South Africa asks Taiwan to move office out of country’s capital
South Africa has told Taiwan to move its de facto embassy out of the country’s capital, in the latest indication of China’s growing influence in the Global South.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had been ordered to relocate the embassy from Pretoria to Johannesburg by the end of the month.
South Africa and China strengthened relations when president Xi Jinping travelled to the African nation for the BRICS summit last August. Then when South African president Cyril Ramaphosa visited Beijing this year for the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, he reiterated his country’s adherence to the One China principle.
The principle, a cornerstone of Beijing’s diplomatic relations, affirms that there is only one sovereign country named China and that Taiwan is a part of it. Any country that accepts the principle cannot have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Four months after Mr Xi’s visit, South Africa first asked Taiwan to move out its embassy, a Taiwanese official told Bloomberg. They claimed Chinese diplomats had been pressuring South Africa to get Taipei to move the embassy.
Taiwan’s foreign minister Lim Chia-lung was working on countermeasures for South Africa’s representative office in Taipei, CNA news agency reported. He could ask South Africa to relocate their office from Taipei and even impose stricter visa rules for South African travellers and suspend bilateral educational exchanges.
Taipei could instead give priority to the Kingdom of Eswatini, its only diplomatic ally in Africa, for the hiring of teachers.
Taiwan has accused Beijing of using its growing economic heft to poach away its diplomatic allies, pressuring nations to sever or downgrade relations with Taipei in favour of China, which regards the island as its sovereign territory.
Taipei sees such moves as part of an aggressive strategy by China to undermine the island’s sovereignty and further diminish its presence on the global stage.
Taiwan has just 12 formal diplomatic allies after the Pacific island of Nauru recognised China earlier this year. Taipei has lost 10 diplomatic allies during the last eight years.
South Africa severed formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1998.
In 2017, Nigeria instructed Taiwan to relocate its mission out of the capital, cut its staff and remove “Republic of China” from its name, allegedly under pressure from Beijing. China subsequently hailed Nigeria for supporting the One China principle.
Taiwan responded by forcing Nigeria to move its representative office outside Taipei and summoned the African country’s acting trade director twice to express its concern that the move harmed Taiwan’s interests.
In a diplomatic boost, Taiwan opened its third office in India this week, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Mumbai. China lodged a diplomatic protest with India in response saying it “strongly opposes all forms of official contact and interaction between Taiwan and India”.
Killing of much-loved stray dog sparks nationwide backlash in Malaysia
The killing of a beloved stray dog, who went viral on social media due to an adorable video with a cat, has triggered outrage in Malaysia and prompted animal rights groups to seek legal action against local authorities.
Kopi, which is Malay for coffee, was shot dead on 6 October in the Besut district of northern Terengganu state during a culling operation.
People in Terengganu said they heard “loud gunshots” and found the dog lying on her side covered in blood and writhing in pain, according to the Instagram account My Forever Doggo.
The incident triggered outrage from animal rights groups and Malaysians and they demanded an investigation into the killing, arguing that the dog was not a stray and cared for.
Kopi went viral on TikTok in March after a local resident shared a video of her playing with a kitten. “I have been crying since I heard that Kopi had been shot,” said Abby Razali, 27, who uploaded Kopi’s video and cared for her.
“I have been feeding her daily from the time she was a puppy. Everyone loved the video and I received many positive comments,” she told The Star.
Kopi was a big sister for all the cats and puppies in the area, according to the Instagram account. “She was known for her gentle nature and was completely harmless to anyone,” it said.
Since the dog’s killing, Malaysians on social media have been expressing shock and seeking legal action against local authorities using the hashtag #JusticeforKopi.
This week, animal rights activists and independent rescuers gathered outside the Sentul police station holding posters and raising slogans against the killing.
Several rights groups will collectively submit a memorandum to the Department of Veterinary Services on Friday seeking justice for the canine. The memorandum “advocates for ethical and humane treatment of stray animals across Malaysia”.
A man who sat with Kopi until her last breath said he ran out of his house after hearing loud explosions at about 1.30am local time.
“When I was outside my house, I saw a group of men walking past Kopi while she was lying on the road whimpering,” the man who did not want to be named told The Star.
“There was a lot of blood around her but she was still breathing.”
The man said he went emotionally and mentally blank for a while and only realised Kopi was dead the next day. “I started crying.”
Stray Animal Feeders of Malaysia told MalayMail that Kopi was not a stray dog as she was cared for by a regular feeder. The group argued that the Animal Welfare Act 2015 recognised anyone who provides regular care and sustenance to an animal as its owner.
“This tragedy has caused deep sorrow for those who cared for and loved Kopi and the dog was never reported to pose a danger to anyone or disturb the local community,” the group said.
“Kopi was known to be a gentle animal, friendly with both humans and other animals like cats. Therefore, we ask, what justification is there for the decision to shoot Kopi?”
Besut district council president Mohd Sukeri Ibrahim said the law allowed for the use of firearms in specific cases to manage or remove dangerous wild animals, Bernama reported.
“The regulation allows for any licensed or unlicensed dog, whose owner cannot be found, to be removed or handled as instructed by the council president or an authorised officer,” he said.
He added that his team was prevented from attempting to retrieve Kopi’s body “by certain individuals”.
About 25 personnel from the district council, the district veterinary office and the Kota Putera state office conducted a joint operation to address the problem of stray dogs, according to local reports.
It was launched in response to complaints about a pack of stray dogs being aggressive toward pedestrians, the district council president said.
England sent in a spin as Pakistan win by 152 runs to level series
England were ruthlessly demolished by Pakistan spinner Noman Ali as they crashed to a 152-run defeat in Multan, with Ben Stokes’ slapstick dismissal summing up their struggles.
Chasing a vast target of 297 on a raging turner, England were bundled out for 144 with their skipper stumped after advancing down the re-used pitch and accidentally launching his bat 20 yards in the air.
It was a grimly humorous moment, Mohammad Rizwan whipping off the bails as Stokes turned to see his GM blade disappearing towards square leg, and capped a chastening conclusion as the hosts levelled the series 1-1.
In the process, Pakistan ended their six-game losing streak, recorded their first win on home soil since February 2021 and set up a decider in Rawalpindi next week.
England had harboured hopes of producing one of their trademark turnarounds but were unable to contain Noman, who claimed stunning figures of eight for 46 as he and Sajid Khan completed the rare feat of sharing all 20 wickets in a match.
Only six other duos have ever done that in Test cricket, with Australians Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie the last to do so at Lord’s in 1972. The last spinners to do so were England’s Jim Laker and Tony Lock in 1956.
PA
Tourists criticised after performing stunts on sacred Japanese shrine
Two tourists have been accused of disrespecting Japanese culture after filming gymnastics moves at a sacred shrine in Hokkaido.
The sisters from Chile shared a video to the account ‘mmgymsisters’ of Maria del Mar Perez Banus performing pull-ups on the red bars of a torii gate in Sapporo, Hokkaido, to the music of the Cha Cha Slide.
Another clip showed one of the tourists, who reside in the US, holding a handstand at the shrine entrance.
Torii gates are traditionally found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine to mark the transition to the sacred spot.
The clip has since been deleted from the pair’s joint Instagram account but has amassed over 33.6 million views after being shared on X/Twitter.
More than 3,000 comments criticised the tourists, calling the pair “vulgar and uneducated”, “disrespectful” and “attention seeking”.
An apology video posted by the former gymnasts on Tuesday (15 October) to their 140,000 followers was captioned: “I want to apologize for my actions in Japan. I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m really sorry for what I did without thinking. Please no messages or comments. Thank you.”
Several locals praised Perez’s “courage” for apologising for the shrine stunt.
One Japanese social media user commented: “We welcome travellers who respect Japanese culture and abide by the rules. Thank you for understanding your mistake.
“However, it is said that the god of Inari Shrine is really troublesome if you make him angry, so if possible, we recommend that you go to the shrine to apologize.”
Article 188 of the Japanese Penal Code states that a person who desecrates a place of worship in public can be punished with up to six months in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 yen (£514).
According to local reports, Japanese police are not investigating the incident.
It’s not the first time Japan has encountered bad behaviour from tourists.
In July, the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko started constructing a large black screen on a stretch of a sidewalk to block the view of Mount Fuji after tourists were seen littering, crossing the road with busy traffic, ignoring traffic lights and trespassing on private properties.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
Former Indian spy charged in plot to assassinate US citizen in NY
The US has criminally charged a former Indian intelligence officer accused of directing a foiled assassination plot against a Sikh separatist leader in New York City last year, escalating efforts to hold the Indian government accountable for an alleged act of violence on US soil.
Vikash Yadav — a former officer in India’s foreign intelligence service who was named by named by federal prosecutors for the first time in Thursday’s superseding indictment — is charged with money laundering, conspiracy and leading a murder-for-hire scheme.
His alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, was previously charged and extradited to the US. He remains in a Brooklyn jail and has pleaded not guilty. Yadav — described by law enforcement officials as the “mastermind” of the scheme — remains at large.
“The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Thursday.
Yadav and Gupta are accused of plotting the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen who founded Sikhs for Justice, which advocates for the creation of the independent Sikh state of Khalistan. The organization is banned in India, where he is also considered a “terrorist.”
In May 2023, Yadav allegedly recruited Gupta to orchestrate the killing, and at Yadav’s direction, he contacted an associate revealed to be a confidential source for the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the indictment.
Gupta was introduced to a purported “hitman” who was in fact an undercover officer.
Yadav provided Gupta with Pannun’s address, phone number and other personal information, and Gupta urged the “hitman” to carry out the killing as soon as possible but avoid timing the killing during high-level meetings between US and Indian officials, according to prosecutors.
Days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, masked gunmen killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. The following day, Gupta allegedly told the hitman that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.”
He said there was “no need to wait” to kill Pannun, according to the indictment. “It’s a priority now,” he wrote on June 20.
The latest indictment is a “grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States,” according to a statement from Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The Justice Department’s most-direct public confrontation with New Delhi over the foiled assassination attempt comes on the heels of Canada publicly alleging India’s broader campaign of violence against Indian dissidents, including allegations that the killing of a Sikh separatist was directed by government officials.
There have not been any publicly identified direct links between the threat against Pannum and the murder in Canada, though parallels in the cases have drawn concerns from officials that India has launched a wider global effort to quash dissent.
Yadav “used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on US soil,” according to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.
Who is Ajay Jadeja? The former cricketer is now India’s newest royal
A former Indian cricketer, whose career was overshadowed by accusations of match fixing, was declared the heir to the throne of Jamnagar, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Ajay Jadeja, 53, will now be the new Jam Saheb, or royal, of Nawanagar, the former princely state which is now known as Jamnagar.
In a statement released on 12 October, the current titular royal Jam Saheb Maharaja Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja said: “Today, on Dussehra, I am equally happy, as I have found a resolution to one of my dilemmas thanks to Ajay Jadeja, who has accepted to be my heir.”
“Ajay Jadeja taking up the responsibility of serving the people of Jamnagar is truly a boon for its people. I express my sincere gratitude to him.”
Jadeja comes from a family with a rich legacy in cricket; the annual first-class championship of India, the Ranji Trophy, is named after his great grand uncle Ranjitsinh, who has been called the “Father of Indian Cricket”. Ranjitsinh Jadeja ruled Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933.
Ajay Jadeja’s grand uncle Duleepsinh, who had the Duleep Trophy, one of India’s premier first class cricket competitions, named after him.
The current Jam Saheb, Maharaja Shatrusalyasinhji, was also a cricketer and captained Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy in 1966-67 and served as the head of the Saurashtra Cricket Association. He became the titular head of Nawanagar on 3 February, 1966, after the death of his father.
According to Indian media reports, Jadeja’s new status takes his net worth to Rs 14.5bn (£132.6m). With this, he surpasses Virat Kohli, whose net worth is estimated at Rs10 bn (£91.44m).
Jadeja was once regarded as one of India’s best fielders and played 196 One Day International games and 15 Test matches between 1992 and 2000. In his international career, Jadeja scored 6,000 runs with six centuries and 30 half-centuries in the 50-over format.
However, his cricket career was overshadowed by the lifetime ban he received in 2000 for alleged match fixing. The ban was later relaxed to a five-year suspension by the Delhi High Court, but Jadeja began to dabble in other industries. He turned to cricket commentary, and even tried his hand at acting in Bollywood.
While royalty no longer exists in democratic India, several royal families still own heritage properties and land, and their former titles.
Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for ex-PM Sheikh Hasina
A court in Bangladesh has issued arrest warrants against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and dozens of her close aides on charges of “crimes against humanity”.
The charges relate to her government’s violent crackdown on student protesters who ultimately overthrew her administration.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka issued warrants against Ms Hasina and 45 aides and ordered her to appear in court on 18 November.
Prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud said the head of the tribunal, Golam Mortuza Majumdar, issued the orders in the presence of other judges.
Ms Hasina fled to India on a military plane on 5 August as angry protesters stormed her Dhaka residence, ending her 15-year-long rule.
“Sheikh Hasina was at the helm of those who committed massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity from July to August,” said Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of the tribunal.
The student protests began with calls to end a controversial quota system for government jobs, and swelled into general calls for Ms Hasina to resign as police killed hundreds of young demonstrators.
More than 600 protesters were killed during the demonstrations that began in July and continued until after she fled and a new interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in.
Ms Hasina has been named as a suspect in police complaints for more 100 murder cases. The tribunal on Thursday heard two petitions. One was against Ms Hasina alone and another was against 45 people including her close aides.
Prosecutors requested arrest warrants for 50 individuals during the proceedings.
“I appealed to the court that if the accused, who are extremely influential, are not arrested, it will be impossible to conduct the investigation,” Mr Islam said.
Ms Hasina has maintained a low profile during her stay in India, a country with whom her government enjoyed close ties, although New Delhi has said she will not be granted permanent political asylum. She has refrained from giving interviews since fleeing Dhaka, and only released a long statement urging justice for the deaths of students and calling the crackdown “acts of sabotage”.
It is not clear if India will respond to any request from Bangladesh for Ms Hasina’s extradition under a mutual treaty.
However, her son Sajeeb Wazed told Reuters last month that his mother was ready to face trial in Bangladesh, saying: “My mother has done nothing wrong.”
Mr Islam earlier said prosecutors would seek help from Interpol, if necessary, to get Ms Hasina back in Dhaka.
What’s behind 20 bomb threats that disrupted air travel in India?
At least 20 flights were disrupted by hoax bomb threats in India in a disturbing trend that has rattled the country’s aviation sector.
The wave of threats, mostly issued via X, caused alarm among passengers and aviation authorities alike, and prompted urgent responses from government officials.
The most recent threat was made to a Vistara flight arriving in Mumbai from Germany’s Frankfurt, carrying 147 passengers and crew. The aircraft made an emergency landing at the Mumbai airport at 7.45am local time and was taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks.
A similar threat forced an Air India flight to Chicago to make an emergency landing in Canada, stranding over 200 passengers for over 18 hours at a remote airport.
Another Air India flight from Mumbai to New York had to be rerouted to Delhi, evacuated, and searched for explosives.
The threats have also prompted security agencies to conduct counterterrorist drills at various airports, leading to flight delays.
Indian police and security agencies have launched investigations into these incidents, but made little headway. So far they have only arrested a minor boy accused of issuing three hoax threats from a fake X handle, supposedly in a bid to implicate his friend.
Investigators have been trying to establish a “pattern” in the series of threats to various airlines, the Hindustan Times reported, citing unnamed sources.
“There is a pattern behind the messages. A threat is given using social media or through a phone call, and then suddenly similar threats start to appear within a short span of time,” an aviation security official, who was part of the discussions, told the paper.
“VPNs have been used to post the messages to avoid being traced. We’re analysing the pattern, and investigation agencies are coordinating to locate the sources of threats.”
The intention, the official claimed, was to “definitely disturb the aviation sector, create panic, and keep the agencies on their toes”.
India’s civil aviation minister assured that urgent steps were being taken to address the situation. “Such activities are a matter of grave concern,” K Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday. “We will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and the smooth functioning of the aviation sector.”
All those “responsible for the disruptions will be identified and duly prosecuted”, the minister said.
As many as nine flights received threats in a span of less than 24 hours from Tuesday to Wednesday, taking the total to 20 in the past three days.
A Vistara flight and an Air India Express flight received bomb threats on Tuesday night, and four flights of IndiGo, two of SpiceJet and one of Akasa Air were targeted on Wednesday.
IndiGo flight 6E 74 from Riyadh to Mumbai was diverted to Muscat, Oman, while 6E 515 from Chennai to Lucknow needed to be isolated upon landing. Another IndiGo flight from Delhi to Mumbai was redirected to Ahmedabad on Tuesday night.
An Akasa Air flight taking 180 people to Bengaluru returned to Delhi after a similar scare on Wednesday afternoon. “Airport police responded to eight incidents involving reported bomb threats this month,” Usha Rangnani, the police officer incharge of security at the Delhi airport, said. “After thorough verifications and inspection, all threats were confirmed to be hoaxes.”
She said social media accounts of people “responsible for these false threats have been suspended”.
“Legal action has been initiated against those responsible for these false alarms to ensure strict measures against misuse and to maintain the safety and security of passengers and airport operations,” she was quoted as saying by local media.
An Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to the remote Iqaluit airport in Canada after the airline received a threat on Tuesday.
The 211 passengers and crew made their way to Chicago on Wednesday after the Canadian Air Force flew them out, having spent 18 hours stranded at the airport.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transportation summoned Vumlunmang Vualnam, India’s top civil aviation bureaucrat, who informed the lawmakers that efforts to identify suspects were underway.
The Delhi Police had registered eight complaints against unknown individuals in relation to the recent spate of hoax threats targeting multiple international and domestic flights, he said.
The Mumbai police arrested a boy, 17, for allegedly issuing three of the threats through social media accounts that he had created in the name of his friend. He was reportedly arrested from the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.
Mr Naidu, meanwhile, met with top aviation and security officials on 14 October. “I am monitoring the situation regularly and our law enforcement agencies are pursuing all cases actively,” he said. “Such mischievous and unlawful actions are a matter of grave concern and I strongly condemn any attempt to compromise the safety, security and operational integrity of our aviation sector.”
The federal government has decided to put more air marshals on flights, the Hindustan Times reported.
“Currently, a total of 35 air marshals are deployed in flights across certain sensitive sectors. The number of such marshals will be increased to 100,” an unnamed official told the paper.