Ukraine says Russia took Belarus 'hostage' with tactical nukes plan - CNA

Strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus for almost 30 years, is a key Putin ally.

Back in February 2022, Minsk allowed the Kremlin to launch its invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

Fears have since risen that Belarus may join its ally's offensive, but Lukashenko said he would do so "only if attacked".

"NOTHING UNUSUAL"

In an interview broadcasted Saturday, Putin said the move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was "nothing unusual".

"The United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies," Putin said.

Putin said he spoke to Lukashenko and said "we agreed to do the same."

Russia will start training crews on Apr 3 and plans to finish the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons by Jul 1.

Putin has previously said nuclear tensions were "rising" globally but that Moscow would not deploy first.

The Russian leader said renewed discussions with Lukashenko on the issue were spurred by a British official's suggestion to send depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine.

Russia will respond if the West supplied Ukraine with such ammunition, he added.

"Russia of course has what it needs to answer. Without exaggeration, we have hundreds of thousands of such shells. We have not used them yet."

He said the weapons "can be classified as the most harmful and hazardous for humans ... and also for the environment".

Depleted uranium munitions are highly effective at piercing armour plate, but their use is controversial.

The metal is toxic for the soldiers who use the weapons and for civilians in areas where they are fired.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWtyYWluZS1zYXlzLXJ1c3NpYS10b29rLWJlbGFydXMtaG9zdGFnZS10YWN0aWNhbC1udWtlcy1wbGFuLTMzNzUxMzHSAQA?oc=5

2023-03-26 12:28:41Z
1870983156

Founder of Din Tai Fung chain, globally known for its xiao long bao, dies aged 96 - CNA

SINGAPORE: The founder of global restaurant chain Din Tai Fung has died at the age of 96. The eatery, known for its steamed dumplings or xiao long bao, was founded in Taiwan in 1958.

According to Taiwan media, a statement by the company on Saturday (Mar 25) said Mr Yang Bing-yi died peacefully and that his family has asked for privacy as they arrange his funeral.

Mr Yang was born in 1927 in China's Shanxi province, according to Din Tai Fung's website. In 1948, while China was engulfed in civil war, the 21-year-old left for Taiwan.

Mr Yang and his wife started their own cooking oil business 10 years later, and called it Din Tai Fung. But in the early 1970s, sales took a big hit after tinned cooking oil became widely available.

It was then that the couple dedicated half their shopfront to selling xiao long bao instead of cooking oil.

With the ensuing success, Din Tai Fung closed its oil business and officially became a restaurant specialising in xiao long bao and other Chinese dishes.

Today, Din Tai Fung has more than 170 locations in 13 countries and territories.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiW2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9kaW4tdGFpLWZ1bmctZm91bmRlci15YW5nLWJpbmcteWktZGllcy1hZ2VkLTk2LTMzNzUwMDHSAQA?oc=5

2023-03-26 07:47:00Z
1872772614

Honduras ends decades-long diplomatic ties with Taiwan - CNA

TAIPEI: Taiwan on Sunday (Mar 26) confirmed it had ended its decades-long diplomatic relations with Honduras after the Central American country said it was seeking to open relations with Beijing as the "only legitimate government" representing China.

Taiwan foreign minister Joseph Wu confirmed the severing of ties at a news conference in Taipei and said it would close its embassy in Honduras and withdraw its ambassador there.

Earlier, the Honduran foreign ministry said in a post on Twitter: "The government of Honduras recognises the existence of just one China."

"The government of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China ... Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory."

The flag of Honduras was removed from inside Taiwan's foreign ministry, according to a Reuters witness.

The Honduran foreign minister travelled to China this week to open relations after President Xiomara Castro said her government would start ties with Beijing, Honduras being one of only 14 countries to formally recognise Taiwan.

China views Taiwan as one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly disputes.

The decision by Honduras to cut ties prompted warnings from the de facto US embassy in Taipei on Saturday that China often makes promises in exchange for recognition that remain unfulfilled.

After a recent meeting with US officials, the Honduran foreign minister said the US "respects" Honduras' decision to move towards establishing formal diplomatic ties with China.

Taiwan disputed the foreign minister's comments.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaG9uZHVyYXMtZW5kcy1kZWNhZGVzLWxvbmctZGlwbG9tYXRpYy10aWVzLXRhaXdhbi0zMzc0NzIx0gEA?oc=5

2023-03-26 01:28:00Z
1870592917

'We want accountability', say Batang Kali landslide survivors as they urge release of investigation report - CNA

Ms Wong, whose close friend died in the landslide, said she still grapples with traumatic memories of the incident. Her friend, Mr Eric Wong Chai Chong, was found dead while hugging one of his three dogs. 

Ms Wong told CNA that Mr Wong, who was in his 60s, was with his dogs in a tent next to hers. She was in her tent with her own three dogs as well as another friend. 

When the landslide occurred, Ms Wong said she was awoken to a “very loud sound” and found herself trapped when soil and trees covered the tent she was sleeping in. 

“The soil had covered me and my friend couldn’t pull me out. The neighbours (at the camping ground) cut open the tent, lifted the trees and managed to pull me out,” she said, adding that all three of her dogs survived the landslide.

Two of them, however, had gone missing for a few days before being found close to the site.

“Since the incident, I have not taken the initiative to go hiking. I never expected to be affected in this way,” she told CNA. 

She said that she is reminded of the landslide each time she sees a hill or a mountainside that has been cleared.

“It brings back a lot of (memories of) what happened that night,” said Ms Wong, who is in her 40s. 

She added: “There have been a lot of ‘what if’ questions. What if it had happened in the afternoon, and not in the night when everyone was sleeping?” 

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1iYXRhbmcta2FsaS1sYW5kc2xpZGUtaW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi1yZXBvcnQtZmF0aGVycy1vcmdhbmljLWZhcm0tMzM3MTM2MdIBAA?oc=5

2023-03-25 22:00:00Z
CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1iYXRhbmcta2FsaS1sYW5kc2xpZGUtaW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi1yZXBvcnQtZmF0aGVycy1vcmdhbmljLWZhcm0tMzM3MTM2MdIBAA

India's Gandhi vows to keep fighting after removal from parliament - CNA

NEW DELHI: Top Indian opposition figure Rahul Gandhi said Saturday (Mar 25) he would keep fighting for democracy after blaming his expulsion from parliament on his demands for a probe into a key business ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gandhi, 52, was stripped of his parliamentary seat on Friday, a day after he was convicted of defamation in Modi's home state of Gujarat for a 2019 campaign-trail remark seen as an insult to the premier.

Modi's government has been widely accused by political opponents and rights groups of using the law to target and silence critics, but Gandhi said he would not bow to intimidation.

"I will do whatever I have to do to defend the democratic nature of this country," he told reporters.

"They are used to everybody being scared of them," he said, in reference to the ruling party. "I am not scared of them."

The removal from parliament of Modi's chief opponent comes at a time when the prime minister's relationship with Gautam Adani, one of India's most powerful industrialists, has been under scrutiny.

Modi has been a close associate of Adani for decades but the latter's business empire has been subject of renewed attention this year after a US investment firm accused it of "brazen" corporate fraud.

Gandhi's opposition Congress party has for weeks demanded a proper investigation by parliament of the allegations.

"I have been disqualified because the prime minister ... is scared of the next speech that is going to come on Adani," Gandhi told reporters.

"I will continue to ask the question - what is the prime minister's relationship with Mr. Adani?"

Congress supporters held small protests in several cities around the country on Saturday to protest against Gandhi's removal as a lawmaker.

"DUE JUDICIAL PROCESS"

Gandhi is the leading face of Congress, once the dominant force of Indian politics but now a shadow of its former self.

He is the scion of India's most famous political dynasty and the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers, beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

But he has struggled to challenge the electoral juggernaut of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its nationalist appeals to the country's Hindu majority.

The lower house of parliament ruled him ineligible to continue sitting as an MP on Friday, a day after his conviction in the defamation case.

The prosecution stemmed from a remark made during the 2019 election campaign in which Gandhi had asked why "all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname".

His comments were seen as a slur against the prime minister, who went on to win the election in a landslide.

Members of the government also said the remark was a smear against all those sharing the Modi surname, which is associated with the lower rungs of India's traditional caste hierarchy.

Gandhi was sentenced to two years imprisonment on Thursday but walked free on bail after his lawyers vowed to appeal.

A BJP spokesman said Thursday that the court acted with "due judicial process" in arriving at its judgement.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2FzaWEvaW5kaWEtcmFodWwtZ2FuZGhpLXBhcmxpYW1lbnQtc2VhdC1ibGFtZXMtcHJvYmUtcmVsYXRpb25zaGlwLW5hcmVuZHJhLW1vZGktZ2F1dGFtLWFkYW5pLTMzNzM4MjHSAQA?oc=5

2023-03-25 12:24:56Z
1850682973

Concerns grow in Malaysia over freedom of expression under Anwar government - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR – Concerns have been growing among civil society groups in Malaysia over freedom of expression since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister four months ago. 

Despite spending decades campaigning on a reform platform, which included promises of greater civil liberties, he and the Pakatan Harapan coalition he leads have done little to change perceived oppressive laws that were long used by previous governments against their critics.

Members of Mr Anwar’s own coalition have previously been arrested or imprisoned under national security and sedition laws when they were in the opposition.

Incidents of public rallies being probed by the police, investigations over online criticism and calls by government politicians to use the colonial-era sedition laws have all continued under Mr Anwar’s administration since he came into power in November 2022. 

At the centre of these moves is his own pursuit of his political critics from the opposition Perikatan Nasional. Defamation lawsuits and criminal defamation reports have been filed against them, including opposition leader and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin.

Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), a collective of lawyers pushing for civil liberties, said recently that using the police to protect Mr Anwar from criticism is “unlawful and despotic”.

“Has Anwar Ibrahim forgotten that during the Najib era, the then opposition Pakatan Harapan was at the receiving end of similar police investigations for criticism of then Prime Minister Najib (Razak)? Have Anwar and his political coalition learnt nothing from the persecution they were then subjected to?” LFL director Zaid Malek said in a statement.

The authorities have also pursued individuals who are behind online criticism directed at the government, as they mooted strengthening a controversial provision under the Communications and Multimedia Act to further regulate social media.

Individuals participating in a Women’s March rally earlier in March and a rally supporting Muhyiddin after he was briefly detained for corruption were also investigated by the authorities.

Government leaders have reiterated their commitment to civil liberties but have opted to prioritise economic challenges and political stability as their main agenda.

This is partly due to Mr Anwar leading a mixed coalition unity government, whose members include former rival Barisan Nasional (BN), which is led by Umno. It was BN that introduced and used many of the provisions limiting civil liberties.

Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, a vice-president in Mr Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said the Premier – who was jailed twice on sodomy and corruption charges that he maintains were politically motivated – remains committed to the cause, but reforms are a “staggered” process and will not be achieved overnight. 

“We have to go for institutional reforms first. We have to do things slowly and in a staggered manner, before we can go for certain symbols of freedom,” he told The Straits Times on Wednesday.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9zZS1hc2lhL2NvbmNlcm5zLWdyb3ctaW4tbWFsYXlzaWEtb3Zlci1mcmVlZG9tLW9mLWV4cHJlc3Npb24tdW5kZXItYW53YXItZ292ZXJubWVudNIBAA?oc=5

2023-03-25 06:40:55Z
CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9zZS1hc2lhL2NvbmNlcm5zLWdyb3ctaW4tbWFsYXlzaWEtb3Zlci1mcmVlZG9tLW9mLWV4cHJlc3Npb24tdW5kZXItYW53YXItZ292ZXJubWVudNIBAA

New Zealand raises concerns with China on South China Sea, Taiwan - CNA

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Saturday (Mar 25) she had expressed concerns over the South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait during talks with her Chinese counterpart at the end of a visit to Beijing.

Mahuta also said in a statement she "noted New Zealand’s deep concerns regarding the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong", during her meeting with Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Qin Gang.

"Nanaia Mahuta expressed concerns over developments in the South China Sea and increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait," the foreign minister's statement said.

Mahuta said she reiterated New Zealand’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China is a key ally of Russia and both have criticised the US and NATO for undermining global stability.

Mahuta arrived in China on Wednesday for the four-day trip, the first by a New Zealand minister since 2019, and also met China's top diplomat Wang Yi as well as business and women leaders.

Wang told Mahuta that China and New Zealand had always respected and trusted each other, according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvbmV3LXplYWxhbmQtY29uY2VybnMtc291dGgtY2hpbmEtc2VhLXRhaXdhbi1mb3JlaWduLW1pbmlzdGVycy0zMzczNDQ20gEA?oc=5

2023-03-25 02:19:00Z
1857930725