Author: EchoAsiaNews

South Korea’s largest automaker, Hyundai Motor, has warned that U.S. tariff pressure could intensify despite a recent Supreme Court ruling limiting broad import duties. Hyundai President Sung Kim urged South Korean lawmakers to quickly approve legislation connected to a $350 billion U.S. investment package under last year’s bilateral trade agreement, saying that without swift action, sector‑specific tariffs on autos, steel, and semiconductors could return or increase. The trade deal would reduce U.S. tariffs on South Korean imports from 25% to 15%, but the Trump administration has threatened to reimpose or expand tariffs on countries perceived as not fully complying with agreements.…

Foreign ministers from 19 countries, including Turkiye, Qatar, France, and Brazil, have jointly condemned Israel’s efforts to expand control over Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, calling the policy a “de facto annexation.” The statement, coordinated by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also received backing from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The ministers criticized Israel’s plan to implement land registration across Area C, which covers roughly 60 percent of the West Bank, warning that it would enable the seizure of land from Palestinians unable to prove ownership. They described the move…

Unidentified gunmen shot and killed five policemen in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Kohat on Tuesday, police officials said, in the latest militant attack targeting security forces near the Afghan border. The assailants also burnt the patrol vehicle in the assault, a regional police spokesman told Reuters. The attack occurred as the policemen were on patrol in Kohat, a city adjacent to the volatile tribal districts that have long been a focus of Islamist militancy. A senior officer was among those killed, according to the police statement, underscoring the risks faced by law enforcement on routes frequently used by insurgent groups.…

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan publicly defended the Punjab government’s controversial purchase of a new business jet, rejecting accusations that the aircraft is a personal asset of the chief minister and dismissing criticism as political “propaganda.” Sanaullah made the remarks during a Senate session on Monday, arguing that the swap was a legitimate government acquisition rather than a personal luxury. Rana Sanaullah said the jet was intended to replace an older aircraft that had been in service for 25–30 years and asserted that the new plane could serve the province for another 30–40 years, making it…

Cryptocurrency markets are trading cautiously on Tuesday, with major assets including Bitcoin slipping toward the low $60,000s as broader risk‑off sentiment weighs on risk assets. Bitcoin was reported trading close to $62,900, reflecting an ongoing slide amid global economic uncertainty and renewed pressure on financial markets. Traders cited growing caution among investors retreating from higher‑volatility instruments such as digital assets. Altcoins largely mirrored this weak mood, with prices for tokens such as XRP and Ethereum also under pressure, even as analysts note mixed performance across smaller tokens. Crypto market volatility has persisted through the past week, contributing to liquidations and…

Former One Direction star Zayn Malik is celebrating a major digital success with his latest single, “Die For Me”, marking a new milestone on streaming platforms. Released on February 5 via Mercury Records, the track amassed over 1.4 million streams on Spotify on its first day and has since reached more than six million streams. The song, the lead single from Malik’s upcoming fifth studio album KONNAKOL, set for release on April 17, 2026, has already become his fifth most popular track on Spotify, boosting his monthly listener count. The official music video has also resonated with fans, garnering over…

An Iranian Army helicopter crashed into a busy fruit and vegetable market in the central province of Isfahan on Tuesday, killing the pilot, co‑pilot and two merchants, state media and international news agencies reported. The incident occurred in the city of Dorcheh (Khomeyni Shahr County), about 330 km south of Tehran, where emergency services responded to the scene and extinguished a fire caused by the crash. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the military aircraft came down near the local wholesale produce market, with all four fatalities confirmed. Initial state reports attributed the crash to a technical malfunction, though…

Air India experienced a sharp rise in technical incidents in January, reaching the highest rate in at least 14 months, according to an internal company document submitted to the Indian government and reviewed by Reuters. The airline recorded 1.09 technical incidents per 1,000 flights in January, more than four times the 0.26 rate in December 2024, with 23 incidents reported across more than 17,500 domestic and international flights. Most of these incidents were formally investigated by the airline and included engine stall warnings, flight control and hydraulic issues, and multiple instances of engine oil and fuel leaks. At least five…

The British Academy of Film Awards (BAFTA) and the BBC issued apologies Monday following the broadcast of a racial slur during Sunday’s ceremony while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage presenting, according to AP News. The slur was shouted by John Davidson, a campaigner for Tourette syndrome, who later said he was “deeply mortified” and that his words “do not reflect my personal beliefs,” AP News reported. BAFTA expressed regret for the incident, saying the offensive language “carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many.” The organization also thanked Jordan and Lindo for displaying “incredible dignity and…

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet Tuesday with Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, which has resisted providing its technology for a new internal military network, according to a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Anthropic, maker of the AI chatbot Claude, has not commented on the upcoming meeting, but Amodei has previously voiced ethical concerns about the government’s use of AI, including the risks of fully autonomous armed drones and AI-assisted mass surveillance capable of tracking dissent. The meeting underscores broader debate over AI’s role in national security, particularly the potential…