TAIPEI:  , Same-sex Taiwanese-Chinese couples are now legally able to register their marriages in Taiwan, Taipei said on Thursday ( Sep 19 ). Taiwan has long been at the vanguard of Asia’s burgeoning LGBTQ rights activity, becoming the first country in the region to legalize wedding justice in 2019. Cross-straitContinue Reading
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man wanted for drug trafficking has been arrested following his deportation from Thailand,  , the Central Narcotics Bureau ( CNB) said on , Thursday ( Sep 19 ). The 31-year-old was detained by Thai officials on Tuesday, and she was then deported and handed over to CNB. TheContinue Reading
According to legal documents, Samsung Electronics ‘ Indian device has filed legal papers with members of a labor union that has been on strike for 11 days at its sole India house appliances plant in Tamil Nadu, escalating tensions with its employees. The lawsuit against Samsung, which was first reportedContinue Reading
JAKARTA: A move by the Indonesian government to effectively lift a ban on the export of sand has sparked an outcry by environmental activists and some politicians.
They claimed that the move exploits the environment and brings about negative social impacts.
In response, President Joko Widodo said that what is being exported is not sea sand.
“This is not sea sand. What is allowed (to be exported) is sedimentation,” Mr Widodo was quoted as saying by Detik on Tuesday (Sep 17).
The export ban – which has been in place for over 20 years – was lifted on Sep 9 after Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan revised it. In a media release, his ministry had identified sea sand as one of the forms of sedimentation.
This comes more than a year after Mr Widodo in May last year issued a regulation that allowed for mining permit holders to collect and export sea sand, provided that domestic needs have been met.
That announcement had similarly met some opposition from environmental groups.
This presidential regulation can only be implemented after the Ministry of Trade has revised the law on the prohibition of sea sand exports – which occurred last week – and will come into force after 30 working days.
Local media reported the government as saying that the new regulation was issued to tackle sedimentation of deposits that are in the form of sand and mud that can disrupt marine ecosystems and shipping lanes.
But activists and some politicians are still not convinced, echoing similar criticisms from when Mr Widodo had first made the announcement last year.
The Greenpeace organisation said that the reopening of sea sand exports added to the “ecological sins” of Mr Widodo’s administration at the end of his term. Mr Widodo is set to step down from the country’s top office next month.
Mr Afdillah Chudiel, Greenpeace Indonesia’s marine campaigner, said that his organisation had anticipated the reauthorisation of the sea sand exports following Mr Widodo’s announcement last year.
“There have been many criticisms by the community, fishermen, academics and researchers. We have predicted from the beginning that the Jokowi regime will not care about criticism and will not side with the environment,” Mr Afdillah said as quoted from Greenpeace’s official website.
Greenpeace said that sea sand mining can damage marine ecosystems, destroy biodiversity habitats, and exacerbate coastal abrasion and tidal flooding.
In addition, environmental damage caused by sand mining can damage the economy of fishermen who depend on the availability of fish in the sea.
“Sand mining can damage fishermen’s fishing areas, reduce productivity, and in the long run can cause food insecurity,” Mr Afdillah said.
In 2003, then-President Megawati Soekarnoputri issued a ban on the export of sea sand as it was considered damaging to the environment and had the potential to submerge small islands.
Before the ban in 2003, Indonesia was Singapore’s major supplier of sea sand for land reclamation.
Mr Widodo’s administration has since claimed that there will be no environmental damage in the export of sea sand this time because it will be imposed with strict conditions.
Among the main conditions, the sand extracted is only sedimentation found in seven Indonesian regions, spread across the islands of Java, Kalimantan and Riau Islands.
“Sediment is different, even though it is also sand. But it is sedimentation,” Mr Widodo said on Tuesday.
But the Greenpeace activist Mr Afdillah argued that sedimentation should only be in the form of mud that has no selling value, not sand that can be exported.
“This reason is only made up to find justification for mining sand and exporting it abroad,” he said.
Vivian Balakrishnan, the minister for foreign affairs, will be present in New York on September 19 and the 28th during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly ( UNGA ).
The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MFA ) announced on Thursday ( Sep 19 ) that Dr. Balakrishnan will deliver Singapore’s national statements at the Summit of the Future ( SOTF ) on Sep 23 and the UNGA general debate.  ,
He will also speak on behalf of the Global Governance Group (3G ) during the second G20 Foreign Ministers ‘ Meeting and take a statement there.  ,
According to the government, Mr Balakrishnan will host some “high-level” events, including the 17th 3G Ministerial Meeting, a Ministerial snacks for the Caribbean Community Council for Foreign and Community Relations, and a welcome for the Forum of Small States.
Maliki Osman, the next foreign secretary, will also be present at the UNGA.  ,
Dr. Maliki did speak at the Alliance of Small Island States Leaders ‘ Meeting and a number of SOTF situations.
Both officials will hold a number of diplomatic discussions with US representatives, foreigners, and US counterparts in New York.
A gas leak that led to the Cathay Pacific Airbus A350’s engine to blaze earlier this month could have caused significant damage, according to investigators.
Due to an “engine component failure,” Hong Kong’s top airline forced planes to move around a couple of weeks before, forcing them to do so.
The Trent XWB-97 website was made by British engineering large Rolls-Royce.
A broken fuel hose, one of a number of damage-causing factors, was identified as the cause of the incident, according to a preliminary report from Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority ( AAIA ).
Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific have been contacted for remark.
The incident took place immediately after the aircraft was set to depart Hong Kong for Zurich in early September. The aircraft received a fire notice in the pilot, shut down the engine and deployed fire extinguisher.
The plane, which was carrying 348 passengers and crew, landed carefully up in Hong Kong.
However, the affair raised questions about Cathay Pacific’s A350 fleet’s safety, especially after tests found issues with another 15 plane.
A gas hose’s protective surround ruptured, leaving” a discernible opening in the hose,” according to the initial statement. Soot and burn marks were present in sections of the website that indicated a fire.
Additional inspections revealed that the same engine’s five gasoline tubes were also inoperable.
If not promptly detected and addressed, the report said, this situation could have escalated “into a more serious engine fire, potentially causing extensive damage to the aircraft.”
The AAIA suggested that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency ( EASA ) request that Rolls-Royce develop new inspection standards for the relevant engines in order to address the issue.
EASA issued an” Emergency Airworthiness Directive” days after the incident. Operators using the same kind of website had to perform inspections of fuel pipes and replace any that were “potentially compromised.”
In 2016, Cathay Pacific received the second Airbus A350. The long-haul ships of flights around the world are quickly gaining a foothold thanks to the aircraft. Its higher efficiency and low operating costs are its key selling points.
The website is a crucial component of that performance. Rolls-Royce created the Trent XWB for the A350 precisely. Initial concerns about the potential for a serious issue to affect the global A350 ships were raised by the event. That would have been a significant loss for the American company.
But, it quickly became clear that the problem was more rooted in the engine’s internal fuel lines than the internal components. That meant the issue may be resolved fairly quickly, without the need for a costly makeover.
The XWB-97, a high-power version of the website that was fitted to a select few long-range aircraft, was also only affected by it.
This time, Rolls-Royce announced plans to invest greatly to strengthen its variety of vehicles, including the Trent XWB-97.
In 2023, Tim Clark, the director of sea ship Dubai, voiced concerns about the strength of the motor and the rates Rolls-Royce charged for repair.
After pleading guilty to insurrection, a Hong Kong gentleman who was wearing a T-shirt with a rally phrase on it was given a 14-month prison sentence.
The city’s prosecutor has already imposed the sentence under a new regional regional security law passed in March.
The law, also called Article 23, expands on the national security law that was imposed by Beijing in 2020.
Beijing and Hong Kong defended the legislation, saying it was required for balance, while critics feared it might further degrade civil rights in the city.
Chu Kai-pong, 27, was arrested at a train station in June wearing a T-shirt sporting the word” Liberate Hong Kong, trend of our days”. He was even wearing a helmet that read “FDNOL”- letters for another tagline,” Five demands, never one less”.
During the months-long anti-government rallies in 2019, both phrases were often heard in large-scale protests in Hong Kong. He was also reportedly carrying a box filled with his feces to use against those who opposed his views, according to local media reports.
Chu was arrested on 12 June, the celebration of a crucial day of the 2019 protests when especially big audiences took to the state’s roads.
According to Reuters, Chu admitted to telling officers he wore the T-shirt to inform people of the demonstrations. He recently spent three months in prison for allegedly possessing another offensive goods and wearing a T-shirt with the same tagline.
Since June 14th, Chu has been held in custody again. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to one matter of doing an action with a subversive purpose”.
In a statement released on Thursday, chief judge Victor So, who was handpicked by the state to hear national security circumstances, said Chu intended to” revive the thoughts behind” the 2019 protests.
He said Chu” showed no remorse” after his previous faith, and that the word reflected the” severity” of the rebellion cost.
Human rights organizations have criticized the faith and punishment. Amnesty International’s China producer Sarah Brooks described it as” a blatant assault on the right to liberty of expression”, and called for the overturning of Article 23 in a speech.
The sentencing comes after a landmark ruling of another case last month, when two journalists who led the pro-democracy newspaper Stand News were found guilty of sedition. That marked the first sedition case against the city’s journalists since Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China in 1997.
SINGAPORE:” I’ve climbed Mount Tai several days, so I’m not afraid of any conditions situation”! claims one of many related messages on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform.
First coming across as bragging, these users are really marketing their services: To been climbing buddies- for a price- for people who want to climb up one of China’s most prominent mountains, Mount Tai.
Commonly known as “pei pa”, meaning “accompany (you to ) climb” ), it’s been an emerging trend in the country over the Mid-Autumn crack and upcoming National Day trip in October, according to local media reports.  ,
It’s even drawn attention to the growing” companion economy”, or “peiban jingji” in Mandarin, in China as more people keep one amid rising costs of living and a fiercely competitive job market.
Experienced climbers do offer” climbing friend” service on online websites, including Xiaohongshu, to travelers who want to go climbing over the holidays, including prominent mountains such as Mount Tai in Shandong province and Mount Emei in Sichuan province.  ,
CNA on Xiaohongshu searches revealed that some people, mostly young, athletic guys, were offering to accompany aspiring rock climbing. Natural measurements, such as their height, weight, and time, were frequently included in the posts.  ,
One customer, Xitian from Shandong, posted solutions for climbers who wanted to go up Mount Tai. Xitian, a university student, offered a rate of 399 yuan ( US$ 56.49 ) a day with a 100 yuan deposit.  ,
Xitian introduced himself as a previous man who has “many days” hiked up Mount Tai in his blog. If you’re engaged, he also provides additional services, such as a walking stick, a one-use blanket, or free photography.
Xitian added that those interested in visiting Mount Tai would not need to purchase tickets to enter the place because he also has a” special pass.” But, curious climbers would have to pay for his transportation, lodging, and other essential costs, aside from food.
According to a report released by the state-run Guangming Daily on Tuesday ( Sep 17 ), many of these climbers have seen an increase in bookings as a result of recent and upcoming holidays, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.
The National Day tear is scheduled for October 1 through October 7, while the Mid-Autumn Festival vacation ran from September 15 to September 17. Some climbing claimed to be completely booked between mid-September and mid-october.  ,
A Chinese maker of handheld radios has taken a dig at walkie-talkies with its logo that exploded in Lebanon, claiming that it stopped producing the devices ten years ago.
At least 20 people were killed and 450 injured after thousands of walkie-talkies, some used by the armed party Lebanon, exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday.
The products, according to photos and video of the aftereffects of the invasion, appear to be IC-V82 transmitters made by Icom, an Osaka-based telecommunications company.
But Icom says it has n’t produced or exported IC-V82s, nor the chargers needed to operate them, for 10 years.
After hundreds of pager explosions allegedly linked to Chinese company Gold Apollo, which it is the second Eastern company to be involved in bombing incidents in Lebanon this month, at least 12 people died and more than 2,000 were injured in explosions.
Hsu Ching-Kuang, the leader of Gold Apollo, categorically denied that his business was connected to the attacks and that he had given his business name to a firm in Hungary called BAC Consulting, a source the BBC has been unable to reach.
Icom disclosed to the BBC that it was aware of reports that two-way radios with its branding had reportedly exploded in Lebanon, and that it was looking into the situation.
” The IC-V82 is a portable television that was produced and exported, including to the Middle East, from 2004 to October 2014. It was discontinued about 10 years ago, and since then, it has not been shipped from our business”, Icom said in a speech.
It is impossible to tell whether the merchandise shipped from our company because the production of the batteries needed to run the main product has also been discontinued. A image seal to distinguish fraudulent products was not attached.
Icom added that all of its microphones are produced in the same manufacturer in Japan and that authorized producers simply distribute the goods to foreign markets.
A sales representative from Icom’s US company previously claimed that the exploded radios in Lebanon appeared to be knockoffs made by the company, adding that it was simple to locate false types online.
The system is favoured by aspiring television providers and for use in social or emergency contacts, including by persons tracking storms or storms, he said.
It took the BBC a matter of hours to get Icom IC-V82s listed for sale in online sites.
At what point in the source network these products were hacked, and how. Additionally, it’s questionable whether some of them were simply used Icom IC-V82s or fakes, as Mr. Novak claimed.
Lebanon’s Annahar news on Wednesday said the Icom walkie-talkies were old phones.
According to a security cause speaking to a Reuters news agency, reports suggest that Hezbollah purchased the walkie-talkies that exploded five months ago.
Icom produces walkie-talkies and television devices for sea, aircraft and property users, and considers itself a “world head in the professional television market”, according to its website.
With countries like Japan, Taiwan, and China being home to big tech manufacturers that are frequently regarded as a standard of quality, Asia is regarded as a global hotspot for telecoms and technology.
BBC Verify investigated BAC Consulting, the firm linked to the pagers involved in Tuesday’s blasts, and found that the company has a single investor and is registered to a tower in the Hungarian money Budapest’s 14th area.
A further 13 businesses and one person are registered in the same building along with BAC. BBC Verify’s search of a financial information database, however, does not reveal that BAC has any connections to other companies or people.
Its CEO Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono said she knew nothing about the explosions. ” I do n’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong”, she told NBC.
Additionally, new regulations forbid the work of refugees and reduce encroachment on roads.
PUBLISHED: 19 Sep 2024 at 16: 10
According to New City Hall’s guidelines, just “poor Thais” may operate as street vendors in Bangkok, and they are prohibited from employing workers, among other restrictions.
Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, a spokeswoman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, reported that Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has signed a see outlining the novel regulations, which will become effective when the Royal Gazette publishes them.
Street vendors may possess Thai nationality, be a recipient of welfare payments from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, remain on repayments for homes built by the National Housing Authority, and be citizens of Thailand under the fresh rules.
In contrast, they must be included in the yearly tax structure of the Revenue Department. Their income may not reach 300, 000 ringgit a time after deducting business-related expenses on their tax returns.
A Thai selling associate is permitted for each vendor. Additionally, vendors may obtain authorization from the important public health authorities.
Depending on the size of the city, vendors must make sure pedestrians have a space between 1.5 and 2 meters wide to move in. Each stall’s place is limited to three square meters. For safety, stands must be at least 50 cm from the road’s edge, and only on the edge of the pavement that is opposite to a road surface.
To serve as an emergency exit, there must also be a place that is at least 3 meters long and at least every 10 kiosks.