US President Donald Trump has indicated that it was "always possible" he would order the closure of more Chinese consulates in the United States, after the US gave Beijing 72 hours to shut its consulate in Houston further souring ties between the two countries. Trump, at a White House news conference on Wednesday, noted that a fire had been spotted on the Houston consulate's grounds after the US Department of […]
Hong Kong formally kicked off on Saturday a two-week registration period for candidates to run in a key legislative election in September, amid fears authorities might try to disqualify an assertive young generation of democrats. The poll will be a crucial battleground for the city's democratic opposition to try to reclaim some political influence in the wake of tough national security laws China imposed on June 30. These laws have […]
China has said it would retaliate after US President Donald Trump ordered an end to preferential trade treatment for Hong Kong and signed legislation allowing sanctions on banks over Beijing's clampdown on the semi-autonomous city. In a statement on Wednesday, China's foreign ministry said the US's Hong Kong Autonomy Act "maliciously slanders" new national security legislation Beijing had imposed on Hong Kong earlier this month and warned Washington against interference […]
Japan's annual defence review has accused China of pushing its territorial claims under the cover of the coronavirus pandemic and claims Beijing is spreading propaganda and disinformation as it provides medical aid to nations fighting COVID-19. China "is continuing to attempt to alter the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea," Japan said in the defence white paper approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government […]
Russia and China have vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to extend aid deliveries from Turkey to Syria, which the UN says is crucial to save millions of lives. The six-year-long UN approval of aid deliveries to Syria from Turkey is authorised until Friday. The remaining 13 UNSC members voted on Tuesday in favour of the resolution drafted by Germany and Belgium. The Security Council will now vote on […]
TikTok will exit the Hong Kong market within days, a spokesman told Reuters late on Monday, as other technology companies including Facebook Inc (FB.O) suspend processing government requests for user data in the region. The short form video app owned by China-based ByteDance has made the decision to exit the region following China’s establishment of a sweeping new national security law for the semi-autonomous city. “In light of recent events, […]
Authorities in a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia have issued a warning after a hospital reported a case of suspected bubonic plague - one of the deadliest diseases in history. The health committee of the city of Bayan Nur issued the third-level alert on Sunday, the second lowest in a four-level system. The alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague and asks […]
China's enactment of a national security law for Hong Kong has drawn statements of deep concern from abroad and a firm defence at home. Details of the law - which comes in response to last year's sometimes-violent pro-democracy protests in the city - are due out later on Tuesday. China says the law is necessary to deal with separatism and foreign interference in the semi-autonomous territory, but critics say it […]
China has released 10 Indian army soldiers, including at least two senior officers, it captured in a high-altitude border clash in the Himalayas which left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead, media reports said. The release follows several rounds of talks between the two sides in a bid to ease tensions after the battle on Monday, in which scores of troops from the two sides fought with nail-studded batons and […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
