Taiwan calls China tourism ban a “mistake” amid rising tension
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday called Beijing’s ban on individual tourists to the island a “major strategic mistake” amid heightened tension with giant neighbor China.
Afghan troop numbers drop sharply in crackdown on ‘ghost’ soldiers
There has been a sharp drop in the size of Afghanistan’s National Defense Security Forces in the past few months due to changes in the way troops are counted and an effort to reduce the number of so-called “ghost” soldiers, a U.S. government watchdog …
U.S. officials hold out for talks after latest North Korean missile tests
North Korea’s latest missile launches did not violate a pledge its leader Kim Jong Un made to U.S. President Donald Trump, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, but efforts to resume denuclearization talks remained in doubt.
Israeli forces kill armed Palestinian who infiltrated from Gaza: military
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian on Thursday after he crossed the border from Gaza and fired at the troops, wounding three of them, the Israeli military said.
Taipei mayor to form political party in challenge to Taiwan president
The mayor of Taipei said on Thursday he will form a political party to run in Taiwan’s 2020 elections, a move that could complicate President Tsai Ing-wen’s re-election and shake up the political landscape amid heightened tension with China.
Malaysian senator drops proposed anti-seduction law after backlash
A Malaysian senator on Thursday apologized after proposing a sexual harassment law to protect men from being “seduced” by women into committing sexual crimes.
North Korean soldier defects across the DMZ, South Korea says
The South Korean military detained a North Korean soldier who crossed the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two countries, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said on Thursday.
U.S. officials play down North Korea missile tests, hold out for new talks
North Korea’s latest missile launches did not violate a pledge its leader Kim Jong Un made to U.S. President Donald Trump, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, but efforts to resume denuclearization talks remained in doubt.
Trump discusses Siberian wildfires, trade in call with Russia’s Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss wildfires in Siberia and trade between their two nations, the White House said.
U.S. envoy slams Germany after reluctance on Hormuz mission
The U.S. ambassador to Germany launched a scathing attack on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government on Thursday for its reluctance to join a naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Europe’s biggest economy must assume more global responsibility.
