no cases of the clade 1b…

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North Korean soldier defects to the South

A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea early on Tuesday crossing the militarized border in the eastern part of the Korean peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South's…

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Protests spread over Indian doctor’s rape and murder

Some Indian junior doctors remained off the job on Sunday as they demanded swift justice for a colleague who was raped and murdered, despite the end of a strike called…

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South Korea, US kick off annual drills over North’s military, cyber threats

South Korea and the United States kicked off annual summertime military Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises on Monday, seeking to boost their joint readiness to fend off North Korea's weapons and…

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Philippines detects new mpox case

The Philippines has detected a new case of the mpox virus in the country, the first since December last year, its health department said on Monday. The case is a…

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Foreign airlines lose interest in China as domestic carriers expand abroad

Chinese airlines are gaining market share on international routes, industry data shows, as foreign rivals are deterred by weak China travel demand and rising costs and extended flight times because…

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Paetongtarn Shinawatra elected youngest Thai PM

Thailand's parliament elected political neophyte Paetongtarn Shinawatra as its youngest prime minister on Friday, only a day after she was thrust into the spotlight amid an unrelenting power struggle between…

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North Korea’s Kim and Russia’s Putin vow deeper ties on Korean liberation day

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed a pledge to deepen cooperation with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Putin as Pyongyang marked an anniversary of independence from Japan's…

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Japan PM Kishida to step down as scandals prove too much

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will step down in September, ending a three-year term marred by political scandals and paving the way for a new premier to address…

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UPDATED:Magnitude-5.3 earthquake hits Tokyo after Japan issued megaquake advisory

A magnitude-5.3 earthquake hit Tokyo and eastern parts of Japan on Friday evening, the government said, a day after it issued the first-ever advisory about the risk of a huge…

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Sheikh Hasina to return to Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will return to her country when its new caretaker government decides to hold elections, her son said, but it was not clear if she…

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Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s other female PM, to be freed after Hasina’s ouster

Days ahead of her 79th birthday, Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is set to get a welcome gift: release from house arrest after anti-government protests ousted her bitter…

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Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigns

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday and fled the country, as more people were killed in some of the worst violence since the birth of the South Asian…

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China records hottest month in recent history

China had its hottest month in observed modern history in July, Chinese state media reported, mirroring record hot weather seen around the world last month. Temperatures averaged 23.21 degrees Celsius…

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North Korea wants to restart nuclear talks if Trump wins

North Korea wants to reopen nuclear talks with the United States if Donald Trump is re-elected as president and is working to devise a new negotiating strategy, a senior North…

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At least two dead in India’s capital, schools shut after heavy rain

At least two people were killed after heavy rain in India's capital Delhi led to water logging, and schools were shut on Thursday after prediction of more rain, authorities said.…

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U.S. upgrades military command in Japan, warns of China threats

The United States announced plans for a major revamp of its military command in Japan to deepen coordination with its ally's forces, as the two countries labelled China the "greatest…

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Philippines bans online casinos linked to scam centres

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered the shutdown of a sprawling network of online casinos that have been linked to a slew of criminal activities. Known locally as Pogos,…

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Russia allies North Korea, Belarus keen to boost ties, KCNA says

North Korea is keen to boost ties with Belarus to "open a new era", state media KCNA quoted Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui as saying on Wednesday, a day after…

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Taiwan starts annual war games

Taiwan started its annual Han Kuang war games on Monday, which this year aim to be as close as possible to actual combat with no script and simulating how to…

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China pledges industrial modernisation, raft of other reforms

Chinese leaders pledged this week to modernise the country's industrial complex, expand domestic demand, curb debt and property sector risks, as well as implement financial and fiscal reforms, state media…

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Vietnam’s most powerful leader, Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, dies

Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party and the country’s most powerful politician, has died following months of ill health, official media said Friday. He was 80.…

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Taiwan must rely on itself for defence, foreign minister responds to Trump

Taiwan must rely on itself for defence and is likely to keep increasing spending and modernising its military given the threat it faces from China, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said…

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North Korea leader Kim discusses military cooperation with Russian official

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received Russian vice minister of defence Aleksey Krivoruchko and discussed the importance of the two countries' militaries to unite more firmly to defend world…

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Communications widely disrupted in Bangladesh as student protests spike

Telecommunications were widely disrupted in Bangladesh on Friday amid violent student protests against quotas for government jobs in which nearly two dozen people have been killed this week. French news…

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UPDATED: Thai police say cyanide killed 6 foreigners in Bangkok hotel, including suspect

Cyanide poisoning was likely the cause of the deaths of six foreigners whose bodies were found in a room in a plush Bangkok hotel, with the suspected killer among the…

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Trump says Taiwan should pay for defence

Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence as it does not give the country anything, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said, sending shares of Taiwanese chip manufacturer…

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Surge of Chinese warplanes fly near Taiwan

Taiwan reported closely monitoring the Chinese military, citing an increasing regional threat, after a surge of warplanes flew near the island to join exercises with China's Shandong aircraft carrier in…

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The few can beat the many, Taiwan president says ahead of annual war games

There are many examples in history of smaller militaries beating larger opponents, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told air force officers in comments released on Tuesday, offering encouragement ahead of annual…

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South Korea’s Yoon to discuss Pyongyang’s ‘distinct threat’ to Europe at NATO

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he would discuss with NATO leaders the distinct threat North Korea poses to Europe by deepening military ties with Russia, warning that Moscow…

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Hungary’s Orban arrives in China on Ukraine peace mission

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Beijing on Monday after talks on a potential Ukrainian peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that angered some EU leaders. Orban, whose…

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China unveils next steps in EU brandy probe as EV tariffs take effect

China announced the next step in its anti-dumping investigation into European brandy imports on Friday, ramping up tensions on the same day the European Commission's provisional tariffs on Chinese-made electric…

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Taiwan reports more Chinese military activity

Taiwan on Friday reported renewed Chinese military activity nearby with another "combat patrol" as the government called on Beijing not to escalate tensions after the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing…

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China’s Xi greets EU Council president ahead of EV tariffs taking effect

China's President Xi Jinping made a congratulatory call on Thursday to incoming European Council President Antonio Costa, Chinese state media said, a few hours before European Commission curbs on Chinese…

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Japan imposes new fees on Mount Fuji climbers to limit tourists

Park rangers on Japan's sacred Mount Fuji officially started this year's climbing season about 90 minutes before sunrise on Monday, levying new trail fees and limiting hiker numbers to curb…

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Number of days over 35 C surges in world’s scorching capitals

The number of days reaching a sizzling 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) in 20 of the world's largest capitals - from Delhi to Jakarta to Buenos Aires - has risen…

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Taiwan warns against travel to China

Taiwan's government raised its travel warning for China on Thursday, telling its citizens not to go unless absolutely necessary, following a threat from Beijing last week to execute those deemed…

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Taiwan reports Chinese ‘combat patrol’

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Wednesday that China had carried out another "joint combat readiness patrol" near the island, as Beijing said it would track down and punish "diehard" independence…

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China’s Chang’e-6 Mission Makes History with Lunar Sample Return

China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe landed on Tuesday in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, making the country the first to bring back samples from the moon's far side. The…

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Democracy is not a crime, autocracy is the real “evil” says Taiwan president

Democracy is not a crime and autocracy is the real "evil", Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Monday after China threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for…

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Indians get hooked on 10-minute grocery apps, squeezing small retailers

In a middle-class suburb of Mumbai, workers at SoftBank-backed Swiggy's grocery warehouse race against time to deliver orders within 10 minutes. Their speed is tracked by the seconds on a…

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US, China resume nuclear talks after five years

The United States and China resumed semi-official nuclear arms talks in March for the first time in five years, with Beijing's representatives telling U.S. counterparts that they would not resort…

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Russian President Putin in Vietnam for state visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam early on Thursday for talks with the country's Communist leaders on the final stop of his two-nation tour of Asia after concluding a…

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North Korea, Russia sign pact to give all available military help if other is attacked

North Korea and Russia agreed to provide immediate military assistance if the other side faced armed aggression, under a pact their leaders signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit…

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A deadly heatwave in India claims more lives

A severe heatwave sweeping India has killed at least five people this week in the capital, New Delhi, the Times of India newspaper said on Wednesday, following the hottest night…

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