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Gwyneth Paltrow tells courtroom she thought collision on ski slope was a intercourse assault

Gwyneth Paltrow has insisted that she was the "victim" of a skiing collision with a retired optometrist during an accident at a resort in Utah. The Oscar-winning actress was speaking while giving evidence in a civil case brought by Terry Sanderson, w..

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Macron criticised after slowly taking off costly watch throughout interview about pension adjustments

French President Emmanuel Macron has been criticised after removing his expensive watch during a television interview about pension changes. Violent protests and strikes are taking place across France after Mr Macron pushed through a law raising the ..

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The politics of Maldives are divided as a result of the China-India choice

Maldives is scheduled to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in September 2023. In the previous parliamentary election held in 2019, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won a historic 65 out of 87 seats, with the remaining seats held by other parties and independents. The main electoral issues in the country include development, corruption, the environment, and violent extremism, but political discourse is largely dominated by anti-India and anti-China campaigns. The ruling MDP is facing a growing rift between former President Mohamed Nasheed and incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Nasheed announced his candidacy for the MDP’s presidential primary, accusing Solih of rigging votes and bribery. Solih won the primary and urged for unity within the party, but the split could lead to a divided vote in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom, the opposition coalition’s candidate, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of money laundering and bribery, barring him from running for president. India and China’s activities in the country have further exacerbated political divisions and polarization. The opposition has urged the government to reconsider its close ties with India, while Nasheed criticized China’s Belt and Road Initiative, saying that Beijing intentionally inflated the…

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The Pottery Barn Rule and China ‘s Dilemma

China’s reaction to the recent announcement of Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines through AUKUS was highly critical. China accused the three AUKUS members of “completely disregarding the concerns of the international communities and are walking further and further down the path of error and danger.” Not surprisingly, China’s view of the recently announced expansion of military ties between the United States and the Philippines was also overwhelmingly negative. The news of the largest-ever joint army exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines was labeled by China as “part of U.S. efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance.” In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the formation of multilateral groupings and informal minilaterals in the Indo-Pacific. States with existing defense-strategic partnerships are increasing cooperation and strengthening these relations. Several scholars and observers have argued that one common factor behind these developments is the rise of China and its implications for the regional architecture in the Indo-Pacific. Yet China’s reaction to these developments is almost invariably hostile, as the statements in relation to AUKUS and Philippine-U.S. ties demonstrate. China’s wolf warrior diplomacy is well documented. Claims that the U.S. is interfering in China’s sphere of influence…

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Progress of China’s Military, Political, and Commercial Expansion in Panama

I traveled to Panama to interview government officials, businesspeople, and others about the country’s evolving relationship with China. My trip came shortly after a Chinese donation of military gear including 6,000 bulletproof vests and helmets to Panama’s security forces, as well as congressional testimony by the head of U.S. Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, in which she warned of the strategic risks from China’s presence in Panama. Thanks to COVID-19 and added scrutiny of Chinese projects by the government of Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo, the rate of China’s advance in Panama is less alarming than it was under the administration of Juan Carlos Varela, who switched Panama’s diplomatic relations to Beijing in 2017. Under Varela, Panama had signed up to a series of eventually abandoned high-profile initiatives with Chinese companies, including $4 billion high-speed train between Panama City and David, a $1 billion port investment by a shady China-based consortium in the port in Colon, and a $1 billion natural gas power plant originally designed to support the project. China’s setbacks in Panama under the Cortizo administration should not invite complacency. It is investing significant effort in Panama and making important, if uneven progress in building influence, as well as commercial…

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Donated UN meals support for Yemen’s most needy offered in markets to spice up stallholders’ earnings

A Sky News team inside Yemen has discovered shocking evidence that donated UN food aid meant for the most needy is instead being sold in street markets to help boost stallholders' profits. We found that donated cans of vegetable oil with World F..

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Is the Next Refugee Crisis in the Asia-Pacific Region Imminent?

Last year marked 20 years since the creation of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons, and Related Transnational Crime. Commendable for its longevity, serious-minded policy dialogue, and capacity building, the Bali Process’ pot..

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Thomas Sankara, Africa’s Che Guevara, reburied in Burkina Faso

Issued on: 23/02/2023 - 14:56 Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara, was reburied Thursday, eight years after his body was exhumed as part of an investigation. Sankara’s body, and those of the 12 people who died with him, were reburied at the site of his assassination, which has since become a memorial for Sankara featuring a life-..

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Mainland shopper costs edge increased

China's consumer price index was 2.1 percent higher than a year earlier in January, up from the 1.8 percent gain the month before.The index was boosted by a seasonal surge in spending over the Lunar New Year festival, with airfares, movie ticket..

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Seoul resumes short-term visas to mainland guests

South Korea plans to resume issuing short-term visas for travellers from the mainland on Saturday after China improved its Covid-19 situation.Kim Sung-ho, South Korea's vice interior minister in charge of disaster and safety management, said the..

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Beijing urges Australia to be truthful to Chinese language corporations

Beijing on Thursday expressed the hope that Australia will provide a fair environment for Chinese companies, in response to Canberra's announcement it is reviewing Chinese-made cameras in defence offices.Australia's defence minister said ea..

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Lithuania gasoline pipeline explosion ‘seemingly attributable to technical malfunction’

A powerful gas pipeline explosion which sent flames 150ft into the sky in northern Lithuania was most likely caused by a technical malfunction, officials have said. The head of AB Amber Grid, which operates Lithuania's natural gas transmission s..

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