Author: Desk Team

The relations between Europe and China are growing more tense every passing day thanks to several factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, economic coercion China's support for the Ukrainian invasion, human rights violations, and the Taiwan Strait Conflict. European countries are now mulling reducing their dependence on China as well as restricting economic investments there. This comes as a big jolt to China as it became Europe’s biggest trading partner just a few years ago. The European investment in China has been through a few big companies while no new firm now is interested in entering the Chinese market, said New York-based Rhodium Group. According to a report by the Rhodium Group, European groups started leaving China due to the country’s links with the ongoing geopolitical tensi

Outpost Ubud Penestanan, a co-living space in Bali, is one of a growing number of places catering to a new breed of digital nomad. (Photo courtesy of Outpost Ubud Penestanan) JAKARTA: Indonesia is trying to attract more “digital nomads” to its shores by offering a more flexible visa, the country’s tourism minister said, in a move welcomed by the tourism industry on Bali. In recent years, some Asian holiday destinations including Thailand have seen an influx of digital nomads, or long-stay visitors from overseas who combine travel and recreation with remote working. Tourism Minster Sandiaga Uno said in a post on his Instagram account that digital nomads could now visit Indonesia and work for up to six months using a social-cultural visa. “I am increasingly convinced the number of foreig

As we bounce along a muddy dirt road alongside a river filled with bathing-suit-clad Italians trying to cool off on a hot August day, my husband is concentrating hard, trying to keep our borrowed jeep upright. We’re in Castel di Sangro, a small town deep in the mountainous part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. About 200 kilometres east of Rome and 125 kilometres north of Naples, this is the Italian equivalent of “middle of nowhere,” both in terms of geography and glamour. Not blessed with the fame or romance of Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast, rural Abruzzo isn’t typically a must-see for either international or domestic travellers, though that’s changing as already well-trodden destinations become increasingly oversaturated with tourists. “We can’t possibly be going the right way,” I

China planning supersonic missile that can fly, swim Photo: South China Morning Post Chinese scientists plan boron-powered supersonic missile that can fly and also swim like a traditional torpedo, according to researchers involved in the project. The 5-metre (16.4 feet) missile will be able to cruise at 2.5 times the speed of sound at about 10,000 metres (32,800 feet) - the same altitude as a commercial airliner - for 200 kilometres (124 miles) before diving and skimming across the waves for up to 20km. Once it is within about 10km (6.2 miles) of its target, the missile will go into torpedo mode, travelling underwater at up to 100 metres per second (200 knots) using supercavitation - the formation of a giant air bubble around it which significantly reduces drag, the researchers said. ...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia said Tuesday its navy ships have been given clearance to resume visits to the Solomon Islands, which had last week announced a temporary block on all military vessels during a review of its approval processes. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed to reporters that military ships from New Zealand and Fiji would also be allowed to visit the South Pacific nation. But that means military ships from the U.S., Britain and other countries still won’t be able to dock at a time that many Pacific nations are alarmed about the Solomon Islands increasing security ties to China. “Of course, we welcome the continued access of a member of the Pacific family — in this case, Australia — to Solomon Islands waters,” Wong told the Australian Broadcasting

GENEVA (AP) — FIFA vice president Sheik Salman of Bahrain will be unopposed for reelection to lead the Asian Football Confederation, while the head of the Saudi Arabian soccer federation is a candidate to join him on the world governing body’s ruling committee. The 47-nation AFC published its candidate list Tuesday for an election meeting to be held in February in Manama, Bahrain. Seven countries put up candidates — all men — for five FIFA Council seats and five countries are competing for one seat protected for women. Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has led the Asian soccer body since 2013 and under current rules would complete his term limit with a final four-year mandate through 2027. As one of soccer’s six continental presidents, he is entitled to be paid $300,000 by FIFA as a vi

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Motorcycle-riding gunmen killed a longtime radio commentator in metropolitan Manila in the latest attack on a member of the media in the Philippines, considered one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Police said Percival Mabasa, 63, was driving his vehicle Monday night when two men on a motorcycle approached and shot him twice in the head in suburban Las Pinas City. The attackers escaped and an investigation is underway to identify and locate them, police officials said. They said investigators are trying to determine the motive for the attack. Mabasa, who used the broadcast name Percy Lapid, was critical of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw a deadly crackdown on illegal drugs, and his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son

Supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi, mostly Myanmar nationals, rally outside the Myanmar embassy on Sathon Road in Bangkok on July 26, 2022, to condemn the military coup and demand her release. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut) A Myanmar junta court sentenced the country's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a further three years in prison on Thursday while also jailing an Australian economist, according to a source with knowledge of the case. Detained since a coup in February 2021, Suu Kyi has already been convicted of corruption and a clutch of other charges by a closed court. She and Sean Turnell received a three-year sentence under the state secrets act on Thursday. Both had been detained since the coup in which the military ousted Suu Kyi's government, for which Turnell was an adviser. "Mr ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators on Thursday introduced a resolution condemning the detention and death of Mahsa Amini, who was held by Iran’s morality police this month for allegedly wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely. The 22-year-old’s death sparked large-scale protests across Iran that have captured the world’s attention, with women protesters making a show of taking off their headscarves and cutting their hair in solidarity with Amini. “As co-chair of the Human Rights Caucus, I commend the thousands of brave protesters who are risking their lives to advocate for human rights in Iran, including the human rights of Iranian women,“ Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement. “The public response to Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands Iran’s

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A strong earthquake shook much of Taiwan on Sunday, toppling a three-story building and temporarily trapping four people inside, stranding about 400 tourists on a mountainside, and knocking part of a passenger train off its tracks. One person died and nine people had minor injuries, Taiwan’s Emergency Operations Center said. The magnitude 6.8 quake was the largest among dozens that have rattled the island’s southeastern coast since Saturday evening, when a 6.4 quake struck the same area. Most of the damage appeared to be north of the epicenter, which Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said was in the town of Chishang at the relatively shallow depth of 7 kilometers (4 miles). In nearby Yuli town, a cement factory worker died and the three-story building, which had a 7