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Asean strongly condemns 'heinous terrorist attack' in Philippines
on December 8, 2023 at 5:41 am
MANILA — The Southeast Asian bloc Asean on Friday (Dec 7) strongly condemned what it called a "heinous terrorist attack" in the southern Philippines at the weekend in which four people were killed in a bombing at a Catholic Mass. The bomb went off on Sunday during a service at a university gymnasium […]
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Thailand, Myanmar to form aid task force as border unrest intensifies
on December 8, 2023 at 5:30 am
Thailand and conflict-torn Myanmar will create a task force to boost humanitarian assistance to people displaced by fighting and could expand that to include other aid agencies, Thailand's foreign ministry said on Friday (Dec 8). Thailand hopes the plan will lead to constructive engagement between military-ruled […]
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Taiwan spots Chinese balloon in strait month before election
on December 8, 2023 at 2:31 am
TAIPEI — Taiwan's defence ministry said on Friday (Dec 8) that a Chinese balloon had crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Thursday, about a month before Taiwan's presidential election. "Our initial understanding is that it was a sounding balloon," Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters […]
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Taiwan reports rare nighttime Chinese military activity nearby
on December 8, 2023 at 2:16 am
TAIPEI — Taiwan reported rare nighttime Chinese military activity around the island on Thursday (Dec 7), including aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing continues such missions ahead of Taiwan's January election. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as […]
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Indonesia eyes visa waivers for 20 countries, including US, China, India
on December 8, 2023 at 1:23 am
JAKARTA — Indonesia is considering granting visa-free entry to nationals of 20 countries, including the United States, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Germany, Britain and France, to boost its tourism and economy, its tourism minister said on Thursday (Dec 7). The government will finalise the […]
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Up to 600 North Korean defectors deported by China 'vanish': Rights group
on December 7, 2023 at 8:38 am
SEOUL — Up to 600 North Koreans have "vanished" after being forcibly deported by China in October, a Seoul-based human rights group said on Thursday (Dec 7), warning they may face imprisonment, torture, sexual violence and execution in the isolated state. The report by the Transitional Justice Working Group […]
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Fundraising scandal in Japan's ruling party turns heat on embattled PM Kishida
on December 7, 2023 at 8:08 am
TOKYO — Japan's ruling party faced mounting scrutiny on Thursday (Dec 7) amid reports that lawmakers will be investigated over fundraising — a scandal that threatens to further dent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's sinking popularity. Tokyo prosecutors will start investigating several dozen […]
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India PM Modi's Sikh separatist fight driven by security, politics
on December 7, 2023 at 7:08 am
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focused on combatting Sikh separatism, despite its scant support among the country's small religious minority, due to security and political concerns, officials and experts say. The movement for a Sikh homeland in northern India, crushed decades ago, has burst […]
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Soaring pollution in Pakistan's Lahore fills wards with sick children
on December 7, 2023 at 6:43 am
AsiaOne has launched EarthOne, a new section dedicated to environmental issues — because we love the planet and we believe science. Find articles like this there. LAHORE — In the packed paediatric emergency room of a Lahore public hospital, parents holding sick children lined up for […]
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Survivor of Indonesia's Marapi eruption says will never hike again
on December 7, 2023 at 6:41 am
PADANG PANJANG, Indonesia — Tita Cahyani is lucky to be alive. The 24-year-old first-time hiker was on her way down from the peak of Indonesia's Marapi volcano when it started to spew acrid smoke, rocks and ash in an eruption that ultimately killed 23 climbers. "I'm scared and I don't want to do it again," […]