Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
International News (6891)
December
China says U.S. nuclear weapons report is speculation
Written by Nur Yasmin
China's defence ministry on Tuesday dismissed a Pentagon report about the pace of its nuclear weapons programme as unfair "gesticulation" and speculation.
The Pentagon said in a report last month that China would likely have a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues with its current pace of its nuclear buildup.
The figure underscores mounting U.S. concerns about China's intentions for its expanding nuclear arsenal, even though the projections do not suggest China is accelerating the pace of its already-brisk warhead development.
China's defence ministry on Tuesday dismissed a Pentagon report about the pace of its nuclear weapons programme as unfair "gesticulation" and speculation.
The Pentagon said in a report last month that China would likely have a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues with its current pace of its nuclear buildup.
The figure underscores mounting U.S. concerns about China's intentions for its expanding nuclear arsenal, even though the projections do not suggest China is accelerating the pace of its already-brisk warhead development.
"It should be emphasised that China firmly pursues a self-defence nuclear strategy, always adheres to the policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstance, and maintains its nuclear forces at the lowest level required by national security."
The United States has a stockpile of about 3,700 nuclear warheads, of which about 1,740 were deployed, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think-tank.
The Chinese ministry said it was the United States that was the "biggest trouble maker" when it came to global security.
"It has fanned the flames for its own self-interest, creating divisions and confrontation in the world, and bringing turmoil and disasters wherever it goes," the ministry said. (Reuters)
December
New Malaysian PM Anwar reviews predecessor's billion-dollar projects
Written by Nur Yasmin
Malaysia's new Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday he was reviewing government projects worth billions of dollars approved by his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin as they did not follow the rules.
The remarks come at a time when graft has become a major issue, with former prime minister Najib Razak jailed this year over the looting of billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB after a prosecution following his loss in a 2018 election.
The projects include flood mitigation and COVID-19 aid programmes, said Anwar, who became prime minister last month after a tightly contested election race with Muhyiddin.
"They can say it was clean, but they weren't clean," Anwar told a news conference. "When we look at the approvals, they were done without following the regulations."
In posts on Facebook this week, Muhyiddin, who was prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, denied the accusations over COVID-19 relief, saying he would welcome an investigation.
"Not a single penny of this money went into my personal account," Muhyiddin added. "I'm not afraid of being investigated because I know I'm not misusing public funds."
On Monday, Anwar said his government was re-evaluating a Muhyiddin-era plan for a state-owned 5G network as it had not been formulated transparently.
And on Tuesday, he ordered the review of 7 billion ringgit ($1.59 billion) worth of flood mitigation projects, state news agency Bernama said.
Anwar said the projects had been awarded through direct negotiations instead of tenders.
Responding to Anwar's comments on the flood-related projects, former environment minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said projects awarded through direct negotiations were not improper.
Although some projects were expedited, they still followed the rules, he said in a statement.
Malaysian politicians grappling with corruption accusations include Anwar's deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has pleaded not guilty to 47 charges of bribery, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.
Ahmad Zahid is a key coalition partner without whose support Anwar would not have been able to form a government. (Reuters)
December
Germany's Scholz: We must avoid dividing world into Cold War-style blocs
Written by Nur Yasmin
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against creating a new Cold War by dividing the world into blocs and called for every effort to be made to build new partnerships, writing in an opinion piece for Foreign Affairs magazine published online on Monday.
The West must stand up for democratic values and protect open societies, "but we must also avoid the temptation to once again divide the world into blocs," wrote Scholz in the piece.
"This means making every effort to build new partnerships, pragmatically and without ideological blinders," he added.
Scholz singled out China and Russia in particular as two countries that pose a threat to a multipolar world, which requires stronger European and transatlantic unity to overcome.
The transatlantic partnership remains vital to confronting challenges posed by Russia's threat of potential assaults on allied territory, while China's turn toward isolation and its approach towards Taiwan require Europe and North America to form new and stronger partnerships with countries around the world, he wrote.
"Germans are intent on becoming the guarantor of European security that our allies expect us to be, a bridge builder within the European Union and an advocate for multilateral solutions to global problems," wrote Scholz. (Reuters)
December
German foreign minister: India is values partner, not replacement for China
Written by Nur Yasmin
Germany sees in India great potential for further cooperation on economic and security issues, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in New Delhi on Monday, underscoring the importance of this as Germany diversifies trade relations.
Asked whether she saw India as a replacement partner for China, Baerbock said no, adding that India had always been a partner for Germany and the European Union.
"With India, we are connected not just through a partnership in the economic sense, ... rather we are connected with India through a values partnership," she told a news conference alongside her Indian counterpart. (Reuters)
December
Iranian city shops shut after strike call, judiciary blames 'rioters'
Written by Nur Yasmin
Iranian shops shut their doors in several cities on Monday, following calls for a three-day nationwide general strike from protesters seeking the fall of clerical rulers, with the head of the judiciary blaming "rioters" for threatening shopkeepers.
Iran has been rocked by nationwide unrest following the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16 in police custody, posing one of the strongest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
Amini was arrested by Iran's morality police for flouting the strict hijab policy, which requires women to dress modestly and wear headscarfs.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday that an amusement park at a Tehran shopping centre was closed by the judiciary because its operators were not wearing the hijab properly.
The reformist-leaning Hammihan newspaper said that morality police had increased their presence in cities outside Tehran, where the force has been less active over recent weeks.
Iran's public prosecutor on Saturday was cited by the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency as saying that the morality police had been disbanded. But there was no confirmation from the Interior Ministry and state media said the public prosecutor was not responsible for overseeing the force.
Last week, Vice President for Women's Affairs Ensieh Khazali said that the hijab was part of the Islamic Republic's general law and that it guaranteed women's social movement and security.
In the shop protests, 1500tasvir, a Twitter account with 380,000 followers focused on the protests, shared videos on Monday of shut stores in key commercial areas, such as Tehran's Bazaar, and other large cities such as Karaj, Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Shiraz.
Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
The head of Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said that "rioters" were threatening shopkeepers to close their businesses and added they would be swiftly dealt with by the judiciary and security bodies. Ejei added that protesters condemned to death would soon be executed.
The Revolutionary Guards issued a statement praising the judiciary and calling on it to swiftly and decisively issue a judgement against "defendants accused of crimes against the security of the nation and Islam".
Security forces would show no mercy towards "rioters, thugs, terrorists", the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted the guards as saying.
Witnesses speaking to Reuters said riot police and the Basij militia had been heavily deployed in central Tehran.
The semi-official Fars news agency confirmed that a jewellery shop belonging to former Iranian football legend Ali Daei was sealed by authorities, following its decision to close down for the three days of the general strike.
Similar footage by 1500tasvir and other activist accounts was shared of closed shops in smaller cities like Bojnourd, Kerman, Sabzevar, Ilam, Ardabil and Lahijan.
Kurdish Iranian rights group Hengaw also reported that 19 cities had joined the general strike movement in western Iran, where most of the country's Kurdish population live.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the unrest since the death of Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by the morality police for flouting hijab rules. (reuters)
December
UAE president visits Qatar in sign of warming ties, lauds World Cup success
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) president held talks in Qatar on Monday on the first such visit since Saudi Arabia and three allies ended a boycott of Doha nearly two years ago, lauding Doha's hosting of the World Cup as a "success" for all Arabs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, UAE de facto ruler for years before becoming president in May, met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the brief visit before returning to Abu Dhabi where he is due to meet Israel's president.
This "is another step towards strengthening Gulf solidarity and joint action," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the Emirati president, said on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt early last year ended a 3-1/2 year embargo of Qatar, but ties between Doha and Abu Dhabi had not warmed at the same pace as those with Riyadh and Cairo, which re-established diplomatic ties with Doha.
Saudi Arabia's crown prince and Egypt's president attended the opening World Cup ceremony in Doha on Nov. 20 while the UAE sent Dubai's ruler, who is also the Gulf state's vice-president.
Sheikh Mohammed said Doha's hosting of the tournament, the first held in the Middle East, was "a success and honour for all" Gulf states and wider Arab world, UAE state media reported.
The political dispute that had seen Riyadh and its allies sever all ties with Qatar - over its support for Islamist groups they deem a threat to Gulf dynastic rule and its ties with rivals Iran and Turkey - had shattered the six-nation Gulf bloc.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have since moved to engage with Shi'ite Muslim Iran in a bid to contain tensions and mend ties with Turkey as they focus on economic development.
The UAE's national security adviser had visited Doha twice as part of Abu Dhabi's push to manage regional differences.
Bahrain and Qatar have yet to hold bilateral talks. Abu Dhabi, like Manama, has not appointed an envoy to Doha, but restored travel and trade links with Qatar.
This allowed the UAE to benefit from an influx of soccer fans under partnerships by Doha for daily shuttle flights with neighbouring cities for the World Cup.
Sheikh Mohammed is due to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog who landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday after visiting Bahrain, which along with the UAE forged ties with Israel in 2020. (Reuters)
December
Putin signs law expanding Russia's rules against 'LGBT propaganda'
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law expanding Russia's restrictions on the promotion of what it calls "LGBT propaganda", effectively outlawing any public expression of LGBT behaviour or lifestyle in Russia.
Under the new law, which widens Russia's interpretation of what qualifies as "LGBT propaganda", any action or the spreading of any information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in films, books or advertising, could incur a heavy fine.
The law expands Russia's previous law against LGBT propaganda that had banned the "demonstration" of LGBT behaviour to children.
It comes as the Kremlin exerts increased pressure on minority groups and opponents of Putin at home, quashing independent media groups and further stifling free speech as Moscow ramps up a decade-long campaign to promote what it says are "traditional" values.
Authorities have already used the existing law to stop gay pride marches and detain gay rights activists.
Rights groups say the new law is intended to drive so-called "non-traditional" LGBT lifestyles practised by lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people out of public life altogether. (reuters)
December
Taliban acting defence minister holds talks with UAE president
Written by Nur Yasmin
The acting defence minister of the Afghan Taliban has met the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, for talks in Abu Dhabi on strengthening relations, his ministry and UAE state media reported on Monday.
The acting defence minister, Mullah Yaqoob, is the son of the late supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omar, and the meeting with the UAE president is a rare encounter between a senior member of the group and a foreign head of state.
They discussed "strengthening relations, bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Afghanistan and other important issues", the Afghan defence ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The UAE state news agency WAM reported that the meeting took place on Sunday.
The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has not been formally recognised by any government since the Islamists swept to power last year as U.S.-led foreign forces withdrew after two decades of war.
The Taliban have for years run a political office in Qatar where top members of the group have often met foreign officials.
The UAE news agency released photographs of the talks that showed another senior Taliban figure, Anas Haqqani, was present at the talks.
The meeting with the UAE president comes after the Taliban, in September, signed a final contract for running Afghanistan's airports with the UAE company GAAC Holding, which had beat out rival bids from Qatar and Turkey.
The UAE is keen to counter Qatar's diplomatic influence in Afghanistan with the airport contract, diplomatic sources have told Reuters. (reuters)
December
Conditions for China to downgrade its management of COVID-19 maturing - state media
Written by Nur Yasmin
Conditions for China to downgrade its management of COVID-19 as a serious contagious disease improving as the coronavirus weakens, state media outlet Yicai reported, among the first to float the idea.
Since January 2020, China has classified COVID-19 as a Category B infectious disease but has managed it under Category A protocols, which give local authorities the power to put patients and their close contacts into quarantine and lock down affected regions.
Category A diseases in China include bubonic plague and cholera, while SARS, AIDS and anthrax fall under Category B. Category C diseases include influenza, leprosy and mumps.
Infectious diseases such as COVID-19 that have strong pathogenicity, a high fatality rate and strong infectivity are classified as Class A or Class B but managed as Class A.
But more than 95% of the cases in China are asymptomatic and mild, and the fatality rate is very low. Under such circumstances, adhering to Class A management is not in line with science, Yicai reported late on Sunday, citing an unnamed infectious disease expert.
COVID-19 could be downgraded to Category B management or even Category C, the expert told Yicai.
Any adjustment to the management of infectious diseases by the National Health Commission, China's top health authority, requires the approval of the State Council, or cabinet.
Vice Premier Sun Chunlan last week that China is facing "a new situation" as the pathogenicity of the Omicron virus weakens, becoming the first high-ranking government official to publicly acknowledge that the new coronavirus's ability to cause disease has diminished.
Since her pronouncement, many major cities have started to lift large-scale lockdowns, reduced regular PCR testing and end checks for negative PCR results at public spaces such as subway stations and outdoor parks. (reuters)
December
New Zealand announces review of its handling of COVID-19 pandemic
Written by Nur Yasmin
The New Zealand government said on Monday it would launch an inquiry into the country's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic so future governments could learn from the experience.
A Royal Commission, a public inquiry of the highest level in New Zealand, would look at the overall response, the government said in a statement. That would include considering economic measures, such as fiscal and monetary policy responses but without reviewing particular central bank decisions.
The aim would be identifying lessons that could be applied in a future pandemic.
"It had been over 100 years since we experienced a pandemic of this scale, so it's critical we compile what worked and what we can learn from it should it ever happen again," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.
A one-time poster child for tackling the coronavirus, New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation kept the country largely COVID-19 free until the end of 2021, winning Ardern strong domestic support.
But anger over vaccine mandates for people working in sectors such as health and education and strict border closures prompted protests earlier this year. The government's financial response is also now being blamed by some political opposition parties for contributing to three-decade high inflation.
The review will be concluded in mid-2024, the government said. (Reuters)