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The incident came to light in a report aired by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this month. It said that the fighter had expelled two foreign aircraft last year and they had not been seen in the area since then.Yue Gang, a military analyst and former PLA colonel, said the foreign aircraft were “highly likely” to be US fifth-generation F-22s rather than the F-35s frequently deployed in the Asia-Pacific region.According to Yue, the J-16 was able to “lock on” to the stealth fighters because the PLA operates an “integrated combat system” that includes satellites, early warning aircraft and anti-stealth radars, rather…

China’s second-ranked military general has become the latest in a series of top brass to come under investigation for corruption, China’s Ministry of National Defence announced on Friday.He Weidong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a member of the 24-man Politburo, was expelled from the Communist Party and the army, the ministry said.He is the first serving member of the present Politburo, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, to face such an investigation.He Weidong was vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a member of the 24-man Politburo. Photo: XinhuaIn a rare instance of a voluntary public release,…

A US$20 billion plan to build an underground light railway in Indonesia’s Bali has stalled due to wary investors and concerns over land scarcity, throwing into question whether the island’s long-promised solution to solve its notorious traffic gridlock will ever get off the ground.More than a year after its ceremonial groundbreaking, the “Bali Urban Subway” remains in the feasibility-study phase. Officials once hailed the project as a game changer that would ease congestion and preserve the island’s tourism appeal, but progress has been dogged by financing and land acquisition hurdles.The venture began with fanfare when the Bali government and Sarana…

Alibaba Group Holding and Ant Group have agreed to pay HK$7.2 billion (US$925 million) to buy the top floors of a Causeway Bay office tower that Mandarin Oriental International is building on the site of The Excelsior hotel, marking Hong Kong’s largest real estate transactions since 2021.Alibaba and Ant bought 301,555 sq ft (28,015 square metres) of space, comprising the top 13 floors of the 24-storey building, with parking space for 50 vehicles and signage rights to the tower, according to Mandarin Oriental.“This landmark property acquisition reflects our confidence in Hong Kong’s economy and operating environment, and we see Hong…

Pakistan’s macroeconomic conditions strengthened in FY25 as prudent monetary policy and fiscal consolidation sharply reduced inflation and restored stability, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s Governor’s Annual Report (GAR) 2024-25, released on Friday. The central bank, however, warned that global trade shifts, geopolitical tensions, and domestic floods pose risks to the outlook, underscoring the need for sustained structural reforms. As per the Governor’s Annual Report 2024-25 (GAR), Pakistan’s financial system remained resilient and real GDP growth edged higher. GAR is published under Section 39 (1) of the SBP Act, 1956 (as amended up to January 2022), which mandates the…

Three Australians who allegedly shot and killed a fellow countryman on the tourist island of Bali earlier this year have been charged with premeditated murder – an offence that carries the maximum death penalty in Indonesia.Dubbed the “Bali Three”, the men are accused of planning and carrying out the fatal shooting of Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic as his wife, Jazmyn Gourdeas, hid under the covers in a villa in the Badung region just after midnight on June 14.Radmanovic’s brother-in-law, 34-year-old Sanar Ghanim, also from Melbourne, was beaten and shot in the leg during the attack but survived, according to The…

Bitcoin came under renewed pressure on Thursday, trading near 110,600 dollars and testing its main ascending trendline support. Rising geopolitical tensions and renewed trade friction between the United States and China have weakened risk appetite among investors, limiting momentum in high-risk assets.   According to a report from Copper Research, Bitcoin could retest the 100,000-dollar level before regaining upward momentum.   Slowing Price Recovery Amid Weak Risk Appetite   Bitcoin’s rebound slowed this week as escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, coupled with renewed trade disputes between Washington and Beijing, pushed the world’s largest cryptocurrency to around 110,600 dollars on…

Tensions in the South China Sea remained high on Friday as China launched military exercises near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a move coinciding with the final day of a series of joint naval drills between the United States, the Philippines and other nations.The exercise – set to run from noon until 7pm – took place in a limited area in the waters southwest of the disputed shoal – known in China as Huangyan Island. The triangle-shaped formation of reefs and rocks controlled by Beijing and located about 120 nautical miles (220km or 136 miles) west of the Philippine island of…

Gold prices in Pakistan increased massively on Friday in line with their gain in the international market. In the local market, gold price per tola reached Rs456,900, a new all-time high, after an increase of Rs14,100 during the day. As per the rates shared by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), 10-gram gold was sold at Rs391,718 after it accumulated Rs12,089. On Thursday, gold price per tola increased by Rs1,900 to settle at Rs442,800. The international rate of gold also saw an increase today. The rate was at $4,358 per ounce (with a premium of $20), a gain…

Bitcoin came under renewed pressure on Thursday, trading near 110,600 dollars and testing its main ascending trendline support. Rising geopolitical tensions and renewed trade friction between the United States and China have weakened risk appetite among investors, limiting momentum in high-risk assets.   According to a report from Copper Research, Bitcoin could retest the 100,000-dollar level before regaining upward momentum.   Slowing Price Recovery Amid Weak Risk Appetite   Bitcoin’s rebound slowed this week as escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, coupled with renewed trade disputes between Washington and Beijing, pushed the world’s largest cryptocurrency to around 110,600 dollars on…