Philippines mulls pullout of Syria peacekeepers The Philippine foreign secretary says he is recommending to President Benigno Aquino III to pull out all Filipino U.N. peacekeepers from the Golan Heights following the abduction of four by Syrian rebels. More
8 die in clothing factory fire in Bangladesh as Rana Plaza toll passes 900 Eight people were killed when a fire swept through a clothing factory in Bangladesh, police and an industry association official said on Thursday, as the death toll from the collapse of another factory building two weeks ago climbed above 900. More
Porn and movies, not tech secrets, found on Chinese spy suspect's NASA laptop The Chinese national taken into custody on an airplane waiting to take off for home had pornography and illegally downloaded movies on his NASA computer, not government secrets, reports say. He is now set to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating NASA computer rules. More
Pak floods: Death toll rose to 39, with 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; urban flood emergency imposed in Quetta As the heavy rains continue to lash several provinces of Pakistan, the death toll rose to 39, with 21 alone in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the Balochistan governm ... 04/15/2024 - 6:18 pm | View Link
Muzaffarnagar building collapse: 1 dead, several feared trapped One person was killed and several others were feared trapped after the roof of an under-construction building collapsed in Muzaffarnagar's Jansath town on Sunday. Muzaffarnagar DM Aravind Mallappa ... 04/14/2024 - 5:53 am | View Link
Bangladesh smuggler shot dead in Tripura The orchestrated assault resulted in a building collapse. This incident reflects the surge in attacks with possible Pakistani Taliban involvement. 03/17/2024 - 11:55 pm | View Link
At least 45 killed in Bangladesh after fire breaks out at shopping mall Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told reporters that he expected the death toll to rise ... intense scrutiny since a fire in 2012 and a building collapse in 2013 that together killed more than ... 02/29/2024 - 6:32 pm | View Link
Rags-to-riches tales, revenge plots, and plenty of twists—Chinese viewers are loving what they can find in internet “micro-dramas,” the latest big thing in Chinese entertainment of vertically-shot shows posted on social media with episodes that have runtimes of just a few minutes or less.
But Chinese authorities, wary of losing control over messaging, aren’t loving the new medium so much—and are cracking down on the booming micro-drama industry.
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Unlike legacy television productions with longer production schedules and larger budgets—and strict government oversight—the micro-drama industry has risen through the proliferation of low-budget, quickly made mini-shows that often cost only a fraction of the time and money to put in front of viewers, and until recently, were largely unregulated.
Not known for award- or acclaim-worthy scripts or acting but rather for their pure bingeworthiness, micro-dramas tend to lean into familiar tried-and-tested themes, like love affairs, family disputes, and tensions between the rich and poor.
Read More: China’s Solution to Inequality?
(WASHINGTON) — The U. S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.
The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine’s existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the need for Patriots early Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting.
Mass graves with hundreds of bodies were discovered last weekend at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, prompting serious concerns about war crimes, according to the OHCHR, the U. N.’s human rights office.
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Much remains unknown about the victims, but the discovery of the bodies comes after Israeli troops ended their two-week operation at Al-Shifa Hospital in early April.
King Charles III is set to visit a cancer treatment center with his wife, Queen Camilla, on Tuesday to mark his return to public-facing duties after receiving treatment and recuperating following his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace said Friday.
The Palace announced in February that the King, 75, had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
HANOI, Vietnam — The head of Vietnam’s parliament has resigned, according to state media, making him the latest senior member of government to leave office amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that’s shaken the country’s political and business elites.
The resignation of National Assembly Chair Vuong Dinh Hue adds to growing instability in the country.
For months, Fujikawaguchiko, a Japanese resort town, has been swarmed with tourists eager to soak in the views of Mount Fuji, the country’s tallest mountain. The visitors have also taken a particular interest in one specific parking lot, which offers a picturesque view of the famed volcano in the background of a convenience store.
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As the spot surged in popularity after earning a reputation on social media for being “very Japanese,” a local official told AFP, throngs of tourists have wreaked havoc, sometimes parking their cars without permission, leaving litter behind, and even climbing onto the roof of a nearby dental clinic in hopes of a better vantage point for the perfect shot.