Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Human rights experts have hailed a sharp drop in executions for drug offences in 2018, even as they expressed worries over a large number of people worldwide still facing the death penalty for non-violent drug crimes. In a new report on Tuesday, Harm Reduction International (HRI) said it documented 91 executions for drug crimes last year, compared with 288 in… Read more »
Malaysia: Mahathir asks China to define claim on South China Seatoday Huawei takes US to court, claims ban unconstitutionaltoday China’s Huawei sues US over ban on using its productstoday UN human rights chief calls for release of Saudi activiststoday Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said China should define its “so-called ownership” in the disputed South China Sea so other claimant countries can start to gain… Read more »
Western Australia’s environmental protection authority has announced tough new measures aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions from large projects. The EPA, which works independently and makes recommendations to the WA government about whether new developments should be granted environmental approval, said on Thursday it was setting a “higher bar” for how it would assess the impact of major projects on… Read more »
An eminent Chinese professor has warned that an “over-promoted” programme to lure hi-tech talent home is fuelling foreign suspicions about international students’ ties to the Chinese government. Wei Yingjie, a cardiovascular health specialist at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said during the annual gathering of the political elite known as the “two sessions” that China should also stop sending… Read more »
The European Union has presented Cambodia with a new trade scheme called the “Everything But Arms” (EBA) trade clause. The European Union is waiting on an acceptance of the trade clause by Cambodia, and they have warned Cambodia that the clock is ticking on the offer. The scheme would allow for Cambodia to export all goods, excluding guns or weapons,… Read more »
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The European Union has warned Cambodia that the “clock is ticking” after it officially launched the process of suspending the country’s valuable trade privileges over rights concerns, paving the way for a move that analysts warn would be “catastrophic” to its economy. The so-called Everything But Arms (EBA) trade scheme allows Cambodia to export products other than weapons to the EU… Read more »
President Tsai Ing-wen has said Taiwan will not accept any deal that damages its sovereignty and democracy after the island’s China-friendly party said it might sign a peace agreement with Beijing if it won next year’s presidential elections. The Chinese government claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has vowed to bring it under its control – by force if necessary. While China has… Read more »
Tens of thousands of Mongolians have taken to the streets to protest against corruption in the top echelons of politics, braving temperatures that dropped below minus 20 degrees Celsius in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Organisers estimated nearly 25,000 people turned out for the protest on Thursday. Local media described the gathering as the second largest after a riot in 2008. Protesters focused their anger on Mongolia‘s parliamentary… Read more »
Voters on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa have rejected the relocation of a controversial US military base elsewhere on the island, but Japan’s government said it would press ahead with the plan. Local authorities said the vote on Sunday saw some 72 percent of voters opposing moving the US Marines Futenma airbase, with 19 percent in favour. Turnout was… Read more »
In Thailand one of the political parties has nominated the kings sister for Prime Minister for the upcoming elections in March. Her name is Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya and she is 67 years old. She will be running for the Thai Raksa Chart Party (Thai Save The Nation). She will be running against current Prime Minister who has military backing Prayut… Read more »