China’s PLA declares Taiwan live-fire drills over, with blockade capacity tested - South China Morning Post

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1. China’s PLA declares Taiwan live-fire drills over, with blockade capacity tested  South China Morning Post
2. China says it has successfully completed exercises around Taiwan  CNA
3. China's Weibo mutes spammers for hijacking trending #Taiwan Strait drill topic  Bangkok Post
4. China simulates striking Taiwan on second day of drills  The Straits Times
5. China's military drills following Tsai US visit 'more muted' than after Pelosi's Taiwan trip: Analysts  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-04-10 16:00:27Z
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Recent intel leak shows US spies on not only their foes, but their allies too: Analysts - CNA

AWKWARD SITUATION FOR THE US

The recent leak of classified documents is “nothing too serious”, as such spying behaviour among nations has been going on for a long time, analysts told CNA’s Asia Now. 

US allies such as Israel and South Korea “know very well that the United States remains acutely interested in what happens internally to the politics and the militaries of their countries”, said Dr John Blaxland, professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University's College of Asia and the Pacific. 

“The United States is hugely invested in making sure that it understands intimately well what's going on, because the United States has a stake in what happens there. The players inside Israel and South Korea know that very well.”

While not as big a deal as leaks in the past, such an episode can be humiliating for the US. 

“In the espionage business, the secret of success is in keeping one's successes secret. One doesn't divulge how good one is, one doesn't reveal one's capabilities,” said Dr Blaxland. 

“So this is a little bit embarrassing from that point of view from the United States. But there is a sense that this is not that much more than what is available from very sophisticated open source intelligence reporting available that you can download from and you can check on Twitter.”

It will, however, “take a bit of a diplomatic fence-mending” with allies such as Ukraine, Israel and South Korea, he noted. “Trust is critical in this business.”

Mr Newsham added that countries do not want to appear that they cannot keep secrets. 

“And that is what the Americans unfortunately have once again shown. But this could have been a lot worse, not to say that whoever leaked it doesn't have more and better stuff,” he said. 

“You don't want (to have) revealed the internal workings of a friendly government or really any government, because it does give them some idea of how you're getting it and they can take precautionary measures.”

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2023-04-10 12:04:00Z
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Royal pardon petition for Najib is Umno's stance, not government's, says Loke - New Straits Times

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1. Royal pardon petition for Najib is Umno's stance, not government's, says Loke  New Straits Times
2. Anwar: I will be part of Pardons Board panel to decide on Najib's fate  The Straits Times
3. Muhyiddin: Umno using 'political pressure' to push for Najib's pardon  Malaysiakini
4. Commentary: Will Najib Razak's dissenting judgment ploy sway public opinion?  CNA
5. COMMENT | This is about the system, not Najib  Malaysiakini
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2023-04-10 03:35:53Z
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China to stage Taiwan live-fire drills - CNA

LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of China's Fujian province, about 80km south of the Matsu islands and 190km from Taipei.

The local maritime authority said the exercises would be held between 7am and 8pm (7am and 8pm, Singapore time) around Pingtan, a southeastern island that is China's nearest point to Taiwan.

"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman, about "Joint Sword".

AFP journalists on Pingtan did not see any immediate military activity in an offshore area on Monday.

A small number of fishing boats and small cargo ships were near the shore on Monday morning.

It was not possible to discern the identities of some more distant ships, and much of the cordoned-off area was not visible from the shoreline.

Taipei's defence ministry said it had detected 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft around Taiwan on Sunday.

It said 45 aircraft had crossed the median line separating Taiwan from mainland China on Saturday - the most incursions this year, according to figures maintained by AFP.

Over the weekend there were around 150 detections of Chinese ships or aircraft, including fighter jets, drones, bombers, and transport aircraft, according to the ministry.

In August last year, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by McCarthy's predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

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2023-04-10 01:07:00Z
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Macron says Europe must not be 'follower' of US, China on Taiwan - CNA

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Sunday that Europe must not be a "follower" of either the US or China on Taiwan, saying that the bloc risks entanglement in "crises that aren't ours".

His comments risk riling Washington and highlight divisions in the European Union over how to approach China, as the US steps up confrontation with its closest rival and Beijing draws closer to Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," Macron told media including French business daily Les Echos and Politico as he returned Friday from a three-day state visit to Beijing.

Citing his prized ideal of EU "strategic autonomy", the French leader said that "we must be clear where our views overlap with the US, but whether it's about Ukraine, relations to China or sanctions, we have a European strategy".

"We don't want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic," he added, saying Europe "should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren't ours".

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

Angered by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen's meeting last week with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Beijing launched massive military exercises around the island immediately after Macron departed for France, including simulated strikes on its territory.

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2023-04-09 15:58:00Z
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Macron trip, hailed as success, still raises questions about EU-China relations - South China Morning Post

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1. Macron trip, hailed as success, still raises questions about EU-China relations  South China Morning Post
2. Europe must resist pressure to become ‘America’s followers,’ says Macron  POLITICO Europe
3. Ukraine war - latest: Russian forces 'struggling to advance anywhere' - and why sledgehammer was placed by war blogger's coffin  Sky News
4. France’s Macron ends China trip with pact to bolster business, military ties  South China Morning Post
5. POLITICO Confidential: Inside Macron’s China trip — Dispatch from the sauna — ChatGPT braces for pain  POLITICO Europe
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2023-04-09 10:00:11Z
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Third massive whale in a month beaches itself, dies in Bali - CNA

DENPASAR: A 17m long sperm whale died after washing up on a beach in Bali, a conservation official said Sunday, making it the third whale that beached itself on the Indonesian island in just a little over a week.

The male sperm whale was found stranded on Yeh Leh beach in west Bali's Jembrana district on Saturday afternoon.

"We are currently trying to pull the carcass to the shore to make it easier for the necropsy test and we will bury it after the test is concluded," Permana Yudiarso, a local marine and fisheries official, told AFP Sunday.

This is the third whale that has beached itself in Bali, a popular destination for holidaymakers, in April alone.

On Wednesday, an 18m long male sperm whale was stranded in Klungkung district, on Bali's eastern coast.

Before that, a Bryde's whale weighing more than two tonnes and at least 11m long was founded stranded on a beach in Tabanan on Apr 1 - its carcass already rotted when discovered by locals.

Yudiarso told AFP that their initial suspicion is that the sperm whale found Saturday also died of sickness, "just like the whale found stranded a few days ago".

"The body looked skinny and sickly," he said.

Yudiarso said it would take at least three weeks for the necropsy test to be concluded but forensic experts found some bleeding in the whale's lungs and its colon was filled with fluids.

Police have cordoned off the location to prevent people from stealing the mammal's meat or body parts.

In 2018, a sperm whale was found dead in Indonesia with more than 100 plastic cups and 25 plastic bags in its stomach, raising concerns about the Southeast Asian archipelago's massive marine rubbish problem.

Indonesia is the world's second-biggest contributor to marine debris after China.

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2023-04-09 06:10:09Z
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