TOP QC Martin Howe has used his legal expertise to go through the PM’s Chequers proposal with a fine-tooth comb. He claims that the elaborately constructed proposal from Theresa May would leave us as a vassal state. In the first detailed legal analysis by a specialist in EU law, Mr Howe says it would be a “wholesale abandonment” to Brussels. Exactly what 17.4 million people didn’t vote for... A key issue that Brexiteer Mr Howe highlighted is that we would not be able to veto EU legal judgements. That would mean EU judges continuing to lord over us, further eroding our democratic rights to live under laws decided by our politicians in our parliament. Other non-member states do not accept legally binding diktats from the EU. Michel Barnier rips apart May's Brexit plans and says they could open them to more fraud Mr Howe’s analysis shows why former Brexit Secretary David Davis and ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson resigned from their … [Read more...] about QC Martin Howe says Theresa May’s proposal will leave us a vassal state where EU judges will continue to lord over us
Your say
China set up military jamming equipment on Spratly Islands, US says
By Reuters  April 11, 2018 | 09:38 am GMT+7 China's territorial claims in the East Sea overlap with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. China has installed military jamming equipment on two of its Spratly Islands outposts that can disrupt communications and radar systems, U.S. officials say. Satellite imagery taken by commercial satellite company DigitalGlobe shows a suspected jammer system with its antenna extended on Mischief Reef, one of China's seven artificial islands, the Wall Street Journal reported. Three of its man-made outposts Fiery Cross, Mischief Reef and Subi Reef now have 10,000-foot runways, airplane hangars, ammunition depots, barracks and deep-water piers for ships. The new jamming equipment was installed within the last 90 days on Fiery Cross and Mischief Reef, according to U.S. intelligence, the Wall Street Journal reported. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, which is known as the East Sea … [Read more...] about China set up military jamming equipment on Spratly Islands, US says
Disgraced Vietnamese oil exec says he followed protocols in major graft case
A former head of PetroVietnam, who was convicted for business decisions that caused million-dollar losses at the state giant, said at his appeal trial on Wednesday that he had received the nod from the then prime minister. Dinh La Thang, a former political star and board chairman of PetroVietnam, is appealing the 13-year jail term he received in January for economic management violations. The indictment said he violated regulations by assigning PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC) as the main contractor for several thermal power projects. He directly appointed Trinh Xuan Thanh as general director of PVC in December 2007, before making various promotion, funding and recruitment decisions to boost Thanh’s power and facilitate the company’s operations, it said. He was found guilty of being responsible for Thanh’s actions that caused losses worth more than VND119 billion ($5.24 million) at the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant and embezzlement of VND4 billion ($176,000) at … [Read more...] about Disgraced Vietnamese oil exec says he followed protocols in major graft case
China elevates combat readiness in South China Sea, experts say
China says one thing to the world, but does what it wants, anyway. This message is being clearly conveyed by its continued military buildup in the disputed South China Sea area even as it participates in negotiations and actions to defuse tensions, including the adoption of a Code of Conduct (COC). "Actually, China has been active in the South China Sea all this while. What’s distinctive this time is the heightened tempo of Chinese military activities that go along with the ongoing, increasing buildup in the disputed waters - by that I’m referring to more intense naval and air activities, which came after the last Party Congress. “It’s clear that Xi wanted to follow up that last event to showcase his control over the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including his promise and call for the PLA to heighten combat readiness in the South China Sea," Dr Collin Koh Swee Lean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore, told … [Read more...] about China elevates combat readiness in South China Sea, experts say
Boeing official says Vietnam military drone deal almost done
The Boeing Insitu ScanEagle is a small, long-range, low-altitude reconnaissance drone built by Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary. The sale will be supported through U.S. Foreign Military Financing and the recipient will be the Vietnamese Coast Guard, Yeong Tae Pak, Boeing’s marketing director for defense sales in Southeast Asia, said Wednesday at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia. "The sale is in progress," British security magazine Jane’s quoted him as saying. The number of UAVs to be bought is not known. Yeong said the deal is as an indicator of Boeing’s defense sales strategy in newer regional markets like Vietnam, where opportunities to grow its defense presence is "being pursued through lower-tier platforms." The drone can operate above 15,000 feet and hover over a battlefield for extended missions of up to 20 hours, depending on system configuration. The five-foot-long ScanEagle UAV has a 10-foot wingspan and can … [Read more...] about Boeing official says Vietnam military drone deal almost done
Saigon university says no to plastic straws, bottled water
Nguyen Minh Ha, vice principal of the school, said plastic water bottles, plastic straws and other single-use items such as cups, plates, spoons made from plastic would be removed from all school meetings and activities at the university from May 5. Starting May 15, the school would stop serving plastic bottled drinking water to lecturers. Instead, they will have to bring personal drink bottles with them or use recyclable bottles provided by the university. The move follows a survey by the administration board of the university that found the school dumps nearly 125,000 plastic bottles into the environment on average every year. The university is the first school in Ho Chi Minh City to announce the decision to halt the use of plastic bottles and plastic straws as an environmentally friendly measure. Around 170 kilometers (105 miles) from Saigon, the Ly Tu Trong High School for the Gifted in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has been doing much the same for more than a year … [Read more...] about Saigon university says no to plastic straws, bottled water