Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad launched a vitriolic attack on the European race yesterday, accusing them of warmongering, indiscriminate attacks on Muslims, greed and sexual deviancy.
Europeans, including "those who migrated and set up new nations in America, Australia and New Zealand," wanted "to control the world again," he said.
Predicting that he would be condemned as a "racist," the veteran Southeast Asian leader said he was "not anti-European. I have many friends and acquaintances who are Europeans."
"They are very clever, brave and have an insatiable curiosity," he said.
But "unfortunately they are also very greedy and like to take forcibly the territories and rights of other people."
In an obvious reference to the recent war on Iraq he said "they have demonstrated that they are ready to invent false allegations in order to go to war to kill children, old people, sick people," considering them "mere collaterals" who cannot stand in the way of their objectives.
Europeans had "begun to invade and rule certain countries, ostensibly for their security but in fact to exploit the wealth in these countries," he said.
Mahathir, 77, was speaking at the annual congress of his ruling United Malays National Organization for the last time before retiring in October after 22 years in power.
The leader of a moderate Muslim government, Mahathir said the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US was "an excuse for the Anglo-Saxon Europeans to return to their old violent ways."
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
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US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net