Beijing (Diplomat.so) – The Communist Party of China (CPC) announced on Friday, that Ma Xingrui, former Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and member of the Politburo, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of party discipline and state law.

Kuala Lumpur (Diplomat.so) - The Government of Malaysia confirmed on Wednesday, April 1, that Malaysian vessels awaiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz will transit without paying fees to Iranian authorities, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who also serves as government spokesperson, said…

New Delhi (Diplomat.so) – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) triggered a sharp rebound in the Indian rupee on Tuesday, by capping banks' net open foreign-exchange positions at $100 million per day, marking its most decisive currency intervention in over a decade.

Pyongyang (Diplomat.so) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a new solid-fuel rocket engine test on Sunday, as part of efforts to advance the country's strategic weapons program, according to state media.

Manila (Diplomat.so) – Petron Corporation received a shipment of over 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil at the Limay port near Manila, marking the first direct import from Russia to the Philippines in five years, sources told AFP on Thursday.

Pyongyang (Diplomat.so) – Diplomat News Network reports that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, declared on Tuesday, that Pyongyang will "always stand" with Russia, amid ongoing war in Ukraine and expanding bilateral cooperation.

Islamabad (Diplomat.so) - Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, publicly offered to host talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad as regional tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.

Islamabad (Diplomat.so) - Axios reported that intermediary countries are working to arrange a high-level meeting in Islamabad later this week between Iranian and United States officials, amid ongoing diplomatic contacts.

Singapore (Diplomat.so) – Singapore's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, warned on Monday, that escalating conflict involving Iran could trigger a severe economic crisis across Asia by disrupting critical energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

New Delhi (Diplomat.so) - A senior officer aboard an Indian liquefied petroleum gas tanker reported that the Iranian Navy escorted the vessel through the Strait of Hormuz in early March, guiding it along a designated route following diplomatic communication between India and Iran while conducting verification…

Colombo (Diplomat.so) - Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka, informed parliament that the government rejected a request from the United States to allow two military aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, citing concerns over maintaining the country's neutrality.

Tokyo (Diplomat.so) - Japan on Friday rejected a request from U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy naval vessels to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened regional tensions and disruptions to maritime traffic linked to Iran.

Seoul (Diplomat.so) - North Korea launched approximately ten ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Saturday, the South Korean military reported, in a move coinciding with the ongoing springtime "Freedom Shield" joint exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States. The launches,…

Malé (Diplomat.so) - The Government of Maldives on Wednesday condemned missile and drone attacks attributed to Iran against several Gulf states, warning that strikes on civilian infrastructure risk escalating tensions across the wider Middle East.

Beijing (Diplomat.so) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on Saturday posted on X that China is "highly concerned" over military strikes against Iran launched by the United States of America and Israel, urging an immediate halt to military operations and renewed…

Tokyo (Diplomat.so) - Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Motegi Toshimitsu, said Sunday that Tokyo is closely monitoring rising tensions in the Middle East after the United States and Israel announced they carried out attacks against Iran, stressing that diplomacy remains essential to preventing…

Jakarta (Diplomat.so) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia said President Prabowo Subianto is prepared to travel to Tehran to mediate between the United States and Iran following the collapse of negotiations that have led to renewed military escalation in the Middle East.

Pyonyang (Diplomat.so) - Kim Jong Un, President of North Korea, pledged Thursday to expand the country's nuclear arsenal and tied any improvement in relations with the United States to what he described as a shift in Washington's "hostile policy," according to the state-run Korean Central…

Islamabad (Diplomat.so) - Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Thursday that security forces had launched an "immediate and effective response" after what it described as unprovoked fire by the Afghan Taliban along multiple sectors of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border,…

Kabul (Diplomat.so) - The Taliban has enacted a new 60-page penal code—signed by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and circulated across Afghan courts—that permits men to beat their wives and children provided the violence does not cause broken bones or open wounds.