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BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Shenzhou-21 space rocket and its crew including the youngest member of its astronaut corps blasted off on Friday atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, Chinese state media reported. It was the seventh mission to the permanently inhabited Chinese space station since it was …

China sends its youngest astronaut to ‘Heavenly Palace’ space station Read More »

By Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) – The United States will look at “flexibility” for its troops stationed in South Korea to operate against regional threats, but the focus of the alliance will remain on deterring North Korea, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday. He spoke alongside his South Korean counterpart during a visit …

Hegseth says US-South Korea alliance focused on North Korea but ‘flexibility’ needed Read More »

By Joyce Lee and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -Kim Yong Nam, the only person outside of the ruling Kim family dynasty to serve as North Korea’s nominal head of state, has died, state media reported on Tuesday. Kim Yong Nam, the former chairman of the Presidium of the country’s Supreme People’s Assembly and a long-time …

North Korea says former ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam dies Read More »

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand’s central bank will enhance due diligence monitoring and prioritise the investigation of suspicious transactions, including at commercial lenders, its governor said on Tuesday, as Southeast Asia’s second largest economy struggles to tamp down online scams. The Bank of Thailand will also strengthen the supervision and inspection of financial service providers, including money …

Thailand’s central bank steps up scrutiny to combat scams Read More »

By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s defence force operations to protect its sea trade routes, including through the South China Sea, are becoming more risky as Beijing undertakes the “biggest military build-up in the world today”, Australia’s defence minister said on Tuesday. Open sea lanes, including trade routes that go through the South China Sea …

China’s military build-up demands response, Australia defence minister says Read More »