VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island's government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date.

Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the defence zone, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said in a report, as Beijing continues military activities close to the Chinese-claimed island.

Taiwan's official Central News Agency said it was the largest Chinese air force incursion to date, although there was no sense of alarm on the island, which has witnessed a steady increase in Chinese pressure in recent years.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said it had conducted "strike drills" in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Sunday in response to what it said was provocation from the democratically governed island and the United States.

Taiwan, which strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims, said the drills showed Beijing was destroying regional peace and trying to intimidate Taiwan's people.

A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning in the region told Reuters that Taiwan assessed China had staged the military "provocation" to express anger at a new U.S. defence authorisation law that boosts military assistance for Taiwan.

The person, who declined to be identified as the information was not made public, said during the drills China's air force dispatched warplanes from several locations across the country to carry out simulated attacks on Taiwanese and U.S. warships.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The office of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Tsai will call a high-level national security meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss reinforcing the island's civil defence system, followed by a press conference on new civil defence measures.

The statement gave no details, but the defence ministry has said it was considering extending compulsory military service beyond four months, as the war in Ukraine and rising tensions with Beijing renewed discussion about how to respond to Chinese military pressure.

"The more preparations we make, the less likely there will be rash attempts of aggression. The more united we are, the stronger and safer Taiwan would become," Tsai told a military ceremony on Monday.

During the latest incursion, several Chinese planes, mostly fighter jets, briefly crossed the median line in the sensitive Taiwan Strait before returning to China, according to a map provided by Taiwan's defence ministry. Seven Chinese navy ships were also detected near Taiwan, the ministry said.

China's military also sent early warning, electronic-warfare and antisubmarine aircraft, as well as drones, into Taiwan's southern air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, according to the report, which detailed Chinese activities near Taiwan over the 24 hours to 6 a.m. (2200 GMT on Sunday).

Taipei has complained of repeated missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, often in southern areas of its ADIZ.

Taiwan sent unspecified combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese planes, while missile systems monitored their flight, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response.

Taiwan's benchmark stock index (.TWII) brushed off the latest tensions, ending Monday up 0.1%. However, China's CSI Defence Index (.CSI399973) marked its best day in two months on Monday, rising 3.7%.

China has stepped up its diplomatic, military and economic pressure in recent years on the self-governed island to accept Beijing's rule. Taiwan's government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked. (Reuters)

The acting head of the United Nations' mission to Afghanistan told the Taliban administration's acting economy minister to reverse a decision to ban female NGO workers during a meeting, according to a statement on Monday.

"Millions of Afghans need humanitarian assistance and removing barriers is vital," UNAMA said in the statement, adding that UNAMA's acting head and humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov had met with economy minister Mohammad Hanif.

Hanif's ministry on Saturday ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) not to let female staff work until further notice. The orders do not apply directly to the United Nations, but many of its programmes are carried out by NGOs subject to the order. (Reuters)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is battling low approval ratings, will replace a government minister for the fourth time since he created his current cabinet in August, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday.

Discussions on a replacement for Kenya Akiba, minister responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of areas hit by Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, are still underway, the broadcaster said.

NHK initially reported that Akiba will be replaced by former financial services agency minister Tatsuya Ito, but later corrected that report to say a successor has not been picked.

Akiba has battled accusations of being involved in violating election laws as well as having ties with the Unification Church. His office said it had nothing to say on the matter when contacted for comment on the allegations.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's close links with the religious group, which critics say is a cult, were revealed after the killing of former premier Shinzo Abe and have been cited by survey respondents as one reason for Kishida's low approval ratings.

The Kyodo news agency reported on Friday that Kishida has been considering swapping some of his ministers in a bid to boost his approval ratings.

"All I can say is that we must make the necessary preparations for next year's diet (parliament) session. That's all I can say," Kishida said on Monday when asked whether he planned to replace Akiba.

Kishida also plans to replace Mio Sugita, his Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs, Kyodo reported on Monday citing multiple unidentified government sources.

In early December, Sugita retracted and apologised for a number of past comments she had made previously, including calling sexual minorities "unproductive". (Reuters)

Nepal's new government, led by a former Maoist rebel commander, will try to balance ties with its immediate neighbours China and India for the economic growth of one of the world's poorest countries, officials of the ruling coalition told Reuters.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who still goes by his nom de guerre Prachanda, surprisingly became prime minister on Sunday after leaving his previous coalition and with the support of the opposition Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party and five other smaller groups. Last month’s elections returned a hung parliament.

UML's leader and Nepal's former prime minister, Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, is believed to be pro-China.

Nepal is one of several South Asian countries where India and China seek influence. India has long considered Hindu-majority Nepal, a Himalayan country of 30 million, as a natural ally based on their close historical ties and long open border.

"We'll maintain relationships of equi-proximity with both our neighbours," Narayan Kaji Shrestha, a senior member of Prachanda's Maoist Centre party and who is expected to be a cabinet minister, told Reuters.

"We must immediately focus on containing inflation, maintain reserves, raise capital expenses, narrow the trade deficit and lower interest rates."

Other party leaders, speaking on the condition of anonymity before a swearing-in of new ministers, echoed Shrestha's view.

Beijing and New Delhi have poured billions of dollars in aid and investment in Nepal, which is rich in potential to generate hydroelectric power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, which is Nepal’s biggest trade and economic partner, was one of the first foreign leaders to wish Prachanda, who has been prime minister twice before.

"The unique relationship between India & Nepal is based on deep cultural connect & warm people-to-people ties," Modi said on Twitter. "I look forward to working together with you to further strengthen this friendship."

A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Kathmandu, in a Twitter post, also congratulated Prachanda on his appointment.

Analysts said Nepal's $40 billion economy, emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, needed immediate attention of the new government which must regain the trust of investors and businesses as well as boost production.

Inflation is at more than 8%, the highest in six years. Nepal also faces dwindling foreign exchange reserves, with an increasing dependence on imports of basic goods.

Former Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who worked under Oli, said Prachanda must focus on boosting manufacturing products like cement for export, and agriculture to substitute imports. (Reuters)