China’s factory activity continues expanding in December
By Daisy Wu
A major gauge of China’s factory activity has stayed in expansionary territory for three months in a row, adding momentum to the country’s economic recovery as the external environment is poised to become more fraught in 2025.
The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – an indicator of sentiment among factory owners – fell to 50.1 in December compared with 50.3 a month earlier, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.
The index has stayed above the 50-point threshold since October, signaling expanding economic activity.
A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, while a reading below 50 signals contraction.
Within the manufacturing PMI, the subindex for new export orders rose to 48.3 in December, compared with 48.1 in November.
Meanwhile, China’s non-manufacturing PMI – which tracks activity in the service and construction sectors – expanded to 52.2 in December after a neutral reading of 50 was reported the previous month.
Breaking it down, the construction sector subindex inched up to 53.2 in December, an increase from 49.7 in November. The service sector subindex, meanwhile, rose to 52 from 50.1.
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By Daisy Wu
A major gauge of China’s factory activity has stayed in expansionary territory for three months in a row, adding momentum to the country’s economic recovery as the external environment is poised to become more fraught in 2025.
The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – an indicator of sentiment among factory owners – fell to 50.1 in December compared with 50.3 a month earlier, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.
The index has stayed above the 50-point threshold since October, signaling expanding economic activity.
A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, while a reading below 50 signals contraction.
Within the manufacturing PMI, the subindex for new export orders rose to 48.3 in December, compared with 48.1 in November.
Meanwhile, China’s non-manufacturing PMI – which tracks activity in the service and construction sectors – expanded to 52.2 in December after a neutral reading of 50 was reported the previous month.
Breaking it down, the construction sector subindex inched up to 53.2 in December, an increase from 49.7 in November. The service sector subindex, meanwhile, rose to 52 from 50.1.
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Taiwan’s latest legislative punch-ups suggest democracy is in retreat
By Hilton Yip
While South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol has attracted notoriety for his stunning failed bid to impose martial law, there is another democracy in the region where the ruling party has been behaving with audacity.
On December 20, Taiwan’s legislature became the scene of intense clashes between the ruling and opposition legislators, involving wrestling, kicking and the throwing of water. Legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had broken into the building overnight and barricaded the doors with furniture to prevent the opposition from entering.
Meanwhile, protesters supporting the DPP tried to storm the building. As farcical as it all was, the scuffle is a worrying sign that Taiwan’s democracy may be backsliding.
While punch-ups in the legislature are practically a tradition going back decades, this year’s clashes – including those in May, July and one other time this month – have been significantly more violent and disruptive. And, unusually, they were almost always provoked by action taken by the ruling political party. That the ruling party is resorting to antics normally reserved for the opposition is both ironic and worrying.
The ruling DPP is doing this because it has been reduced to a legislative minority against the opposition coalition of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). As such, the DPP is unable to get its way in the legislature or prevent the opposition coalition, which holds the majority, from passing bills and amendments.
The May 17 scuffle in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan occurred because the DPP wanted to prevent the opposition from passing a package of bills to widen the powers of the legislature, especially in its oversight of the president, among others, requiring the president to answer questions directly from legislators.
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By Hilton Yip
While South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol has attracted notoriety for his stunning failed bid to impose martial law, there is another democracy in the region where the ruling party has been behaving with audacity.
On December 20, Taiwan’s legislature became the scene of intense clashes between the ruling and opposition legislators, involving wrestling, kicking and the throwing of water. Legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had broken into the building overnight and barricaded the doors with furniture to prevent the opposition from entering.
Meanwhile, protesters supporting the DPP tried to storm the building. As farcical as it all was, the scuffle is a worrying sign that Taiwan’s democracy may be backsliding.
While punch-ups in the legislature are practically a tradition going back decades, this year’s clashes – including those in May, July and one other time this month – have been significantly more violent and disruptive. And, unusually, they were almost always provoked by action taken by the ruling political party. That the ruling party is resorting to antics normally reserved for the opposition is both ironic and worrying.
The ruling DPP is doing this because it has been reduced to a legislative minority against the opposition coalition of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). As such, the DPP is unable to get its way in the legislature or prevent the opposition coalition, which holds the majority, from passing bills and amendments.
The May 17 scuffle in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan occurred because the DPP wanted to prevent the opposition from passing a package of bills to widen the powers of the legislature, especially in its oversight of the president, among others, requiring the president to answer questions directly from legislators.
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South Korea’s Jeju Air, Azerbaijani jet crashes mark deadliest year in aviation since 2018
By Bloomberg
Commercial aviation has suffered its deadliest year since 2018 after the Jeju Air Co. disaster in South Korea and last week’s downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane.
Fatalities on board passenger aircraft jumped to 318 this year with the two recent accidents, data compiled by Cirium shows. That is by far the highest death toll since more than 500 people died in 2018, a year marked by the first of two Boeing Co. 737 Max crashes.
This year started and ended with tragedies in Japan and South Korea during attempted landings, among the most dangerous phases of flight. Fatal aviation accidents remain very rare, and one major incident can suddenly turn a statistically safe year into one of the worst.
“The recent spike falls into the margins of unpredictability,” said Darren Straker, a former head of air accident investigation units in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. He suggested airline crews could be better trained to respond to so-called outlier events.
Investigators have yet to determine why a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 – a predecessor to the Max – careered down the runway at Muan International Airport early on Sunday with no landing gear deployed and smashed into a concrete wall. All but two of the 181 people on board died as the wrecked jet exploded into a ball of fire.
The fatal Jeju Air crash was the airline’s first, and ranks as the worst civil air accident ever in South Korea.
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By Bloomberg
Commercial aviation has suffered its deadliest year since 2018 after the Jeju Air Co. disaster in South Korea and last week’s downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane.
Fatalities on board passenger aircraft jumped to 318 this year with the two recent accidents, data compiled by Cirium shows. That is by far the highest death toll since more than 500 people died in 2018, a year marked by the first of two Boeing Co. 737 Max crashes.
This year started and ended with tragedies in Japan and South Korea during attempted landings, among the most dangerous phases of flight. Fatal aviation accidents remain very rare, and one major incident can suddenly turn a statistically safe year into one of the worst.
“The recent spike falls into the margins of unpredictability,” said Darren Straker, a former head of air accident investigation units in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. He suggested airline crews could be better trained to respond to so-called outlier events.
Investigators have yet to determine why a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 – a predecessor to the Max – careered down the runway at Muan International Airport early on Sunday with no landing gear deployed and smashed into a concrete wall. All but two of the 181 people on board died as the wrecked jet exploded into a ball of fire.
The fatal Jeju Air crash was the airline’s first, and ranks as the worst civil air accident ever in South Korea.
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Is building new attractions the way forward for Hong Kong’s tourism sector?
By Ng Kang-chungJiang ChuqinOscar Liu
Hong Kong needs to build more infrastructure to host international mega-events if the local government is serious about upgrading the city into a top regional travel destination, tourism sector leaders have said.
While the industry veterans were generally positive about the government’s latest blueprint to develop the tourism trade, which was unveiled on Monday, some said the city needed to make several quick fixes to attract more visitors.
Entertainment tycoon Allan Zeman, dubbed the “father of Lan Kwai Fong”, a top nightlife district in Central, suggested that hosting more mega cultural events could help Hong Kong “move up the tourism scale”.
“People like to go to exciting cities – cities that never sleep. If we can have two or three mega international events every month, we are getting close to that,” the Lan Kwai Fong Group chairman said.
He also urged the city to capitalise on the recent panda mania by building a park with themed restaurants, shops, games and rides.
“We have six pandas [in Ocean Park] but people go to look at them and then leave,” Zeman said. “We need to take it to another level.”
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By Ng Kang-chungJiang ChuqinOscar Liu
Hong Kong needs to build more infrastructure to host international mega-events if the local government is serious about upgrading the city into a top regional travel destination, tourism sector leaders have said.
While the industry veterans were generally positive about the government’s latest blueprint to develop the tourism trade, which was unveiled on Monday, some said the city needed to make several quick fixes to attract more visitors.
Entertainment tycoon Allan Zeman, dubbed the “father of Lan Kwai Fong”, a top nightlife district in Central, suggested that hosting more mega cultural events could help Hong Kong “move up the tourism scale”.
“People like to go to exciting cities – cities that never sleep. If we can have two or three mega international events every month, we are getting close to that,” the Lan Kwai Fong Group chairman said.
He also urged the city to capitalise on the recent panda mania by building a park with themed restaurants, shops, games and rides.
“We have six pandas [in Ocean Park] but people go to look at them and then leave,” Zeman said. “We need to take it to another level.”
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Japan’s Ishiba moves into ‘haunted’ PM home, but ghosts the least of his woes
By Julian Ryall
Shigeru Ishiba began moving into the Japanese prime minister’s official residence in central Tokyo on Saturday, playing down concerns that the location is haunted by spirits that sought to overthrow previous leaders of the nation.
Given Ishiba’s precarious position as head of a party that suffered defeat in October’s general election, and he is only clinging on to power in a minority government, ghosts of governments past might be the least of his worries.
Ishiba assumed the post of prime minister in October but continued to live at the accommodation set aside for members of the Diet. The delay in Ishiba moving into his official residence has been put down to renovations being carried out since Fumio Kishida stepped down and left the property.
He is, however, aware of the rumours that the site has been the location for a number of spectral goings-on, replying to a question from a reporter about suggestions the residence is haunted by saying: “I’m not particularly afraid.
“It might be frightening to actually see something, but it is not something that we are worried about.”
The expansive and futuristic building was only completed in April 2002 and, near the Diet in the Nagatacho district of Tokyo, is known as the Kantei. Less well-known than many other national leaders’ homes – certainly less famous than the White House, No. 10 Downing Street or the Kremlin – it also serves as the primary office of the chief cabinet secretary and is the location of the national crisis management centre.
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By Julian Ryall
Shigeru Ishiba began moving into the Japanese prime minister’s official residence in central Tokyo on Saturday, playing down concerns that the location is haunted by spirits that sought to overthrow previous leaders of the nation.
Given Ishiba’s precarious position as head of a party that suffered defeat in October’s general election, and he is only clinging on to power in a minority government, ghosts of governments past might be the least of his worries.
Ishiba assumed the post of prime minister in October but continued to live at the accommodation set aside for members of the Diet. The delay in Ishiba moving into his official residence has been put down to renovations being carried out since Fumio Kishida stepped down and left the property.
He is, however, aware of the rumours that the site has been the location for a number of spectral goings-on, replying to a question from a reporter about suggestions the residence is haunted by saying: “I’m not particularly afraid.
“It might be frightening to actually see something, but it is not something that we are worried about.”
The expansive and futuristic building was only completed in April 2002 and, near the Diet in the Nagatacho district of Tokyo, is known as the Kantei. Less well-known than many other national leaders’ homes – certainly less famous than the White House, No. 10 Downing Street or the Kremlin – it also serves as the primary office of the chief cabinet secretary and is the location of the national crisis management centre.
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China’s financial corruption crackdown reeled in dozens of naughty bankers in 2024
By Sylvia Ma
China’s financial sector has undergone profound changes, marked by intensified anti-corruption efforts, as the industry takes on the critical task of preventing risks and propping up the country’s real economy.
The heightened scrutiny is part of the broader transformation that the sector has seen in recent years, along with shrinking profitability and widespread pay cuts, amid mounting economic challenges from slumping stock and property markets.
Around 90 financial-industry executives have been investigated so far this year, with 70 per cent of the cases involving the banking system, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s top anti-corruption agency.
This is slightly down from last year, when more than 100 financial cadres or executives were placed under investigation, with a similar proportion of about 70 per cent coming from the banking system.
Among those investigated this year were three high-level officials directly managed by the central government, among which Zhang Gengsheng, a former vice-president of state-owned China Construction Bank, was the latest to fall.
The CCDI said last month that Zhang was under investigation for “serious violations of party discipline and the law”, a common euphemism for corruption.
Lou Wenlong, a former vice-president of the Agricultural Bank of China, was reportedly arrested earlier this month on bribery charges, after the CCDI announced an investigation into him in May.
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By Sylvia Ma
China’s financial sector has undergone profound changes, marked by intensified anti-corruption efforts, as the industry takes on the critical task of preventing risks and propping up the country’s real economy.
The heightened scrutiny is part of the broader transformation that the sector has seen in recent years, along with shrinking profitability and widespread pay cuts, amid mounting economic challenges from slumping stock and property markets.
Around 90 financial-industry executives have been investigated so far this year, with 70 per cent of the cases involving the banking system, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s top anti-corruption agency.
This is slightly down from last year, when more than 100 financial cadres or executives were placed under investigation, with a similar proportion of about 70 per cent coming from the banking system.
Among those investigated this year were three high-level officials directly managed by the central government, among which Zhang Gengsheng, a former vice-president of state-owned China Construction Bank, was the latest to fall.
The CCDI said last month that Zhang was under investigation for “serious violations of party discipline and the law”, a common euphemism for corruption.
Lou Wenlong, a former vice-president of the Agricultural Bank of China, was reportedly arrested earlier this month on bribery charges, after the CCDI announced an investigation into him in May.
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Jimmy Carter’s funeral to be held at Washington National Cathedral on January 9
By Reuters
A state funeral for Jimmy Carter, the former US president who died on Sunday at the age of 100, will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on January 9, according to the US Army.
US President Joe Biden, who last year said Carter had asked him to deliver the eulogy at his funeral, has directed that January 9 be a national day of mourning for Carter throughout the US.
The official six-day state funeral for Carter begins on Saturday as his remains travel by motorcade through his hometown of Plains, Georgia, the Army said in a statement.
The motorcade carrying Carter will stop at the farm where he grew up. There, the National Park Service will ring the historic farm bell 39 times – Carter was the 39th US president.
Carter’s remains will then be carried to Atlanta, where he will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Centre until the morning of January 7.
His body will then be flown to Washington where he will lie in state in the rotunda of the US Capitol until his national funeral ceremony.
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By Reuters
A state funeral for Jimmy Carter, the former US president who died on Sunday at the age of 100, will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on January 9, according to the US Army.
US President Joe Biden, who last year said Carter had asked him to deliver the eulogy at his funeral, has directed that January 9 be a national day of mourning for Carter throughout the US.
The official six-day state funeral for Carter begins on Saturday as his remains travel by motorcade through his hometown of Plains, Georgia, the Army said in a statement.
The motorcade carrying Carter will stop at the farm where he grew up. There, the National Park Service will ring the historic farm bell 39 times – Carter was the 39th US president.
Carter’s remains will then be carried to Atlanta, where he will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Centre until the morning of January 7.
His body will then be flown to Washington where he will lie in state in the rotunda of the US Capitol until his national funeral ceremony.
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North Korea’s Kim vows to further solidify Russia ties in New Year letter to Putin
By Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to solidify the country’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in his letter to President Vladimir Putin on Monday, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.
In the message, Kim sent New Year greetings to Putin and all Russians, including their troops and expressed his willingness to further step up bilateral ties, which he said the two leaders have elevated to a new height this year, through new projects, KCNA said.
Kim “wished that the New Year 2025 would be recorded as the first year of victory in the 21st century when the Russian army and people would defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory”, KCNA said.
Kim and Putin signed a mutual defence treaty at a summit in June, which calls for each side to come to the other’s aid in case of an armed attack.
North Korea has since dispatched tens of thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, and Seoul and Washington said that more than a thousand of them have been killed or wounded.
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By Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to solidify the country’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in his letter to President Vladimir Putin on Monday, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.
In the message, Kim sent New Year greetings to Putin and all Russians, including their troops and expressed his willingness to further step up bilateral ties, which he said the two leaders have elevated to a new height this year, through new projects, KCNA said.
Kim “wished that the New Year 2025 would be recorded as the first year of victory in the 21st century when the Russian army and people would defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory”, KCNA said.
Kim and Putin signed a mutual defence treaty at a summit in June, which calls for each side to come to the other’s aid in case of an armed attack.
North Korea has since dispatched tens of thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, and Seoul and Washington said that more than a thousand of them have been killed or wounded.
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China rolls out world’s first military-proof 5G that can connect 10,000 army robots
By Stephen Chen
China has unveiled the world’s first mobile 5G base station, which, after passing rigorous tests, is now poised for deployment on the battlefield.
Jointly developed by China Mobile Communications Group and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), it can provide unprecedented high-speed, low-latency and extremely secure and reliable data exchange services to at least 10,000 users within a 3km (1.8 mile) radius.
Even when PLA troops are advancing at 80km/h (50mph) in complex terrains, such as mountains or cities, and are subjected to electromagnetic interference, the system can still maintain an uninterrupted total throughput of 10 gigabits per second and a latency of less than 15 milliseconds.
The technology was detailed in a peer-reviewed paper published on December 17 in the Chinese journal, Telecommunications Science, by a project team led by senior engineer Hou Jie with the 31567 Unit of the PLA.
This advance has cleared the way for the large-scale use of intelligent war machines. China is building the largest unmanned army on Earth and these powerful yet inexpensive drones, robot dogs and other forms of unmanned combat platforms are expected to outnumber human soldiers on future battlefields. However, existing military communication technologies cannot meet the massive data exchange demands among thousands of robots.
Military 5G differs significantly from the civilian version. The PLA demands uninterrupted connectivity in the absence of ground base stations or when satellite signals are compromised.
Additionally, the antenna installed on communication vehicles must not exceed 3 metres (9.8 feet) in height to avoid hitting obstacles such as buildings or trees. But this severely affects the coverage range of high-quality signals.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Stephen Chen
China has unveiled the world’s first mobile 5G base station, which, after passing rigorous tests, is now poised for deployment on the battlefield.
Jointly developed by China Mobile Communications Group and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), it can provide unprecedented high-speed, low-latency and extremely secure and reliable data exchange services to at least 10,000 users within a 3km (1.8 mile) radius.
Even when PLA troops are advancing at 80km/h (50mph) in complex terrains, such as mountains or cities, and are subjected to electromagnetic interference, the system can still maintain an uninterrupted total throughput of 10 gigabits per second and a latency of less than 15 milliseconds.
The technology was detailed in a peer-reviewed paper published on December 17 in the Chinese journal, Telecommunications Science, by a project team led by senior engineer Hou Jie with the 31567 Unit of the PLA.
This advance has cleared the way for the large-scale use of intelligent war machines. China is building the largest unmanned army on Earth and these powerful yet inexpensive drones, robot dogs and other forms of unmanned combat platforms are expected to outnumber human soldiers on future battlefields. However, existing military communication technologies cannot meet the massive data exchange demands among thousands of robots.
Military 5G differs significantly from the civilian version. The PLA demands uninterrupted connectivity in the absence of ground base stations or when satellite signals are compromised.
Additionally, the antenna installed on communication vehicles must not exceed 3 metres (9.8 feet) in height to avoid hitting obstacles such as buildings or trees. But this severely affects the coverage range of high-quality signals.
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US Treasury says it was hacked by Chinese state-sponsored actor
By Bloomberg
The US Treasury Department was hacked by a Chinese state-sponsored actor through a third-party software service provider, the agency said in a letter to Congress on Monday.
“On December 8, 2024, Treasury was notified by a third-party software service provider, BeyondTrust, that a threat actor had gained access to a key used by the vendor to secure a cloud-based service used to remotely provide technical support for Treasury Departmental Offices (DO) end users,” according to the letter seen by Bloomberg News.
“Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor.”
The hacker was able to remotely access certain Treasury workstations and “certain unclassified documents maintained by those users”, the department said in the letter to Senators Sherrod Brown and Tim Scott.
“The compromised BeyondTrust service has been taken offline and there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to Treasury systems or information,” a Treasury spokesperson said.
BeyondTrust did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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By Bloomberg
The US Treasury Department was hacked by a Chinese state-sponsored actor through a third-party software service provider, the agency said in a letter to Congress on Monday.
“On December 8, 2024, Treasury was notified by a third-party software service provider, BeyondTrust, that a threat actor had gained access to a key used by the vendor to secure a cloud-based service used to remotely provide technical support for Treasury Departmental Offices (DO) end users,” according to the letter seen by Bloomberg News.
“Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor.”
The hacker was able to remotely access certain Treasury workstations and “certain unclassified documents maintained by those users”, the department said in the letter to Senators Sherrod Brown and Tim Scott.
“The compromised BeyondTrust service has been taken offline and there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to Treasury systems or information,” a Treasury spokesperson said.
BeyondTrust did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Asia must not let its appetite for sand consume its rivers and seas
By Mohammad Yunus
Asia’s construction boom is driving a global scramble for sand, a critical resource. Last month, the Philippine coastguard discovered 13 undocumented Chinese workers aboard a dredger ship in Mariveles off the Bataan coast. In October, Indonesian authorities found two Malaysian-operated ships allegedly involved in stealing sand off Batam and headed for Singapore.
China and Singapore, with their immense demand for infrastructure development, illustrate this trend.
From 1995 to 2020, China’s sand supply surged by 400 per cent. Rapid urbanisation and ambitious projects, such as dams, high-speed railways and artificial islands, have fed the demand for construction material. Meanwhile, tiny Singapore has become a major player in the sand trade. Since independence in 1965, Singapore has expanded by 22 per cent, largely through reclamation, including at Marina Bay and Tuas port.
To meet this staggering demand, Asia’s sand supply chains stretch across the world. For instance, China imported up to US$23.4 million worth of sand in October, mostly from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and even the United States.
In Southeast Asia, Cambodia and Vietnam have become key exporters, particularly to Singapore. The Mekong Delta has become a hotspot for sand mining. Malaysia has emerged as an important supplier, its rivers and coastal areas extensively mined. India, Bangladesh and Myanmar are also part of the supply chain.
The environmental consequences of sand mining are immense. Across Asia, rivers are shrinking, coastlines eroding and ecosystems unravelling.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Mohammad Yunus
Asia’s construction boom is driving a global scramble for sand, a critical resource. Last month, the Philippine coastguard discovered 13 undocumented Chinese workers aboard a dredger ship in Mariveles off the Bataan coast. In October, Indonesian authorities found two Malaysian-operated ships allegedly involved in stealing sand off Batam and headed for Singapore.
China and Singapore, with their immense demand for infrastructure development, illustrate this trend.
From 1995 to 2020, China’s sand supply surged by 400 per cent. Rapid urbanisation and ambitious projects, such as dams, high-speed railways and artificial islands, have fed the demand for construction material. Meanwhile, tiny Singapore has become a major player in the sand trade. Since independence in 1965, Singapore has expanded by 22 per cent, largely through reclamation, including at Marina Bay and Tuas port.
To meet this staggering demand, Asia’s sand supply chains stretch across the world. For instance, China imported up to US$23.4 million worth of sand in October, mostly from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and even the United States.
In Southeast Asia, Cambodia and Vietnam have become key exporters, particularly to Singapore. The Mekong Delta has become a hotspot for sand mining. Malaysia has emerged as an important supplier, its rivers and coastal areas extensively mined. India, Bangladesh and Myanmar are also part of the supply chain.
The environmental consequences of sand mining are immense. Across Asia, rivers are shrinking, coastlines eroding and ecosystems unravelling.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Argentine judge orders arrest of Nicaragua’s Ortega over human rights violations: lawyer
By Agence France-Presse
An Argentine judge has ordered the arrest of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega over his alleged “systematic violation of human rights”, a lawyer who filed a case against the leader told Agence France-Presse on Monday.
The warrant, lawyer Dario Richarte said, also applies to Ortega’s wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, and is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows for nations to prosecute crimes against humanity outside their country of origin.
Federal Judge Ariel Lijo has also ordered the arrest of a dozen other people linked to Ortega’s rule.
The crimes Ortega and his wife are accused of include murder, forced disappearances, torture and “deportation or forced transfer of population”, Richarte said.
The complaint had been filed in 2022 by a group of prosecutors from the University of Buenos Aires.
Ortega, a 79-year-old ex-guerilla, has engaged in increasingly authoritarian practices since returning to power in 2007, seizing control of all branches of the state.
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By Agence France-Presse
An Argentine judge has ordered the arrest of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega over his alleged “systematic violation of human rights”, a lawyer who filed a case against the leader told Agence France-Presse on Monday.
The warrant, lawyer Dario Richarte said, also applies to Ortega’s wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, and is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows for nations to prosecute crimes against humanity outside their country of origin.
Federal Judge Ariel Lijo has also ordered the arrest of a dozen other people linked to Ortega’s rule.
The crimes Ortega and his wife are accused of include murder, forced disappearances, torture and “deportation or forced transfer of population”, Richarte said.
The complaint had been filed in 2022 by a group of prosecutors from the University of Buenos Aires.
Ortega, a 79-year-old ex-guerilla, has engaged in increasingly authoritarian practices since returning to power in 2007, seizing control of all branches of the state.
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71 dead in Ethiopia road accident after lorry carrying wedding party veers into river
By Agence France-Presse
The death toll from a road accident in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 71 after a vehicle carrying a wedding party veered into a river, a local official said on Monday.
The lorry careered into the water at around 5:30pm local time on Sunday some 300km (180 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa in Sidama state.
The Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate put the death toll “so far” at 68 men and three women.
“The accident was especially horrific as the river had a lot of big stones so most passengers, including the driver, were killed due to the impact,” Wossenyeleh Simon, an official with the regional communications department, told Agence France-Presse.
“Among the deceased are four people from the same family,” he said.
He said the driver had lost control of the “freight truck” – which was carrying 76 people, including those heading to the wedding and day-labourers – when trying to turn a tight bend ahead of a bridge.
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By Agence France-Presse
The death toll from a road accident in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 71 after a vehicle carrying a wedding party veered into a river, a local official said on Monday.
The lorry careered into the water at around 5:30pm local time on Sunday some 300km (180 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa in Sidama state.
The Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate put the death toll “so far” at 68 men and three women.
“The accident was especially horrific as the river had a lot of big stones so most passengers, including the driver, were killed due to the impact,” Wossenyeleh Simon, an official with the regional communications department, told Agence France-Presse.
“Among the deceased are four people from the same family,” he said.
He said the driver had lost control of the “freight truck” – which was carrying 76 people, including those heading to the wedding and day-labourers – when trying to turn a tight bend ahead of a bridge.
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Venezuela court fines TikTok US$10 million over deadly viral challenges
By Bloomberg
Venezuela’s top court imposed a US$10 million fine on TikTok over viral challenges that killed three children and injured dozens of people in recent months.
In a Monday ruling, the court said the social media company should pay the fine to the country’s telecommunications agency within the next 10 days. It also ordered TikTok, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, to establish an office in Venezuela.
The court summoned TikTok officials to appear last month to address the deaths of three children, aged 12, 13 and 14, after they took part in challenges that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said included ingesting, inhaling and spreading “dangerous mixes” of chemicals.
The judges said TikTok shared responsibility for its “lack of timely control” of the challenges on its platform. Money from the fine will go towards a compensation fund for victims, they said.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Maduro has attacked social media platforms such as TikTok and WhatsApp on the heels of a wave of repression by his regime against resistance to his self-declared win in July’s presidential election.
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By Bloomberg
Venezuela’s top court imposed a US$10 million fine on TikTok over viral challenges that killed three children and injured dozens of people in recent months.
In a Monday ruling, the court said the social media company should pay the fine to the country’s telecommunications agency within the next 10 days. It also ordered TikTok, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, to establish an office in Venezuela.
The court summoned TikTok officials to appear last month to address the deaths of three children, aged 12, 13 and 14, after they took part in challenges that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said included ingesting, inhaling and spreading “dangerous mixes” of chemicals.
The judges said TikTok shared responsibility for its “lack of timely control” of the challenges on its platform. Money from the fine will go towards a compensation fund for victims, they said.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Maduro has attacked social media platforms such as TikTok and WhatsApp on the heels of a wave of repression by his regime against resistance to his self-declared win in July’s presidential election.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hundreds of soldiers freed in UAE-brokered prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine
By Associated Press
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that saw the release of hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates, officials said on Monday.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said 189 Ukrainian prisoners, including military staff, border guards and national guards – along with two civilians – were freed. He thanked the UAE for helping negotiate the exchange.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said 150 Russian soldiers were freed from captivity as part of the exchange in which each side released 150 people.
The reason for the discrepancy in numbers was not immediately clear.
“We are working to free everyone from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said in a statement. “We do not forget anyone.” He posted pictures of Ukrainian soldiers sitting on a bus, some holding the country’s blue-and-yellow flags.
Zelensky said those freed from Russian captivity included defenders of Snake Island off the Black Sea port of Odesa, which was seized by Russia in the opening days of its invasion, as well as troops who defended the city of Mariupol, that was captured by Moscow’s forces early in the war after a nearly three-month siege.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Associated Press
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that saw the release of hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates, officials said on Monday.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said 189 Ukrainian prisoners, including military staff, border guards and national guards – along with two civilians – were freed. He thanked the UAE for helping negotiate the exchange.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said 150 Russian soldiers were freed from captivity as part of the exchange in which each side released 150 people.
The reason for the discrepancy in numbers was not immediately clear.
“We are working to free everyone from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said in a statement. “We do not forget anyone.” He posted pictures of Ukrainian soldiers sitting on a bus, some holding the country’s blue-and-yellow flags.
Zelensky said those freed from Russian captivity included defenders of Snake Island off the Black Sea port of Odesa, which was seized by Russia in the opening days of its invasion, as well as troops who defended the city of Mariupol, that was captured by Moscow’s forces early in the war after a nearly three-month siege.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Five years on, WHO urges China to share Covid-19 origins data
By Agence France-Presse
The World Health Organization on Monday implored China to share data and access to help understand how Covid-19 began, five years on from the start of the pandemic that upended the planet.
Covid-19 killed millions of people, shredded economies and crippled health systems.
“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of Covid-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement.
“Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.”
The WHO recounted how on December 31, 2019, its country office in China picked up a media statement from the health authorities in Wuhan concerning cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city.
“In the weeks, months and years that unfolded after that, Covid-19 came to shape our lives and our world,” the UN health agency said.
“As we mark this milestone, let’s take a moment to honour the lives changed and lost, recognise those who are suffering from Covid-19 and Long Covid, express gratitude to the health workers who sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from Covid-19 to build a healthier tomorrow.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
The World Health Organization on Monday implored China to share data and access to help understand how Covid-19 began, five years on from the start of the pandemic that upended the planet.
Covid-19 killed millions of people, shredded economies and crippled health systems.
“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of Covid-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement.
“Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.”
The WHO recounted how on December 31, 2019, its country office in China picked up a media statement from the health authorities in Wuhan concerning cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city.
“In the weeks, months and years that unfolded after that, Covid-19 came to shape our lives and our world,” the UN health agency said.
“As we mark this milestone, let’s take a moment to honour the lives changed and lost, recognise those who are suffering from Covid-19 and Long Covid, express gratitude to the health workers who sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from Covid-19 to build a healthier tomorrow.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
