Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on Sunday unveiled a major shake-up of its top leadership before an expected handover of power by 2020.
Internal elections by the party saw five heavyweights including Lee’s popular deputy Tharman Shanmugaratnam – once seen as a potential successor – and Teo Chee Hean – another deputy prime minister – step down from the PAP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC)….
Is Shinzo Abe offering Japan’s Samurai bonds as a foil against China’s debt diplomacy?
Chequebook diplomacy is gaining ground in Asia as China, Japan and the United States compete for economic and strategic influence in the region.
The latest case is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s offer of 200 billion yen (US$1.75 billion) in aid to help wean Malaysia off what has become its financial dependence on China.
Malaysia will use the aid, in the form of a loan, to replace some of its debt to China, whose lending to Malaysia and others for the Belt and Road Initiative has…
Sri Lankan student detained in Australia on terrorism charges attacks ‘biased’ police after being freed
A Sri Lankan student who was detained in an Australian “supermax” prison on terrorism charges that were later dropped has criticised the “embarrassing and biased” police investigation against him.
Mohamed Kamer Nilar Nizamdeen, 25, was arrested in August and charged with creating a document in connection with preparing for a terrorist act.
Police claimed a notebook found in a workspace sometimes used by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) PhD student laid out a…
Philippine news site Rappler has criticised President Rodrigo Duterte – it will now face tax evasion charges
Philippine prosecutors said on Friday they will file tax evasion charges against a news website that has clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte, a case the outlet branded as an “intimidation” effort.
Rappler, which denies the allegations, is one of few Philippine media outfits openly critical of Duterte’s leadership, in particular his deadly anti-narcotics crackdown.
The government accuses Rappler Holdings Corp, the site’s CEO Maria Ressa and its accountant of failing to…
What does the end of PFI and PF2 mean for the infrastructure pipeline?
ANALYSIS: The end of the private finance initiative (PFI) model raises questions over how the UK’s £600 billion infrastructure pipeline will be delivered.
FCA publishes final guidance on ‘Plevin’ PPI complaints
Firms could be required to re-contact consumers who made an unsuccessful complaint about payment protection insurance (PPI) and invite them to make a new complaint under new guidance by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Delhi imposes three-day ban on trucks as megacity chokes on toxic annual winter smog
Delhi authorities have imposed a three-day ban on trucks entering the world’s most polluted major city as its 20 million inhabitants wheezed in the toxic annual winter smog.
With levels of air pollution classed as “hazardous”, the restriction on the nearly 40,000 medium and heavy lorries that enter Delhi every day was imposed late on Thursday.
The transport ministry said that vehicles carrying food and other essentials were exempted, while appealing to private owners of diesel…
Case dropped against Myanmar journalists facing incitement charges for criticising Yangon regional government’s financial management
The incitement case against three Myanmar journalists who reported critically on the financial management of Yangon’s government has been withdrawn, according to their lawyer, in a rare piece of good news for the country’s beleaguered press.
Eleven Media’s executive editors Kyaw Zaw Lin and Nayi Min and chief reporter Phyo Wai Win were arrested in October but allowed out on bail after a few weeks in detention.
They were accused of incitement after an article raised questions…
Driverless cars: ‘digital highway code’ considered in UK review
A ‘digital highway code’ “may be desirable” and help ensure driverless cars operate within UK road traffic laws, according to the bodies commissioned to assess what legal reforms are necessary to account for the use of autonomous vehicles.
Thai sergeant with HIV arrested over accusations he raped dozens of mostly teenage boys
An HIV-infected Thai sergeant major has been arrested and charged with raping an estimated 75 mostly teenage boys after luring them to meet him in the northeast of the country.
The 43-year-old soldier in Khon Kaen province used a false profile on a gay dating app to invite the alleged victims – who ranged in age from 13 to 18 – to meet him, said Surachate Hakparn, deputy head of the technology crime task force.
We have clear evidence of this and he confessed
Surachate Hakparn, Royal Thai Police…