Asia

A collection of 440 posts

UN Report: Illicit Drug Trade Expanding in Southeast Asia

A UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report released on Friday states that the synthetic drug trade in East and Southeast Asia is expanding, with ketamine production rising and new trafficking routes for methamphetamine emerging.

Social issues

HSBC Asia Spin-Off Proposal Rejected

On Friday, a proposal to spin off UK banking giant HSBC's more profitable Asian operations was defeated at the bank’s annual general meeting. The "strategic reorganization" was one of the proposed reforms backed by the Ping An Insurance Group, HSBC’s single largest shareholder with 8% of stock.

Asia

Brazil’s Lula Meets Xi in Beijing, Calls for End to Dollar Dominance

On Friday, Brazilian Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with his counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the second day of his state visit to China — the South American country's largest trading partner. In Beijing, both attended the signing of bilateral agreements ranging from agriculture to aerospace....

Brazil

N. Korea Fires Possible ‘New Type’ Ballistic Missile

South Korean news outlet YTN, citing a military official, reported that North Korea on Thursday possibly test-fired a 'new type' of medium-range or longer ballistic missile, which, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff, flew for about 1K km (621 miles) before landing in waters between the Ko...

North Korea

Syrian FM Makes First Visit to Saudi Arabia Since 2011

Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on Wednesday after reportedly being invited by his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, as relations between Damascus and the Arab world move toward normalization....

Saudi Arabia

Philippines, US Launch Largest-Ever Joint Military Drills

The US and the Philippines on Tuesday kicked off their biggest-ever joint military exercises amid the rising rivalry between Washington and Beijing in the disputed South China Sea....

Military

Saudi Partners With Shanghai Cooperation Organization

On Wednesday, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported that Riyadh moved closer to joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the latest step signaling deepening ties between Saudi Arabia and China....

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Syria in Talks to Resume Ties

Saudi state Al-Ekhbariya TV channel on Thursday reported that Saudi Arabia and Syria are in talks over re-establishing consular services amid a broader discussion to restore ties following a decade of no diplomatic relations....

Saudi Arabia

Beijing's Population Falls, First Time Since 2003

Official data released on Tuesday revealed that China’s capital Beijing experienced its first population decline since 2003 as the city’s death rate surpassed its birth rate in 2022.

Social issues

Chinese Regulator Accuses Chip Tycoon Zhao Weiguo of Corruption

China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has placed Zhao Weiguo, the former chairman of computer chipmaker Tsinghua Unigroup, under investigation, alleging he "took the state-owned company he managed as his private fiefdom."

World

Former Taiwan President to Make Historic China Visit

Taiwan’s former president, Ma Ying-jeou, will visit China next week in what will be the first trip of a sitting or former Taiwanese leader since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 amid strained relations between Beijing and Taipei....

Taiwan

India: Court Orders Bipartisan Panel to Select Election Officers

India's Supreme Court has ordered the creation of an independent panel to appoint members of the Election Commission. It will include the prime minister, chief justice, and either the leader of the opposition in the lower house of parliament or the opposition party with the highest number of hous...

Politics

Report: Half of Sri Lankan Families Are Reducing Children's Food Intake

Child rights charity Save the Children published a report on Thursday urging the Sri Lankan government and the international community to immediately take action to prevent the country's children from 'becoming a lost generation.' It found that half of the nation's families have had to reduce chi...

Economic conditions & trends

UK Navy Intercepts 'Iran Missiles' Likely Headed for Yemen

The British Royal Navy said on Thursday that it had seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran. It added that the boat was likely headed to Yemen in the Gulf of Oman when it was raided on Feb. 23....

Yemen

US House Panel Approves Bill Allowing Biden to Ban TikTok

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 24 to 16 on Wednesday to give Pres. Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok, the social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance....

China

Pakistan: Top Court Orders Elections in Two Provinces

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that assembly elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces must be held within the next 90 days....

Pakistan

Texas Land Bill Sparks Criticism

In the wake of Republican Texas state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst's proposed ban on certain foreign purchases of Texas real estate — introduced to the Senate in December — which includes Chinese nationals, some activists and politicians are calling the measure anti-Asian and xenophobic....

China

Report: US to Send More Troops to Taiwan

A US official confirmed Thursday that the nation is preparing to send 100-200 troops to Taiwan to expand an existing training program that has used members of the National Guard, Special Operations Units, and Marines.

Military

China, Japan Hold First Security Talks In Four Years

China and Japan on Wednesday launched their first official bilateral security talks in four years in the Japanese capital Tokyo, in a bid to improve strained relations between the two Asian powers.

World

South Korea: Fertility Rate Drops to Record Low

South Korea’s fertility rate, the lowest in the world for years, has reached an all-time low as the country’s statistics office released data on Wednesday showing the expected number of babies per woman fell to 0.78 in 2022....

China

N. Korean Paper Warns Against 'Poisoned Candy' Amid Food Shortage

North Korea's state newspaper Rodong Sinmun warned citizens on Wednesday that consuming external food aid was akin to eating 'poisoned candy,' as the nation grapples with food shortages due to natural disasters, international sanctions, and cuts in trade with China during lockdowns....

South Korea

Turkey Earthquake: Death Toll Surpasses 7K

One of the largest earthquakes to hit the region in nearly a century — with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale — has killed thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure, and leveled thousands of buildings after striking early Monday morning in southern Turkey and northern Syria.

World

Adani Loses $110B, Sparks Protests Across India

As Indian conglomerate Adani Group's market losses top $110B, dozens of India's opposition party members on Monday were detained during protests — prompting parliament to be suspended again due to disruptions surrounding the company.

Money

Turkey-Syria Earthquake: Death Toll Passes 41K; Aid Enters Newly-Opened Border Crossing

One of the largest earthquakes to hit the region in nearly a century — with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale — has killed thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure, and leveled thousands of buildings after striking a week ago in southern Turkey and northern Syria....

Metaculus

Former Pakistan President Musharraf Dies at 79

Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan, died on Sunday in Dubai, according to the Pakistan military. Although no cause of death was announced, Musharraf had been undergoing treatment for amyloidosis, a rare disease.

Social issues