AFGHANISTAN’S TALIBAN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PRISONER SWAP WITH US

Tue 21 January 2025: The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has announced on Tuesday the release by the United States of an Afghan prisoner in exchange for two US detainees, saying the deal was brokered by Qatar. “An Afghan fighter Khan Mohammad imprisoned in America has been released in exchange for American citizens and returned to […]

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GEOLOGISTS IN CHINA DISCOVERS LARGE ‘RARE’ EARTH DEPOSIT

Tue 21 January 2025: Geologists have discovered a large “rare” earth deposit in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, with potential resources of 1.15 million tons, the state-run Xinhua News reported on Saturday. According to the China Geological Survey (CGS), critical rare earth elements such as praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium exceed 470,000 tons in this newly […]

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AHEAD OF TRUMP INAUGURATION, CHINESE VICE PRESIDENT MEETS ELON MUSK

Mon 20 January 2025: China’s Vice President Han Zheng has met with billionaire Elon Musk as part of Beijing’s high-level representation ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Han met with Musk, the CEO of Tesla, “welcoming American companies … to seize the opportunities, share in the outcomes of China’s development, and make […]

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PAKISTAN PULLS CLOSER TO POST-HASINA BANGLADESH AMID SHARED INDIA CONCERNS

 Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, right, meets with Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan, principal staff officer of the Bangladesh army, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan [Handout/Inter-Services Public Relations] Mon 20 January 2025: Since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Pakistan and Bangladesh have edged closer as politics in both countries ride on a general anti-India sentiment. Islamabad, Pakistan – The […]

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PAKISTANI EX-PREMIER KHAN SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS OVER UNIVERSITY GRAFT CASE

Fri 17 January 2025: A Pakistani court on Friday sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to jail time over a graft case related to the Al Qadir University Trust. The former premier was sentenced to 14 years behind bars, and his wife to seven, in the thrice-postponed verdict announced inside […]

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US BANS SMART CARS WITH CHINESE, RUSSIAN TECHNOLOGY

Fri 17 January 2025: The United States has finalised a rule effectively barring Chinese and Russian technology from cars in the American market, taking aim at software and hardware from the world’s second-biggest economy over national security risks. The announcement on Tuesday, which also pertains to Russian technology, comes as outgoing President Joe Biden wraps […]

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APP STORES IN SINGAPORE REQUIRE AGE CHECKS TO PROTECT CHILDREN

Fri 17 January 2025: Singapore has introduced a new code requiring designated app distribution services to implement age assurance measures to enhance online safety, particularly for children, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced on Wednesday. The Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services, which will take effect on March 31, mandates […]

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