Asia

The two Asian neighbours, engaged in an intense border standoff since 2020, have reached an agreement on the Gogra Post. The breakthrough came during the 12th military commander-level talks on 31 July. In a joint press statement, the two countries agreed to pull back troops from other friction points to …

The Japanese city of Hiroshima has marked the 76th anniversary of the first atomic bombing by the US that killed over 140,000 people, as its mayor called world leaders to join efforts for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. “Nuclear weapons, developed to win wars, are a threat of total …

The Taliban shot and killed the director of Afghanistan’s Government Information Media Center on Friday, the latest killing in a series of attacks on journalists and rights activists in recent months. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told The Associated Press that the groups’ fighters had killed Dawa Khan Menapal, who ran …

Taliban fighters on Friday intensified clashes with Afghan forces and targeted militias allied with the government, officials said, stretching their dominance of border towns and closing in on two provincial capitals as foreign forces leave. At least 10 Afghan soldiers and a commander of armed members belonging to the Abdul …

Leaders of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s political party have endorsed him to be a vice-presidential candidate in next year’s elections, paving the way for him to stay in power for six more years after he steps down in 2022. The move needs to be approved by the party general assembly, …

The Taliban have switched strategy from targeting rural areas of Afghanistan to attacking provincial cities in response to increased US airstrikes across the war-ravaged country, militant sources say. Some media outlets quoting Taliban commanders said on Thursday that they were focused on capturing the western city of Herat, Lashkar Gah, …

Indonesia’s foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, has announced a “new era of bilateral relations” with the US, as the two countries host a joint training exercise involving more than 3,000 soldiers. Announcing an improved partnership between the two nations on Thursday, Marsudi praised America for increasing its support in the Indo-Pacific …

A Myanmar militia force fighting the army in a central part of the country and residents have found at least 40 bodies in jungle areas in recent weeks, including some showing signs of torture, a militia member and media reports said. Since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung …

The possible sale, which has not been finalised, has again angered China as the US seeks deeper ties with Taiwan. The United States has approved the potential sale of howitzer artillery systems to Taiwan in a deal valued at up to $750m, the Pentagon has announced, prompting condemnation by China. …

India has tightened security in Kashmir on the second anniversary of New Delhi’s imposition of direct rule on the disputed region and local groups are calling for a shutdown to mark a “black day.” Hundreds of extra police and troops were deployed in Srinagar, the main city in the Indian-administered …

Myanmar’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Kyaw Moe Tun, who has refused to leave his post despite being fired after a coup in February, has revealed a purported massacre by the military regime. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said that …

Pakistan deployed paramilitary forces in a central town on Thursday to check communal unrest after a group ransacked and set fire to a Hindu temple. Ahmad Nawaz, a spokesperson for the Rahimyar Khan district police, told Reuters that the people attacked the temple in the town of Bhong after reports …

South Korea has detected its first two cases of the new Delta Plus COVID-19 variant, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Tuesday, as the country battles with its fourth wave of infections. The Delta Plus variant is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant first identified in …

Authorities have arrested a man after he attempted to swim from Malaysia to Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca, according to multiple media reports. The 28-year-old reportedly jumped into the sea near Tanjung City Marina and was later found floating in the water after police received calls reporting the incident. …

The team said that if this method succeeds commercially, the country will have an environmentally friendly fuel that could possibly replace petroleum, diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG). The scientists also want to develop an indigenous magneto-electrolytic hydrogen generator. Scientists from India’s leading research facility, the Indian Institutes of Technology-Bombay, …

India has deployed warships to the South China Sea in what New Delhi proclaims to be a bid to expand security ties with “friendly countries” and in an apparent move to join and play a bigger role in a US-led scheme to counter China near Chinese territorial waters. According to …

Several lightning bolts hit a Bangladesh wedding party within a few seconds Wednesday, killing 16 people and injuring the groom, officials said. The group had just left a boat at the riverside town of Shibganj to take shelter from the thunderstorm when the lightning struck, a government administrator for the …

Turkey has slammed as “irresponsible” a US-declared program to offer potential resettlement to Afghans who served American occupation forces or worked for US-based organizations through third countries, including Turkey, insisting that the move would generate a “great migration crisis” in the region. “The US Department of State statement said on …

The Taliban claimed responsibility on Wednesday for a car bomb attack on the residence of Afghanistan’s acting defence minister, while a blast near the office of the main security agency in Kabul just hours later wounded three people. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the group targeted the residence on Tuesday …

North Korea wants international sanctions banning its metal exports and imports of refined fuel and other necessities lifted before it restarts denuclearization talks with the United States, South Korean lawmakers said on Tuesday. Pyongyang has also demanded the easing of sanctions on imports of luxury goods, including fine liquors and …