The Philippines’ navy chief is urging the government of President Rodrigo Duterte to file a diplomatic protest against China over the presence of two Chinese survey ships at an oil-rich disputed area in the South China Sea. The surveillance vessels were spotted in Reed Bank last week and have no clearance from the Philippine government, […]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday slammed China for the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who he called a “patriot,” and said the move indicated that Beijing is unlikely to change its position on the financial hub. Lai’s arrest under a sweeping new security law comes amid Beijing’s crackdown against […]
An Indonesian volcano spewed a giant ash cloud 5 km (3.1 miles) into the sky on Monday in its second eruption in three days, emitting a thunderous noise and turning the sky dark, authorities and witnesses said. The eruption of Mount Sinabung on the island of Sumatra comes after more than a year of inactivity […]
The Red Cross has trained 43,000 North Korean volunteers to help communities, including the locked-down city of Kaesong, fight the novel coronavirus and provide flood assistance, an official with the relief organisation said on Monday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency last month and imposed a lockdown on Kaesong, near the inter-Korean […]
Malaysia’s former finance minister pleaded not guilty Monday to a second corruption charge related to a $1.5 billion undersea tunnel project and slammed the case as a trumped-up charge by the new government. Lim Guan Eng, 59, was first charged Friday with soliciting 10 percent of potential profits in 2011 as a bribe for the […]
As tensions between Taiwan and China continue to escalate, satellite images reportedly show amphibious armoured vehicles and mobile missile launchers massing at military bases near the island nation. Though Taiwan, a country of 25 million people, is happy as an independent democracy, Beijing insists it is a “breakaway province” and “inviolate” Chinese territory, repeatedly stating […]
Tensions mount between China and Taiwan as both countries sent military units to the South China Sea this week. Satellite images appear to show Chinese amphibious armored vehicles and mobile missile launchers gathering near the South China Sea, according to News.Com.Au. At the same time, Taiwan has sent about 200 marines to its military outpost […]
China will amend its law on the national flag to ban people from flying it upside down. The top legislative body, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, reviewed draft amendments to the flag law on Saturday, in which “hanging the national flag upside down” is specifically named as a way of “damaging the dignity” of […]
Hong Kong police raided the offices of the tabloid-style Apple Daily newspaper, after arresting its founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, one of his sons, and a senior executive under the new national security law on Monday. A police source told the Post that Lai was arrested “for collusion with a foreign country, uttering seditious words and […]
Senior British officers in the Hong Kong police force could face legal action in the UK on torture charges after activists said Monday they planned to proceed with a private prosecution. The expatriate officers are accused of directly engaging in torture against pro-democracy demonstrators, or directing others within the force to carry out the crimes. […]
China on Monday sanctioned 11 Americans, including senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in retaliation for similar US moves prompted by Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong. Washington last week accused 11 officials of suppressing “freedom and democratic processes” in Hong Kong, including city leader Carrie Lam, and announced plans to freeze their US assets. It […]
Key generals have attacked Xi Jinping for squandering China’s big chance. They say his tactics have ruined their chances of world domination. One man. One party. One country of 1.4 billion people. Little wonder Chair-for-life Xi Jinping is worried about maintaining absolute authority. To do so, he’s painted a nationalistic picture of China’s future. It’s […]
The coronavirus pandemic chalked up another horrific milestone Monday as the world surpassed 20 million recorded cases of infection from the tiny killer that has upended life just about everywhere. The number as of 2215 GMT was 20,002,577 cases, with 733,842 deaths recorded, according to an AFP tally of official sources. In yet another staggering […]
Economic recovery around the world could come faster if any COVID-19 vaccine is made available to all as a public good, World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday. He was speaking in an online panel discussion with members of the Aspen Security Forum in the United States moderated by the NBC […]
India’s Zydus Cadila said on Wednesday its COVID-19 vaccine candidate was found to be safe and well-tolerated in an early-stage human trial. The company will now start a mid-stage trial of the vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, in over 1,000 healthy adult volunteers from Thursday to test its effectiveness, it said in a regulatory filing. Zydus plans […]
The aphorism “perfect is the enemy of good enough” has been played out to tragic effect in the US’s inadequate testing for the coronavirus, according to researchers calling for quick tests that cost only about a dollar each, and which may not be as accurate but can be carried out several times a week by […]
Children under the age of five have between 10 to 100 times greater levels of genetic material of the coronavirus in their noses compared to older children and adults, a study in JAMA Pediatrics said Thursday. Its authors wrote this meant that young children might be important drivers of COVID-19 transmission within communitiesa suggestion at […]
The leading U.S. expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicted on Wednesday the country will meet its goal of a coronavirus vaccine by year’s end and was unmoved by the prospect that China would get there first. While there are no guarantees, “I feel good about the projected timetable,” Fauci told Reuters in an […]
Shares advanced in Asia on Tuesday, extending another rally that took the S&P 500 to within striking distance of its all-time high set in February. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 1.6 percent and Hong Kong gained more than 2 percent in early trading, even as the tally of confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide topped 20 million, […]
Asian stocks were set for a cautious start on Tuesday, following a mixed Wall Street session and as investors eyed stalled US stimulus efforts and worsening strains between Washington and Beijing over Hong Kong. Australian S&P/ASX 200 futures fell 0.05 percent in early trading. Japan’s Nikkei 225 futures slipped 0.04%. Tokyo markets were closed for […]
Asian markets mostly rose Monday, with investors keeping a wary eye on China-US trade talks planned for the weekend, which come after Washington imposed sanctions on several Hong Kong officials, further straining tensions between the superpowers. Adding to uncertainty was US lawmakers’ inability to find common ground on a much-needed new stimulus for the world’s […]
An outbreak in Australia’s second-largest city held steady Tuesday, raising hopes the strict lockdown in Melbourne was working. Victoria state, which includes Melbourne, reported 331 new cases and 19 more deaths from COVID-19, equaling the record number of deaths set a day earlier. The number of new infections was less than half the peak days […]
Authorities said Sunday they would investigate the deaths of two teenagers at a Myanmar juvenile centre after the family of one victim alleged abuse, in a scandal plaguing the country’s notorious detention system. Myanmar’s state-run juvenile centres, like its prisons, have faced long-running complaints of overcrowding, poor sanitation and a lack of food. The two […]
The rise of Vietnam could well represent one of the shifts in global balance of power that takes place after the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam’s response to the novel coronavirus has been one of the most successful in the world. Since mid-April, the country’s only cases of new infection were among people from overseas in quarantine […]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday slammed China for the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who he called a “patriot,” and said the move indicated that Beijing is unlikely to change its position on the financial hub. Lai’s arrest under a sweeping new security law comes amid Beijing’s crackdown against […]
Beijing deployed fighter jets that briefly crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait on Monday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said, as US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar was in Taiwan for the highest-level US visit to the island in decades. Taiwan’s air force said that for a short period at around 9am on […]
China reported on Tuesday 44 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for August 10, compared with 49 cases a day earlier, the health authority said. The National Health Commission said in a statement 31 of the new infections were imported cases, and the balance 13 were locally transmitted cases reported from Xinjiang region. There were […]
Exports of Malaysia’a natural rubber increased 14.2 per cent in June 2020 to 38,587 tonnes from 33,780 tonnes in May 2020, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The main export destination was China accounting for a 68.1 per cent share, followed by Finland (4.2 per cent), Germany (3.8 per cent), the US (2.9 […]
The ringgit has shown resilience in these tempestuous times as global economy struggles to come to terms with Covid-19 and the pressure of economic volatility. The ringgit was trading below the 4.20 threshold against the US dollar in five months, supported by rising oil prices and favourable Malaysia government Securities, as well as Malaysian Islamic […]
Anyone can form a political party but it is up to the rakyat to accept it, said BN secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa. He said the rakyat evaluates a party based on its merits. “If it is seen as promoting the personal agenda of nepotism and cronyism, it will certainly be rejected,” Annuar said on […]
The health ministry announced 1,687 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 127,083. According to data released by the ministry on Monday, 42 more people have died of the disease, bringing the death toll to 5,765. The total number of recovered patients has also increased to 82,236. The […]
I once had a short conversation with two Chinese diplomats. On the many issues surrounding the country turmoil in Hong Kong among them I remembered one of them remarked that Taiwan was the red line, meaning China would do whatever it took to protect its sovereignty over Taiwan. And they were not afraid to do […]
Three policemen went missing as a patrol boat sank in the Pulau Tibi waters in Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province’s district of Tanah Tidung, local media reported on Sunday. The accident occurred during a bad weather on Saturday evening when six policemen were conducting a patrol on the Pulau Tibi waters, Chief of the Waters and […]
Singapore’s recession was deeper than first estimated in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic dealt a major blow to Asia’s trade-reliant economies. The city-state has been hit hard by COVID-19 with the country under a lockdown for most of the second quarter to curb the spread of the virus. “There continues to be significant […]
While Singaporeans are not able to celebrate in their usual way amid COVID-19, they are determined to hold the National Day Parade as a symbol of unity as a nation, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (9 August). Delivering his National Day message, Lee said a smaller Parade would be held at the […]
In a world of rapid seismic changes, we would need regular, published polls on public sentiments regarding policy matters to understand emerging gaps, says SUSS’ Leong Chan-Hoong. A new Cabinet was announced by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (July 25), with key ministries shored up with new faces from this election that would […]
Thai authorities should immediately and unconditionally release prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampha and democracy activist Panupong Jadnok, Human Rights Watch said today. They should drop all charges related to their participation in peaceful rallies to demand restoration of democracy. Police are reported to be targeting at least 31 other people, including many student movement […]
Deputy army chief Natthapon Nakpanich has emerged as a potential choice for the post of either army chief or defence forces chief with the blessing of prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to a source in the Defence Ministry. The armed forces are presenting their annual reshuffle lists of senior military officers to Gen Prayut, also […]
Confrontation between anti-government protesters and opponents who constantly warn them to stop dragging the high institution into their activism is feared as both sides plan rallies outside parliament this morning. The anti-government movement is led by the Free People and the Student Union of Thailand, while the royalist movement is headed by the Archeewa Chuay […]
The death toll in the running gun battle between government security forces and suspected communist rebels in northern Philippines since Saturday climbed to six, the military said on Sunday (Aug 9). A military report said that the clashes that started around 2pm local time on Saturday and ended on Sunday morning in Santa Lucia town […]
The Philippine government is in talks with pharmaceutical firms from four countries that are leading in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday. During a virtual forum organized by Maybank, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Department of Health is coordinating with the US, UK, China and Russia to […]
The Philippines has overtaken Indonesia as Southeast Asia’s coronavirus hotspot even though Indonesia has twice as many people. The Philippines now has more than 136,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and, critics say, no coherent strategy for defeating the virus. Michael Sullivan reports. MICHAEL SULLIVAN, BYLINE: Like other countries in the region – South Korea, Taiwan […]
Japan’s top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said on Tuesday it was extremely important to maintain the framework of Group of Seven (G7) meetings. The comment comes after US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has not decided whether to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to this year’s summit meeting. The G7 includes Germany, […]
“Excess mortality,” the number of deaths exceeding what would be seen in a regular year under normal circumstances, has been confirmed across the globe and is likely due to the spread of the new coronavirus. Interpreting excess mortality, which involves various factors, is no simple task, and the application of this concept has come under […]
Japan will send a disaster relief team to Mauritius in response to fuel leakage from a stranded Japanese-owned freighter that ran aground off the Indian Ocean island nation, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The six-member expert team will leave Japan on Monday, the ministry said after Mauritius declared a state of environmental emergency over the […]
SK Holdings, the parent of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, paid $300 million for an 8.9 per cent stake in Bain Capital-backed data centre provider Chindata Group, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal valued the Chinese company at $3.1 billion, according to the person, who was not authorised to discuss the […]
Dozens of cows were stranded on rooftops by floods in South Korea, leaving rescue crews facing a problem the size of several bovines. The cattle floated upwards as floodwaters mounted at the weekend in Gurye, a farming town in the country’s south, and scrambled to safety on the roofs of several houses and other buildings. […]
Creditors of embattled Asiana Airlines Co. are drawing up a set of countermeasures against the potential rupture of a deal to sell the country’s No. 2 carrier, as local property developer Hyundai Development Co. is leaning toward withdrawing from the 2.5 trillion-won (US$2.1 billion) deal, industry sources said Sunday. The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) […]
A 19-year-old student has been given 12 months’ probation for vandalising the office of a pro-Beijing lawmaker in Hong Kong, after the politician was filmed shaking hands with men who were later suspected to be linked with an indiscriminate mob attack at a railway station during last year’s social unrest. Anson Chu Pui-hang was spared […]
Fitness centre operators on Monday warned that three in four gyms, sports clubs and dance studios in Hong Kong could suffer financial collapse in three months, amid forced closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, if the government did not provide the sector with a fresh round of subsidies. The government’s anti-epidemic scheme provided fitness centres […]
Hong Kong health experts have urged authorities to use various coronavirus testing methods on people from different age groups to maximise the effectiveness of Covid-19 screening, as the city is expecting to test 5 million residents for the disease. While specific details of the universal testing programme have yet to be finalised, the health minister […]
Beijing deployed fighter jets that briefly crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait on Monday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said, as US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar was in Taiwan for the highest-level US visit to the island in decades. Taiwan’s air force said that for a short period at around 9am on […]
Taiwan faces an increasingly difficult position as China pressures the democratic island to accept conditions that would turn it into the next Hong Kong, its top diplomat told visiting US Health Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday. Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday as the highest-level US official to visit in four decades, a trip condemned […]
Tensions mount between China and Taiwan as both countries sent military units to the South China Sea this week. Satellite images appear to show Chinese amphibious armored vehicles and mobile missile launchers gathering near the South China Sea, according to News.Com.Au. At the same time, Taiwan has sent about 200 marines to its military outpost […]
Vietnam’s market share in US apparel imports is now equal to that of China, which was the largest supplier of products for fashion companies in the US just seven months ago. Vietnam is now on par with China in terms of apparel exports to the US in the first six months of 2020, South China […]
Promoting digitisation process According to Dau tu Chung khoan, due to the recurrence of te Covid-19 epidemic in some provinces and cities, insurance companies have to changesome business development activities in the third quarter (Q3) of 2020. However, fundamentally, important strategies will still be implemented, even if the results may not be as expected. Talking […]
Database sharing between management agencies at both central and local levels is key to the process of developing e-government, experts have said. The Ministry of Information and Communications is compiling an e-government development strategy, with services a pillar in Vietnam’s socio-economic development model. Under the draft strategy which has been made public for comments, the […]
