Author: Desk Team

NEW YORK (AP) — Charges against a New York City police officer accused of spying on behalf of China were formally dropped Thursday after U.S. prosecutors said they uncovered new information that warranted the dismissal. It ended a two-year ordeal for Baimadajie Angwang, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Tibet, who spent about six months in custody before being granted bail. He had been accused of spying on expatriate Tibetans in New York on behalf of officials at the Chinese consulate in the city. Outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Angwang, wearing a pin of the American flag on his lapel, thanked his family and his supporters, including those on the city’s police force and the U.S. Marine Corps, where he formerly served. During a brief court appearance, prosecutors said they w

Flash raises B15bn in Series F round "Flash's overseas revenue is expected to be on par with domestic earnings by 2023." — Komsan Lee, Cheif executive, Flash Group Flash Group, which provides e-commerce logistics services, including the delivery service Flash Express, recently raised 15 billion baht in its Series F funding round as it gears up to expand business overseas and drive its live-commerce business. The startup unicorn said it has become the leader of the express delivery market as it handled 700 million parcels last year. It set its sights on launching an initial public offering (IPO) within three years. "We have already secured Series F funding from existing investors with 15 billion baht," said Komsan Lee, chief executive of Flash Group, which is now valued at 70 billion ba

Philippine Nobel laureate acquitted of tax evasion but still faces more legal challenges Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa celebrates her acquittal on charges of tax evasion, outside the Court of Tax Appeals in Quezon City, Philippines on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters) MANILA: Philippine Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa has been acquitted of tax evasion, among several charges the crusading journalist has long maintained are politically motivated, calling the ruling a victory for “truth”. Ressa, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021, still faces three other cases, including a cyber libel conviction now under appeal that could mean nearly seven years in prison. “Today, facts win. Truth wins,” a teary-eyed and defiant Ressa told reporters on W

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday cut short the term of the military chief of staff he appointed five months ago and replaced him with a retiring general without explaining the surprise move. Marcos’s office announced the replacement of Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, who had received the highest military award for combat bravery. A statement late Friday that did not specify any reason for the change in military leadership. Bacarro’s three-year term was supposed to end in August 2025. The appointment of military chiefs is a sensitive issue. The military has a history of restiveness, failed coup attempts, corruption scandals and has faced accusations of human rights violations. Efforts have been made for years to instill professionalism in the mi

Skipper Peter Burling of Team New Zealand expertly extricated himself from a pre-regatta penalty to win the Singapore Sail Grand Prix on Sunday and strengthen his position as the top threat to two-time defending SailGP champion Tom Slingsby of Australia. Burling nailed the start of the podium race aboard his foiling 50-foot catamaran and sped ahead of Denmark’s Nicolai Sehested and Slingsby, each slowed by a poor maneuver, for his third regatta win of the season. Equally impressive, the Kiwis achieved a 100% fly time, staying on their foils the entire race at an average speed of 53 km/h (33 mph) and a top speed of 77.1 km/h (48 mph). The six Kiwi crewmembers shouted, hugged and fist-bumped after crossing the finish line, a massive mood swing from days earlier, when Burling glumly discus

HONG KONG (AP) — About 20% of the Americans in Hong Kong have left for various reasons over the past two years, the U.S. consul general in the semi-autonomous Chinese city said, drawing harsh criticism from Beijing for allegedly interfering in its affairs. Hong Kong’s strict anti-COVID-19 measures and “diminishing freedoms” have “clearly impacted the city and the people in it,” Greg May said, citing the departure of roughly 15,000 Americans as one of the outcomes. He said about 70,000 Americans and 1,300 U.S. companies are currently present in Hong Kong. In a video address late Wednesday to the U.S. Center for Strategic & International Studies, May also said worries remain over Hong Kong’s “reputation as a business center which depends on adherence to international standards and the rule

Gandhi's killer a hero to India's diehard Hindu nationalists Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot" -- the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. MEERUT, India: Hindu fundamentalist Ashok Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot": not revered independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, but the man who shot him dead. Sharma is the custodian of a temple dedicated to Nathuram Godse, who on January 30, 1948, gunned down a figure celebrated the world over as an apostle of non-violent struggle. For generations, the young religious zealot -- hanged the following year -- was roundly despised as the archvillain of India's long struggle to free itself from British colonial rule. But since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi nea...

NEW YORK (AP) — A man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve is now facing federal terrorism charges after he became determined to wage jihad against the U.S. government, authorities announced Tuesday. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that Trevor Thomas Bickford was charged with federal crimes in connection with his self-avowed jidad against U.S. government officials and his knife attack on three police officers in Times Square. Bickford was already charged with attempting to murder police officers, assault and attempted assault in state court in Manhattan. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence. State prosecutors have said Bickford shouted “Allahu akbar” at about 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve before striking o

Indonesia sends warship to monitor Chinese coast guard vessel An Indonesian official points at the location of North Natuna Sea on a new map of Indonesia during talks with reporters in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 14, 2017. (File photo: Reuters) JAKARTA: Indonesia has deployed a warship to its North Natuna Sea to monitor a Chinese coast guard vessel that has been active in a resource-rich maritime area, the country's naval chief said on Saturday of an area that both countries claim as their own. Ship tracking data shows the vessel, CCG 5901, has been sailing in the Natuna Sea, particularly near the Tuna Bloc gas field and the Vietnamese Chim Sao oil and gas field since Dec. 30, the Indonesian Ocean Justice Initiative told Reuters. A warship, maritime patrol plane and drone had been depl...

As Bangkok crowd calls for repeal of lese majeste law, Chiang Rai man sentenced to 28 years Tantawan Tuatulanon (foreground) and Orawan Phuphong doused themselves with red paint at a protest earlier this month to draw attention to their demands for bail rights and judicial reform. (Photo: Thai Lawyers for Human Rights) Hundreds of people staged a candlelight vigil in central Bangkok on Thursday evening in support of two hunger striking political activists whose health is deteriorating fast. Six opposition parties also released a joint statement calling for authorities to seek views from all parties concerned about judicial reform, and for the bail rights of defendants in political cases to be considered fairly by the courts. The developments came on a day when the Criminal Court once m...