Australia’s relations with China will remain challenging, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday (May 24) amid reports the Chinese premier has congratulated the new Labor government on its election victory. Ties between Australia and China, its largest trading partner, are at a low ebb after they clashed over …
Read More »Downpours trigger traffic jams, property damage in northern Vietnam
Hanoi and northern provinces are once again inundated Tuesday following long-lasting rains from Monday night that caused severe traffic jams and house, crop damage. Hanoi’s Hoang Mai District recorded rain levels at over 130 mm from Monday night, followed by Hai Ba Trung District at 100 mm, and Hoan Kiem, …
Read More »Biden says he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan against China
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression in a comment that seemed to stretch the limits of the ambiguous U.S. policy towards the self-ruled island. While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means …
Read More »UN says rich countries putting children around the world at risk
Rich countries are creating unsafe living conditions for children both at home and around the world, a UNICEF report released Tuesday said, calling on states to reduce waste and cut pollution. UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Center studied 39 countries from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European …
Read More »Fly me to the Moon: US, Japan aim for lunar landing
Japan and the United States said Monday they want to put the first Japanese astronaut on the Moon as the allies deepen cooperation on space projects. No non-American has ever touched down on the lunar surface, and Japan has previously said it hopes to achieve a Moon landing by the …
Read More »Philippines’ Marcos in nuclear plant revival talks with S.Korea
Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos signaled his determination to adopt nuclear power Monday, holding talks with South Korea’s envoy on possibly reviving a mothballed $2.2 billion plant built during his father’s rule. The 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was left dormant after the elder Marcos was toppled in 1986. In the …
Read More »Russian jailed for growing cannabis in central Vietnam
A Russian man received a seven-month jail term for growing and producing cannabis in a house in Binh Thuan Province Monday. A court in the south central province handed out the sentence to Shedko Dmitrii, 34, for “illegal possession of narcotics” in line with the Penal Code. Dmitrii was detained …
Read More »Marriage proposals to ‘Magician’: 5 SEA Games moments
The 31st SEA Games in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi close later Monday after nearly two weeks of records, adulation and marriage proposals. AFP Sport picks out five memorable moments: Rock-star treatment Efren Reyes of the Philippines was given the kind of reception usually more associated with rock stars than aging …
Read More »Biden says 13 countries to join new Asia-Pacific trade framework
President Joe Biden announced Monday in Tokyo that 13 countries have joined a new, U.S.-led Asia-Pacific trade initiative touted as a counterweight to China’s aggressive expansion in the region. “The United States and Japan, together with 11 other nations will be launching” the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, or IPEF, …
Read More »Hanoi streets underwater after downpours
Torrential rains ve rendered several parts of Hanoi inundated up to 60 cm deep Monday morning, impeding traffic. Since Sunday night, several Hanoi districts had seen heavy rains due to impacts of a low-pressure area. In the last 12 hours, Son Tay Town recorded rain levels at 170 mm, Hoai …
Read More »