4 d. ago India proposes reopening government bidding to Chinese firms as ties thaw

India plans to lift long-standing restrictions on Chinese companies bidding for government contracts, a move officials say is aimed at easing shortages and project delays as relations with Beijing show tentative signs of stabilising. The proposal, first reported by Reuters, would roll back curbs, imposed after the two countries’ deadly 2020 border clash in the Galwan Valley, that effectively shut Chinese firms out of a vast segment of India’s public procurement market. In October 2024, India and...

Politics

9 d. ago Syria declares ceasefire in Aleppo after deadly clashes with Kurdish forces

Syria’s defence ministry declared a ceasefire in three neighbourhoods of the northern city of Aleppo early on Friday, a move that could halt fresh fighting between government troops and Kurdish fighters. A fierce exchange of fire extended into the night, with rescuers scrambling to extinguish fires ignited by shelling, before the defence ministry said it would give armed groups a six-hour window to leave the contested areas. The deadly stand-off between Damascus and Kurdish authorities who...

Events

1 week ago Deadly clashes in Aleppo shatter Syria’s fragile peace as thousands flee

Fierce fighting in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters has driven thousands of civilians from their homes, with Washington reported to be mediating a de-escalation. The violence, and statements trading blame over who started it, signalled that a stalemate between Damascus and Kurdish authorities that have resisted integrating into the central government was deepening and growing deadlier. Deadly clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government...

Events

2 w. ago Rights group says 16 dead in Iran protests, government clashes

At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said on Sunday, as protests over soaring inflation spread across the country, prompting violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Deaths and arrests have been reported throughout the week both by state media and rights groups, though the numbers have differed. Reporters have not been able to verify the figures independently. The protests are the biggest in three years and while smaller than some...

Events

2 w. ago At least 16 dead in Iran during week of protests: rights groups

At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said on Sunday, as protests over soaring inflation spread across the country, sparking violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Deaths and arrests have been reported throughout the week both by state media and rights groups, though the figures differ. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the numbers. The protests are the biggest in three years. Senior figures have struck a softer...

Events

3 w. ago Thailand, Cambodia sign new ceasefire deal to end deadly border clashes

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire on Saturday, the two countries said in a joint statement, pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes. At least 47 people were killed and more than a million displaced in three weeks of fighting with artillery, tanks, drones and jets, according to official tallies. The conflict spread to nearly every border province on both sides, shattering an earlier truce for which US President Donald Trump took credit. “Both sides agree to an...

Events