South Korea, the United States and Japan are accelerating efforts to convene a trilateral summit by the end of this year to bolster deterrence against North Korean threats and enhance regional security in light of rising Sino-US tensions. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik said in an interview with KBS Sunday that the three parties are “moderately building a consensus” for a standalone three-way summit “as soon as possible after” multilateral summits like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the Group of 20 Summit scheduled in November. Shin also said in a separate interview with TV Chosun…
Author: Asia News Network
Adding to India’s already significant contribution in supplying HIV medicines to the world, as many as four pharmaceutical companies of the country are among the six firms that have been granted royalty-free licenses by international pharma giant ‘Gilead Sciences’ to produce and supply generic versions of its highly effective HIV drug, lenacapavir, currently used for treatment of multi-drug-resistant HIV and also clinically proven successful, as a preventive medication for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). As per the announcement made by the US-based Gilead Sciences, India’s ‘Dr Reddy’s Laboratories’, ‘Emcure Pharmaceuticals’, ‘Hetero Labs’ and ‘Mylan’ that is a unit of the US-based…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday called out China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” actions over the South China Sea during a summit of 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-US summit held here. Blinken said the United States “remains concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions in the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from Asean nations and contradicted commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes.” “The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific. We also believe it’s important to maintain our shared commitment…
On Sunday, police said the number of people who had filed complaints with the Central Investigation Bureau against the iCon Group were more than 500 so far, with claimed damages of more than 200 million baht. Thai victims have told police that they were lured to become dealers or distributors of the firm’s supplementary food products with the promise that the products would sell like hotcakes. But they ended up failing to sell the products and were told instead to recruit more “dealers” to work under them so they could earn part of new recruits’ investment money. Thai social networkers…
Mattel has released its first Diwali Barbie just in time for Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights and which falls on Oct 31 in Singapore. The American toy company’s latest doll was designed by renowned Indian fashion designer Anita Dongre, who aims to empower rural women artisans and showcase India’s rich tradition of craftsmanship. The Diwali Barbie is dressed in traditional Indian wear, such as a choli top and lehenga, adorned with vibrant dahlias, jasmines and the Indian lotus, which symbolises strength and beauty. Diwali Barbie’s Moonlight Bloom ensemble, in addition to her sparkling earrings and gold bangles,…
The world’s largest technology firms are flocking to South-east Asia to build data centres at a time when demand for infrastructure and computing power to enable artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly rising. The new investments are expected to contribute to the region’s economies by creating skilled jobs in data centre construction, engineering and maintenance, while also developing specialised talent in AI, cyber security, and data science and management. The investments will also improve the region’s digital infrastructure, allowing small businesses and large institutions to store their data locally, significantly reducing downtime while increasing data sovereignty. With AI-supported innovations such as…
China has invited European technical teams to visit the country for the next round of discussions on the European Union’s anti-subsidy case involving Chinese electric vehicles (EV), said the Ministry of Commerce. China remains committed to resolving the issue through dialogue and hopes that the EU will meet China halfway, said a spokesperson from the ministry in an online statement. The official’s remarks were made in response to media inquiries regarding ongoing China-EU consultations about EU tariffs on Chinese EVs and reports of the EU holding separate negotiations with individual companies. Since September 20, China and the EU have held…
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations announced on Thursday the substantial conclusion of negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, as Premier Li Qiang and leaders of the 10-member regional grouping met for an annual meeting in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. China and ASEAN agreed that the latest progress demonstrates that the two sides are steadfast in upholding a rules-based trade environment and are committed to deepening economic integration and pragmatic cooperation amid the complex international landscape, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Addressing the 27th China-ASEAN Summit, Li said this important outcome provides institutional…
Asean deepened its relationships with several key partners on the second day of its annual gathering, in what Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said was a signal of the grouping’s commitment to free trade and staying open at a time of growing protectionism. On Oct 10, leaders of the 10-member Asean took steps towards concluding an upgraded free trade pact with China, bolstered its ties with South Korea, and also urged Japan to update its economic agreement with the grouping, in a series of multilateral meetings held in Vientiane, Laos. Addressing fellow Asean leaders as well as counterparts from China,…
South Korean author Han Kang, 53, has won this year’s Nobel Prize in literature, becoming the first South Korean to be honored with one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards. The Swedish Academy’s Nobel Committee announced the winner Thursday in Stockholm. Han was recognized “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” said Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. The committee said: In her oeuvre, Han confronts historical traumas and invisible sets of rules and, in each of her works, exposes the fragility of human life. She has a…