China pledges new push against ‘hostile forces’ and separatists

Beijing / AP China’s chief prosecutor said on Sunday that battling “infiltration, subversion and sabotage by hostile forces” is a key priority this year, with terrorists, ethnic separatists and religious extremists all in his crosshairs. In a speech to the annual session of China’s national legislature, Cao Jianmin also listed combatting cybercrime and ensuring national sovereignty in cyberspace as items ...

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Trump pins rally chaos on Sanders’ supporters

Bloomberg A day after violent protests prompted Donald Trump to cancel a rally, the Republican presidential front-runner blamed the activist group MoveOn.Org and supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders for the chaos, while defending his own “harassed” supporters. “When they have organized, professionally staged wise-guys—we’ve got to fight back. We’ve got to fight back,” Trump said at an event in Dayton, ...

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MH370 family sues Malaysia Airlines in Australia

Sydney / AFP The family of MH370 passenger New Zealander Paul Weeks is suing Malaysia Airlines in an Australian court for the “sudden shock” and “mental harm” they suffered after the plane vanished, a report said on Sunday. Weeks, who was based in the West Australian city of Perth, was one of 239 people on board the Boeing 777 Kuala ...

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North Korea slams Seoul’s cyber attack accusations

Seoul / AFP North Korea on Sunday blasted Seoul’s accusation that Pyongyang had launched a series of cyber attacks targeting South Korean government officials, calling the allegation a “bullshit” fabrication. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) last week accused North Korean agents of hacking into the smartphones of dozens of key South Korean officials, stealing phone numbers and texts. The accusation ...

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Merkel’s party faces backlash in state polls

Seoul / AFP Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party braced for a backlash in key state polls on Sunday over the German leader’s liberal refugee policy, while the right-wing populist AfD prepared to scoop up the protest vote from angry voters. More than 12 million voters headed to the ballot box to elect three new regional parliaments for the southwestern states of ...

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Obama said to winnow Supreme Court nominees to three finalists

Bloomberg President Barack Obama has narrowed to three finalists a list of potential US Supreme Court nominees to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, all of them federal appeals judges, according to a person familiar with the matter. The candidates are Merrick Garland, Sri Srinivasan and Paul Watford, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the details ...

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The biggest surprise about Syria diplomacy

The head of the Syrian opposition said he’s going to Geneva for the next round of U.S.-Russian-sponsored peace talks (being held today), even though the opposition rejects any future role for President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime will be the other party in the talks. The Syria diplomacy might be described as “the art of the impossible,” borrowing the title of ...

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Graft-tainted Lula faces challenge to come clean

The corruption probe that former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is facing, seems more politically-motivated. Though, he has to come clean. He was detained briefly for questioning over a massive embezzlement and bribery conspiracy revolving around state oil giant Petrobras. It is not yet clear whether reports that Lula has hinted the possibility of running for the presidency ...

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India opens up to Japan aid in Andamans

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal, northwest of the pivotal maritime choke point at the Strait of Malacca, are an immensely valuable geopolitical asset for India, particularly as it looks to ‘Act East’ and play an increasingly more visible role in the eastern Indian Ocean and beyond. The islands host an Indian tri-service command, the ...

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What’s behind China’s offer of military aid to Afghanistan?

China has offered to expand its military aid to Afghanistan, the Wall Street Journal reports, following a visit to the country by a top Chinese general. Outlook Afghanistan put the total value of the proffered military aid at 480 renminibi ($73 million). The offer came during a visit to Afghanistan by General Fang Fenghui, chief of China’s joint staff department, ...

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