Asia
South 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...
North 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...
Read moreJapan, U.K., and Italy to Build Joint Jet Fighter in Significant Defense Step
Japan, the U.K., and Italy are collaborating to build their next-generation jet fighters, in a ground-breaking partnership encompassing Asia and Europe. This partnership...
Read moreIndia Plagued by Series of Cyberattacks in Recent Years
India has been plagued with a series of small- and large-scale cyberattacks in recent years. For instance, although five million people globally have...
Read moreNorth Korea to Convene a Rubber-stamp Parliament in Mid-January
The Parliament seldom gathers, and typically functions to assent to decisions that have already been made by the state’s ruling Workers’ Party....
Read moreU.S. to Support Taiwan’s Air Force With $428 Million in Spare Parts
The U.S. State Department has given the green light for the potential sale of $428 million in aircraft parts for Taiwan to enhance...
Read moreIndonesia Criminalizes LGBTQ+ Relationships and Extramarital Sex With New Law
Under the new law, people who have premarital or extramarital sex can expect up to a year in prison, and those who cohabit...
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