World

US charges Indonesian extremist Hambali over 2002 Bali bombings
5Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

US charges Indonesian extremist Hambali over 2002 Bali bombings

WASHINGTON: US military prosecutors have filed formal charges against an Indonesian extremist and two others in the 2002 Bali bombings and 2003 Jakarta attack, the Pentagon said Thursday. The charges were filed nearly 18 years after the three were captured in Thailand and after each has spent more than 14 years in the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The first charged was Indonesian militant Riduan Isamuddin, better known by his nom de guerre Hambali, the leader of the Indonesian jihadist group Jemaah Islamiyah and believed to have been Al-Qaeda's top representative in the region. Undated picture of Hambali Riduan Isamuddin taken from a Malaysian Police website wanted list. (Photo: AFP/Malaysian Police) The group, with support from Al-Qaeda, carried out bombings of touri...
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Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar to be held online on new digital platform due to COVID-19 outbreak
5Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, Singapore, World

Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar to be held online on new digital platform due to COVID-19 outbreak

SINGAPORE: The annual Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar will continue to be held online this year, said the People's Association (PA) on Wednesday (Jan 13). "In view of the evolving COVID-19 situation, physical bazaars and trade fairs, which traditionally attract large crowds, will not resume," said PA in a media release, adding that for residents' safety and wellbeing, the Geylang Serai bazaar will continue to be held online and on a new digital platform. The bazaar will take place from Apr 9 to May 13, and will be a "celebration of the Malay/Muslim culture and heritage, with varied food and lifestyle experiences for Singaporeans from all walks of life to enjoy", the association said. "Similar to last year, the online experience will enable many residents to learn new skills and enj...
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COVID-19 batters Asia’s already-struggling democracies
3Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, World

COVID-19 batters Asia’s already-struggling democracies

Over the past 15 years, democracy across Asia has regressed. Although the region still has strong democracies like South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, many other leading Asian democracies and countries with democratic potential have slid backwards, turning into near-autocracies or outright authoritarian states. While Thailand had been one of the freest states in Asia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it has suffered two military coups in the past decade and now is run by a parliamentary government that took power after a seriously flawed election in 2019. Bangladesh had built itself into a shaky but increasingly vibrant democracy by the early 2010s, but in the past decade has deteriorated into a de facto one-party regime, with opposition activists, civil society leaders and journalists jailed...
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Asia’s rise doesn’t necessarily mean the West’s decline
3Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, World

Asia’s rise doesn’t necessarily mean the West’s decline

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a growing geopolitical perception of Asia’s rise and the decline of the West. To a large extent, East Asian countries have managed to control the number of infections and particularly the number of virus-related deaths proportional to population. By contrast, case totals are between 50 and 100 times higher in Europe and the United States. Even in Germany, which has put up the best fight against the virus in Europe, the COVID-19 fatality rate is almost 20 times higher than that of Japan or South Korea. While the pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to economic activity in both the East and West, East Asia has a much easier path to recovery. China is acting as an engine of growth. Japan has seen an increase in capital investment (including planned i...
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UK summons Myanmar Ambassador in London over military coup
3Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

UK summons Myanmar Ambassador in London over military coup

Myanmar's ambassador in London has been formally summoned to hear the UK's concern over the military's seizure of power, British Envoy Barbara Woodward said.As the military in Myanmar seized power, state counselor Aung Suu Kyi along with other top politicians were detained in the early hours of Monday, with Myanmar's military declaring a one-year state of emergency."Myanmar's ambassador in London has been formally summoned to hear the UK's concern," Woodward told a press conference at the UN.Woodward said her deputy at the UN had held a "useful conversation" with Myanmar's UN envoy, who represented the toppled government.UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier condemned the coup and detention of civilians and called on the military to respect the vote of the people."I condemn the coup and ...
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US may re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following coup: Biden
3Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US may re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following coup: Biden

The United States might re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following the military coup there in which Counsellor Aung Suu Kyi along with other top politicians were detained and a state emergency of one-year was imposed.In a statement dated Monday, US President Joe Biden said that Washington will “stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack.”“The military’s seizure of power in Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the rule of law,” Biden said in a statement.“The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanctio...
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Banks closed, ATMs shut down in Myanmar following military coup
2Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
Market, World

Banks closed, ATMs shut down in Myanmar following military coup

Major disruptions of internet services following the military coup in Myanmar has led to the shutdown of banks now, according to media reports.According to media reports, banks under the Myanmar Banking Association have announced a unified closure from February 1. Besides, the ATM machines of major banks are also not operating in Yangon.A poor internet connection linked to the state of emergency also affected operations of construction sites in Yangon, and many supermarkets in the city decided to cut opening hours and called on residents to refrain from panic buying.Telecommunications in the capital city of Naypyitaw and some other regions and states have also been cut off.Earlier, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency in the country for one year, following the coup, where Aun...
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Poland President signs off on legal cooperation pact with Taiwan
2Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

Poland President signs off on legal cooperation pact with Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday announced that with the signature of Polish President Andrzej Duda, an agreement between Taiwan and Poland on legal cooperation on criminal matters will soon take effect.“The agreement was approved unanimously by both houses of Poland's parliament, before being sent to the country's Presidential Office”, MOFA said in a press statement. "MOFA sincerely welcomes the signing of the important bilateral agreement by Poland President Andrzej Duda on Jan. 28", it added.The agreement covers five major areas -- criminal matters, extradition, prisoner transfer, exchange of legal and practical insights, and sharing of information for crime prevention, the ministry said adding that it will help strengthen the transnational anti-crime efforts and judicial ...
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Tibetan community in France protest against Tibetan monk’s brutal killing in Chinese prison
1Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

Tibetan community in France protest against Tibetan monk’s brutal killing in Chinese prison

Condemning the horrific death of a monk in a Chinese prison, the Tibetan community held a demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Paris calling for the freedom of Tibet from Chinese rule.Tenzin Nyima, the 19-year-old monk died of injuries sustained from beatings and “torture” in a Chinese prison in Sichuan’s Kardze prefecture after being released in a comatose state by his jailers.The protest was organised by Students for Free Tibet on Saturday.The demonstrators called for freedom of Tibet from Chinese rule, stating that they would not be silenced due to oppression by China. They carried Tibetans’ flags and placards and raised slogans against the Xi Jinping government.Though local authorities in Paris had advised the organisers that they should adhere to the covid-19 guidelines and re...
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Taiwan court sentences Chinese national to 26 years in jail for killing pirates
1Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Taiwan court sentences Chinese national to 26 years in jail for killing pirates

A Chinese national has been given 26 years of imprisonment in Taiwan after he was found guilty of ordering the killing of four pirates at sea in 2012 while serving as the captain of a Taiwanese fishing vessel.Wang Fangyu, 43, was convicted of homicide and for breaching the controlling guns knives and ammunition acts.The incident took place in September 2012 and came to light in 2014 when a 10-minute video clip of the fatal shootings was circulated on the internet.Last week, the district court ruled that the killing of the unarmed men showed that he clearly had no respect for human life. Wang had asked two Pakistani mercenaries he hired as the acting captain of the Ping Shin to fire at and kill four suspected Somali pirates that day, the court said.Wang, a Zhejiang-native, was hired by a Ka...
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