Month: July 2023

Myanmar Extends State of Emergency, Forcing Delay in Promised Election

Media Library

BANGKOK —  Myanmar’s military-controlled government has extended the state of emergency it imposed when the army seized power from an elected government over two years ago, state-run media said Monday, forcing a further delay in elections it promised when it took over. MRTV television said the National Defense and Security Council met Monday in the capital, Naypyitaw, and extended the state of emergency for another six months starting Tuesday because time is needed to prepare for the elections. The NDSC is nominally a constitutional government body, but in practice is…

China widens controls on drone exports

Media Library

Receive free Drones updates We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Drones news every morning. China has slapped export controls on a wide range of drones and drone components, a move with potential impact on the Ukraine war and on public security applications in many western countries. “The risk of some high-specification and high-performance commercial-use drones being converted to military use continues to rise,” the Chinese commerce ministry said on Monday. As a leading drone producer and “responsible great power”, China had decided to broaden…

China boosts its Project GW satellite rival to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink

Media Library

“For China to establish its own Starlink, the key is to master reusable rocket technologies,” he wrote. “The development of methane-fuelled rockets is also critical, a direction in which China just recently made important progress.” Starlink, founded by American billionaire Elon Musk, is a satellite network developed by the US aerospace company SpaceX to provide high-speed, low-cost internet services from space to any location on Earth. So far, the company has sent more than 4,500 satellites into orbit, most of which are operating about 550km (342 miles) above the Earth.…

The Bank of Japan’s timely tweak

Media Library

Receive free Japanese war on deflation updates We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Japanese war on deflation news every morning. Kazuo Ueda has passed his first big test as governor of the Bank of Japan. With last week’s cleverly designed tweak to yield curve control — as the BoJ’s cap on 10-year bond yields, in place since 2016, is known — he appears to have pulled off the delicate task of changing that policy without causing financial markets to fear an imminent rise in…

China’s economic planner wants people to buy more homes and furniture, but some just need a job

Media Library

Coming at a time when China’s post-Covid recovery has lost momentum, with falling exports and suppressed investment figures, the plan includes 20 measures targeting various sectors – from property and cars to dining – and it is in line with Beijing’s recent calls and directives at high-level meetings Advertisement Li Chunlin, deputy head of the NDRC, said at a press conference on Monday that offline spending saw a “fast recovery” in the first half of the year, citing a boom in domestic travel and the concert industry. However, “some residents…

Man rescued from car swept into river as Typhoon Doksuri hits China – video

Media Library

Two people are reported to have been killed by severe flooding that has engulfed parts of Beijing, as Typhoon Doksuri struck the Chinese capital. More than 31,000 people have been evacuated from the city. Heavy rain continued in Beijing, as well as Hebei, Tianjin and eastern Shanxi, as the typhoon dissipated over northern China The Guardian

Taiwan toughens penalties for sexual harassment after wave of #MeToo allegations

Media Library

Under the revised laws, immediate action – such as an investigation – must be taken by superiors, supervisors or managers of any organisation to handle harassment complaints made by colleagues and staff. Failure to do so will be subject to a fine of NT$20,000 to NT$1 million. Any organisation with a staff of 10 to 29 must set up a complaint system to deal with sexual harassment allegations, as was already required for those with more than 30 employees. Advertisement But complaints will not be accepted for cases dating back…

EU Leader Warns Europe Won’t Tolerate Aggression: ‘Not in Ukraine, Not in Indo-Pacific’ 

Media Library

Manila —  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Monday that Europe won’t tolerate aggression in Ukraine or the Indo-Pacific as she reaffirmed the EU’s recognition of a 2016 arbitration decision that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the disputed South China Sea. Von der Leyen spoke at a joint news conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after holding talks in Manila that aimed to bolster trade, economic and security relations. The leaders announced the 27-nation bloc would resume negotiations with the Philippines for a free-trade agreement that…

Chinese zoo denies its sun bears are humans dressed in costumes

Media Library

A zoo in eastern China has denied suggestions that some of its bears could be humans dressed in costumes, after video of one standing on its hind legs circulated online. In a statement published on Sunday from the perspective of Angela, a Malaysian sun bear, zookeepers at Hangzhou zoo said: “When it comes to bears, the first thing that comes to mind is a huge figure and amazing power … But not all bears are behemoths and danger personified. We Malayan bears are petite, the smallest bear in the world.”…

2 dead as Doksuri puts Beijing on red alert for floods

Media Library

Both districts reported landslides and flooding. Fengtai, Shijingshan, Haidian, Daxing and Huairou districts reported waterlogged roads, with services suspended on hundreds of bus services and several train routes throughout the city, according to state news agency Xinhua. Advertisement Three trains were stranded on their way into Beijing, according to media reports. The storm also forced Beijing Capital International Airport to cancel 40 flights.