Taiwan is an island that has for all practical purposes been independent since 1950, but which China regards as a rebel region that must be reunited with the mainland – by force if necessary. China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalist government […]
HONG KONG — As tens of thousands of protesters filled the rainy streets of Taipei on Friday, lawmakers in Taiwan voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first for Asia. “On May 17th, 2019 in #Taiwan, #LoveWon,” President Tsai Ing-wen tweeted after the vote. “We took a big step towards true equality, and made Taiwan a […]
HONG KONG (REUTERS) – Huawei Technologies’ chip arm HiSilicon said on Friday (May 17) that it has long been prepared for the “extreme scenario” that it could be banned from purchasing US chips and technology, and is able to ensure steady supply of most products. HiSilicon, which mainly designs chips for Huawei equipment, made the […]
BANGKOK (AFP) – South-east Asia is in the grip of a fresh surge of paedophile activity, with predators orchestrating and watching abuse on live-streaming sites and via webcams, and paying for it with near-untraceable cryptocurrency, victims and children’s charities warn. With widespread poverty, lax laws, and creaking judicial systems, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and the […]
LOMBOK, Indonesia — The Indonesian police say they have foiled a suspected terrorist cell with the ability to use Wi-Fi to detonate explosive devices, highlighting advances in bomb-making in a country with a history of militant activity tied to the Islamic State. Several of the suspects, who were arrested in raids last week on the […]
TOKYO (Reuters) – The dollar held near a two-week high against its peers on Friday, supported by strong U.S. economic data and a bounce in Treasury yields. The dollar index versus a basket of six major currencies stood little changed at 97.802 after reaching 97.882 on Thursday, its highest since May 3. The greenback reached […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – China’s state planner said on Friday (May 17) trade frictions with the United States has had some impact on China’s economy, but it was “controllable” and countermeasures would be rolled out when needed to “keep economic operations within reasonable range”. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) gave its assessment during a […]
Chinese-born architect was the mastermind behind the Louvre pyramid in Paris and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. I M Pei, the versatile, globe-trotting architect who forged a distinct brand of modern building design with his sharp lines and stark structures, has died at age 102. Pei’s death was confirmed on Thursday by Marc […]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The relationship between slack in labor and other core resource markets and inflation has “broken down,” posing risks for the Federal Reserve if it fails to lift the pace of price increases to its announced target, a top Fed official said on Thursday. Fed Governor Lael Brainard said the behavior of inflation, […]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. housing starts increased more than expected in April and activity in the prior month was stronger than initially thought, suggesting declining mortgage rates were providing some support to the struggling housing market. Land and labor shortages, however, continue to constrain builders’ ability to construct more lower-priced houses, the segment of the […]