Author: EchoAsiaNews

COPENHAGEN: Greenland’s Foreign Minister Mute Egede said on Wednesday that dialogue with the United States over the Arctic island’s future remains ongoing, but declined to disclose details of the negotiations. Egede made the remarks during a debate at the European Parliament, saying officials were working to resolve the situation through continued dialogue. What is being discussed between Greenland and the US? The talks follow US President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the United States to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Trump’s push for US control of the strategically important Arctic island has strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen,…

KATHMANDU: A devastating flash flood triggered by a glacier collapse has swept through the Nepal-China border area, destroying buildings, roads and vehicles and leaving hundreds of people missing. The flood struck the Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong border crossing on Aug. 26, with CCTV footage showing a massive surge of mud, water, boulders, ice and rock moving through the valley. Nepalese immigration records show that 89 Nepali and foreign nationals had completed immigration procedures to leave Nepal for Tibet, while four people had registered to enter Nepal before the disaster. The final recorded immigration transaction took place at 08:35:03 local time. What happened in…

LONDON: Ariana Grande has concluded her Eternal Sunshine tour with an emotional final performance at London’s O2 Arena, as the singer prepares to step back from public-facing appearances. Grande, 33, thanked fans for their support during the final show, describing the tour as one of the most extraordinary experiences of her life. She has previously said she may not tour again for a “long, long” time. Why is Ariana Grande stepping back from public life? Grande announced last month that she would withdraw from future public-facing appearances following months of intense public scrutiny and speculation about her health and appearance.…

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s High Court on Wednesday rejected a request by the lawyer for Evergrande founder Hui Ka Yan to use funds controlled by liquidators to cover HK$1.2 million ($153,039) in legal costs. The liquidators, who also serve as court-appointed receivers of Hui’s personal assets, are seeking to recover about $6 billion in dividends and remuneration allegedly paid to Hui and other former Evergrande executives. Evergrande, once China’s largest property developer, defaulted on most of its roughly $300 billion in liabilities and became a major symbol of the country’s prolonged property-sector crisis. The court decision comes shortly after Hui,…

LONDON — British government bond yields rose to their highest level in 18 years on Wednesday as surging oil prices intensified concerns over inflation amid the escalating Iran conflict. The yield on 10-year UK government bonds, or gilts, climbed to 5.268%, up four basis points shortly after 0700 GMT, reaching its highest level since June 2008, according to Reuters. The increase came as government bond markets globally faced renewed selling pressure, driven by concerns that higher energy prices could fuel inflation and keep interest rates elevated for longer. Rising gilt yields increase the government’s borrowing costs and could further strain…

BRUSSELS: The European Union and several member states have summoned Russian diplomatic officials over an attempted drone attack near Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany last month, escalating diplomatic tensions between Moscow and European capitals. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that the bloc’s diplomatic service had summoned Russia’s ambassador in Brussels over the incident. Germany said on Tuesday that its investigation had concluded Russia was responsible for the drone incident. Berlin subsequently announced measures including the closure of a Russian consulate and a Russian cultural centre in the German capital. Russia has rejected the allegations, saying Germany has provided…

NEW YORK: A 32-year-old Bank of America vice president, Erin Piacenti, was killed after being stabbed in Times Square on Monday, according to Reuters and the New York Police Department. Piacenti, who worked in Bank of America’s business selection and conflicts unit, sustained stab wounds and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the NYPD said. Police said a 49-year-old woman, identified as Pamela Cisneros, allegedly carried multiple knives and stabbed two people in Times Square. Officers responded to the scene, where they used a Taser and fired their weapons. Cisneros was killed during the police response. NYPD Commissioner Jessica…

WASHINGTON: The US State Department has proposed new passport requirements that could require parents to provide proof of their US citizenship or immigration status when applying for passports for their children, according to draft guidance reviewed by Reuters. The proposal forms part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and target so-called “birth tourism,” in which foreign nationals travel to the United States to give birth so their children can obtain US citizenship. Under the draft guidance, parents or legal guardians would have to submit documents such as a US passport or birth certificate to establish citizenship, or…

BISHKEK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday set a target of increasing annual bilateral trade between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan to $200 million within two years, saying the existing trade volume of around $16 million does not reflect the strength of relations between the two countries. Addressing a joint press conference with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov at the Kyrgyz presidential palace, the prime minister called for greater economic engagement and stronger cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. “During the bilateral talks, focus was placed on promoting trade relations,” Shehbaz said, adding that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan would work to…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue and diplomacy to help resolve the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran, while welcoming a Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that reaffirmed the binding nature of the Indus Waters Treaty. Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad remained hopeful that Washington and Tehran would eventually return to negotiations despite the latest exchange of strikes. He described the renewed escalation as “concerning and undesirable” but said it did not represent a failure of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts. Islamabad, he added, would continue engaging with the peace process with sincerity. Andrabi said…