Asia
North Korea Confirms Important Test to Build Spy Satellite
SINGAPORE — North Korea’s state media KCNA reported on December 19 that the hermit state has conducted an “important, final-phase” test for the...
New Claims of Hitler-Modi Link Incite Dispute Between India and Pakistan
SINGAPORE — Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that a Hindu group associated with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been inspired...
Read moreXi’s Crackdown and Covid Fatigue Drive Chinese Billionaires to Singapore
SINGAPORE — A new wave of Chinese immigration and investment has recently arrived in Singapore, which is becoming a major draw for the...
Read moreJapan Labels China an “Unprecedented Challenge” in Policy Shift
SINGAPORE — Japan’s new national security policy has labeled China as an “unprecedented strategic challenge,” replacing a direction that emphasized possible cooperation, a...
Read moreIndonesia Struggles to Build Military That Can Counter China
SINGAPORE — Indonesia is struggling to expand its declining military despite a spending splurge to counter threats arising from a long-standing territorial dispute...
Read moreSouth Korea Becoming Key Asian Arms Exporter
SINGAPORE — In November 2022, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged to enhance weapons exports and secure trailblazing defense technologies as he strives...
Read moreNorth Korea Claims It Tested “High-thrust Solid-fuel Motor” at Satellite Launch Site
SINGAPORE — North Korea has tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor,” state media claimed on December 16, as the communist hermit state aims to...
Read moreSri Lanka Won’t Get IMF Bailout by Year End
SINGAPORE — The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not expected to formally authorize Sri Lanka’s planned US$2.9 billion bailout...
Read moreJapan Expanding Military Presence in Okinawa to Counter China
SINGAPORE — Japan is planning to expand an Okinawa-based ground force unit to protect remote southwestern islands and prepare for a Taiwan-linked military...
Read moreG7 Nations Agree to Give Vietnam $15.5 Billion in “Loans” to Cut Coal Use
On Wednesday, the G7 nations announced that they are giving loans and grants totaling $15.5 billion to Vietnam in order to assist the...
Read moreTaiwan Braces Itself for Chinese Reprisals
SINGAPORE — In the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, observers have noted that it has...
Read moreISIS-linked Group Assumes Responsibility for Kabul Hotel Attack Targeting Chinese
An Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) branch claimed responsibility for an attack on Monday at a Kabul hotel popular among Chinese...
Read moreIndian Army: Indian and Chinese Troops Injured in Border Clash
SINGAPORE — Last Friday, Indian and Chinese troops sustained mild injuries in a clash in the Tawang area of India’s Arunachal Pradesh state,...
Read moreProtests Erupt in Bangladesh Amid Fears of a “Sri Lanka-style” Economic Crisis
SINGAPORE — Tens of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh’s main opposition party gathered in Dhaka on December 10, ahead of elections in 2023,...
Read moreTaiwan Considers Banning TikTok, Citing Security Concerns
SINGAPORE — Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) will organize inter-ministerial discussions in December to ascertain whether a nationwide ban should be enforced...
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