Asia
14 Dec
A former top official at one of China's largest state-run banks has been arrested for alleged bribery, state media reported Thursday, as Beijing cracks down on corruption in the country's financial sector. The case of Zhou Qingyu, a former vice president of the China Development Bank, "has been transferred... for examination and prosecution," state news…
14 Dec
The Philippines deported 180 Chinese nationals on Thursday after they were detained in a raid on a suspected sex-trafficking and online scam operation in the capital Manila, officials said. Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Filipino nationals were among the nearly 600 people found inside a compound during the operation in October. Sex toys, a massage parlour,…
14 Dec
Three Japanese ministers tendered their resignations on Thursday over a major kickback scandal in the ruling party, media reports said. Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita all did so Thursday morning, the reports said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno was expected to follow suit later…
13 Dec
Many Gazans already lived in poverty before the war. Now, even those with money have found the conflict to be a terrible equaliser as they hunt in vain for shelter and basic supplies. Since fleeing to the south of Gaza, Mohammed al-Mahdun, 36, has been looking for an apartment in Rafah near the Egyptian border…
13 Dec
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Wednesday it had exhausted its supply of children's vaccines, warning of "catastrophic health repercussions." The announcement came more than two months into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as international aid organisations have warned about the dire conditions in the crowded Palestinian territory. The ministry did not…
13 Dec
India's parliament was halted Wednesday after a major security breach that saw two people disrupt proceedings by setting off a smoke canister inside the legislature. The pair were arrested by security, along with two others detained outside the building, after one man jumped onto the floor of the Lower House of Parliament from an overhead…
13 Dec
The United States and Britain on Wednesday announced a fresh round of sanctions on Hamas over its deadly October 7 attack on Israel. The measure "targets key officials who perpetuate Hamas's violent agenda by representing the group's interests abroad and managing its finances," the US Treasury Department said. The United States has been ratcheting up…
13 Dec
Beijing said on Wednesday that a bipartisan US committee that recommended a more aggressive approach to handling competition with China was "full of prejudice and hostility," accusing it of smears and attacks. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Tuesday called for a "reset" of Washington's economic ties with Beijing, including…
13 Dec
The IMF announced Tuesday it has authorised the release of close to $700 million for Bangladesh after concluding it was making progress on programmes aimed at preserving macroeconomic stability. The International Monetary Fund said in a statement that it had concluded the first review of two loan programmes, making around $690 million available to the…
13 Dec
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was expected to announce the sacking of four ministers on Wednesday over a major party financing scandal, media reports said. Those to be axed include Kishida's right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, and Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister of economy, industry and trade, the reports said. Others are internal affairs…
13 Dec
Almost 200 countries are working to salvage a global deal on climate change, after a backlash on fossil fuels during COP28 talks in Dubai. A new draft deal is expected to be published later, which negotiators will immediately scrutinise to see what’s changed on fossil fuels. Source tells BBC the new text will be “more…
13 Dec
A Thai court has sentenced a lawmaker from the progressive Move Forward Party on Wednesday to six years in jail on royal insult charges, the party's leader said. Rukchanok Srinork was found guilty of lese majeste and breaching the Computer Crimes Act for reposting two messages on X, formerly Twitter. MFP won the most seats…