Monkey business: Sri Lanka considers macaque sales to China
COLOMBO: Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is considering exporting up to 100,000 endangered monkeys to China, the agriculture minister said Wednesday (Apr 12), raising concerns among conservationists. The toque macaque is endemic to Sri Lanka and common on the island but is classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation ofContinue Reading
China to set up no-fly zone near Taiwan for ‘space activities’: Taipei
TAIPEI: China will set up a brief no-fly zone north of Taiwan on Sunday (Apr 16) due to what the island’s transport ministry described as “space activities”. The closure comes after Beijing completed three days of massive war games around self-ruled Taiwan last week, during which China simulated targeted strikesContinue Reading
‘This week, no one’: Hazardous Thai pollution deters tourists
CHIANG MAI: Hazardous pollution levels in northern Thailand have left the historic city of Chiang Mai choking under thick smog, with locals worried about the impact on tourism – and their health. Smoke from forest fires and farmers burning crop stubble has suffocated the tourist city, with global air monitoringContinue Reading
China and India ‘bright spots’ in world economy, despite gloomy global growth outlook: IMF official
The two most populous countries in the world are expected to account for about half of all global economic growth this year, according to the IMF.Continue Reading
Xi says China must strengthen training for ‘actual combat’
BEIJING: China’s President Xi Jinping called on the country’s armed forces to “strengthen military training oriented towards actual combat”, state media reported on Wednesday (Apr 12), after Beijing conducted military drills intended to intimidate Taiwan. Xi’s comments, made on a naval inspection trip on Tuesday, come amid heightened tension inContinue Reading
Former teen idol alleges sex abuse by Japan music mogul Johnny Kitagawa
Kitagawa, who established Johnny and Associates, died of a stroke in 2019. Continue Reading
Woman ordered to buy over ex-husband’s share of family home for higher price after missing court deadline
SINGAPORE: A woman who was supposed to buy over her ex-husband’s share of the family home for about S$188,000 (US$141,000) as part of divorce proceedings missed a deadline due to her lawyer’s oversight. As a result, she will now have to pay almost S$33,000 more to buy over her husband’sContinue Reading
Japan climate group urges more renewable energy, effective carbon pricing
TOKYO: Japanese companies and climate groups called on the nation’s government on Wednesday (Apr 12) to step up the introduction of renewable energy and quickly adopt carbon pricing to tackle global warming. The Japan Climate Initiative (JCI), an alliance of companies, local governments and NGOs, issued the message ahead ofContinue Reading
Indonesia in a renewable energy head fake
At first glance, Indonesia’s long-awaited Presidential Regulation on the Acceleration of Renewable Energy Development for Electricity Generation looks like a step forward toward a clean energy transition. It embeds pricing regulations for renewable energy projects within a wider roadmap for the early retirement of coal-fired power plants. But there are doubts over its effectiveness due to underlying […]Continue Reading
Taiwan’s ruling DPP picks VP William Lai as presidential candidate
China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its own territory, has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai’s 2016 election as she views the island as a sovereign nation. Lai lauded Tsai’s two terms as president, saying that the world has recognised Taiwan’s democratic credentialsContinue Reading