Talking points

Beijing names new cross-strait negotiator

The mainland's new top negotiator with Taiwan is expected to be unveiled at a board meeting of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. Former commerce minister Chen Deming has been widely tipped to succeed Chen Yunlin as the quasi-official body's new chairman. Beijing and Taipei have held a series of fruitful talks in recent years as they seek closer economic ties.

Samsung announces first quarter results

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of smartphones, televisions and memory chips, gives details of its first-quarter financial results days after rival Apple announced disappointing results earlier this week. Samsung's preliminary results released earlier this month beat market forecasts, showing that it outperformed rivals even during a typically slow time for consumer electronics makers, thanks to its diverse range of smartphones.

Pussy Riot member makes bid for freedom

A Russian court considers whether one of the jailed members of the punk band Pussy Riot is eligible for early release. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, in custody since her arrest in March last year, is serving a two-year sentence for the band's irreverent protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral. She was sent to a labour camp in October along with bandmate Maria Alyokhina.

Bulgaria blows up buses to recreate attack

Bulgaria recreates a deadly terrorist attack, blowing up two buses, as it continues its investigation into the killing of five Israelis and a Bulgarian on a bus in July last year. The investigative team will place dummies around the buses, based on security camera footage from the scene. It is expected that the explosion will reveal exactly where the bomb was located in the bus's cargo compartment, offering clues as to who placed it.

Reform but no more pain in Spain

Spain announces a new round of economic reforms in the week in which its unemployment rate soared to a record 27.2 per cent. The Madrid government has faced a constant barrage of protests as it imposed austerity measures in an attempt to cope with its crippling debt. But Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said earlier this week that the new reform plan would not include further austerity measures.

Occupy Central forum at Baptist University

Academic Dr Benny Tai Yiu-ting continues to promote his Occupy Central campaign for universal suffrage with a public forum at Baptist University tonight. It's the second such forum Tai has put on since he announced his campaign, which could see 10,000 protesters block roads in Central next year unless an acceptable plan for universal suffrage emerges.