[ AP ] Russia threatens retaliation if Ukraine demands not met

Russia warned Wednesday it would quickly take “retaliatory measures” if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continue their “aggressive” policies, ratcheting up pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the United States and its NATO…

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Are small and medium states ready to stop terrorists with cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency, or “crypto” as some prefer to call it, is slated to be the future of financial transactions. While the further development of crypto is widely celebrated, with mild speculations, traceability remains the most important issue surrounding the digital currency that requires abject focus. Often, acute discussions about the pros and cons of cryptocurrency assume…

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[ AP ] Indonesia, Singapore sign key defense, extradition treaties

The agreement on defense cooperation — along with separate treaties on extradition and airspace rights — were signed in the presence of Indonesian President Joko Widodo of Indonesia and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The defense cooperation agreement will significantly boost Singapore’s ability to carry out naval and military exercises amid regional tensions over…

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[ Reuters ] Singapore PM backs continued exclusion of Myanmar junta from ASEAN meetings

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a video call on Friday urged the regional group’s new chair, Cambodia, to engage all sides in Myanmar’s conflict, Singapore’s foreign ministry said on Saturday. Lee told his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen that ASEAN should continue inviting a non-political representative from Myanmar to its meetings and any decision to…

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Japan signs defense pact with Australia; further abandoning pacifism

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison signed a new defense pact via a virtual summit which the two countries will agree to cooperate closely on defense to bolster securities ties. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), will allow Australian and Japanese military to work seamlessly on defense and humanitarian operations. “Japan is…

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Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen accepted invite to lead high delegation to meet Myanmar military junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing

According to the press release from Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen will be leading a high delegation consist of his deputy, Foreign Minister, Industry Minister as well as a number of senior government officials from the 7 to 8 January 2022. The announced meeting is said to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation (read: taking sides;…

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