Category: Asia

US troops arriving in Poland draw Russian ire

US troops and tanks began streaming into Poland Thursday as part of one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the Cold War, an operation that Russia angrily branded a “threat”. The Atlantic Resolve mission will see more than 3,000 American soldiers and heavy equipment deployed in Poland and nearby NATO partners Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary on a rotational basis.

U.S. military confirms that November firefight with Taliban killed 33 civilians in Afghanistan

Afghan villagers gather on Nov. 4 around several victims’ bodies who were killed during clashes between Taliban and Afghan security forces in the Taliban-controlled, Buz-e Kandahari village in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. In a statement released Thursday, the U.S. military in Afghanistan said the results of its investigation into the November firefight shows that American troops had fired on Afghan homes, killing 33 civilians.

The future lies in diamonds

The Securities and Exchange Board of India last week gave in-principle approval to the exchange to resume operations with the launch of derivatives trading and the first contract approved was of diamond. This is also Sebi’s first approval of trading in commodity derivatives after taking over the regulation of commodities trading .

Trump’s choice for top US diplomat talks tough on China

Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. questions Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson during the committee’s confirmation hearing Tillerson, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washi… WASHINGTON – Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump’s selection for secretary of state likened Beijing’s island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country’s territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.

Trump’s choice for top US diplomat talks tough on China

Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. questions Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson during the committee’s confirmation hearing Tillerson, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washi… WASHINGTON – Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump’s selection for secretary of state likened Beijing’s island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country’s territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.

Japan coast guard rescues flooded North Korea cargo ship

NHK reported Thursday, local time, a Japanese patrol boat rescued the passengers stranded on the ship in the Sea of Japan. The 6,555-ton cargo ship sent a distress signal on Wednesday evening from a location about 37 miles southwest of Fukue Island, the southernmost of the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture.

U.S. blacklists North Korean officials over rights abuses

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the 3rd Meeting of Activists of the Korean People’s Army in the Movement for Winning the Title of O Jung Hup-led 7th Regiment in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang on August… The U.S. Treasury Department has added seven senior North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, to its sanctions list because of human rights abuses and censorship by the communist nation.

Donald Trump hit back at claims Russia possesses compromising material about him

US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested American intelligence agencies may be responsible for releasing a dossier containing allegations that Russia holds compromising information about him. At his first press conference since winning November’s presidential election, Mr Trump thanked media organisations which held back from publishing details from the dossier, which has reportedly been circulating in Washington for some time.

‘Pulp fiction’: Russia denies – compromising materials’ on Trump

‘Pulp fiction’: Russia denies ‘compromising materials’ on Trump It comes after unverified intelligence documents accused Russia of “cultivating, supporting, and assisting” Trump for “at least five years.” Check out this story on thestarpress.com: http://usat.ly/2iiu5v6 Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Tyumen region governor Vladimir Yakushev in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014.

Demonetization a disaster, worse yet to come: Manmohan Singh

The former Prime Minister said that due to demonetization, things are going from ‘bad to worse’ and the worse is yet to come. Amid fears of a decline in the country’s GDP, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cautioned the people on Wednesday that the worse was yet to come in the wake of demonetization which he termed as a “disaster”.

United Arab Emirates says 5 diplomats killed in Afghan blast

The United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday that five of its diplomats were killed in a bombing in southern Afghanistan the day before, one of the worst attacks to target the young nation’s diplomatic corps. The federation of seven sheikhdoms, founded in 1971 on the Arabian Peninsula, said it would immediately fly the nation’s flag at half-staff for three days in honour of the dead from the attack Tuesday in Kandahar.

Senators join forces on legislation to punish Russia WASHINGTON (AP)…

Senate Republicans and Democrats joined forces Tuesday to directly challenge President-elect Donald Trump over Russia’s interference in U.S. elections and for ongoing aggression in other parts of the world. The 10 lawmakers, five from each party, introduced sweeping legislation designed to go beyond the punishments against Russia already levied by the Obama administration and to demonstrate to Trump that forcefully responding to Moscow’s meddling isn’t a partisan issue.

Suit and tie stripped from dress code

SRI Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday overturned a 26-year-old decree that required top bureaucrats to wear a suit and tie, saying they could now opt for “more comfortable” clothing instead. “We must adopt clothing that suits our weather and climate,” Sirisena said.

Twin Blasts Kill Dozens In Kabul, Afghanistan

Afghan security personnel arrive at the site of two bombs on Tuesday near the Afghan parliament in Kabul. Wakil Kohsar /AFP/Getty Images hide caption Two bomb blasts near the parliament building in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, have killed at least 30 people and injured at least 70. “The first bomb exploded near a parked minibus,” NPR’s Nishant Dahiya reported.

Russian town wants to name street Trump

The incoming U.S. president is popular in Russia, in part for his praise of Vladimir Putin, and one town is looking for a way to honor Donald Trump. Many in the town of Ryazan, about 150 miles outside Moscow, are hoping for a thaw in U.S.-Russian relations and pinning those hopes on President-elect Trump.

Beauty queen Anastasia Lin won’t back down

When she entered Miss World 2016, the Canadian was under no illusions about coming home with the crown. Getting on stage would be enough: the final is broadcast around the globe, including in her native China, where her father has been harassed and prevented from leaving since 2015.

NK leader’s public activity in decline since 2013: data

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s public activity has been on the decline since 2013 as he is seen to have established his power base, reducing the need to show his presence publicly, a Seoul government official said Tuesday. The North’s leader conducted public activities on 132 occasions in 2016, down 14 percent from the previous year, according to the data compiled by South Korea’s unification ministry.

China’s poorest, trying to stay warm, add greatly to smog

QIAN’AN, China – An overloaded coal truck rumbles down from the steel factory and hits a bump, sending chunks of its black cargo skittering and click-clicking along the asphalt. Waiting by the roadside, a farmer swaddled in thick, cotton-padded winter clothing scrambles into onrushing traffic to pick up the pieces.

US, North Korea trade warnings over potential ICBM test

With Donald Trump getting ready to take office as president, North Korea is talking about launching a newly perfected intercontinental ballistic missile. Officials in Washington are saying that if Pyongyang launches anything that threatens the territory of the U.S. or its allies, it will be shot down.

Ahmedabad: PM Modi to meet Nobel Laureates at maiden Nobel Prize Series

Ahmedabad , Jan. 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday meet several Nobel laureates and have discussions with them on how the country can achieve innovations via Science and Technology. [NK India] This meeting is to be held at the Science City in Ahmedabad where the Nobel Media is holding the first Nobel Prize Series in the country in conjunction with the biennial summit of Vibrant Gujarat.

24 Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea by Feb

US Forces Korea plans to deploy 24 Apache helicopters to South Korea by next month to better counter growing threats from North Korea, military officials said Monday. As part of a scheduled rotational deployment, the 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will gradually replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers by early February, the USFK and the Ministry of National Defense said in a joint statement.

N Korea claims it can test launch ICBM ‘anytime and anywhere’

North Korea says it can test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong-un, blaming what it calls “hostile United States policy” for its arms development. “The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK ,” an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency.

Carter: US ready to defend against North Korean nukes

The United States is ready to defend itself and its allies against North Korean nuclear weapons, outgoing Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’ve deployed missile defenses in South Korea, Japan, Guam and, of course, we have 28,500 troops there today,” he said.

Beijing Announces New Measures To Tackle Smog

Notorious for its high pollution levels, China’s sprawling capital Beijing has been covered under a thick layer of smog for over a week now. And as residents vented their anger at how the health hazard is being handled, the acting mayor announced some measures Saturday.

Impact of Korea-Japan swap deal halt limited

Japan’s decision to suspend talks on a currency swap last Friday will have limited impact while caution is still advised, according to economists and experts. Song In-chang, deputy finance minister, played down a possible repercussion of the suspension of the bilateral currency swap deal, saying that “It wouldn’t have much impact as it is not like an existing program ended.”

Pakistanis Skeptical of the Benefits of China’s Largesse

The dusty desert city of Khuzdar in southwestern Pakistan has no hospital and no commercial flights into its tiny airport, but government officials who visited recently spoke in glowing terms of its future as a hub of commerce. Pakistan’s new army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, was among a flock of dignitaries who descended upon Khuzdar, a city of 400,000, to tout the benefits of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor for the southwestern province of Baluchistan.

Violent clashes erupt in Sri Lanka over land, port deal with

At least 21 people were injured Saturday in violent clashes between Sri Lankan government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Police used tear gas and water cannons to try to break up the clashes, which took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone, located near the port city of Hambantota, about 150 miles southeast of the capital, Colombo.

Sri Lankan port area will become ‘Chinese colony,’ say protesters

Sri Lankan police used water cannons to try to break up violent clashes Saturday between government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. The clashes took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone near the port city of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers southeast of capital Colombo.