Asia’s top security summit is under way in Singapore | News

Asia’s top security summit is under way in Singapore | News

As US and China defence chiefs meet in Singapore, attention turns to rising tensions over the future of Taiwan. Defence chiefs from around the Asia Pacific are in Singapore to discuss security challenges facing the region. The three-day summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, attracts high-level ministers, military heads and…

US, China defence chiefs hold rare talks on Taiwan, South China Sea | South China Sea News

US, China defence chiefs hold rare talks on Taiwan, South China Sea | South China Sea News

Singapore meeting between Lloyd Austin, Dong Jun marks first substantive face-to-face talks between the two nations in 18 months. The defence chiefs of the United States and China have held rare direct talks in Singapore, offering hope that further military dialogue could help prevent disputes over Taiwan and the South…

Myanmar military control weakening as anti-coup forces advance: Report | Conflict News

Myanmar military control weakening as anti-coup forces advance: Report | Conflict News

Expert analyses find ethnic armed groups and anti-coup forces consolidating their positions seven months after launching major offensive. Myanmar’s military regime has lost control of more parts of the Southeast Asian country, particularly along its borders, since anti-coup forces formed an alliance to mount a renewed offensive at the end…

China’s volunteer programmers work in the shadows to keep the internet free | Internet

China’s volunteer programmers work in the shadows to keep the internet free | Internet

Taipei, Taiwan – Chinese programmer Chen earns his living working remotely for a Western tech company. But in his free time, he answers to a higher calling: helping his fellow citizens jump the Great Firewall that blocks them from freely accessing China’s internet. Chen is a volunteer “maintainer” who helps…

China’s Xi calls for peace conference to end ‘tremendous suffering’ in Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News

China’s Xi calls for peace conference to end ‘tremendous suffering’ in Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News

China’s leader tells Arab leaders that Israel’s war on Gaza ‘should not continue indefinitely’, pledges more aid. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a peace conference aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict and ending “tremendous suffering” in Gaza. Addressing Arab leaders at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing…

UN warns of ‘significant’ disease risk after Papua New Guinea landslide | Environment News

UN warns of ‘significant’ disease risk after Papua New Guinea landslide | Environment News

The UN’s migration agency says displaced residents urgently need clean water, purification tablets and food supplies. Papua New Guinea has ruled out finding more survivors under the rubble of last week’s massive landslide, as a UN agency warned of a “significant risk of disease outbreak” among displaced residents, who are…

Google announces bn investment in Malaysia, as gov’t hails 26,500 jobs | Technology

Google announces $2bn investment in Malaysia, as gov’t hails 26,500 jobs | Technology

Tech giant says investment in Southeast Asian country will ‘pave the way for delivering the transformative power of AI’. Google has announced that it will invest $2bn in Malaysia to establish its first data centre and “cloud region” in the Southeast Asian country. “This investment is not just about infrastructure;…

China lifts ban on Australian beef exporters in the latest sign of thaw | Agriculture

China lifts ban on Australian beef exporters in the latest sign of thaw | Agriculture

Move follows lifting of restrictions on imports of Australian coal, timber and barley. China has lifted an import ban on five Australian beef producers, the Australian government has said, the latest sign of a thaw after years of strained ties between Beijing and Canberra. “China has lifted its suspension of…

Hong Kong court finds 14 of 16 democracy activists guilty of subversion | Courts News

Hong Kong court finds 14 of 16 democracy activists guilty of subversion | Courts News

BREAKINGBREAKING, This is a breaking news story. More details to follow. A Hong Kong court has found 14 of 16 activists and politicians guilty of subversion in the Chinese territory’s largest-ever trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The group was among 47 people, including some of Hong Kong’s most…