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Diplomacy

A rebel fighter stands atop of a military vehicle as he carries a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham flag in northwestern Idlib province, Syria on December 1. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

No longer a terrorist group? UK may reconsider HTS’s status after ousting Assad

Currently the UK, like many other Western nations including the US, designate HTS as a terrorist group, making it illegal to support or join it.

Middle East

Fall of Syria’s Assad catches Middle East powers and the West off guard

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US-China relations

Trump asks China to help bring Ukraine peace, says he ‘had communication’ with Xi

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters march in protest of attacks in India

Thousands marched towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka to denounce attacks on a diplomatic mission.

Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attend a march against India as they submit a memorandum at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Defence

Opinion | Is South Asia finally trending towards regional peace?

Relative to the region’s history and instability elsewhere in the world, South Asia can be seen as something of an oasis.

US-China relations

Chinese students in US advised to return to campus before Trump takes office

American universities are trying to address an outpouring of concern among anxious international students fearing ‘worst-case scenario’.

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Singapore

Singapore police: no China request to arrest money launderer

Singapore police said they did not arrest a Chinese national accused of money laundering detained in Indonesia and wanted by Interpol.

Indonesia immigration officials hold Chinese fugitive Yan Zhangxing (centre). Photo: EPA-EFE
India

‘Worrying’: India-Bangladesh ties tested by mounting communal violence

Amid unrest surrounding the arrest of a Hindu priest, analysts fear violence and growing religious divides are ‘taking the region backwards’.

Asean

Opinion | Why cybersecurity could be Malaysia’s key to effective Asean leadership

Even modest success under Malaysia’s leadership could bolster the grouping’s unity and credibility, but failure will only deepen fractures in the bloc.

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Donald Trump

Trump and Macron can’t let go of their handshake duel

The US president-elect and the French leader have a history of white-knuckled greetings dating back to Trump’s first term.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) shakes hands with US president-elect Donald Trump as he arrives for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Climate change

Opinion | Circular economy must be centred in fight against plastic pollution

Instead of pitting recycling and reduction goals against each other, negotiators should consider solutions proven to remediate plastic waste.

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A man walks next to bags of plastic waste at a recycling site near Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 17. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

Trump in Paris for Notre Dame reopening: World’s ‘a little crazy’ right now

The US president-elect met France’s Macron and Ukraine’s Zelensky on his first overseas trip since winning the White House race.

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Middle East

Opinion | China’s Middle East strategy falters as Aleppo falls to rebel forces

While China has invested in Syria’s reconstruction and seeks to expand its regional presence, the renewed violence has put its ambitions on hold.

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Ukraine war

Germany aims to align with Trump to end ‘merciless’ Ukraine war

Chancellor Olaf Scholz ruled out supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles but stressed the country’s sovereignty should be guaranteed.

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A police officer inspects destroyed cars at the site of a Russian air strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | Is the world on the brink of total war?

The political centre is no longer holding as governments misjudge their capabilities on the battlefield and their level of public support.

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Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian targets in Donetsk, Ukraine, on June 24. Photo: AP
Paraguay

Paraguay expels Chinese diplomat for urging lawmakers to sever ties to Taiwan

Xu Wei, senior Chinese envoy to Latin America, is directed to leave the country after telling legislators to recognise mainland China.

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US-China relations

Top Democrat urges closer US-China cooperation on shared challenges

Ranking congressman on House intelligence committee highlights climate change, fentanyl and global health as areas for cooperation.

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US-China relations

Editorial | Metals ban by China reminds US two can play at costly game

Action by Beijing follows restrictions on semiconductor exports by Washington ahead of the return of Donald Trump.

Employees of Lanzhou Hongbin New Energy Development work at the graphitization furnace, which heats graphite to high temperatures to improve its physical structure. Beijing placed a stringent review process on exports of the material, used in batteries and fuel cells. Photo: Xinhua
China-South Korea relations

What a possible South Korean leadership change could mean for China

If lawmakers vote to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, the main opposition DP could rise to power and take a more ‘conciliatory approach’.

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Germany

‘Panda diplomacy’: Berlin names new panda twins Leni and Lotti

The cubs are the offspring of mother Meng Meng and father Jiao Qing, who arrived in Berlin in 2017.

Indonesia

Indonesia to repatriate death-row convict to the Philippines

The move comes after years of international pressure, particularly from human rights groups and the Philippine government.

Cesar and Celia Veloso, parents of Mary Jane Veloso, join a protest rally to mark the 161th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, widely considered a national hero in Philippine history, in Manila. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Philippines

Will Philippines’ new navy chief adopt ‘grey zone’ tactics against China?

Manila’s Navy chief suggested adopting “grey zone” tactics – coercive actions below armed conflict – which analysts say will differ from Beijing’s.

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A Chinese coastguard vessel (left) fires a water cannon at a Philippine fishing vessel near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea on December 4. Photo: National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea/AP
Japan

Russian diplomats dodge Tokyo parking fines, citing foreign-policy loophole

The unresolved fees ignited online outrage, leading to calls for stricter measures against the Russian embassy.

Japan

My Take | Japan should not just focus on abduction issue and reach out to North Korea

Tokyo has demanded the return of its citizens abducted by North Korea over the decades but any breakthrough on the issue is unlikely.

South Korea

Top US diplomat Blinken to talk to South Korea following martial law decision

No opportunity ‘to speak to his counterpart yet’ but dialogue between Pentagon officials and opposite numbers under way ‘at multiple levels’.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during his visit to Seoul on November 9, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

Sino-Russian Arctic cooperation need not trouble US yet, Pentagon official says

Even so, US Defence Department expert on the Arctic adds, ‘it’s important for us to be consistently monitoring how their intentions progress’.

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A photograph released by Chinese state media of China’s first coastguard patrol in the Arctic during a joint exercise with Russia in September. Photo: Weibo
South Korea

Walls close in on South Korea’s Yoon with police probe, US warning

The police are investigating Yoon Suk-yeol for ‘insurrection’ while Washington is concerned about his ‘illegitimate’ martial law decree.

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South China Sea

Chinese coastguard hits out again at Philippines over South China Sea clashes

Philippine agency is misleading the international community over incidents at Sabina and Scarborough shoals, China Coast Guard says.

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Diplomacy
Latest news, features and analysis on global diplomatic relations, with a focus on China’s international ties – especially with the US, its Asian neighbours and the European Union.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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