MOSCOW: North Korea’s foreign minister lauded comradely ties with Russia on Tuesday (Jan 16) ahead of a rare meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been invited by Kim Jong Un to visit the reclusive nuclear-armed country. Putin has deepened ties with North Korea since the 2022Continue Reading
Beijing’s fury over the remarks is the latest in a succession of clashes between the Philippines and China, which come as Manila bolsters ties with former colonial ruler the United States, including expanding an agreement on Washington’s use of its military bases. Other leaders have also congratulated Lai on hisContinue Reading
Observers that CNA spoke to predicted that cross-strait tensions would rise, with Beijing likely to intensify pressure on Taiwan in the lead-up to president-elect Lai’s inauguration in May.
“The goal there will be to get Lai to adopt a characterisation of the cross-strait relationship that comes as close to Beijing’s demands,” said analyst Amanda Hsiao from the Crisis Group non-profit.
The DPP has said that it favours maintaining the status quo, with Taiwan having its own government. It has also refused to acknowledge Taiwan as part of China, hence drawing Beijing’s ire.
Yet the mainland’s response has also been muted thus far, the experts noted.
They added that Beijing may be opting for less overt and forceful measures, to avoid attention or condemnation from the international community.
“There’s a degree of momentum there in the US-China relationship that I’m not sure either side wants to tear up right now,” said Ms Hsiao.
Both countries have only recently resumed some exchanges, including on the military front.
Beijing had cut off talks and launched large-scale war games around Taiwan in 2022, in the wake of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island. It has continued to step up military pressure on Taiwan since.
Within Beijing’s playbook of protesting Mr Lai’s election, Nauru represents a “low-hanging fruit option”, said the Atlantic Council’s Mr Sung.
He added that China’s economic levers didn’t seem to have an impact at Taiwan’s polls. Beijing however has warned it could suspend tariff cuts on more Taiwanese products.
“Beijing needs to retool and optimise how it’s going to use economic sanctions in a way that can send its message against Lai without unduly alienating Taiwanese society,” said Mr Sung.
“Effective punishment needs to look like a precision strike, not carpet bombing.”
Mr Tommy Thomas, Malaysia’s former Attorney General who is representing Mr Daim’s family, argued that the former politician was being subjected to an investigation under laws that were formulated after he had retired as a public official.
“Furthermore, Daim is already 85, and he may not remember events of 25 to 26 years ago, and this is unfair and may prejudice him,” Mr Thomas said.
Senior federal counsel Liew Horng Bin protested, arguing that there was no statutory limitation for the investigating authorities to investigate a purported crime and a ruling in Mr Daim’s favour would open the flood gates to halt other ongoing investigations.
Judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that he would deliver his decision on the suit on March 4.
CNA understands that the frail and diminutive Mr Daim, who suffers from kidney-related ailments, was admitted last Friday into a private hospital in the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
It took place just hours before he was scheduled to meet with MACC investigators to record a statement on the ongoing anti-graft probe, according to three senior government officials who spoke to CNA on condition of anonymity.
The sources noted that the MACC investigators had requested to record the statement from Mr Daim at the Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya since Saturday, but his medical team insisted that he was in no position to be questioned.
The situation remains unchanged on Tuesday, according to the sources. Executives from Mr Daim’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The MACC’s move against Mr Daim is part of an anti-money laundering investigation that began in late May last year into a controversial corporate transaction valued at RM2.3 billion (US$500 million) in November 1997.
It involved publicly listed Renong Bhd and United Engineers Malaysia Bhd (UEM), two entities that were former cornerstones of the business empire tied to the one-time ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party.
Soon after the probe began, the MACC froze the bank accounts of companies connected to Mr Daim’s business and ordered him to declare his financial holdings and other assets belonging to members of his family.
Mr Daim has repeatedly rebuffed those demands and the faceoff took a nasty turn on Dec 21 when the anti-graft agency seized the multi-million dollar Ilham Tower, a prime commercial building in the capital Kuala Lumpur owned by Mr Daim’s family.
Since the seizure, the MACC has been turning up the heat.
TOKYO: A Korean Air Lines plane clipped a Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft at New Chitose Airport on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday (Jan 16), a Korean Air official said. The accident happened when the Korean Air plane was preparing for take-off, the airline official said. No injuries wereContinue Reading
SINGAPORE: Buoyed by the post-pandemic travel boom, Tigerair Taiwan announced an average of 10.8 months’ bonus for its 800 employees for 2023. Chairman of the budget carrier Chen Han-ming on Monday (Jan 15) revealed that the year-end bonuses were approved during a company board meeting. It was agreed that employeesContinue Reading
“While the Government of Nauru’s action on Jan 15 to sever its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan is a sovereign decision, it is nonetheless a disappointing one,” the State Department said. “Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded, and democratic partner. The PRC often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic relations that ultimatelyContinue Reading
Financial experts also remain bullish on the outlook for India’s economic growth.
“I’m pretty confident. My guess is that we’ll be anywhere around 7 per cent, or even slightly higher if everything goes well globally as well. So I think it will surprise the consensus, which is much lower,” Mr Amar Ambani, executive director of Yes Securities, told CNA.
“There are many factors that are driving (the growth) and primarily the robustness is getting built … because there are so many cylinders firing.”
These efforts include India’s digitisation efforts and capital expenditure by the government, he said.
However, they could still be hampered by a weak global environment, with factors such as extreme weather and economic pressures unleashed by the war in the Middle East and continuing conflict in Ukraine.
Another risk factor that could impact the economy is India’s next general election, to be held from April to May this year.
Recent state elections, however, suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains popular across the country.
TOKYO: Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) plans to start a fourth release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in late February, an official said on Tuesday (Jan 16), continuing a move criticised by China. The staged water releases began last August in what JapanContinue Reading
TOKYO: Japan plans to double a fund used for disaster relief and other contingencies to US$6.8 billion after a devastating New Year’s Day earthquake, the government said Tuesday (Jan 16), as snow worsened conditions for survivors. The 7.5-magnitude quake and powerful aftershocks killed at least 222 people in central Japan, layingContinue Reading