German minister to visit Taiwan next week in test of China ties
BERLIN: Germany’s education minister will visit Taiwan next week, a spokesperson said on Friday (Mar 17), as the country reviews its previously close ties with China. A visit to Taiwan in January by a delegation of high-ranking lawmakers from the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in Chancellor OlafContinue Reading
Tearful senator denies drug allegations
A tearful senator Upakit Pacharirangkun on Friday denied allegations that he had been involved in drug trafficking, saying his accusers had fabricated false evidence for political gain.Continue Reading
Judge acquits man accused of molesting his 12-year-old daughter while she wore a VR headset
FATHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP The girl’s father did not know of her existence for the first seven years of her life, as he did not know that her mother was pregnant when they broke up. The couple reconnected in 2014 and got married. The girl was not told that the man wasContinue Reading
Taiwan charges ex-MP and former admiral with spying for China
The pair are accused of organising free trips to mainland China for 48 retired military officers.Continue Reading
Vietnam arrests Facebook user for attempt to ‘overthrow the state’
HANOI: Police in Vietnam on Friday (Mar 17) arrested a Facebook user who authorities accuse of “attempting to overthrow the state” by sharing content that defamed leaders of the ruling Communist Party, its security ministry said. Phan Thi Thanh Nha, 39, was accused of posting and sharing 25 articles andContinue Reading
The real cost of Australia’s AUKUS boondoggle
Australian governments have a long and generally dismal history of using defense procurement, and particularly naval procurement, as a form of industrial policy. Examples include the Collins-class submarines, Hobart-class air warfare destroyers and, most recently, the Hunter-class “Future Frigates.” The stated goal is to build a defense-based manufacturing industry. But there is also a large […]Continue Reading
Cambodia celebrates return of ‘priceless’ stolen Angkor jewellery
The culture ministry last month discreetly received 77 pieces from the family of the late, disgraced British art dealer Douglas Latchford. Two 10th-century sculptures recently returned by the United States were also displayed on Friday. Dominic Williams, the British ambassador to Cambodia, tweeted that it was an “extraordinary privilege toContinue Reading
Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan to ask court to halt police arrest warrant: Aide
LAHORE: Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan plans to go to court on Friday (Mar 17) to support a plea he made to halt a police operation to arrest him for failing to attend a hearing, an aide said. Khan would soon go to a court in the city ofContinue Reading
‘They should know how to behave’: Bali’s proposed motorbike rental ban highlights tourist misdemeanours
The provincial governor has proposed a ban on motorbike rentals for tourists. He also wants to revoke the visa-on-arrival scheme for Russians and Ukrainians.Continue Reading
China’s Xi to meet Putin in Moscow next week
Xi Jinping is travelling to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, the Chinese government confirms.Continue Reading