Singapore’s prime minister, already the world’s most highly paid head of government, is getting a pay rise worth almost €1 million a year. He says it’s the price of good government. Gold-plated government When Singapore’s prime minister Lawrence Wong told... See more
South Korea is under pressure from Washington to send forces to the Strait of Hormuz, a move Iran warns would have serious consequences. Under pressure When Freedom Edge, an annual maritime exercise involving South Korean, Japanese and American forces, we... See more
She was short and sturdy, probably in her mid-seventies, and she wore a long, flower-patterned summer dress, and thick rimmed glasses below a short, black pudding bowl. Like nearly everyone in this little tree-lined park, she was holding a pushan, a round... See more
As Russia’s war in Ukraine gets nastier and more dangerous for civilians, formal peace talks have stalled. But the back channels are buzzing. Back channels to peace? Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that former senior officials from Germany, France, Britai... See more
The typhoon had passed but it was still raining heavily when Keung and I started queuing under some bamboo scaffolding to get into a small, brightly lit restaurant that specialised in roast duck at low prices. The line moved quickly and we were soon shuff... See more
