Headlines

New Zealand and PNG sign defence cooperation agreement

WELLINGTON, July 23 - New Zealand and Papua New Guinea signed a defence cooperation agreement late on Wednesday, as Wellington seeks to deepen security ties in the Pacific amid growing strategic competition and China's expanding influence.

Asia

Iran’s Hormuz choice: trust pays, coercion doesn’t

History suggests geography can be a nation’s greatest economic asset or its greatest geopolitical liability. Whenever maritime arteries have been disrupted — whether by war, conflict or political confrontation — the economic costs have extended far beyond the countries directly

Asia

AI needs US-China cooperation. Elon Musk can help

Despite his controversies and contradictions, Elon Musk may prove an unlikely force in moderating US-China rivalry and the AI risks it amplifies. In June, following SpaceX’s listing, Musk became the world’s first trillionaire — a remarkable milestone, but one that crystallized

Asia

Xi’s national team rides again to save swooning tech stocks

TOKYO — Chinese stocks just had a remarkable week, with stellar news from startup Moonshot AI delivering a DeepSeek-like jolt to a fragile market. Its new AI model reminded investors how fast China Inc. is closing the technology gap with Silicon Valley. But as China’s “new

Asia

Airbus, Kawasaki team up to send Eurodrone sub-hunting

Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus D&S) to collaborate on long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The agreement covers operations combining the Eurodrone with KHI’s P-1 maritime

Asia

Japan sizzles in first 'brutally hot' days of the year

TOKYO, July 22 - Japan sizzled under sweltering, life-threatening heat on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some cities in what the government has newly designated as a \"brutally hot day.\"

Asia

Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing to visit Thailand on August 6-7

July 22 - Myanmar junta chief turned president Min Aung Hlaing will make an official visit to Thailand on August 6-7, the Thai foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday, marking the latest attempt by the war-torn country's new administration to gain international legitimacy.

Asia