Netanyahu would struggle to shrug off charges of war crimesBy Julian Borger / The GuardianThe arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) represent an earthquake on the world’s legal landscape: the first time a Western ally from a modern democracy has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global judicial body. Inside Israel, the warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant would not have an immediate effect. In the short term, they are likely to rally support around the prime minister from a defiant Israeli public. The stigma of being an accused war criminal is a hard one to shrug off. If, upon the issuing of the warrants, Netanyahu again goes to the US to speak to Congress, for example, it at least massively embarrasses the US and makes their hypocrisy so plain to see.”

The HAT for the IDS prototype is 83 to 85 percent complete, Republic of China Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei TimesTaiwan’s first domestically built submarine prototype was unveiled in Kaohsiung in September last year at a ceremony presided over by then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). For next fiscal year, the Ministry of National Defense has budgeted approximately NT$1.996 billion for the production of new submarines. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo speaks to reporters at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. “However, the testing of the first prototype submarine has not been completed.

Putin’s missile sends a clear message to the West: ‘Back off’The Russian president is in a difficult position, as he could stoke a serious crisis if he escalates now, but the West could keep pushing through clear Russian red lines if he does notBy Guy Faulconbridge / Reuters, MOSCOWRussian President Vladimir Putin’s hypersonic missile carried a simple message to the West over Ukraine: Back off, and if you do not, Russia reserves the right to hit US and British military facilities. “Putin is saying to the West stop — halt — back off,” former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov told Reuters. The source did not clarify whether he was talking about tactical battlefield weapons or long-range nuclear missiles. However, if he does not, then the West could interpret him as weak and keep pushing through clear Russian red lines. Firing what the US believes is a new ballistic missile in response is a clear warning to the West, but a carefully calibrated one, analysts said.

Temperatures to fall from WednesdayBy Lin Chih-yi and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe first cold air mass of the season is to affect Taiwan from Wednesday, preceeded by a front that is to bring rain to the north and east tomorrow before temperatures dip nationwide, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei TimesThe first cold air mass of the season is to affect Taiwan from Wednesday to Saturday, she added. Nighttime temperatures in the north are to dip to as low as 12°C, while daytime temperatures are to hover around 20°C, Chen said. Temperatures in central and southern Taiwan are to dip as low as 14°C and 15°C respectively, and may fall below 10°C in localized mountainous areas, she said. Although the cold mass is to ease from Saturday afternoon, there would still be a large temperature difference between night and day, Chen said.

Taiwan has already taken a hit in the wake of the implementation of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). On a similar note, AI champion Nvidia Corp lists in its overall plans a renewable energy demand of 100TWh as an investment condition. With such a massive lack of renewable energy supply, it would be difficult for the current renewables doubling policy to succeed. “Innovation capability” is the magic keyword in the title of the Statute for Industrial Innovation (產業創新條例) guidelines. They would guarantee that renewable energy supply is adequate and lead to industry stability and sound development, which could assist Taiwanese exporters and whole-system economic stability and sound growth.

The case is against Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, who is executive director of the green energy business, and six other individuals. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi had made crony capitalism — especially Gautam Adani’s proximity to Modi — the central piece of his campaign, particularly in the Maharashtra poll. For regional opposition leaders, Adani’s link with Modi has not exactly been a hot button issue. In a press conference on Thursday last week, the Congress Party leader called for Buch’s removal and Gautam Adani’s arrest. While the DOJ indictment came too late to sway the vote in Maharashtra, it might yet cast a long shadow — on India’s national politics and relations with Washington next year.

The Philippine Presidential Security Command boosted Marcos’ security and said it considered Duterte’s threat, which was “made so brazenly in public,” a national security issue. Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte listens as she attends a joint committee hearing of the House of Representatives in Quezon City, Philippines on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, investigating the war on drugs during the administration of his father former President Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippine constitution states that if a president dies, sustains a permanent disability, is removed from office or resigns, the vice president takes over and serves the rest of the term. In a predawn online news conference, an angry Sara Duterte accused Marcos of incompetence as a president and of being a liar, along with his wife and the House speaker in expletives-laden remarks. I said, if I get killed, go kill BBM [Marcos], [first lady] Liza Araneta and [Speaker] Martin Romualdez.

Trump names hedge fund manager as US Treasury secretaryAFP, WASHINGTONUS President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named billionaire Scott Bessent as his US Treasury secretary, choosing the hedge fund manager to help execute an agenda promising tax cuts and tariffs. “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” Trump said in a statement. Scott Bessent speaks during a rally for former US president Donald Trump in Asheville, North Carolina, on Aug. 14. The US Department of Treasury has oversight across a range of areas, from federal finances to bank supervision. In 2015, he raised capital, including US$2 billion from Soros, to start his own hedge fund.

For example, then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) transited through Hawaii during outbound and return trips in a visit to Central American allies in 2014, the source said. Despite rumors that Lai is treated worse than his predecessors Ma and former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the US government’s handling of Taiwanese presidents’ transit through its territories significantly improved during Tsai’s presidency, the source said. That attested to Washington’s faith in the Democratic Progressive Party as a more reliable government worthy of dialogue and cooperation, the source said. Citing the editorial, the source said such narratives attempted to foster the illusion that Washington harbors suspicions of Lai and is giving him discriminatory treatment. Washington’s attitude toward Taiwanese presidents’ stopovers would not change because it is a different time or due to international situations, and its continued assistance despite regime changes shows the solid ties between Taiwan and the US, they said.

However, a spate of random acts of violence is challenging the “party knows best” narrative. Even some independent data points to the perception that China’s law and order standards are among the best in the world. That deal in China has worked so long as the CCP continues to provide clear evidence that living standards are improving. Such independent windows into the party’s opaque world challenge the narrative that citizens are satisfied with their government. Previously, she was the BBC’s lead Asia presenter and worked for the BBC across Asia and South Asia for two decades.

Proposal to investigate NDF investments passesBy Lee Wen-hsin and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writerA proposal by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus to set up an investigation committee into National Development Fund (NDF) investments passed during a plenary vote at the legislature yesterday. Despite opposition from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the proposal passed with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and TPP lawmakers, who hold a combined majority in the legislature, voting in favor of it. Legislators from different parties hold placards stating their respective stances on a proposal to investigate NDF investments, at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. A committee to investigate the agency’s investments and managerial misconduct should be established, with the results compiled into a report to inform about the reforms that are needed, it said. The committee would investigate whether wrong decisions were made regarding investments, corruption was covered up due to external intervention and whether the fund properly reviewed its failed investments to make improvements, it added.

One lesson from the war game was the value of anti-ship missiles, Cancian said. In the next couple of years, “I think the most effective thing you could do is to give Taiwan 500 Harpoon missiles,” he said. “The other lesson is that once the fighting begins, it’s impossible to get any forces or reinforcements onto Taiwan,” Cancian said. Since Chinese forces would surround Taiwan, the US would not be able to get an airlift or sealift to the nation “at least for the first three or four weeks,” he said. “Taiwan would have to fight at least the first month, and maybe the first two months, with whatever it starts out with,” he added.

Adani Group faces US chargesBRIBERY ALLEGATIONS: An Adani statement denied all charges, while share prices plummet and Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called for the founder’s arrestAFP, NEW DELHIIndia’s Adani Group yesterday called US charges that their billionaire tycoon founder Gautam Adani had paid more than US$250 million in bribes “baseless,” as the opposition leader demanded his arrest. Chairperson and founder of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Gautam Adani, speaks at the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai on November 19, 2022. But we know that won’t happen as Modi is protecting him,” Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi. Adani and two other board members of his Adani Group “lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from US and international investors,” US attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. The indictment drove steep losses in flagship listed unit Adani Enterprises Ltd and multiple other subsidiaries immediately after the Mumbai stock exchange reopened yesterday.

Israel, Hezbollah trade blows despite ceasefire talksReuters, JERUSALEM and BEIRUTIsrael and Lebanon’s Hezbollah traded deadly blows yesterday as their war raged on, despite signs of progress in US ceasefire efforts, with airstrikes pounding Beirut’s southern suburbs and rockets flying into northern Israel. US mediator Amos Hochstein was in Israel for talks with Israeli officials to try to secure a ceasefire, which he said was “within our grasp” during a visit to Beirut earlier this week. Smoke rises from Beirut southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Ashrafieh, Lebanon, November 21, 2024. Photo: ReutersIn southern Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike killed three people in the village of Chaaitiyeh, about 10km from the border, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said. Speaking before he left Beirut, Hochstein said he was going to Israel to try to close an agreement if possible.

KMT Legislator Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩), a committee coconvener, was presiding, but DPP lawmakers occupied the podium area to protest alleged contraventions of procedures by Hsu. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Hsin-ying, center, left, attempts to reach the podium at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAThe proposal to increase the recall threshold would deprive Taiwanese of their right to recall unfit, incompetent elected officials, or those found guilty of crimes, they said. There was pushing and shoving as Hsu, supported by other KMT lawmakers, called for the meeting to start and gave no time for examination of the proposed amendments before suspending proceedings. KMT Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄), who initiated the amendments, said that they are needed, as recalls have succeeded “too easily” due to low thresholds.