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KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan has launched its annual polio inoculation campaign aimed at reaching 9 million children, the health ministry said on Monday, the second year in a row the vaccination drive has taken place under Taliban rule. Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan are the last countries with endemic polio, an incurable and highly infectious disease …

Taliban health ministry launches annual polio vaccination drive Read More »

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the agreement by Saudi Arabia and Iran to re-establish ties after years of hostility, but did not comment on China’s role in brokering the deal. “It is good that Saudi Arabia and Iran want to develop a less confrontational relationship with each other, and that is what …

Germany’s Scholz welcomes Saudi-Iran efforts to build ‘less confrontational’ ties Read More »

(Reuters) – Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that relations between Russia and China were a major factor supporting global stability in the world today, the TASS news agency reported. “Bilateral relations between our countries have reached a new, unprecedented level and have become a major factor supporting global stability in the face …

Russia’s Shoigu hails relations with China as pillar of global stability Read More »

By Shivangi Acharya, Aftab Ahmed and Neha Arora NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India has asked banks and traders to avoid using Chinese yuan to pay for Russian imports, three government officials involved in policy making and two banking sources said, because of long-running political differences with its neighbour. India, which has emerged as a top …

Exclusive-India to discourage foreign trade settlement in Chinese yuan – sources Read More »

CHONBURI, Thailand (Reuters) – Thailand celebrated National Elephant Day on Monday, honouring the beast that is a beloved symbol of the country with feasts of fruits and vegetables. Thailand in 1998 declared March 13 as a day dedicated to the conservation of its elephants. Traditionally, they have been used as work animals and even in …

Elephants honoured in Thailand as part of nation’s heritage Read More »

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Authorities in Indonesia’s popular holiday island of Bali have asked the central immigration agency to cancel a visa-on-arrival policy for Russian and Ukrainian nationals after tourists were found working illegally. Russian nationals are among the biggest groups of foreign arrivals in Indonesia, according to official tourism data. At least four Russian citizens …

Indonesia’s Bali wants to tighten visa requirements for Russian tourists Read More »

(Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to travel to Russia to meet with his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said, which would be sooner than previously expected. Plans for a visit come as China has been offering to broker peace in Ukraine, an effort that has …

Exclusive-China’s Xi plans Russia visit as soon as next week – sources Read More »

By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s defence spending this year will focus on preparing weapons and equipment for a “total blockade” by China, including parts for F-16 fighters and replenishing weapons, the military said in a report. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island …

Taiwan says defence spending to focus on readying for ‘total blockade’ by China Read More »

By Eduardo Baptista and Yew Lun Tian BEIJING (Reuters) -New Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought to reassure the country’s private sector on Monday, saying the environment for entrepreneurial businesses will improve and that equal treatment would be given to all types of companies. Li, the former Communist Party chief of Shanghai, was installed as premier …

China’s new premier seeks to reassure private sector as parliament wraps up Read More »