Conflict

Japan’s PM promises to stay in power despite the humiliating defeat.

Japan’s PM promises to stay in power despite the humiliating defeat.

Japan's prime minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to continue ruling the country despite a bruising loss suffered by his party at the general election. The country now faces an uncertain political future as the coalition led by the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has lost its majority in parliament, its worst result in over a decade. Ishiba was sworn in as prime minister just this month after winning the leadership of his party. He had called a snap election to seal his mandate. But in a speech on Monday, he admitted the LDP received "severe judgement" from voters, and added his party would "humbly accept" this. "The Japanese people expressed their strong desire for the LDP to do some reflection and become a party that acts in line with the people's will," Ishiba told...
Today marks the start of the India-Singapore Bilateral Exercise AgniWarrior 2024.

Today marks the start of the India-Singapore Bilateral Exercise AgniWarrior 2024.

The India-Singapore bilateral military exercise, AgniWarrior 2024 will take place in Maharashtra from November 28 to November 30. The details of the exercise were shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army). The exercise is scheduled to take place at the Devlali Field Firing Ranges, part of the School of Artillery in Maharashtra. The bilateral exercise, which will last from November 28 to November 30, the primary objective of the exercise is to enhance professional military interactions between the artillery units of India and Singapore. India-Singapore Bilateral #Exercise #AgniWarrior 2024. The India-Singapore Bilateral #Exercise #AgniWarrior 2024, #XAW24, is scheduled to be conducted at #Devlali Field Firin...
Why Southeast Asian politics are dominated by militarist leaders

Why Southeast Asian politics are dominated by militarist leaders

Communist-ruled Vietnam last month appointed Luong Cuong, a military general and former director of the political department of the People's Army, as its new president. Shortly after, Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces commander who was discharged from the military in 1998 over allegations of military abuses, was sworn in as president of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.  Prabowo's government has been described as Indonesia's "most militarized cabinet" since the fall of Suharto's dictatorship in 1998, according to a report by New Mandala, a Southeast Asian affairs website hosted by Australian National University (ANU). Elsewhere, much of Myanmar has been under the control of a military junta sinc...
Meeting with Lee Hsien Loong, Xi advocates for further collaboration between China and Singapore.

Meeting with Lee Hsien Loong, Xi advocates for further collaboration between China and Singapore.

BEIJING, Nov. 26 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Senior Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong here on Tuesday, calling for further synergizing development strategies and boosting bilateral cooperation. Commending the remarkable achievements Singapore made during Lee's tenure as prime minister, Xi spoke highly of Lee's long-time support for China-Singapore cooperation. The two sides established an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership last year, setting a strategic course for the development of bilateral ties, Xi said. Noting that next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, Xi called on the two countries to strengthen high-level exchanges, further synergize development strategies, and deepen ...
How Xi Jinping is defining China’s future by returning to Confucius

How Xi Jinping is defining China’s future by returning to Confucius

For most of the 103-year history of the Communist Party of China, the teachings of the philosopher Confucius were deemed relics of a backwards past, with its leaders looking to Marxism and socialism to modernise China. But under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, Confucianism has made a dramatic comeback as the bedrock of imperial Chinese ethics and governance, and other Chinese classics have become the pillars of Beijing’s efforts to shore up its intellectual foundation and governance philosophy amid an intensifying ideological competition with the US-led West. One of the latest ventures is the Ruzang, or “Confucian Canon”, project to create the largest ever compilation of Confucian classics. The project, which has had the input of nearly 500 scholars since it was started in 2003,
According to a leak, a former Taiwanese leader was scheduled to spend two days in the UK in October.

According to a leak, a former Taiwanese leader was scheduled to spend two days in the UK in October.

Taiwan’s former president Tsai Ing-wen had been due to visit the UK between 16 and 18 October before the Foreign Office intervened, the Guardian can disclose. Tsai was scheduled to visit London for two days as part of her first international tour since leaving office and was in discussions about addressing the UK parliament, according to a leaked letter. But the trip, which had been due to coincide with David Lammy’s visit to China, was pulled and Tsai was hosted by the French parliament on those dates instead. The leaked letter, sent to the Commons and Lords speakers in August, said Tsai “will visit London between 16th and 18th October” and that the UK Taiwanese office wanted to explore the possibility of her being hosted by parliament. The letter said Tsai wou
An army training between China and Singapore includes a wall-climbing robot.

An army training between China and Singapore includes a wall-climbing robot.

Multiple types of unmanned equipment, including a wall-climbing robot, were deployed in the ongoing China-Singapore joint army drill to support reconnaissance and strike tasks, with Chinese military expert Song Zhongping on Monday highlighting their efficiency in anti-terrorism operations. The China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation-2024 joint army exercise explored and practiced tactics and combat approaches in an anti-terrorism operation held in complex urban environments, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday. Unmanned equipment such as an explosive ordnance disposal robot, a wall-climbing robot, an armed reconnaissance unmanned vehicle and a window-breaching aerial drone were seen in the exercise, as they made reconnaissance and strike missions more efficient, CCTV sai...
China: 30-day visa-free travel policy

China: 30-day visa-free travel policy

From November 30, 2024, visa-free stays in China will increase from 15 to 30 days, and nine new countries will be added to the list of nations benefiting from the unilateral visa-free policy. Good news for travelers from the many countries benefiting from China’s unilateral visa-free policy: from November 30, 2024, visa-free stays in China will be extended to 30 days, instead of the current 15. This decision was announced today by Chinese diplomacy, which will take the opportunity to extend the list of countries eligible for this entry facility to 38 nations, and add exchange visits (type “F”) as a purpose of stay authorized without a visa. “In order to further facilitate exchanges between China and foreign countries, China has decided to expand the scope of visa-f
Linda McMahon: From WWE to US Politics: Who Is She?

Linda McMahon: From WWE to US Politics: Who Is She?

Just off of Independence Ave beside the Dwight D Eisenhower Memorial stands the US Department of Education. It is the seat of the highest power in education in the world’s most affluent democracy, under the office of the President of the United States—the US Secretary of Education. A coveted position that could now go to former wrestling tycoon, Linda McMahon. For many millennials who spent most of their childhood and school years following the WWE, it is a surreal time... for President-elect Donald Trump to pick none other than former WWE chief executive Linda McMahon to be his incoming Education Secretary. For the uninitiated, Linda McMahon might be the wife of the famous wrestling promoter Vince McMahon. The pair founded the World Wrestling Entertainment (derived from the World W
Joshua Wong exclaims, “I love Hong Kong,” as over 40 prominent democratic leaders are sentenced to long jail terms in a major trial.

Joshua Wong exclaims, “I love Hong Kong,” as over 40 prominent democratic leaders are sentenced to long jail terms in a major trial.

More than 40 of Hong Kong’s best known pro-democracy figures have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years on subversion charges, in the biggest single blow to the city’s already shrinking political freedoms following Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on dissent. Among those handed sentences on Tuesday was Joshua Wong, a former student leader and poster child of the city’s once thriving pro-democracy movement, who shouted “I love Hong Kong” before he left the dock. All 45 defendants – including former high-profile lawmakers, activists, unionists and journalists – received prison sentences ranging from 50 months to 10 years in the largest single prosecution to date under a national security law imposed by Beijing four years ago. The total prison time
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