Asia

Amsterdam, Netherlands: According to the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant the Chines telecom equipment supplier Huawei was able to monitor all the conversations made through the Netherlands's largest mobile networkHuwaei was able to listen in to conversations made by government ministers and also had access to a database of phones which were being tapped, according to a Capgemini report dating from 2010.Former state company KPN dominated the mobile phone market in 2009, with 6.5 million subscribers and Huawei was an integral part of its technological base.Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have called for a government statement about the role of Chinese telecoms company Huawei in the KPN mobile phone network.Looking to cut costs further, the company asked Capgemini to draw up a risk a...

A Chinatown in South Korea expected to be completed in 2022 has sparked anti-Chinese sentimentwith a petition calling for an end to its construction.“An online petition has been filed on the Cheong Wa Dae [government] website recently, calling foran end to the ongoing construction of a Chinatown and Legoland in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province,”reported an English-language newspaper The Korea Times.The petition has gained more than 415,000 signatures until now.“The petitioner wrote that Koreans do not understand why Korea should provide culturalexperiences from China, or why there should be a ‘little China’ in Korea.”Korea-China Culture Town will feature “a range of facilities and attractions”, including traditionalChinese gardens, and will be 10 times the size of South Korea’s only “official”...

The United States has slapped sanctions on a Pakistan-based human smuggling organization, whichhas been accused of being involved in smuggling migrants to the United States, including foreignnationals.The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Pakistaninational Abid Ali Khan and the Abid Ali Khan Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) of being “aprolific human smuggling organization,” as well as three people and one entity associated with theorganization.“According to court documents, between January 2015 and December 2020, Abid Ali Khan, 40,allegedly organized, led, and worked, with others in his Pakistan-based smuggling network tofacilitate the travel of undocumented individuals to the United States,” the Justice Department saidin a release...

Soon after giving out a statement on forced labour in Xinjiang, Swedish fashion retailer H&M wasforced to close 20 stores in China.Recently, several companies including H&M and Nike are facing pressure after they said that theywere concerned about allegations that forced labour has been used to produce cotton in Xinjiang.The ruling Communist Party lashed out at H&M, Nike and other shoe and clothing brands last weekafter the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed travel and financialsanctions on officials accused of abuses in Xinjiang in China’s northwest.H&M has shut down about 20 of its 500 outlets in the communist country. Some of the closuresmight have been the result of Chinese landlords forcing out the shops, while local consumers vowedto boycot...

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) president Al Nahean Khan Joy has alleged that Pakistan HighCommission in Dhaka is “secretly funding” hardline Islamist organisation Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladeshto stage protests against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Taking to Twitter, Joy, the president of BCL, the student wing of Bangladesh ruling Awami League,said: “Pak Flag of Pakistan HC #Dhaka’s #SecretFunding for @HIBofficial @Hefazot to protest againstIndia Flag of India & its PM @narendramodi. We, #secular & #democratic people of #Bangladeshcondemn this attempt by Pak agency #ISI. #Shame on @GovtofPakistan, protector of #Terroristsaround the globe”.Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, a massive rally was taken outon Friday in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. ...