Beijing will "not hesitate to start a war" if Taiwan declares independence, China's defence minister warned his United States (US) counterpart Friday, the latest salvo between the superpowers over the island.The warning from Wei Fenghe came as he held his first face-to-face meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the side-lines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.Beijing views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day

At a ceremony this week, Cambodian and Chinese officials proclaimed their friendship as they announced a new construction project. Holding spades decorated with red bows, they turned over soil to signal the start of building work at Cambodia’s biggest naval base, Ream.

United States (US) President Joe Biden faced open criticism Thursday at an Americas summit, along with complaints about foreign pressure by Brazil's far-right leader, as he sought progress on issues from migration to climate change.Biden is welcoming leaders from across the hemisphere in Los Angeles in a choreographed bid to show that democracy can work, amid rapid inroads by China in a region long seen by Washington as its turf.But just after Biden made his pitch at the Summit of the Am

Nuclear power has been in decline since the Fukushima disaster in Japan more than a decade ago, but it may be poised for a comeback. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and soaring natural-gas prices have led some to argue that nuclear energy can help solve the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. Is the industry back in business, or will this prove to be another false dawn? Until recently, nuclear power’s prospects seemed poor.

United States (US) biotech company Moderna on Wednesday announced positive results for a new vaccine that targets both the original COVID strain and Omicron, and sees the shot as its "lead candidate" for a booster this fall.The so-called "bivalent" vaccine was tested in a trial of 814 adults and shown to produce 1.75 times more Omicron-specific neutralizing antibodies, which have the power to prevent infection, compared to Moderna's original Spikevax vaccine.All of th

Officially it is just a research vessel, but China's newly unveiled drone carrier is a clear sign Beijing is rushing to deploy an autonomous swarm of unmanned devices in its push for military supremacy in the Pacific Ocean.State media last month showed the launching of the Zhu Hai Yun – "Zhu Hai Cloud" – capable of transporting an unspecified number of flying drones as well as surface and submarine craft, and operating autonomously thanks to artificial intelligence.The 89-metre

Cambodia and Beijing on Tuesday denied a report that they are building a secret naval facility for the Chinese fleet, as Australia's new prime minister voiced concern and called for transparency.The Washington Post, citing unnamed Western officials, said a new facility at Cambodia's Ream base – strategically located on the Gulf of Thailand – was being built for the "exclusive" use of the Chinese navy.The base has been a running sore spot in United States (US)-Cambodian rel

Three Chinese astronauts have begun a six-month mission, to work on the country's new space station.It is China's latest step towards making itself a leading space power for the decades ahead.What Is The Tiangong Space Station?Last year, China put into orbit the first module of its Tiangong or "Heavenly Palace" space station. It plans to add more modules, such as the Mengtian science lab, by the end of the year.Next year, it will launch a space telescope, called Xuntian.

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast Sunday, South Korea's military said, a day after Seoul and Washington completed their first joint drills involving a United States (US) aircraft carrier in more than four years.Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons programme this year, despite facing crippling economic sanctions."Our military detected eight short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, North Korea i

The United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday it was aware of more than 700 global cases of monkeypox, including 21 in the US, with investigations now suggesting it is spreading inside the country.16 of the first 17 cases were among people who identify as men who have sex with men, according to a new CDC report, and 14 were thought to be travel associated.All patients are in recovery or have recovered, and no cases have been fatal."There have also be