World

The recent attacks on US and Israeli targets in Asia, which have been blamed on Iran and its proxy forces, have sparked fears of a regional war and a global crisis.  The attacks have also triggered a fierce online battle for influence and propaganda, as Iran, Israel, and the US have used social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and …

Southeast Asian leaders who have waged brutal campaigns against illegal drugs are facing growing public discontent and legal challenges over their involvement in drug war scams, according to a commentary by Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington. The commentary, published by BenarNews, an online news service affiliated with Radio Free Asia, argues that the drug …

Russia on Monday warned Japan against supplying Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, saying such a move would be seen as a hostile act and could have serious consequences for regional security. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” by media reports that Japan was considering providing Ukraine with Patriot systems, which are capable …

China has announced the appointment of a new naval chief, as the country faces increasing challenges and conflicts in the disputed waters of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. According to a brief statement by the Ministry of National Defense on Sunday, Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong has been named as the commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy …

OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research organization, has recently faced criticism and controversy over its governance, vision, and ethics, as it struggles to balance its original mission of creating and sharing beneficial AI for humanity with its commercial and competitive interests. OpenAI was founded in 2015 by a group of prominent tech entrepreneurs and investors, such as Elon Musk, Peter …

Taiwan has maintained its position as the top-ranked country in Asia and the 12th in the world in the 2023 Human Freedom Index (HFI), a report that measures the degree of personal and economic freedom in 165 jurisdictions around the world.  The report, published by the U.S.-based Cato Institute and Canada-based Fraser Institute, praised Taiwan for its resilience and performance …

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Friday, South Korea’s military said, in an apparent show of defiance against the stalled nuclear talks with the United States. The missile was launched from the eastern coastal city of Hamhung at around 10:30 a.m. local time, and flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles) before landing in the waters between …

South Korea and Japan scrambled their fighter jets on Wednesday as six Russian and two Chinese warplanes entered their air defense zones without prior notice. The joint patrol by China and Russia, the sixth of its kind since 2019, was seen as a show of increasingly close military ties between the two countries amid rising tensions in the region. According …

Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto said on Monday that Russia’s growing links with China, Iran and North Korea pose a threat to the security of Europe and the world. Niinisto, who has maintained a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite tensions over Ukraine and other issues, said that Moscow’s cooperation with Beijing and Tehran was “a matter of concern” for …

Singapore has announced that it will accept the Chinese yuan as a payment option for tourists visiting the city-state, in a move that could boost its tourism sector and reduce its reliance on the US dollar. The decision, which will take effect from January 2024, was made after consultations with the Chinese government and the BRICS group of emerging economies, …