China insists Taiwan not sovereign nation, warns Trump at Beijing summit

China insists Taiwan not sovereign nation, warns Trump at Beijing summit

May 15, 2026 Markup 0

China, yesterday, reaffirmed its commitment to the One-China principle, insisting that Taiwan is not a sovereign nation but an inseparable part of Chinese territory.

President Xi Jinping warned his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, that missteps concerning Taiwan could push them into “conflict”, a stark opening salvo as the two leaders meet in Beijing for a summit.

First ships cross Hormuz after Iran-US ceasefire

First ships cross Hormuz after Iran-US ceasefire

April 8, 2026 Markup 0

Two commercial vessels have become the first to transit the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s agreement to reopen the route as part of a two-week ceasefire with the United States, according to maritime tracking service MarineTraffic.

Data cited by AFP from MarineTraffic showed that the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach passed through the strait at 06:59 UTC after departing Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC. It was followed by the Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth, which crossed at 08:44 UTC

Singapore to introduce mandatory caning for scammers

Singapore to introduce mandatory caning for scammers

November 6, 2025 Markup 0

Singapore is planning to introduce caning as a punishment for scammers.

During the bill’s second reading on Tuesday, Sim Ann, senior minister of state for home and foreign affairs, said the country lost more than $2.8 billion to scams from 2020 to the first half of 2025.

She added that around 190,000 cases of scamming had been reported during the period.

“We will introduce mandatory caning for scammers. Offenders who commit scams, defined as cheating mainly by means of remote communication, will be punished with at least six strokes of the cane,” she said.