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Kuomintang Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (left) sitting in the cockpit of a display aircraft with Song Tao, Director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Taiwan Affairs Office of
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A torpedo-like 3.7m-long and 65cm-wide object, discovered by a fisherman near the Lombok Strait after being towed ashore onto a beach on Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara. (AFP) The Indonesian navy said Thursday it was investigating a torpedo-like object discovered by a fisherman near the Lombok Strait, a key maritime route connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.The 3.7m-long and 65cm-wide object was fished from the ocean on Monday about 10km from the popular tourist island of Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, the navy said.A 28-year-old fisherman immediately reported the unusual find to the local authorities, who retrieved it."The Indonesian navy will promptly carry out an in-depth examination... of the device to determine its origin, function, and the data contained within it," navy spokesman Tunggul, who like many Indonesians has only one name, told AFP."The Indonesian National Armed Forces will remain fully committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and security of Indonesia's territorial seas from all forms of unauthorised activities, including the use of underwater devices or equipment by unauthorised parties in Indonesian waters."Mataram naval base chief Asep Tri Prabowo told reporters Wednesday the object was under strict supervision and would be sent to Jakarta for further investigation.An initial examination by the West Nusa Tenggara Police's bomb squad confirmed it did not contain any explosive or radioactive substances, he added.Indonesian media reported that lettering on the object suggested it may have been manufactured by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. It appeared to be a device to measure the speed of currents.This was not the first time a foreign object has been found in Indonesian waters.In 2021, a fisherman discovered a seaglider in the Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi that the military suspected was being used for oceanographic research.
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Peruvians head to the polls on April 12, hoping to break a cycle of political turmoil that has prevented any president from completing a full term over the past decade, amid corruption scandals, rising crime and voter frustration.About 27mn Peruvians are eligible to vote for a new president and a newly reinstated bicameral congress. Polling stations open at 0700 local time (1200 GMT) on Sunday and close at 1700, when paper ballots measuring nearly half a meter (44 centimeters)-the longest in the country's history-will then be counted.In a busy Lima suburb, campaign posters for dozens of presidential hopefuls crowd roundabouts and lamp posts as a record 35 candidates vie for attention.'I've seen the ballot and it honestly gave me a headache,' said shopkeeper Marlene Jimenez. 'I don't know who to vote for.'Opinion polls suggest right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds a narrow lead ahead of Sunday's vote. She is closely followed by at least three contenders-including two former mayors of Lima, the ultra-conservative Rafael Lopez Aliaga and media entrepreneur Ricardo Belmont, and political outsider, Carlos Alvarez, a former comedian.None of the candidates poll above 15%, making a runoff on June 7 almost certain, analysts said. The three candidates trailing Fujimori, daughter of late former president Alberto Fujimori, are also in a technical tie, said Urpi Torrado of polling firm Datum Internacional.'There are four days to go (until Sunday), and the story can change,' Torrado said.The high number of undecided voters means that the second tier of candidates 'cannot be ignored', said Nicolas Watson at consultancy Teneo, even if they only garner 4.5-6% support.Surveys suggested about 13% of voters remained undecided.For many Peruvians, the fragmented contest reflects deeper institutional decline. The country has cycled through eight presidents since 2018, as leaders were either impeached, jailed or forced from office.These elections could mark a break from this cycle of instability, or 'keep us trapped in it', said political analyst Fernando Tuesta.The fight against corruption is a prominent campaign theme. Four former presidents are currently in prison, most linked to bribery cases that involved Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. Alberto Fujimori served 16 years in jail for human rights abuses and died in 2024 after being released on humanitarian grounds.Crime, however, now rivals-and in many cases surpasses- corruption as the top voter concern.Peru was not traditionally associated with organised crime, but homicide and extortion have surged, particularly hitting transport workers and small businesses, said professor Paula Munoz at Lima's Universidad del Pacifico.Official data shows extortion cases were up nearly 20% last year, and homicide rates reached new records.The rise has fuelled support for tougher, populist responses on the right, Munoz said, reflecting a broader Latin American trend in which crime is increasingly seen as an issue best handled by hardline leaders, like El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.Proposals by some candidates include deploying troops, reinstating the death penalty, withdrawing from international human rights courts, and allowing magistrates handling criminal cases to remain anonymous that would reinstate the country's so-called 'faceless judges,' which Peru has not had since 1997.
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The World Bank trimmed its estimate for economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2026, citing the region's long-standing structural challenges, compounded by high borrowing costs, weak external demand, geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation.In its latest Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Update, published on Wednesday, the World Bank forecast the region to grow 2.1%, below the 2.4% growth recorded in 2025 and lower than the 2.5% growth that the group forecast in October.The report noted that private consumption remains the main driver of demand."The binding constraint is investment, which remains subdued as firms wait for clearer signals on the external environment and domestic policy frameworks," the report said. It highlighted Argentina as the regional exception, "as stabilisation and reforms have improved expectations and financial conditions" in the region's third largest economy.The World Bank forecast sluggish growth for the region's two largest economies for this year and next, pointing to "slower momentum amid tight domestic financial conditions, limited fiscal space, and trade policy uncertainty."Gross domestic product (GDP) for the region's largest economy, Brazil, is forecast to grow 1.6% this year, before ticking up to 1.8% next year, the report said.Growth in Mexico, where the ongoing review of Mexico's trade deal with the US and Canada has fuelled uncertainty and hit investment flows, is forecast at 1.3% in 2026, before rising to 1.7% next year.On the upside, the region has significant untapped potential for future growth, the World Bank said, emphasising that the region possesses roughly half of the world's lithium reserves, a third of its copper, a clean energy mix and ongoing reform efforts in several nations.The report advises countries in the region against jumping straight to complex industrial policies to harness that potential. Instead, it urges governments to focus on "getting the basics right first," such as investing in skills, maintaining open economies and strengthening institutions to create an environment where businesses can thrive, ultimately creating quality jobs. Related Story
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Brazilian indigenous leader Chief Raoni Metuktire of the Caiapo people, speaks during a press conference in Brasilia on Wednesday (AFP) Brazil's renowned Amazonian tribal chief Raoni Metuktire told AFP on Wednesday he supported the re-election bid of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October polls, despite criticising him for expanding oil exploration.Now in his nineties, the Indigenous leader who has spent decades rallying the world to protect the rainforest has forged close ties with the president, known widely as Lula.At the start of Lula's third term, Raoni — instantly recognisable with his large wooden lip plate — walked alongside him up the ramp of the presidential palace for his inauguration."I am going to support him," in October, Raoni told AFP in the Kayapo language through an interpreter on the sidelines of a gathering of Indigenous people in Brasilia.The Kayapo chief last year said he was prepared to give the president a "talking-to" if he ignored concerns over oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River.He demanded the veteran leftist "listen to us... he must respect us."Lula is seeking a fourth term in October and his main rival is Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro whose government froze land demarcations — official recognition of Indigenous land — and facilitated deforestation in the Amazon.Lula "has already demarcated some Indigenous lands, so I support him so that he may continue to be president," said Raoni.Since 2023, Lula has approved the official demarcation of some 20 territories for the exclusive use of Indigenous communities, and has overseen a dramatic decline in deforestation in the Amazon.Nevertheless, he has come under increasing pressure to do more from Indigenous groups who are protesting in Brasilia this week to demand the protection of more of their ancestral lands.In recent months Indigenous groups have also protested the expansion of ports for grain transport along Amazon rivers, as well as plans to build a railway line through the world's largest forest."You non-Indigenous people harbour this destructive mindset of destroying nature and polluting rivers, which is what causes this climate crisis," said Raoni."This harms all of us in Brazil. It is not only Indigenous people who will feel the effects of climate change."
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The South Korean military announced that North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea Wednesday, one day after another launch yesterday.Yonhap News Agency quoted the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying that the missiles were launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea and flew some 240 kilometers.This marks North Korea's fourth confirmed ballistic missile launch this year.'Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's various movements under a robust South Korea-US combined defence posture and maintains the capabilities and posture to respond to any provocation in an overwhelming manner,' the JCS said.South Korean and US intelligence authorities have tracked the launch movement and closely shared relevant information, sources added.North Korea's last multiple ballistic missile launch toward the East Sea occurred on March 14, coinciding with the annual spring joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said that Guterres called on all parties to work towards achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East.Dujarric added that the Secretary-General urged all parties to the current conflict in the Middle East to abide by their obligations under international law and adhere to the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way for a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.US President Donald Trump had announced his agreement to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
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Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif announced Wednesday that Islamabad will host high-level delegations from the United States and Iran on Friday to negotiate a definitive peace agreement.'I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire in all theaters, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately,' Sharif posted on X.He expressed hope that the upcoming 'Islamabad Talks' would achieve sustainable peace, adding, 'We look forward to sharing more good news in the coming days.'Late Tuesday, US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week suspension of military operations against Iran.On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged US President Donald Trump to extend the deadline for Iran to reach an agreement by two weeks. He also encouraged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during this period as a gesture of goodwill, amid intensified diplomatic efforts to secure a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
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US President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday a two-week suspension of military action against Iran.Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated that the ceasefire is strictly conditional on Tehran agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz."Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan, who requested that I hold off on sending destructive force to Iran tonight," Trump posted, "I agree to suspend the bombing and attacks on Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double-sided ceasefire."The President added that the US has already "met and exceeded all military objectives" and suggested a "definitive agreement" regarding long-term peace in the Middle East is near. He described a 10-point proposal received from Iran as a "workable basis for negotiation," noting that most previous sticking points have been resolved.Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had publicly urged the US to extend its deadline and called on Iran to reopen the vital shipping lane as a "goodwill gesture" to prevent full-scale war. Related Story
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US President Donald Trump announced that he has accepted a Pakistani proposal for a two-week ceasefire with Iran.In remarks, Trump said, "We have received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and the two-week period will allow us to finalize and complete the agreement," adding that nearly all previous points of contention between the United States and Iran have been resolved.He noted that significant progress has been made toward reaching a final agreement aimed at establishing long-term peace with Iran.Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on Trump to extend the deadline given to Iran by two weeks. He also urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same period as a gesture of goodwill, amid intensified diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. Related Story
