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South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore, Monday. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Monday for a summit aimed at expanding co-operation in fields such as artificial intelligence and nuclear energy, during a state visit to the city-state.At a joint press conference, Lee and Wong announced the start of negotiations to upgrade the countries’ existing free trade agreement, which took effect in 2006.The countries also signed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for co-operation in fields such as small modular reactors (SMRs) for nuclear power generation, AI and other scientific fields such as quantum and space satellites, South Korea’s Blue House said.Other partnerships will include co-operation on investment between Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek and its asset management unit Seviora Group with state-run Korea Development Bank, Lee told the press conference.”Singapore is a meaningful place where the historic US-North Korea summit was held in 2018,” Lee said. “I trust that you will continue to play a constructive role for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.”Wong and Lee exchanged views on the impact of the situation in the Middle East, including on global security, energy, and supply chains, and agreed on their hope that stability and peace would be restored, Lee said. Related Story Source…
The Saudi Ministry of Defence announced that the US Embassy in Riyadh was targeted by two drones, according to preliminary assessments.Official Spokesperson for the Ministry, Major General Turki Al Maliki, stated that the attack resulted in a localized fire and minor material damage to the building. Source link
Myanmar's military junta granted amnesty Monday to more than 7,000 prisoners convicted of financing, sheltering or propagandising for a ‘terrorist group’, a designation it has used to outlaw pro-democracy factions opposing its rule.Thousands of dissenting civilians have been swept into jails since Myanmar's military snatched power in a 2021 coup, ending a decade-long experiment with democracy and detaining elected figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi.Pro-democracy activists backing Suu Kyi and armed groups challenging the military in a civil war have been labelled ‘terrorist’ outfits, and far-reaching laws punish association with life prison terms and possible death sentences.A government notice said junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ordered the releases of more than 7,300 prisoners convicted under counter-terrorism provisions.They include laws forbidding ‘financing of terrorism’, harbouring ‘any terrorist group’ and the ‘exhortation, persuasion, propaganda, recruitment’ of any person to join such groups.Media monitors have criticised the junta for weaponising the legislation to muzzle journalists and social media users critical of their takeover.It was not immediately clear which groups the prisoners had been convicted of association with.In recent months, the junta has announced pardons for some political crimes in what analysts describe as a bid to soften its image amidst a handover to a nominally civilian government after elections concluded in January.But with Suu Kyi still jailed, her party dissolved and the dominant pro-military party securing a walkover win, critics have derided the transition as a publicity exercise to rebrand the junta's rule. Hundreds freed An AFP journalist outside Yangon's Insein Prison — Myanmar's most infamous lock-up, renowned for alleged rights abuses — saw around 300 prisoners being bussed out of the compound in a convoy Monday morning.A gaggle of emotional relatives clutched bouquets of flowers and placards bearing loved-ones' names as prisoners were released from Insein's barbed-wire boundary shortly before noon.Min Aung Hlaing granted their release to mark a public holiday Monday ‘in consideration of the peace of mind of the general public as well as on humanitarian grounds’, the government statement said.Nearly 12,500 people facing trial on the same ‘terrorism’ charges will have their cases dropped, according to a separate statement.The junta frequently grants prison amnesties on public holidays, and Monday's raft of notices also announced the release of more than 2,800 other prisoners and 10 jailed foreign nationals — without detailing their offences.After ruling by force for more than five years, the military has said its phased month-long election will return power to the people and offer a chance to end the civil war.But the poll did not take place in swaths of the country controlled by rebel groups and Min Aung Hlaing has not ruled out serving as president.The new parliament is due to sit in two weeks, with a president elected in early April. Source link
Israeli occupation forces advanced hundreds of meters into southern Lebanon today, a military source told Qatar News Agency (QNA).The same source confirmed that the Lebanese Army has redeployed to several of its forward positions along the frontline border area with the occupied Palestinian territories, and moved to other points in southern Lebanon due to the Israeli escalation.He explained to QNA that the redeployment took place at points established during the past two months as part of the Lebanese army’s plan to reinforce its deployment in the south of the country.The developments come amid a state of cautious anticipation along the entire border line, given the continued violations and field escalation. Source link
The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the regional escalation is already affecting people and disrupting humanitarian services in the Gaza Strip, amid the closure of all crossings, including Rafah.OCHA said on Tuesday that the planned rotations of international humanitarian staff have been postponed, while medical evacuations and the return of people into Gaza have been suspended.It added that humanitarian partners had worked hard to maintain a sustained and predictable flow of supplies despite restrictions, but that cannot continue under a full blockade.OCHA said that in recent days, partners have been forced to ration fuel, as local stocks dwindle, affecting bakeries, hospitals and desalination plants, adding that services such as solid waste collection have been suspended and that in some areas of Gaza city, reduced water production has left people with as little as two liters of drinking water per day, with the prices of basic commodities already rising.In the West Bank, most checkpoints are closed, which is affecting people’s access to livelihoods, basic services, and humanitarian operations, it added. Source link
Authorities in the Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, confirmed a fire at Fujairah Port caused by falling debris following the successful interception of a drone by air defense systems. No injuries were reported.The Fujairah Government Media Office said in a post on X that civil defense teams responded promptly to contain the fire.The office urged the public to avoid spreading rumors and to rely only on official sources for information. Source link
António Guterres presented his latest biennial report on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to Member States during an informal meeting of the General Assembly. It shows that in…
The United Nations on Tuesday called for a thorough investigation into the attack on a girls’ school in Iran and requested the disclosure of all relevant information.Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), described the incident as “horrific” and urged a prompt, impartial, and comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances of the attack.The OHCHR called on the forces responsible for the attack to carry out the investigation, emphasizing that the burden of accountability lies with the perpetrators.Earlier, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that US forces would not deliberately target a school.Media reports have indicated that more than 150 students were killed in the US-Israeli strikes on the school, with dozens more injured. Source link
The Iranian Red Crescent Society announced Tuesday that the death toll from ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran has climbed to 787.In a statement, the organization said 153 cities across the country have been targeted so far, with 504 locations hit in a total of 1,039 attacks. Field reports indicate that search-and-rescue operations, debris removal, and medical assistance for the wounded are still underway.The United States and Israel have been conducting large-scale joint strikes since Saturday, killing military and political leaders along with hundreds of civilians.Iran has responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting sites in Israel and US military installations across the region. Source link
Ahead of World Wildlife Day, marked annually on 3 March, we’re delving into why medicinal plants matter.Plants are critical for ecosystems to economies, said Danna J.…