COLOMBO -- The Sri Lankan government has decided to waive visa fees for 40 additional countries to boost tourism, a senior minister said on Friday.
Speaking at the "Hotel Show Colombo 2025" exhibition, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Vijitha Herath stated that the decision was made at the recent cabinet meeting. (Sri Lanka-Visa Fee)
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SYDNEY -- Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) on Saturday signed a 50-year commitment to the AUKUS defense treaty despite the United States' ongoing review of the pact.
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and UK Defense Secretary John Healey signed the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty (the Geelong Treaty) at their meeting in Geelong, Victoria. (Australia-UK-AUKUS)
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VIENTIANE -- A source from the Lao People's Army told Xinhua on Saturday that reports of an exchange of fire between Lao forces and Cambodian armed personnel were untrue.
The Lao People's Army News, the official publication of the Lao military, confirmed that no official reports had been received regarding the incident. (Laos-Border-Clash)
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TOKYO -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has collected enough signatures to call a general meeting that will hold Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba accountable for the party's recent crushing election loss, local media reported.
LDP rules stipulate that a general meeting be convened within seven days if more than one-third of its parliamentary members request it. The required number of signatures has been met, Jiji Press reported Friday, citing an LDP member who leads the signature campaign. (Japan-Election) ■
