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Iranian police say 139 foreigners arrested over unrest in Yazd province

Iranian police said 139 foreign nationals have so far been arrested in the central province of Yazd for their participation in recent protests, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, without specifying their nationalities. Yazd, a predominantly desert province with a relatively small population above 1 million, was one of many provinces affected by nationwide protests in January. The protests, which started in December over economic hardships and quickly turned political, were repressed in the most violent crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The official death toll stands at 3,117, although rights groups say many more people have been killed. US-based rights group HRANA has said that nearly 50,000 people have so far been arrested. Authorities blame Israel and the United States for fomenting the violence. "These (foreign) individuals played an active role in organising, inciting, and directing riotous actions, and in some cases were in contact with netwo...
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China’s Spring Festival travel rush begins ahead of Lunar New Year holiday

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush, 40 days commonly referred to as the world's largest annual human migration, kicked off on Monday ahead of an extended Lunar New Year holiday. This year's Lunar New Year, ushering in the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac, falls on February 17 and will be accompanied by an extra-long nine-day public holiday in China, running from February 15 to 23. It's hoped a longer holiday (last year's break was eight days long) might prompt Chinese consumers to boost consumption by spending more on travel, meals and more during this festival period. Read: Saudi Arabia suspends 1,800 foreign Umrah travel agencies Many Chinese consumers have been shaken by the country's uncertain economic outlook and would rather save than spend. Homeowners have seen their assets depreciate in a years-long property market slump, while weaker growth momentum since the pandemic has added to job insecurity. This said, a state planning official said last week that China expects a record 9.5 billion passenger trips to be made during the travel period, surpassing the 9.02 billion trips made last year. "Why do I feel it's even more stressful to buy tickets this year compared to last year? For example, the flight back to my home is already sold out," said 32-year-old Liu, a traveller flying out of Guangzhou airport on Monday. "If you don't buy early, the price range fluctuates a lot, and can even double". Read more: ICC criticises Pakistan’s selective World Cup participation Major travel platforms reported Lunar New Year bookings for 2026 already surpassing last year's levels. According to data from Flight Master, as of mid-January, bookings for domestic flights during the holiday exceeded 4.13 million, up about 21% year-on-year. Popular outbound destinations are concentrated in Southeast Asia, with those flights accounting for nearly 50% of the total, and Thailand is among the leading destinations. Following a geopolitical spat between China and Japan late last year, routes to Japan have dropped sharply, down over 40%, according to Flight Master. Domestically, culturally rich "intangible heritage towns", such as Huangshan in Anhui, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, Quanzhou in Fujian, Foshan in Guangdong and Zigong in Sichuan have emerged as popular destinations, according to data from online travel agency Qunar.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
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US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

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US, Chinese defence chiefs hold first talks since 2022

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