Myanmar’s army chief has urged the country to unite over the “issue” of the Rohingya, a Muslim group he says has no roots in the country, and which his troops are accused of systematically purging.
The military says its “clearance operations” in northern Rakhine state are aimed at taking out Rohingya militants who attacked police posts on August 25.
But the violence has engulfed the border region and triggered an exodus of more than 400,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh,…
Seven boys arrested after deadly Malaysia school fire could face murder charges
Malaysian police have arrested seven people aged 11 to 18 in connection with a recent fire at a religious school that killed 23 people.
The suspects were being investigated on suspicion of “mischief by fire” and murder over Thursday’s fire at the school, Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah, in Kampung Datuk Keramat on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur police chief Amar Singh said.
He said the group planned to set fire to the school following conflict with…
Shinkansen: India and Japan’s silver bullet for a rising China
The inauguration this week of India’s first high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Ahmadabad, using Japanese technology and financing, has a geostrategic significance that transcends its economic worth. It amplifies the growing closeness between India and Japan at a time when both nations are struggling to find their footing in an Asia being re-fashioned by an ascendant China.
New Delhi and Tokyo have long-standing territorial disputes with China. Both are concerned about Beijing…
‘Follow the money’: to combat wildlife trafficking and catch the kingpins, authorities take new approach
In most cases, the conviction of a Thai man trafficking rhino horns through a bizarre scheme that involved hiring prostitutes to pose as trophy hunters would have marked the end of the story.
But investigators took an unusual, next step – deciding to “follow the money” that helped bankroll the South African operation, and ultimately winning a court order last year to seize Chumlong Lemtongthai’s Thai bank accounts and other assets, including a house worth US$142,000, to…
UK government confirms funding for new National Innovation Centre for Data
A new facility designed to boost skills in data science is to be set up in Newcastle, the UK government has announced.
A collective redundancy does not always allow the dismissal of a pregnant worker, says CJEU adviser
Pregnant workers can only be dismissed during a collective redundancy in exceptional cases that are not connected to the pregnancy, and where there is no plausible chance of moving the worker to another role, according to advocate general Eleanor Sharpston of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
European parliament and states agree to extend EFSI
The European Parliament and member states have agreed to extend the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) to 2020 and increase its financial targets.
Philippine president Duterte may declare nationwide martial law next week, defence chief says
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may declare nationwide martial law next week if threatened massive protests by communists and other leftists against his rule turn violent or disrupt the country, his defence chief said Friday.
“He said, if the left will try to have a massive protest, start fires on the streets, they will disrupt the country, then I might (declare martial law),” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters.
More to follow …
Trump says he will visit China, Japan and South Korea in November
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he intends to visit China, Japan and South Korea later this year, a blockbuster maiden presidential visit to Asia.
Trump said aboard Air Force One that a US delegation would likely make the trip in November, adding that he will “possibly” go to the Apec summit in Vietnam at the same time.
The announcement sets the stage for a wildly ambitious first visit to a region that is vital to US economic and security interests.
The visit is…
Anchor defendants: limits on their use as a way of getting around jurisdictional rules
ANALYSIS: Recent comments by judges in the Court of Appeal may have cast doubt on the use of ‘anchor defendants’ as a means of establishing jurisdiction where the case against that party is in reality weak or hopeless.