19/06/2026

FRIDAY | JUNE 19, 2026

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Taiwan president hoping for $14b US arms sale

Call to reduce emissions for safety of children PHNOM PENH: A United Nations agency is calling on countries to urgently reduce emissions, phase out fossil fuels and accelerate the shift to renewable energy to protect children worldwide. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said more children are being exposed to harsh weather conditions, which is threatening their health, education and lives. The agency’s Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, released this week, disclosed painful realities of nearly half of the world’s children, or 1.1 billion, who are suffering from overlapping climate hazards. The eight most frequent climate threats to children are coastal floods, droughts, extreme heat, fires, heatwaves, riverine floods, sand and dust storms and tropical storms. “The lives of children continue to be upended by the impact of heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods. “Half of the world’s children are living with at least three overlapping climate threats shaping their daily lives,” said Unicef executive director Catherine Russell in a press statement. In the Sahel region of Africa, considered the worst hit, over four million children face the triple threat of heatwaves, extreme heat and sand and dust storms. Elsewhere, across Asia, children in countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan are exposed to more climate hazards at once and at a higher intensity than anywhere else in the world, said the report. Families are displaced by storms and floods, record-smashing heat causes widespread heatstroke and dehydration, and droughts lead to food and nutritional insecurity. As a consequence, climate risks exacerbate deadly infectious diseases, such as dengue and malaria, and lead to air-polluting wildfires. “Children are disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate hazards as their developing bodies make it harder for them to cope with the physical and psychological stresses. “They also increasingly experience displacement and instability in the wake of climate shocks, further worsening their vulnerabilities,” the report said. Unicef urged policymakers and businesses to protect children through inclusive climate adaptation programmes and to empower youth through climate education. – Bernama

o ‘Efforts to safeguard national security, uphold democratic and free way of life should not be seen as provocation against China’

TAIPEI: president yesterday expressed hope that the United States would approve a $14 billion (RM57 billion) arms sale “as soon as possible”, reiterating that the democratic island “rejects unification” with China. Taiwan relies heavily on US support to deter any potential Chinese attack, and Washington has put pressure on Taipei to increase its defence spending. But arms sales also complicate ties between Washington and Beijing, which opposes them. In May, US State Secretary Marco Rubio said the $14 billion deal was “under review”. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te yesterday added that he still has “high hopes”. “Taiwan’s efforts to safeguard its national security, uphold its democratic and free way of life, and reject unification and the rule of the Chinese Communist Party should not be seen as provocation Taiwan’s

North Korea recalls British ambassador SEOUL: North Korea has recalled its ambassador to Britain just a month after he took up the post, downgrading diplomatic relations in response to British sanctions on a children’s camp, North Korea-focused website NK News reported. Pyongyang’s embassy in London said it has withdrawn Ambassador Mun Myong Sin and reduced ties to the level of charge d’affaires until Britain lifts sanctions on the Songdowon International Children’s Camp. In May, London designated the camp as a part of Kremlin-run youth programmes and entities involved in the deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The embassy called the move by Britain a “heinous, unethical, politically motivated provocation”, and said London was seeking to tarnish North Korea’s image and undermine its ties with Russia, according to NK News. North Korea’s embassy in Britain did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement in May the sanctions on the Songdowon camp were a malicious act that London would pay a price for. It called them groundless and said they damaged the rights and interests of its children, who it said receives the “most precious” treatment. Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office declined to comment to NK News on Mun’s status or the reason for his departure. Britain appointed a new ambassador to North Korea last year, although its embassy in Pyongyang has remained closed since the pandemic. – Reuters Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Wednesday Kenya had done so under “high-level Chinese pressure”. “We see this is a new normal. China is pressuring other countries more and more to behave towards Taiwan in a way that exceeds (what was done in) the past.” Taiwan had been invited to the forum and had paid to set up a booth, said Lin. But Kenya had “distorted” its interpretation of the One China principle, “expanding it limitlessly to block our people from participating”, he said. In recent years, China has increased military activity around Taiwan while also seeking to peel off its few remaining formal diplomatic allies. Kuan said the two delegates were detained “for an extended period”, their passports and phones were seized, and they “faced a situation close to deportation”. – AFP

disagreed over how much to spend on improving defence capabilities. Opposition parties, which hold a majority in the legislature, passed a $25 billion special defence budget last month, slashing by a third the one proposed by Lai’s ruling party. In a separate development, Taiwan has accused Kenya of bowing to “Chinese pressure” by preventing its officials from taking part in an international oceans forum this week. Taiwanese Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling said on Tuesday Kenyan authorities detained two of its delegates to the Our Ocean Conference in the city of Mombasa this week.

against China.” The United States formally recognises only China, but is also required under domestic law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. US authorities said last month they were reviewing a massive arms sale package to Taiwan to ensure the American military has sufficient munitions for its Iran operations. Lai’s government has vowed to increase overall defence spending to more than 3% of GDP this year. It has proposed US$40 billion for weapons purchases, including US-developed arms as well as Taiwan-made drones. But Taiwanese lawmakers have

CHAMPIONING CHANGE ... Women carrying kitchen utensils and displaying posters, one of which reads ‘Stop the problematic and non-transparent free meal programme’, during a demonstration in Jakarta yesterday demanding the government review the programme, lower fuel prices and open more job opportunities for women. – AFPPIC

Indonesia advocates Asean AI governance structure JAKARTA: Indonesia has pressed for the development of a common Asean AI governance framework, saying unequal access to the technology could deepen disparities across Southeast Asia. is unequal, AI will deepen the gap between those who have it and those who do not, both within our countries and between our countries,” she said, according to Antara news agency. broader efforts to diversify financing sources and expand its international investor base. support the use of local currencies in bilateral transactions and encourage deeper financial cooperation between the countries.” Purbaya said the Beijing visit formed part of a long-term financing strategy that had

The move was discussed at a meeting between Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa and Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an in Beijing on Wednesday, according to Indonesia’s Finance Ministry. “One of the main agendas of the Finance minister’s working visit to Beijing is to prepare for a sovereign Panda Bond issuance. “The government views the instrument as a strategic step to diversify financing sources and broaden the investor base, while also strengthening economic relations between Indonesia and China. “The issuance of a sovereign Panda Bond is also expected to

Meutya said as AI advances, data is becoming increasingly valuable yet vulnerable to cybercrime, underscoring the importance of maintaining control over data and ensuring AI models understand local languages and values. “Rather than slowing AI development, governments should respond strategically by building governance frameworks together and turning potential risks into collective strengths.” Meanwhile, Indonesia is advancing preparations for a sovereign Panda Bond issuance in China as part of

Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said AI has the potential to accelerate economic growth, improve productivity and strengthen competitiveness, but it could also pose significant risks if left unchecked. Speaking at the Asia Economic Summit, she said a common AI governance framework would enable Asean member states to manage the opportunities and challenges arising from the technology. “This risk is not only for Indonesia, but also for the entire region. If access

been carefully planned by the government to expand competitive financing sources. “Indonesia is not waiting. We are moving ahead by building a strong and sustainable financing foundation so that development can continue amid various global challenges.” Prior to this, Purbaya said Indonesia was targeting a sovereign Panda Bond issuance by this month as part of efforts to diversify funding sources and reduce reliance on Western capital markets. – Bernama