Sunday, October 9th, 2022
Taiwan president to pledge to bolster combat power as China tensions rise
TAIPEI – Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will pledge to bolster the island’s combat power and determination to improve its defences in a major speech on Monday, at a time when tensions with China have risen dramatically. Democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has come under increasing military and political pressure from Beijing, especially after Chinese war games in early August following a Taipei visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to an outline of her national day speech on Monday, as described to Reuters by aRead More
Scotland’s Sturgeon: confident independence vote can happen next year
Edinburgh: Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is confident a second referendum on Scottish independence could take place in October next year, she said on Sunday. Britain’s top court on Tuesday begins hearing arguments for allowing a secession vote without approval from British Prime Minister Liz Truss and her government. In a 2014 plebiscite, which the British government approved, Scots rejected independence by 55%-45%. However, the Scottish National Party argues the vote for Britain to leave the European Union two years later was a game changer. Sturgeon argues that as voters backed pro-independence parties in electionsRead More
Chinese ambassador thanks Musk for proposal on Taiwan
China’s ambassador to the United States has thanked billionaire Elon Musk for proposing a special administration zone for Taiwan but stressed Beijing’s call for “peaceful reunification and ‘one country, two systems’” for the island. Days after floating a possible deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that drew condemnation in Ukraine, Musk suggested that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by handing over some control of Taiwan to Beijing. “My recommendation . . . would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won’t make everyone happy,” Musk told the Financial TimesRead More
Protests grip Iran as rights group says 19 children killed
DUBAI: Protests ignited by the death of a young woman in police custody continued across Iran on Sunday in defiance of a crackdown by the authorities, as a human rights group said at least 185 people, including children, had been killed in demonstrations. Anti-government protests that began on September 17 at the funeral of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in her Kurdish town of Saqez, have turned into the biggest challenge to Iran’s clerical leaders in years, with protesters calling for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “At least 185Read More
Nawaz Sharif should share details of ‘NRO 2022’: Fawad Chaudhry
ISLAMABAD: Former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry Sunday urged PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to share the details of “NRO 2022” allegedly given to his party. “Nawaz Sharif should disclose the details of the deal under which he is trying to come back to Pakistan,” Fawad said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. The PTI leader pointed out that the former prime minister never addressed the nation directly as “he has not yet gained confidence” to do that. Accusing the coalition government of making a “mockery of ourRead More
Pak rejects India’s ‘unwarranted remarks’ on joint press stakeout of Pakistan, Germany
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday rejected the “unwarranted remarks” issued by the official spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the recent joint press stakeout of the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Germany, during the official visit of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to Berlin. Highlighting the centrality of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, both the foreign ministers agreed that there was a role and responsibility of the international community as well as a need for intensified efforts from the United Nations, with regard to a peaceful and just resolutionRead More