Iran fumes as Britain seizes its oil tanker
(Bloomberg) - British special forces seized a supertanker off Gibraltar carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European and US sanctions against the war-torn country.
Iran responded by…
Trump in Danger of Repeating Obama’s Iran Mistake
(Bloomberg) - U.S. President Donald Trump, who seems obsessed with undoing his predecessor’s legacy, is in danger of repeating Barack Obama’s fundamental mistake on Iran: Making the confrontation…
China and Britain wage war of words over Hong Kong
(CNA) - China bluntly told Britain on Wednesday (Jul 3) to "refrain from further interference" and London summoned Beijing's ambassador for a dressing down in a rapidly-escalating diplomatic feud…
Indonesian police arrest suspected leader of group behind Bali bombing
(The Guardian) - Indonesian police say they have arrested the leader of Al Qaeda-linked extremist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which carried out the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200…
China has a new casino: the Philippines
(LA Times) - Gambling is illegal in China, but that didn’t prevent Fan Zheng from betting tens of thousands of dollars online. The 30-year-old store clerk from the island province of Hainan…
Trump takes 20 steps into North Korea, making history as first sitting US leader to enter hermit nation
(CNN) - President Donald Trump shook hands with Kim Jong Un on Sunday and took 20 steps into North Korea, making history as the first sitting US leader to set foot in the hermit kingdom.
Trump…
Violent clashes between Hong Kong protesters and police on July 1st
(SCMP) - A tense stand-off between anti-extradition bill protesters and police in riot gear led to several clashes early on July 1, 2019, as Hong Kong marked the former British colony’s 1997…
”Back on track”: China and US agree to restart trade talks
(The Sun) - The United States and China agreed on Saturday to restart trade talks and Washington will not levy new tariffs on Chinese exports, China’s foreign ministry said, raising hopes for the…
Thailand orders phone users in Muslim-majority south to submit photos of themselves
(CNA) - An order for mobile phone users in Thailand's restive south to submit a photo of themselves for facial recognition purposes is causing uproar from opponents who see it as further…
Singapore heading for recession next quarter
Singapore’s economy will probably experience a “shallow technical recession” in the third quarter as the global trade outlook worsens, according to Maybank Kim Eng Research.
(FMT) - The…
Iran says ‘idiotic’ new US sanctions shut doors of diplomacy
(AP) - Iran warned Tuesday that new U.S. sanctions targeting its supreme leader and other top officials meant “closing the doors of diplomacy” between Tehran and Washington amid heightened…
US-China trade war deal ‘90 per cent complete’
(SCMP) - US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a trade deal between China and the United States was 90 per cent completed, ahead of a high-stakes meeting between the two countries’ leaders at…
G20 summit explained: what is it and why is it important?
World leaders from 19 countries and the European Union will meet between June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan for the latest Group of 20 summit. Much of the talk leading up to the summit surrounded a meeting…
Former Miss Moscow reveals first official photos of marriage to former Malaysian king
(The Telegraph) - A former Miss Moscow who married the King of Malaysia has posted the first official photos of their wedding on social media, breaking the couple’s public silence six months after…
Erdogan’s party suffers historic defeat in Istanbul mayoral re-run
Turkey's opposition has dealt President Tayyip Erdogan a stinging blow by winning control of Istanbul in a re-run mayoral election, breaking his aura of invincibility and delivering a message from…
US ‘launched cyber-attack on Iran weapons systems’
(BBC) - The US launched a cyber-attack on Iranian weapons systems on Thursday as President Trump pulled out of air strikes on the country, US reports say.
The cyber-attack disabled computer…
US approves, then cancels, Iran strikes after drone shot down: report
(NST) - Donald Trump approved but then scrapped strikes against Iranian targets on Thursday, The New York Times reported, after Iran shot down a US drone in what the president termed a ‘big…
Indonesia: $70 Billion Toll-Road Plan Including A Bridge to Malaysia
(Bloomberg) - Indonesia President Joko Widodo is planning an unprecedented $70 billion splurge on toll roads to help connect the most strung-out country on the planet.
It’s almost the…
Attack on inter-faith harmony is greatest threat in the world today: King Abdullah of Jordan
(Yahoo) - The attack on inter-faith harmony by extremist views is the single most important threat in the world today, said King Abdullah II of Jordan on Thursday (20 June).
“I say ‘single…
Chinese President Xi Jinping gives North Korean leader Kim Jong-un his full support
(ST) - Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang for his state visit to North Korea on Thursday (June 20), Chinese state media reported.
He was accompanied by a clutch of senior…
Donald Trump launches 2020 re-election campaign
(CNA) - President Donald Trump formally launched his 2020 re-election campaign on Tuesday (Jun 18) by presenting himself as the same political insurgent who shook up the Washington establishment…
Boris Johnson advances on Britain’s top job
(Reuters) - Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson took a step closer to becoming Britain’s next prime minister on Tuesday, winning 40% of votes in the second round of a contest on a firm promise to…
China calls on US to stop ‘extreme pressure’ on Iran
(Reuters) - The Chinese government’s top diplomat warned on Tuesday that the world should not open a “Pandora’s Box” in the Middle East, as he denounced U.S. pressure on Iran and called on it not…
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam apologises, says she hears the people ‘loud and clear’ on extradition Bill
(CNA) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam apologised again on Tuesday (Jun 18) and said she had heard the people "loud and clear" after some of the most violent protests in the city against an…
Hong Kong tycoons start moving assets offshore as fears rise over new extradition
(CNA) - Some Hong Kong tycoons have started moving personal wealth offshore as concern deepens over a local government plan to allow extraditions of suspects to face trial in China for the first…
Tanker attacks: US footage shows ‘Iran removing unexploded mine’
(BBC) - The US has released footage showing what it says are Iranian forces removing an unexploded limpet mine from the side of a ship.
The Kokuka Courageous had been damaged in an attack…
Hong Kong shuts government offices due to mass protests
(ALJAZEERA) - The authorities in Hong Kong on Thursday closed government offices in the heart of the city after mass protests against a controversial extradition bill that would allow the…
Thai junta chief Prayut made PM in royal decree
(NST) - Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha formally became Thailand’s 29th prime minister Tuesday after a royal endorsement, completing a long transformation from soldier to civilian leader and vowing…
Move over, ‘Made in China’. It’s the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ era now
Soaring wages at home have seen many Chinese firms set up shop in Bangladesh, boosting its economic growth, expected at 8 per cent this year. But while there has been a backlash against Chinese…
Afraid of fake news, but unwilling to pay
Here is the good news about journalism - more people are worried about misinformation and so are turning to more reputable sources of information. But here's the bad news - they seem no more…