5 months’ jail for helper convicted of molesting employer’s 12-year-old daughter

China’s top legislature passed on Friday a landmark law targeting cross-border corruption, equipping Beijing with expansive new tools to pursue illicit offshore assets while countering foreign attempts to investigate wrongdoing in China. The Anti-Cross-Border Corruption Law was approved at the close of the 25th session of the 14th National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) and took effect immediately, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The statute establishes formal mechanisms

China's Macau jails ex-lawmaker in first national security trial TRT World

An EU funding crunch is threatening to stifle the bloc’s ambitions to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, as Brussels grapples with a budget deadlock that could slow infrastructure investments across the fast-growing region. The funding squeeze could hinder the green transition and regional connectivity goals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, even as Brussels seeks greater strategic autonomy amid competition with Beijing’s economic clout. Analysts expect the European Union to...

EU’s Southeast Asia push hits funding crunch as China widens lead South China Morning Post