232 confirmed dead in Jan 1 Japan earthquake

232 confirmed dead in Jan 1 Japan earthquake

Tokyo, Jan 17 - At least 232 people have been confirmed dead in the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's Ishikawa prefecture on January 1, local officials said on Wednesday.

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China’s population declines for second straight year

China’s population declines for second straight year

Beijing, Jan 17 - China's population declined for a second consecutive year in 2023, while the birthrate has also plunged to a new record low, the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Wednesday.

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New chapter in India-Bangladesh bilateral ties: High Commissioner

New chapter in India-Bangladesh bilateral ties: High Commissioner

Dhaka, Jan 16 - During a meeting with Bangladesh's newly-elected Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma said a new chapter of bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations has opened, and would work "more closely" to take the ties forward.

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JN.1 variant to soon become dominant strain in China: Health officials

JN.1 variant to soon become dominant strain in China: Health officials

Beijing, Jan 15 - China is likely to see a rebound in Covid-19 infections in January, and the highly transmissible JN.1 variant will become the dominant strain, health authorities have said.

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Five soldiers killed in IED explosion in Pakistan

Five soldiers killed in IED explosion in Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 14 - Five soldiers were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Pakistan's Balochistan province, local media reported.

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N.Korea claims to have successfully launched ballistic missile

N.Korea claims to have successfully launched ballistic missile

Seoul, Jan 15 - North Korea on Monday said it successfully test-fired a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) carrying a hypersonic warhead the previous day as part of "regular activities to develop powerful weapons systems", Pyongyang's state media reported.

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Nuclear envoys of S.Korea, US, Japan condemn N.Korea’s missile launch

Nuclear envoys of S.Korea, US, Japan condemn N.Korea’s missile launch

Seoul, Jan 15 - The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US and Japan have condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch during their phone talks earlier this week, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

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Prachanda says Nepal against Taiwan’s independence, terms China ‘reliable friend’

Prachanda says Nepal against Taiwan’s independence, terms China ‘reliable friend’

Kathmandu, Jan 14 - A day after anti-Beijing leader Lai Ching-te was elected the new President of Taiwan, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" on Sunday said that the Himalayan nation was against Taiwan's independence.

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Withdraw troops by mid-March, Maldives tells India

Withdraw troops by mid-March, Maldives tells India

Male, Jan 14 - Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago nation by mid-March, officials said on Sunday afternoon.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf loses poll symbol ‘bat’

Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf loses poll symbol ‘bat’

Islamabad, Jan 14 - Ahead of the February 8 general elections, the Supreme Court in the country has upheld the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) , and nullified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf's intra-party polls, depriving the party of its poll symbol bat,

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Hope for continued peace, stability across Taiwan Strait after presidential election: South Korea

Hope for continued peace, stability across Taiwan Strait after presidential election: South Korea

Seoul, Jan 14 - After election of a US-friendly president, Lai Ching-te, South Korea hopes to see peace and stability maintained across the Taiwan Strait, government official said Sunday,

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William Lai wins Taiwan presidential election

William Lai wins Taiwan presidential election

Taipei City, Jan 14 - Taiwanese voters have chosen William Lai as their President in a historic election, keeping the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in control for a third term, despite warnings from China over his pro-sovereignty views.

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Cockpit window crack forces ANA Boeing flight in Japan to turn back

Cockpit window crack forces ANA Boeing flight in Japan to turn back

London, Jan 13 - A domestic All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight in Japan has returned to its departure airport after a crack was reported on the cockpit window during the flight, BBC reported.

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‘No license to bully..’ Maldives President makes fresh jab at India

‘No license to bully..’ Maldives President makes fresh jab at India

New Delhi, Jan 13 -(IANS) Amid the ongoing row, Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu, fresh from his China visit, made another indirect jab at India, accusing it of "bullying" his "small" nation.

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4-meter ground upheaval observed after Jan 1 quake in Japan: Research

4-meter ground upheaval observed after Jan 1 quake in Japan: Research

Tokyo, Jan 13 - A recent research found the powerful January 1 earthquake that rocked central Japan has caused ground upheavals as high as about 4 meters, local media reported on Saturday.

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Taiwan goes to polls amid warnings from China

Taiwan goes to polls amid warnings from China

Taipei, Jan 13 - Some 19.5 eligible voters in Taiwan will cast their ballots on Saturday to elect a new President and Parliament amid growing warnings from China that Taipei's future was at "crossroads".

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Amid pivot from India, Maldives upgrades ties with China

Amid pivot from India, Maldives upgrades ties with China

China and the Maldives upgraded their relationship on Wednesday during newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu’s first state visit to Beijing, following a campaign in which he cast China’s regional rival India as a threat to sovereignty.

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IMF allows immediate disbursement of $700 mn to Pakistan

IMF allows immediate disbursement of $700 mn to Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 12 - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that its Executive Board has completed the first review of Pakistan's economic reform program supported by the global lender's Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), allowing for an immediate disbursement of about $700 million.

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Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as Bangladesh PM for 4th straight term

Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as Bangladesh PM for 4th straight term

Dhaka, Jan 11 - Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on Thursday was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fourth consecutive term after she led her party to a massive victory in the January 7 Parliamentary elections.

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213 dead, 52 missing in Japan’s quake-hit Ishikawa prefecture

213 dead, 52 missing in Japan’s quake-hit Ishikawa prefecture

Tokyo, Jan 11 - The death toll from the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's Ishikawa prefecture on January 1, increased to 213 on Thursday, with 52 people remaining unaccounted for, according to authorities.

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