1 week ago EU ministers court Trump on joint China policy, even as public scepticism grows

As they look to keep the United States engaged in Ukraine and push for lower trade tariffs, EU ministers lobbied their US counterparts for joint policies on China on Monday – even as new public opinion polling shows a waning appetite for such a partnership. The China carrot was dangled by successive ministers ahead of and after a meeting of the bloc’s trade council in Brussels, which was attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is despite...

Politics

2 w. ago Indonesian a thorn in the side for Malaysia’s durian national fruit bid

The durian, the king of fruits, is synonymous with Malaysia, right? While every Malaysian will agree, the Indonesians are saying no. They insist that they have a stronger claim to the durian, creating a thorny issue in Malaysia’s bid to make it the country’s national fruit. On Monday, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, known as Zulhas, disagreed with Malaysia’s proposal, citing Indonesia’s larger production as justification. “Indonesia produced almost 2 million tonnes of...

Politics

2 w. ago Indonesia a thorn in the side for Malaysia’s durian national fruit bid

The durian, the king of fruits, is synonymous with Malaysia, right? While every Malaysian will agree, the Indonesians are saying no. They insist that they have a stronger claim to the durian, creating a thorny issue in Malaysia’s bid to make it the country’s national fruit. On Monday, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, known as Zulhas, disagreed with Malaysia’s proposal, citing Indonesia’s larger production as justification. “Indonesia produced almost 2 million tonnes of...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Durian’s Indonesia’s national fruit’: Malaysia, Jakarta clash over delicacy

The durian, the king of fruits, is synonymous with Malaysia, right? While every Malaysian will agree, the Indonesians are saying no. They insist that they have a stronger claim to the durian, creating a thorny issue in Malaysia’s bid to make it the country’s national fruit. On Monday, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, known as Zulhas, disagreed with Malaysia’s proposal, citing Indonesia’s larger production as justification. “Indonesia produced almost 2 million tonnes of...

Politics

2 w. ago How China’s appetite for the ‘king of fruits’ is changing Southeast Asia

How China’s appetite for the ‘king of fruits’ is changing Southeast Asia  Al Jazeera

Politics

3 w. ago China has ‘voracious appetite’ for spying after string of US base breaches, GOP Rep warns

China has ‘voracious appetite’ for spying after string of US base breaches, GOP Rep warns  Fox Business

Events

4 w. ago Thailand rolls out US$300 fines for daytime drinkers in change to alcohol laws

People in Thailand wanting to quench their thirst with an afternoon tipple risk steep fines from Saturday under amended alcohol control legislation that strengthens enforcement and significantly tightens restrictions around marketing and advertising. Alcohol sales in Thailand have been banned between the hours of 2pm and 5pm at most retail outlets and supermarkets since 1972, but changes to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act that take effect on Saturday now mean individuals can be fined 10,000...

Politics

4 w. ago China signals soybean demand to spark ‘many deals’ with US – if prices are right

After China and the US reached an agreement on soybeans, Beijing has signalled its intent to seek favourable terms, with the scale of future imports dependent on the competitiveness of American crops, a commerce official said. “With the adjusted tariffs, China will encourage companies to import agricultural products from the US in line with market principles,” said Chen Chao, director general of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, in a speech at the China...

Economics