SEOUL – Seoul will pursue a partial reinstatement of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, particularly the return of no-fly zones, to prevent a repeat of unauthorized drone flights into North Korea, the unification minister said Wednesday. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said he “formally expressed our regret to the North Korean side” over drone flights carried out by South Korean civilians on Jan. 4. The incident has been under investigation by a joint military-police task force following Pyongyang’s public condemnation of the flights through its state media. Chung also outlined steps to prevent a recurrence, disclosing that three civilians had sent…
Author: Asia News Network
DHAKA – Newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today directed ministers and state ministers to prioritise the best interests of the people. He gave the directives while presiding over his first cabinet meeting at the Secretariat, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters after the meeting. Tarique primarily focused on the mandate entrusted to the government by the people, she said. He also emphasised that each ministry should carry out its responsibilities diligently and comprehensively on behalf of the public. “We have been elected by the people to stand by their side and serve them faithfully,” Obaed…
JAKARTA – Days ahead of the expected signing of a bilateral tariff agreement with the United States, analysts have called on the government to tread with caution regarding concessions made, specifically opening the domestic market to US goods. Paramadina University economist Wijayanto Samirin said Jakarta had to pay careful attention to the pricing of US commodities. “It shouldn’t be the case that we are forced to buy products at uncompetitive prices”. Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Monday, Wijayanto said incoming shipments of wheat and soybean, in particular, would need to be properly coordinated with Indonesia’s private sector to prevent…
DHAKA – Indian author Arundhati Roy has pulled out of the Berlin Film Festival after the event’s organisers refused to speak about the war in Gaza. Arundhati Roy, who won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997, said she was “shocked and disgusted” by comments made at a press conference on Thursday. During the press conference, jury president Wim Wenders was asked about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He responded by saying cinema should “stay out of politics.” Another jury member called it “unfair” to expect them to take a position on the issue. Roy was scheduled to attend the festival…
NEW DELHI – The first tranche of the India-US trade deal, announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this, has triggered a major political and strategic debate in New Delhi with the Opposition parties questioning the Narendra Modi government whether Indian interests have been compromised and the country’s position on its strategic autonomy has weakened. The concerns have particularly been sparked over energy ties with Russia and New Delhi’s market access commitments. Moreover, India’s alleged decision to slash tariffs on a wide range of American goods to near zero in exchange for 18 per cent tariffs on Indian exports to…
BEIJING – Wu Aihua’s appearance is not typical of virtual performers built for 2026. Her face carries the sharp, resolute features of a classic wuxia (martial arts and chivalry) heroine from 1960s-80s Hong Kong cinema. Her posture is upright, restrained, almost austere. There is no cyberpunk gloss, no exaggerated sweetness, nor futuristic excess. Instead, she appears as if she has stepped out of a studio-bound martial arts film: grainy, soft-lit, and steeped in nostalgia. That distinctive aesthetic is precisely what captured the public’s attention in an endless feed of content. Last month, Warner Music China officially announced its collaboration with…
RAUTAHAT – When Man Bahadur Tamang left his village in Gujara Municipality of Rautahat district for Russia late in 2023, he hoped overseas earnings would lift his family out of mounting debt. Forty-five-year-old Tamang, a resident of Brahmatol in Gujara-2, had been running a poultry farm in his village before the Covid-19 pandemic. The business, which started with loans amounting to nearly Rs1.5 million, failed to generate expected returns. Burdened by debt that later rose to around Rs2.5 million, he decided to seek work abroad. According to Tamang’s family, he travelled to Russia in November, hoping to earn enough to…
NAIROBI – China will fully implement zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations starting May 1, according to China Central Television. The Chinese government also highlighted its push to promote the signing of Economic Partnership Agreements for shared development and to upgrade “green channels” to further expand African exports’ access to the Chinese market. ALSO READ: China, Africa share harvest of strong ties The announcement was made as African heads of states gather in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, over the weekend for the African Union Summit. ANN/China Daily
LONDON – The latest issue of the British magazine The Economist features an article on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi titled, “The world’s most powerful woman.” In light of her landslide victory in the House of Representatives election earlier this month, the article said that Takaichi “now has a historic chance to transform her country,” and that “she must be a leader for all of Japan, not only for her right-wing loyalists.” The magazine features an illustration of Takaichi waving with Mt. Fuji in the background. The article describes Takaichi’s moves to strengthen Japan’s defense capabilities and praises her measures to…
DHAKA – After assuming office, the new government should focus immediately on taming red-hot prices, restoring law and order, and creating a favourable environment for investment to generate new jobs, say economists. They came up with the call as BNP prepares to form the new administration this week after a landslide victory in the February 12 national election. Experts say the incoming government will inherit an economy that, despite showing signs of recovery, struggles with stubbornly high inflation, slowing private investment, a vulnerable financial sector, and declining exports. The economy grew only 3.97 percent in fiscal year 2024-25, the lowest…