Pakistani director wins best director award at Indian film festival

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Pakistani director Iram Parveen Bilal was honored with the Best Director Feature Film award at the 5th Yellowstone International Film Festival for her film Wakhri, meaning "one of a kind" in Punjabi. The movie takes inspiration from the life of Qandeel Baloch, a murdered Pakistani social media star. In the movie, Baloch appeared as Noor, a schoolteacher who becomes a social media sensation after losing her spouse. She faces unexpected chall

November 25, 2024

China plans $193 million support for Myanmar junta

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - China is set to provide 1 billion yuan ($193 million) to Myanmar's military government for 20 different projects, including infrastructure, surveillance systems and census operations, Myanmar Now reported on Sunday, citing internal documents from the junta's Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations. The financial support was reportedly finalized during junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's first visit to China earlier this month since th

November 25, 2024

UAE partially lifts drone ban

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - The UAE partially lifted its ban on drone operations on Monday, allowing companies and government agencies to resume use of unmanned aerial vehicles after a two-year hiatus. The initial phase excludes individual users, but officials plan to expand access following evaluations, the Ministry of Interior announced. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has designated specific zones for drone operations to maintain safety and minimize misuse, accordin

November 25, 2024

Missing Israeli rabbi found dead in UAE

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - The body of rabbi Zvi Kogan, 28, an Israeli-Moldovan citizen, was found Sunday in Al Ain, the Emirati Interior Ministry confirmed. Authorities described the case as a murder, with three suspects arrested, though no charges have been announced. Kogan, a member of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, had been missing since Thursday. He operated a kosher grocery store in Dubai, a hub for Israeli trade and tourism since the 2020 Abraham Accords. Israeli Prime Min

November 25, 2024

India's second-richest man summoned in US on fraud, bribery charges

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a summons to India's second-richest man Gautam Adani on charges of securities fraud and bribery. According to news reports on Sunday, the SEC sent the summons to Adani's home in India, seeking clarification on bribery allegations against him. Along with Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, an executive at Adani Green Energy, a renewable energy company, has also been included in the summons.

November 25, 2024

Fire in Manila slum destroys 1,000 homes

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - A massive fire swept through a seaside slum in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday, burning down approximately 1,000 houses in the impoverished Tondo district, local fire officials said. Authorities deployed 36 fire trucks, four fireboats, and two air force helicopters to battle the blaze, which began on the second floor of a residential building around 8 a.m., Nov. 24. The fire tore through wooden stilt houses in the densely populated area, home to about

November 25, 2024

Japan's foreign minister may visit China soon to discuss boosting bilateral ties

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is expected to visit Beijing this year for discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The planned mission, reported on Sunday, would mark Iwaya's inaugural trip to China since assuming office in October and represents the first high-level visit by a Japanese foreign minister to Beijing after more than a year, last visited in April 2023. The visit follows a recent summit between Japanese Prime Minister

November 25, 2024

US, Japan finalize joint military plan for Taiwan contingency

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - The United States and Japan are finalizing a comprehensive military response plan designed to counter potential conflict scenarios arising from tensions between Taiwan and China. The plan, which is expected to be formalized in December, involves strategic missile positioning in key locations across the region. According to media reports on Sunday, the initiative will see the deployment of U.S. Marine Corps' Marine Littoral Regiments, equipped with

November 25, 2024

China cracks down on online platforms' algorithm-based practices

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Chinese regulators launched a coordinated campaign to address key algorithm-related issues on major online platforms. Running from last week to February next year, the initiative will target problems such as repetitive content, unauthorized ranking manipulations, profit-driven practices, and discriminatory pricing based on user data, according to a notice from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). The campaign is expected to protect consumer rig

November 25, 2024

China, EU inch closer to agreement on EV tariffs

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - China and the EU are reportedly close to resolving the dispute over tariffs on electric vehicle (EV) imports, according to multiple German media outlets. German broadcaster n-tv reported that Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee, as saying that both sides are working toward an agreement. As of Sunday, neither the European Commission (EC) nor China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) had commented on Lange's remarks.

November 25, 2024