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Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US says Taiwan's president's transit would be routine
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te is expected to visit Paraguay, likely transiting through US territory. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : The US said Thursday that there would be no change in its Taiwan policy if the self-ruled island's president transits through US soil, as China issued a warning. Paraguay, one of a dwindling number of countries to recognise Taipei rather than Beijing, announced Monday that Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te would visit in August, likely meaning he would need to fly through US territory. State department spokesman Tammy Bruce did not confirm Lai would transit but played down any political implications. 'Transits of the US by high-level Taiwan officials, including presidents, are in line with past practice and fully consistent with our long-standing policy,' she told reporters. 'Such transits are undertaken with consideration for the safety, comfort, convenience and dignity of the passenger,' she said. China's foreign ministry warned both Paraguay and the US about Lai's travel. 'We oppose any visit to the US by leaders of the Taiwan authorities under whatever reason or pretext,' the foreign ministry said in a statement on X. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, as its territory and has threatened to annex it by force. The US only recognises Beijing but sells weapons to Taiwan. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, a long-time critic of Beijing, met last week in Malaysia with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in what he called 'very constructive and productive' talks. Rubio said after the meeting that 'obviously we understand their viewpoints on Taiwan', but that there was no discussion about potential transit by Lai.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Taiwan says it will not provoke confrontation with China
Taiwanese vice-president Hsiao Bi-khim said China's military posturing is counter-productive. (EPA Images pic) TAIPEI : Taiwan does not seek conflict with China and will not provoke confrontation, but Beijing's 'aggressive' military posturing was counter-productive, vice-president Hsiao Bi-khim said today. China considers democratic Taiwan as part of its own territory and calls president Lai Ching-te a 'separatist'. Taiwan's government disputes China's claim. Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club in the capital Taipei, Hsiao said that Chinese pressure on Taiwan had only escalated over the past few years but that the island's people were peace-loving. 'We do not seek conflict; we will not provoke confrontation,' she said, reiterating Lai's offer of talks between Taipei and Beijing. For decades, Taiwan's people and business have contributed to China's growth and prosperity, which has only been possible under a peaceful and stable environment, Hsiao added. 'Aggressive military posturing is counter-productive and deprives the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait of opportunities to pursue an agenda of growth and prosperity,' she said. 'Defending the status quo (with China) is our choice, not because it is easy, but because it is responsible and consistent with the interests of our entire region.' Taiwan, a major semiconductor producer, is facing another international challenge at the moment – tariff talks with the US. Taiwan remains in negotiations with Washington, following US President Donald Trump's April announcement that the island would be subject to a 32% tariff, which was subsequently suspended to facilitate talks. 'With the US, our negotiators are literally working around the clock to strive to reach an agreement on reciprocal tariffs to achieve trade balance while also promoting further bilateral cooperation in technology, investments and other areas,' Hsiao said.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
LA28 unveils Olympic competition schedule, marks PlayLA milestone
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is ready to serve as the official venue for the closing ceremony of the 2028 Olympic Games. (EPA Images pic) LOS ANGELES : Organisers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics on Monday released the first look at the Olympic competition schedule, highlighting a historic reshuffling of key events and the most ambitious sports lineup in Games history. The announcement comes as the city marks three years to go until the Opening Ceremony and celebrates a major legacy milestone: more than one million enrolments in the PlayLA youth sports programme. For the first time in nearly three decades, the Summer Olympics will return to the US, with Los Angeles hosting for the third time after 1932 and 1984. The 2028 Games are set to feature 844 ticketed events designed to maximise both domestic and international viewership. Organisers revealed that the Opening Ceremony will take place on July 14, 2028, at 8.00pm ET (5.00pm PT), split between the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for July 30 at the Coliseum. In a notable departure from tradition, the LA28 schedule swaps the usual order of athletics and swimming competitions. Track and field events will open the Games in the first week, with swimming moving to the second week, culminating in its finale on the penultimate day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The first Olympic champion of LA28 will be crowned at Venice Beach in the triathlon event, while the marathon will close out athletics on the final weekend. Day 15 is expected to be the busiest for medal events, with 16 team sport finals and 19 individual sport finals taking place. 'The Olympic competition schedule has been meticulously developed to ensure the world's best athletes can compete in LA,' LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement. 'We are energised by today's milestones and remain focused on the work ahead as the Road to 2028 continues.' Organisers said the schedule will continue to be refined, with a more detailed breakdown to be released later this year. 'When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighbourhood as we host a Games for all and work to ensure it leaves a monumental legacy,' LA mayor Karen Bass said. Meanwhile, Hoover joined city officials on Monday at an event at the Coliseum to celebrate PlayLA surpassing one million programme enrolments. The initiative, backed by up to US$160 million in investment from LA28, the city's recreation and parks department, and the IOC, provides affordable and inclusive sports programming for children aged 3-17 across more than 40 Olympic and adaptive sports.
Daily Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Thailand's parliament starts debates on sensitive political amnesty bills
Published on: Wednesday, July 09, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 09, 2025 Text Size: More than 5,000 people have been charged with offences relating to political rallies since 2006. (EPA Images pic) BANGKOK: Thailand's parliament met today to begin deliberations on draft bills seeking amnesty for thousands of people charged with crimes relating to mass demonstrations and rallies over the two decades of political turmoil. Five draft bills submitted to parliament by four political parties and civil society groups would cover all political demonstration-related cases since 2005, a period of intermittent turbulence that saw two coups, the removal of three prime ministers by court orders and sometimes violent street protests. The ruling Pheu Thai party-led government, which is hanging on to power with a slim parliamentary majority following the suspension of prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty by a court order last week, picked political amnesty as its first legislative agenda as the house reconvenes after a break. A previous bid for political amnesty by the Pheu Thai party in 2013 backfired, triggering protests and, later, a coup. 'People in this country have been in conflict for 20 years, this must come to an end,' Pheu Thai lawmaker and government whip Wisut Chainarun told Reuters. All the draft bills propose to create a committee to determine the scope of political cases eligible for amnesty. More than 5,000 people have been charged with offences relating to political rallies and expression since 2006, including 281 people charged with royal insult, according to legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Thailand has one of the world's harshest royal insult laws, setting jail terms of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening the monarchy. The kingdom's government is willing to approve amnesty for political cases but not for those involving corruption and insulting the country's monarchy, Wisut said. The main opposition People's Party, which has submitted one of the draft bills, does not specify offences eligible for amnesty but stipulates that those involved in insurrection, murder or abuse of power in security crackdowns would not be eligible. If one of the draft bills passes the first reading in parliament today, a committee will be formed ahead of a second and third readings in the lower house and the senate, before it is sent to the king for endorsement. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Express
5 missing after house buried in landslide as rain lashes China
Published on: Wednesday, July 09, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 09, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: Six people were killed and more than 80,000 evacuated due to floods in Guizhou last month. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING: Five people are missing after a house was buried in a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in southwest China today, authorities and state media said. The landslide in Xuyong county in Sichuan province occurred after more than 150mm of rain fell in just three hours overnight, the local government said in a statement. A rescue operation has been launched. China has endured a summer of extreme weather, with downpours battering much of the south for weeks. The most recent deluge forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents in Sichuan's Yibin city and 556 in nearby Chongqing, state media said today. Typhoon Danas also made landfall in China's east last night, lashing Zhejiang province with rain and high winds. Some areas of Zhejiang recorded 260mm of rainfall in just 24 hours as Danas approached. China's national meteorological centre predicted the storm could bring winds of up to 117kph. Authorities suspended local rail services and warned that the heavy rainfall could bring flooding and more landslides. Danas is expected to weaken as it heads west but could still bring flooding risks to already sodden inland regions. Six people were killed and more than 80,000 evacuated due to floods in southern Guizhou province in June, according to state media. A landslide on a highway in Sichuan province last week also killed three people after it swept several cars down a mountainside. Another two people were killed in flooding in central Henan province this month. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
