Free Republic

“Cackler-in-chief” Kamala Harris was visiting Taiwan last week for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Sky News host Rita Panahi says. “The cackler-in-chief was in Thailand this week where she entered into meaningful dialogue with the locals,” Ms Panahi said

Large groups of people in Asian countries believe that the U.S. democracy used to be a good example for others to follow, but isn't anymore.Some also believe that it has never been a good example.Put together, Statista's Katharina Buchholz reports that this means that a majority in six out of nine Asian countries surveyed by Pew Research Center don't consider the U.S. a beacon of democracy (anymore).You will find more infographics at StatistaThe exception are three countries from South Asia - India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - an interesting result given how the largest of them has recently attempted the...

Does China sense weakness in the White House? In recent days Chinese troops have been sent to Belarus for military exercises, dozens of Chinese military aircraft have been threatening Taiwan, and four Chinese military vessels were even detected off the coast of Alaska. So why has China decided to become so aggressive all of a sudden? Right now, Joe Biden is facing endless questions about his competency, and those around him are focused on fighting for his political survival. So could foreign adversaries such as China use this window of opportunity to do things that they may not normally attempt...

The Singapore Food Agency said ‘these insects and insect products can be used for human consumption or as animal feed for food-producing animals’ A young girl eating a fried grasshopper. Singapore on Monday approved grasshoppers, and 15 other insects as food. Photo: Shutterstock =================================================================== Sixteen species of insects, including crickets, locusts and silkworms, have been approved as food in Singapore, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Monday. “With immediate effect, [the] SFA will allow the import of insects and insect products belonging to species that have been assessed to be of low regulatory concern,” the agency said in a...

A video of the incident shows seven small boats surrounding RHIBs next to Sierra Madre. According to the Philippine military, the China Coast Guard used blaring sirens and strobe lights to disorient the personnel. Tear gas and rocks were also thrown at and onto the Philippine vessels. A Chinese military aircraft was also claimed to be flying overhead in what was described as “a further display of excessive force and intimidation.”A Philippine Navy RHIB transporting supplies, including seven disassembled and packaged CAR-15 rifles, was towed away from Sierra Madre, surrounded on by Chinese vessels and boarded. An image released by...

Japan has become another piece of fodder for the West’s culture wars. After a recent visit with his family, talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel praised the country for its clean toilets and lack of litter, only to be lambasted by right-wing pundits such as Ben Shapiro, who accused the comedian of having leftist beliefs that are completely at odds with what makes Japanese society so safe and orderly. Namely, Shapiro argued, Japan is a closed-off nation, unpersuaded by arguments to allow mass migration, and its homogeneity and “unique culture,” along with a strict legal system, help…Japan has become another piece of...

The Pacific appears increasingly nearer to war as Chinese vessels encircled and boarded military resupply boats belonging to a key American ally. Tensions erupted as the Chinese Coast Guard seized ships of a Philippine Navy resupply mission that was underway near the Second Thomas Shoal. The Armed Forces of the Philippines revealed pictures of the Monday confrontation in a social media post, calling the attack “coercive, aggressive, and barbaric.”(Snip) Videos show the resupply mission turning to blows as China became involved. In one clip, Chinese sailors could be seen waving and swinging axes, machetes and other melee weapons as the...

In Japan, “Johatsu” refers to people who disappear due to pressures like failed marriages, debt, and job loss. They abandon their lives and live anonymously off the grid. Specialized companies, called “night movers,” assist them in vanishing completely Behind the scenes, specialized businesses known as “yonige-ya” facilitate these disappearances. These “fly-by-night shops” provide services to Johatsu, helping them erase their existence. From creating new identities to arranging housing and employment, these discreet agencies operate in the shadows, ensuring their clients vanish without a trace.

The Biden administration’s decision to temporarily halt deliveries of Patriot and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS interceptors for all countries except Ukraine and Taiwan won’t just affect allied air defense capabilities. Patriot interceptors can only be used on the Patriot system, at least for now. The primary weapon for NASAMS is the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which is also the most widely used western beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, as we explained in our deep dive here. As such, it is a critical component of many Foreign Military Sales (FMS) the U.S. has for combat aircraft and to...

Thailand’s government has decided to increase its crackdown on beggars in popular tourist areas. Foreigners will also be asked to refrain from giving money to beggars in popular vacation spots, including Bangkok. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on June 12, Thailand plans to strengthen its crackdown on beggars who flock to the capital city, Bangkok, and other famous vacation spots. On June 11, Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand, emphasized, “Various organizations, including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the police, will participate in the crackdown. Regular operations will be carried out...

Fentanyl gets manufactured by Mexican drug cartels and then transported over the US border where it eventually results in tens of thousands of overdose deaths per year. But the precursor chemicals used to produce all of that fentanyl isn't produced in Mexico. It comes from China. Not only has China brushed off repeated US demands that it crack down on the sale of these chemicals, but we learned a few months ago that China's government is still subsidizing them. This comes from a House committee report that looked into it.As part of our investigation, the Select Committee obtained materials showing...

Thailand's senate passed a bill Tuesday to legalize same-sex marriage, setting it on course to become the third place in Asia with marriage equality, alongside Taiwan and Nepal...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Philippine president on Monday in a rare Asian trip to urge regional leaders to attend a Swiss-organized global peace summit on the war in Ukraine that he accuses Russia, with China’s help, of trying to undermine. Zelenskyy arrived unannounced and under heavy security in Manila late Sunday after speaking over the weekend at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore. He was given a red-carpet welcome with military honors Monday at the presidential palace before meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after which he left the Philippines. Marcos pledged that his country would take...

Kazuhiro Haraguchi, the former Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs, has become the first major politician to apologize to the unvaccinated for the tsunami of deaths occuring among the vaccinated population. Earlier this week, huge numbers of Japanese citizens took to the streets to protest against the crimes against humanity perpetrated by globalist organizations such by World Health Organization (WHO) and World Economic Forum (WEF) during the pandemic. During an opening speech at the protests, Haraguchi delivered a powerful and emotional apology for the huge numbers of deaths now occurring as a result of the deadly mRNA roll-out. Haraguchi began by...

(AFP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Saturday at a Singapore security forum, as he seeks to rally support for Kyiv while a Russian offensive gains ground. AFP reporters saw Zelensky enter the lobby of the luxury hotel hosting the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is attended by defence ministers from around the world. Zelensky will speak at the security forum on Sunday, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organised the three-day event.

Taiwan's military mobilized its forces and said it was confident it could protect the island, after China started two days of "punishment" drills around Taiwan on Thursday in what it said was a response to "separatist acts". The exercises, in the Taiwan Strait and around groups of Taiwan-controlled islands that sit next to the Chinese coast, come just three days after Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan's new president, a man Beijing detests as a "separatist". China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has denounced Lai's inauguration speech on Monday, in which he called on China to...

Conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered his officials to begin a “complete review” of all federal policies to encourage Koreans to have children on Friday, following his announcement of the future establishment of a “low birthrate response planning ministry.” Yoon announced the planned creation of a new ministry to address the nation’s birth rate collapse on May 9 during an extended press conference filled with newsworthy moments, including an apology offered for a corruption scandal involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee. The scandal, in which Kim was reportedly caught accepting a $2,200 Dior handbag as an illicit gift, peaked right...

A Taiwanese lawmaker caused a major commotion by grabbing a bill and running out of the legislative chamber to prevent it from being passed. The event happened just before President-elect Lai Ching-te was set to take office on Monday. According to reports, the morning session was already heated, with lawmakers shouting and shoving each other even before any votes were cast. The situation escalated when one MP, now nicknamed the “Bill Bandit,” grabbed the bill and dashed for the exit. Other lawmakers chased him, turning the chamber into a scene of chaos. The video was shared by @CensoredMen on X...

OPINION China’s recent outcry over the alleged breach of ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ with the Philippines reveals a profound irony, given the history of its coercion and deceit There is a huge amount of insincerity and gall involved in the Chinese complaint that the Philippines had torn up the bilateral ‘Gentleman’s Agreement,’ between Beijing and Manila. While the term ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ has an implicit assumption of ‘trust’ as a fundamental tenet besting a relationship, which may otherwise not be legally binding -- to even imagine that there has been any element of ‘trust’ between these two sparing countries, is to put oneself...

“You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden mused at a DC fundraiser with Asian American and Pacific Islander donors before launching into a riff about the global economy. “We look to — the reason — look, think about it,” the 81-year-old president said. “Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants.” ... Republicans were appalled by the president’s remarks, with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) writing on...