Asia

Beijing and Washington are “maintaining close communication” over a much-anticipated phase one trade deal, China’s commerce ministry said Thursday, reiterating that tariffs must be reduced as part of any agreement. Hopes had risen that the two sides were close to reaching a mini deal, but comments from President Trump and recent US legislation backing Hong Kong pro-democracy […]

China on Thursday denied posing a threat to other countries, insisting it is a “peaceful power” after NATO members signed a statement acknowledging the “challenges” posed by Beijing for the first time. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the alliance had to jointly tackle China’s growing military capabilities, which include missiles that […]

Global equities mostly retreated Tuesday after US President Donald Trump warned there was no deadline for doing a trade deal with China. The announcement added to trade uncertainty already stoked by Washington’s re-imposition of metal tariffs on Argentina and Brazil and threats of steep levies for French merchandise. In Britain for a NATO summit, Trump […]

A man and woman have been rescued after surviving two weeks in Australia’s arid outback on little more than vodka, groundwater and biscuits, but a third person is still missing, police said Tuesday. The three friends set out to explore the country’s vast sun-baked interior near Alice Springs on November 19 when their car became […]

An amazing moment was captured on video in Malaysian waters when a whale shark came up to a boat to seek help and thanked the fishermen for freeing it from a rope around its body. And it appears that it thanked the men with several swishes of its tail before diving back in the water. The incident […]

Malaysian officials on Monday slammed a tattoo exhibition held in the country as “porn” unsuitable for a Muslim-majority country after images of half-naked men and women went viral. The “Tattoo Malaysia Expo” in the capital Kuala Lumpur attracted people from all over the world, and photos circulating online showed many heavily-inked participants wearing few clothes […]

Pictures by Sam Yeh and Philip Fong. Video by Sean Chang by Amber Wang, with Yan Zhao in Hong Kong Protests that have paralysed Hong Kong for nearly six months are pushing residents to seek new lives abroad, with many turning to nearby democratic Taiwan to escape the uncertainty at home. Taiwan has long attracted […]

Hindus are seeking an apology from Hollywood singer-actress Selena Gomez and multinational sports brand Puma for ‘blatant cultural insensitivity’ in their recent advertising campaign. The advertisement shows Gomez standing-sitting-foot resting on books. Books commanded immense respect among Hindus who saw a reflection of goddess Sarasvati in the books. “It was highly insensitive by Gomez and […]

Officials from the European Commission say Vietnam is making great strides in the elimination of illegal fishing, thereby regaining trust in helping to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) activities. Vietnam’s solid implementation of the recommendations from the EU regarding IUU fishing has impressed the latter’s representative Director for the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs […]

by Fiachra GIBBONS Two Japanese restaurants have shot to the top of the La Liste ranking of best places to eat in the world, with a third one getting the second highest mark from the authoritative “guide of guides”. Yosuke Suga’s tiny Tokyo restaurant Sugalabo, which has only 20 tables, does not have a Michelin […]

The Taliban said Friday it was “way too early” to speak of resuming direct talks with Washington, a day after President Donald Trump suggested negotiations to end America’s longest war were back on track during a surprise visit to Afghanistan. “It is way too early to talk about the resumption of talks for now. We […]

by Jerome TAYLOR / Yan ZHAO Hong Kong police on Friday ended their two-week siege of a university campus that became a battleground with pro-democracy protesters as activists vowed to hold fresh rallies and strikes in the coming days. Renewed calls to hit the streets came after Beijing and city leader Carrie Lam refused further […]

On November 27, Wednesday, Chinese-owned social media video app TikTok admitted to an error in having blocked Feroza Aziz, a 17-year-old American who had posted content critical of China’s policies towards Muslims in Xinjiang. TikTok apologized to Ms Aziz, and pledged that access to her account would be restored. Furthermore, the company added that they […]

India’s debt-crippled national airline is focused solely on daily survival and keeping its flights in the air, a spokesman said Thursday, after the government warned it would have to shut down unless a buyer was found. Air India owes more than $8.6 billion and has struggled to pay salaries and buy fuel, with losses mounting […]

China on Thursday defended its security crackdown in Xinjiang after French and German leaders condemned its mass detention of religious minorities in the region. The French foreign ministry on Wednesday called on China to “put an end to mass arbitrary detentions” in Xinjiang. German chancellor Angela Merkel on the same day told lawmakers she backed […]