News that a close relative of a senior military intelligence official is living in a hostile country would be enough to set alarm bells ringing in most countries. Such a revelation would probably lead to the official in question being forced to recall his relative or being disciplined in some way.

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By Shih Chih-yu 石之瑜
The director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), Wang Yi (王毅), has given Taiwan the jitters by suggesting the opening up of the Taiwan Strait median line. Such discussions had always been held behind closed doors and bringing it out into the open challenges the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) policy of avoiding discussion of unification, independence or armed conflict.

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By Sushil Seth
As the global economic meltdown continues to defy any rational solution, apart from what sometimes looks like throwing good money after bad, there is a naive belief that China might become the ultimate savior with its economic stimulation program.

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By Lai I-chung 賴怡忠
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega reportedly stood President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) up five times during his recent trip to Latin America. This has caused a chorus of criticism from both the ruling and opposition parties.

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Last year’s mythical rice crisis could increase calls to stop rice exports
India has 24 million tonnes of rice in stock but still refuses to lift an export ban on the grain for fear of political repercussions at home.

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As all-in-one handhelds penetrate deeper into the market, clunky, expensive and hard-to-use GPS devices are taking a hit
By Jenna Wortham
The smartphone is already the Swiss Army knife of the digital age — a quick flick of the finger can transform it into a camcorder, Web browser, gaming device or music player. For many consumers, the Apple iPhone and its competitors are versatile enough that they can get by without separate cameras and laptops.

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By Ian Buruma
Even before Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decided to throttle what little legitimacy was left of Iran’s “managed democracy,” it was a peculiar system, indeed. Although Iranian citizens had the right to elect their president, the candidates had to be vetted by the Council of Guardians, half of whom were picked by the unelected Supreme Leader.

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