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MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed into law a bill on Tuesday that aims to develop the country’s defence industry to reduce its reliance on imported sources and create equipment tailored to its security challenges. “It’s a logical move forward for a country that finds itself at the fulcrum of geopolitical shifts and volatilities. At its core this act is about cultivating a robust and sustainable national defence industry,” Marcos said after […]
By Neil Jerome Morales and Mikhail Flores MANILA (Reuters) – Former Philippines mayor Alice Guo, accused of ties to Chinese criminal syndicates and money laundering, arrived in Manila on Friday on a chartered flight after being deported from Indonesia. Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, was arrested in the Indonesian city of Tangerang near the capital of Jakarta on Tuesday. Her case has gripped the Philippines at a time of growing suspicion […]
By Holmes CHAN and Xinqi SU HONG KONG, March 19, 2024 (AFP) – A fresh set of national security offences is coming into force in Hong Kong, after lawmakers unanimously approved a new law on Tuesday. The fast-tracked legislation — commonly referred to as Article 23, after a section of the city’s mini-constitution — is the Chinese finance hub’s second national security law. The first, imposed by Beijing in 2020 following the quashing of citywide […]
HONG KONG, March 19, 2024 (AFP) – Hong Kong legislators unanimously passed a new national security law on Tuesday, introducing penalties such as life imprisonment for crimes related to treason and insurrection, and up to 20 years’ jail for the theft of state secrets. The law, which the United States, Britain and the European Union have warned could further curtail freedoms in Hong Kong, was fast-tracked through the legislative process. “Today is a historic moment […]
By Xinqi SU and Holmes CHAN HONG KONG, March 8, 2024 (AFP) – As Hong Kong fast-tracks a new national security law, the legislation and questions about its implementation have raised fears among the business community. The draft bill, introduced at the city’s legislature on Friday, includes major offences such as treason and insurrection, which could be punished with life imprisonment. The government has said it intends to pass the bill as soon as possible […]
BEIJING, March 8, 2024 (AFP) – China will adopt wide-ranging security laws in 2024 to “resolutely safeguard” its sovereignty, a top lawmaker vowed at a key legislative meeting Friday, as President Xi Jinping’s government seeks to eliminate perceived threats to its rule. The “Two Sessions” — parallel meetings of China’s rubber-stamp parliament and political consultative body — offer a rare glimpse into the strategy of the Communist Party-led government for the year ahead. Top legislator […]
HONG KONG, March 8, 2024 (AFP) – Hong Kong on Friday unveiled a new national security law draft bill that includes life sentences for offences such as treason and insurrection. The homegrown bill is set to become the city’s second national security law following the one Beijing imposed in 2020 after quashing huge and sometimes violent democracy protests. The “Safeguarding National Security Bill”, formally introduced Friday morning, lists five new categories of offences — treason, […]
BRUSSELS, Dec 18, 2023 (AFP) – The EU on Monday announced “formal infringement proceedings” against Elon Musk’s X platform under a law cracking down on illegal online content, after identifying disinformation related to Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel. The action against the company formerly known as Twitter is the first against a major online platform since Brussels implemented the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping piece of European Union legislation that strengthens online companies’ […]
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 1, 2023 (AFP) – A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a ban on TikTok set to come into effect next year in Montana, saying the popular video sharing app was likely to win its pending legal challenge. US District Court Judge Donald Molloy placed the injunction on the ban until the case, originally filed by TikTok in May, has been ruled on its merits. Molloy deemed it likely TikTok and its […]
HONG KONG, Oct 30, 2023 (AFP) – Four former student leaders of a Hong Kong university were jailed for two years Monday for inciting others to wound police after they “glorified” a knife attack on an officer, said a judge. On July 1, 2021, a man stabbed and wounded a police officer in a busy shopping district before taking his own life in what authorities called an act of “domestic terrorism”. Several days later, […]
HANOI, Sept 23, 2023 (AFP) – Vietnam has executed long-time death row prisoner Le Van Manh, a lawyer confirmed Saturday, despite international pleas to spare his life. In 2005 Manh was charged with robbery, as well as the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in the northern Thanh Hoa province. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said police obtained a confession through torture that was relied upon to convict him. Manh later retracted […]
BEIJING, June 29, 2023 (AFP) – China’s top diplomat said Thursday a new foreign relations law would help counter “bullying” from abroad after Beijing approved legislation it said would enhance its powers to counter sanctions. The United States has imposed sanctions on a lengthy list of Chinese companies and individuals, accusing them of complicity in human rights abuses that Beijing has strenuously denied. The sanctions — particularly those restricting access to critical technology needed for […]
