Category Archives: WORLD NEWS

North Korea ’s decision to spotlight ties with Russia over China in its New Year’s diplomacy appears to signal the reclusive nation’s evolving strategy: leveraging Moscow’s desperation for support while testing Beijing tolerance for being sidelined. In a letter to President Vladimir Putin , North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to solidify the country’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, state media outlet KCNA reported on Tuesday. In the message, Kim extended New Year greetings to Putin and all Russians, including their troops and expressed his willingness to further strengthen bilateral ties, which he said the two leaders elevated to new levels this year, KCNA added. While the agency reported that Kim had received New Year greetings from many heads of state, including the “Chinese President”, which was put in quote

The Head of State and Government said a day like Christmas was also an opportunity to review the efficacy of his Cabinet team with a view to establishing if every team member was pulling or needed replacement.  Zvamaida Murwira- Senior Reporter President Mnangagwa says he spends Christmas Day reflecting on weaknesses and strengths and how to improve Government programmes and policies given that there will be fewer engagements and phone calls on the day. The Head of State and Government said a day like Christmas was also an opportunity to review the efficacy of his Cabinet team with a view to establishing if every team member was pulling or needed replacement.  He said this in an interview with a ZBC news crew which visited the First Family at its official

South Asia stands on the brink of a severe downturn unless its leaders act decisively to stabilise the region’s economies as they face unrelenting global headwinds and US president-elect Donald Trump ’s protectionist trade measures. One of the poorest regions in the world, South Asia has experienced numerous incidents of political violence, which have hampered its development and economic growth. Pakistan recently launched air strikes on Afghanistan apparently to thwart militants even as doubts linger over the political legitimacy of the country’s elected government. Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan have clashed with the police to demand his release. The situation is also grim in Bangladesh , where the interim government has been struggling to restore law and order with a depleted police force since a mass student-led

Bethlehem’s economic crisis deepens as tourism collapses during the Gaza conflict. By GIORGIA VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE DECEMBER 26, 2024 21:00 Church of the Nativity.jpeg – Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity was almost empty on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2024. (photo credit: Giorgia Valente/The Media Line) Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, marked a subdued Christmas, overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the devastating local economy. For the second consecutive year, the city’s Christian community faced a bleak holiday season, with rising fears about the survival of one of the world’s oldest Christian populations. For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org Friar Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, told The Media Line, “This has become an open-air prison. On top of

Singapore is investigating a case of job offers on LinkedIn supposedly posted by a branch of the Communist Party of China and its Communist Youth League for purportedly two roles at an educational institution in the city state. “The Singapore government will not tolerate the importation of the politics of other countries into Singapore. Foreigners visiting, studying, working or living in Singapore should not carry out their political agendas or activities here. We will deal firmly with any individual or group found to be doing so,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in response to queries from This Week in Asia. According to a report by the government-owned broadsheet The Straits Times, the two job listings were posted on LinkedIn on December 20 by an account on the professional social

As footage and images of what might have been the maiden flight of China’s sixth-generation fighter jet went viral on Thursday, the country’s official military media appeared to tacitly confirm the rumours. A mysterious aircraft bearing a triangular tailless design was seen flying over Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province in broad daylight, flanked by a fifth-generation J-20 fighter jet, according to videos shared on Chinese social media . While the jet – speculated by observers to feature cutting-edge stealth and endurance capabilities – has yet to be officially identified or named, a provincial newspaper made reference to the aircraft. “It really looks like a leaf,” the Chengdu-based Defence Times wrote on its Weibo account alongside an image of a ginkgo leaf. The post quickly circulated across social media and was

Rescuers evacuate a wounded child at the site of an Israeli attack in a residential area in the Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, on Wednesday [Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP] The Israeli genocide has killed at least 38 more Palestinians in Gaza in the past 24 hours, including five journalists. Gaza’s Ministry of Health on Thursday said the overall death toll in the Palestinian enclave since October last year stood at 45,399, while more than 107,000 have been wounded. On Thursday morning, Israel hit a broadcast van parked close to al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, killing the five journalists from the al-Quds Today TV channel, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif reported. The journalists have been identified as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed al-Ladah, Faisal Abu al-Qumsan and Ayman al-Jadi.

Ant Group, the fintech giant affiliated with Alibaba Group Holding, is splitting the business group of its mobile payment platform Alipay into two units, in its latest corporate restructuring move to drive new growth. The company will establish the Digital Payment Business Group and Alipay Business Group, and adopt a “rotating presidential system” for the two units with each president serving a six-month term, according to an internal letter circulated by Ant president Cyril Han Xinyi on Monday, seen by the South China Morning Post. The Digital Payment Business Group will focus on the development of innovative payment products, integrating five departments including the Online Payment Business Unit and Offline Payment Business Unit. The Alipay Business Group, which covers six units including advertising and digital products, will focus on the

The Indian government’s move to impose a three-tiered tax on popcorn, based on its sugar or spice content, has caused tempers to pop during the holiday shopping season, with social media users roasting the decision and experts warning of deeper cracks in the country’s complex tax system. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, chaired by the finance minister and including state representatives, announced on Saturday that with immediate effect, non-branded popcorn mixed with salt and spices would attract a 5 per cent GST, pre-packaged and branded popcorn 12 per cent, and caramel popcorn, categorised as a sugar confectionery, 18 per cent. The announcement was met with scorn online, with local media highlighting a now-deleted viral post made by a start-up founder on social media platform Reddit complaining about the

Republicans in the US Congress mounted a third attempt to avert a government shutdown on Friday with only hours to spare, after two previous plans were scuttled by US president-elect Donald Trump and members of their own party. Republican congressman Ralph Norman told reporters that party leaders planned to hold a vote on a third spending bill, though he did not provide details. Others said they would not try to win over Democrats whose support is likely to be needed to extend funding past midnight on Friday, when it is due to expire. “We’re not working with Democrats,” Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna said. If Congress does not pass a spending package, funding for everything from law enforcement to national parks will be disrupted and millions of federal workers will

‘The doors are open for IS’ – Syria’s Kurds warn over advance by Turkish-backed forces BBC/Matthew Goddard The BBC was granted rare access to the largest prison for IS detainees – Al Sina – which holds some 5,000 men As the new Syria struggles to take shape, old threats are re-emerging. The chaos since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad is “paving the way” for the so-called Islamic State (IS) to make a comeback, according to a leading Kurdish commander who helped defeat the jihadist group in Syria in 2019. He says the comeback has already begun. “Activity by Daesh [IS] has increased significantly, and the danger of a resurgence had doubled’, according to General Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mainly Kurdish militia alliance backed by