Amid repeated air incursions close to Taiwan, and reports that China has tested hypersonic weapons, the world is paying closer attention to the modernisation of China’s armed forces and its pursuit of ever more sophisticated weaponry.Once hailed by the Communist Party as having defeated past adversaries with only “millet plus rifles”, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has now grown into the world’s largest fighting force, with more than two million active personnel.Under President Xi Jinping

Some 35 current and former leaders and more than 300 public officials are featured in the files from offshore companies, dubbed the Pandora Papers.They reveal the King of Jordan secretly amassed GBP70 million (US$94.8 million) of United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) property.They also show how ex-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife saved GBP312,000 (US$422,671) in stamp duty when they bought a London office.The couple bought an offshore firm that owned the building.The leak also l

A flashy cop with a taste for fast cars falls from grace following the leak of spine-chilling footage of a brutal interrogation gone wrong.Not the plot of a blockbuster thriller, but the vivid reality of a story that has gripped Thailand in recent weeks and spotlighted police corruption that experts say infects almost every level of society in the kingdom.The case of Thitisan Utthanaphon, a former police station chief in a rural province – nicknamed "Joe Ferrari" for his extravagant

Within the span of a generation, a new super-rich class emerges from a society in which millions of rural migrants toiled away in factories for a pittance. Bribery becomes the most common mode of influence in politics. Opportunists speculate recklessly in land and real estate. Financial risks simmer as local governments borrow to finance railways and other large infrastructure projects.

A two-year break from boxing has left Philippine legend Manny Pacquiao "hungry" to get back in the ring for what could be the last fight of his storied career – and a warm-up for a presidential rumble.The eight-division world champion and beloved national hero will have tens of millions of fans from the boxing-mad archipelago in his corner when he faces American Errol Spence in Las Vegas on 21 August. Pacquiao's comeback fight is a chance to prove his mettle at 42 – an

The global infrastructure plan announced by G7 leaders aims to offer developing nations a credible alternative to China's much-criticised Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – but it faces major hurdles on the ground, especially if Beijing's hiccups are any indication. United States (US) President Joe Biden was able to convince the G7 to sign onto the initiative, drawing allies into Washington's strategic rivalry with Beijing, under a plan titled, "Build Back Better Wo

It was reported in February 2020 that some 900,000 pangolins were trafficked globally with significant proportions linked to Southeast Asia, while over 200 tonnes of African Elephant ivory and 100,000 Pig-nosed Turtles were seized in recent years. Whereas China, a year prior, saw a record number of wildlife seizures.

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces fresh corruption charges from the ruling junta that her lawyer said Thursday were "groundless" but could ensure she would never be able to return to politics.The 1 February coup that toppled Suu Kyi's government has brought hundreds of thousands into the streets to confront the generals, who have responded with a brutal crackdown that has left at least 200 dead.The new military regime has already issued several crimin

The corruption trial of Malaysia's scandal-plagued former first lady will proceed after a judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to make a case, boosting efforts to bring her to justice. Rosmah Mansor will now present her defence in the next stage of the case, and told the Kuala Lumpur High Court she will take the stand to testify.Notorious for her overseas shopping trips and vast collection of handbags, she became a lightning rod for public ange

It’s been sagaciously said that the love of money lies at the root of all evil. Experience tells us that this is so, and therefore it could be also said that the vice of corruption or bribery as an element of the “original sin” of the love of money constitutes a root – as part of the wider root - of all evil. Corruption defined properly in broad terms and inclusively ranges from the simple giving of a bribe to misappropriating and embezzlement of public funds through the pro