Questions raised about lax crowd control as South Koreans mourn crowd crush tragedy - The Straits Times

SEOUL - As South Koreans mourn the death of 155 people in an unprecedented crowd crush at Seoul’s nightlife district Itaewon during the Halloween festivities, questions are being raised about poor crowd management and insufficient police deployment, which may have contributed to the disaster.

Some 10,000 people visited memorial sites set up all over the country to pay respects to the victims on Monday, most of them in their 20s and 30s.

Hundreds of revellers got stuck in an entangled pile last Saturday when crowds moving in opposite directions converged in a narrow downhill alley next to the iconic Hamilton Hotel, causing some to fall and trigger a domino effect.

Many of those who were caught at the bottom died of asphyxia or cardiac arrest.

The death toll, which includes 26 foreigners from Iran, China and Russia, is expected to rise as 30 people are seriously injured. Another 122 people sustained minor injuries.

Addressing concerns raised about lax crowd control, President Yoon Suk-yeol has ordered the government to come up with a crowd management system for similar events that draw huge crowds.

The President, who visited a memorial at Seoul Plaza on Monday, “feels an indescribable sadness and responsibility for the people’s lives and safety when he thinks of the victims and their families”, according to his spokesman.

Mr Yoon also stressed the importance of a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and revealing the real cause of the tragedy, which he said will help the government to prepare a safety management system to prevent crowd accidents in future.

Itaewon is known to draw a surge of revellers over Halloween, Christmas, long weekends, and the annual Itaewon Global Village Festival.

Only the Global Village Festival is subject to safety measures for big crowds imposed by the government, as it is organised by the Yongsan District Office which oversees Itaewon. Roads are also closed to make way for performances and food and cultural stalls.

Safety measures for such festivals were reportedly strengthened in the wake of a pop concert stampede in southern city Sangju that killed 11 people and injured about 60 others in 2005.

But the rules do not apply to Halloween or Christmas parties where there is no central organiser. Crowd control is left to individual businesses, some of whom hire bouncers to keep queues in order.

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2022-10-31 16:09:46Z
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Arrests after India bridge collapse kills more than 130 - CNA

"NO CERTIFICATE"

Authorities launched a rescue operation immediately following the collapse, with boats and divers searching the river all night and throughout Monday.

The bridge, 233m long and 1.5m wide, was inaugurated in 1880 by British colonial authorities and made with materials shipped from England, reports said.

The Gujarat tourist department describes the "grand suspension bridge" about 200km west of the state's main city, Ahmedabad, as an "artistic and technological marvel".

Sandeepsinh Jhala, Morbi municipality's chief officer, said the bridge had not been issued a safety certificate after the recent repair work.

Reports named the firm that carried out the repairs as a unit of the Gujarat-based Oreva group, which describes itself as the world's largest clock manufacturer, and also makes lighting products and e-bikes. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.

Modi, who was due to visit the site on Tuesday, said that he "may rarely have experienced so much pain in my life".

Moscow and New Delhi have enjoyed close relations for decades and the Kremlin said in a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was "deeply saddened" while Nepal, Bhutan, Britain and France also sent messages of support.

Accidents from old and poorly maintained infrastructure, including bridges, are common in India.

In 2016, the collapse of a flyover onto a busy street in Kolkata killed at least 26 people.

Five years earlier, at least 32 people perished when a packed bridge collapsed in the hill resort of Darjeeling.

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2022-10-31 14:24:00Z
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Mask-wearing now 'highly encouraged' in Malaysia amid rise in cases: Khairy - CNA

Mr Khairy said that there was a 16.5 per cent increase in the number of cases between Oct 23 and Oct 29, compared to the corresponding period a week before. He said that the XBB Omicron subvariant is believed to be responsible for the rise in cases.  

He added that there was an increase of 14 per cent in the number of patients who were admitted to public hospitals, although most of them had mild symptoms.

“This variant spreads more easily compared to other Omicron subvariants and is expected to be the dominant subvariant replacing BA5 after this. However, there is no evidence that it causes more severe infections,” he said, adding that the situation is still under control.   

Mr Khairy also said that the Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the standard operating procedures for the elections soon, including voting procedures for those who are positive for COVID-19.

Earlier, the health ministry had proposed two ways for the EC to allow COVID-19-positive individuals to vote in the elections. 

Its director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said one method was to provide a special lane and room for those infected with COVID-19 at each polling centre. The other option is for individuals to wear the necessary protective equipment before going to the polling station. 

Malaysia recorded 3,129 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the cumulative national tally to more than 4.9 million since the pandemic began.

Malaysia has reported 36,466 deaths due to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

Last week, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) revealed that COVID-19 infections were the main cause of death in Malaysia in 2021.

It said that 30,063 deaths or 19.8 per cent of all deaths in Malaysia last year were caused by the virus.

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2022-10-31 09:21:00Z
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India bridge collapses, killing at least 132 people - CNA

AHMEDABAD: At least 132 people died in India when a colonial-era pedestrian bridge overloaded with religious revellers collapsed into the river below, police said on Monday (Oct 31).

Authorities said nearly 500 people were celebrating a religious festival on and around the nearly 150-year-old suspension bridge in Morbi when supporting cables snapped soon after dark on Sunday.

The structure in the western state of Gujarat crashed into the river, spilling scores of people into the water while others clung desperately to the wreckage shouting for help.

"I saw the bridge collapse before my eyes," one witness who worked all night trying to rescue people said, without giving his name.

"It was traumatic when a woman showed me a photo of her daughter and asked if I had rescued her. I could not tell her that her daughter had died."

Another witness named Supran told local media that the bridge was "jam-packed".

"The cables snapped and the bridge came down in a split second. People fell on each other and into the river," he said.

Ranjanbhai Patel, another Morbi resident, told local media of the difficulties he and others faced in their bid to help people to shore.

"We pulled out people who were able to swim ashore. As most of the people had fallen into the river, we were not able to save them," he said.

Senior police official Ashok Kumar Yadav told AFP on Monday morning that the death toll now stood at 132. Sources said that most of the victims were women and children.

Around 15 others were being treated in hospital.

The bridge over the Machchhu river, a popular tourist spot, had only reopened several days earlier after months of repairs.

News reports showed footage of people clambering up the twisted remains of the bridge or trying to swim to safety in the dark.

P Dekavadiya, the head of police in Morbi, earlier told AFP by phone that more than 130 people had been rescued.

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2022-10-31 05:16:40Z
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'My heart is broken': South Koreans flock to memorials, mourn Halloween crowd surge victims - CNA

SEOUL: South Koreans flocked to memorials on Monday (Oct 31) honouring the more than 150 people killed in a crowd surge at Halloween celebrations, as authorities faced accusations that lax crowd control had caused the disaster.

Officials said the death toll had risen overnight to 154 with 149 injured, 33 of them in serious condition. Citizens from at least two dozen countries were among the dead.

Mourners wept, prayed and placed flowers at a huge official altar set up in central Seoul for victims - mostly young women - of the Saturday crush, with many railing against authorities' failures to prevent the catastropic loss of young life.

"I am devastated by what happened, they were just trying to have a good time," 19-year-old student Hwang Gyu-hyeon told AFP, weeping and struggling to speak clearly, as she explained how the deaths of so many people her own age had affected her.

"I pray for the victims. I can't believe this accident happened despite the signs that were clear beforehand. Nothing was done to prepare for this crowd," she said.

Song Jung-hee, 69, said she kept thinking about how "excited and spirited" the young victims must have been, eager to enjoy a night out without Covid restrictions for the first time in three years.

"If only there had been more police officers to keep order, this would not have happened," she told AFP.

At a makeshift memorial outside a subway station in the popular Itaewon nightlife district, where the tragedy occurred, dozens of mourners gathered, many wiping away tears as they placed white chrysanthemums and bottles of soju on the altar.

One sign left at the memorial said: "At an age when you all were all about to blossom like flowers ... My heart is broken. I pray all the souls will rest in peace in heaven."

CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

Calls for accountability were growing Monday in the press and online, as potential lapses of crowd control and policing emerged.

As many as 100,000 people - mostly in their teens and 20s, many wearing Halloween costumes - had poured into Itaewon's small, winding streets, with eyewitnesses describing scant security and no crowd control.

Police said at a briefing Monday they had deployed 137 officers to the event, pointing out that the number was significantly higher than previous years.

But local reports said many of the police deployed were focused on drug use, rather than crowd control.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday promised a thorough investigation.

"The government will undertake a thorough investigation into what caused this accident and do its best to make necessary institutional changes so that such an accident is not repeated," Han said as government officials met to discuss the disaster.

"Identification has been completed for all of the 154 deceased except one, and I believe it is time for follow-up measures such as funeral procedures to be carried out in earnest," Han said. "We will do our best to provide necessary support by reflecting the opinions of the bereaved families as much as possible."

Han said there were incidents of people propagating hate speech by blaming victims, as well as spreading false information and posting disturbing scenes of the incident online. A National Police Agency official said they were investigating six related cases.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has declared a period of national mourning and designated Itaewon a disaster zone, visited a memorial altar near the Seoul city hall and paid his respects to victims on Monday, his office said.

"This was a disaster that could have been controlled or prevented," Lee Young-ju, a professor from the Department of Fire and Disaster at the University of Seoul, told broadcaster YTN.

"But this was not taken care of, with no one taking the responsibility in the first place."

Online, claims also spread that police this year were not actively managing the crowd, which allowed too many people to congregate around the subway station and in the alleyway at the epicentre of the disaster.

"I've lived in Itaewon for 10 years and experienced Halloween every year but yesterday was by no means particularly crowded compared to previous years," Twitter user @isakchoi312 wrote.

"Ultimately, I think the cause of the disaster was crowd control."

On Sunday, the government had defended the policing plan.

"(The crush) was not a problem that could be solved by deploying police or firefighters in advance," Interior Minister Lee Sang-min told a briefing.

South Korea is typically strong on crowd control, with the country's regular protest rallies often so heavily policed that officers can outnumber participants.

Protest organisers must by law report plans to authorities in advance, but there were no such requirements for the young people flocking to the Itaewon Halloween event.

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2022-10-31 05:41:00Z
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More than 80 killed in India as packed suspension bridge collapses - The Straits Times

AHMEDABAD - At least 81 people were killed and dozens critically injured when a suspension bridge in India’s western Gujarat state collapsed on Sunday, a government minister said.

Indian media reported that children were among those killed.

Dr Atul Prajapati, a medical officer at the state hospital near the disaster site, said: “We have found 81 bodies and the final rites process has begun.”

Dozens of people were also injured, officials said.

More than 400 people were on and around the colonial-era suspension bridge at the time of the collapse. State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said more than 150 people were on the bridge over the Machhu River in the town of Morbi at the time of the collapse.

Indian news agency Press Trust of India, quoting unnamed officials, said the bridge collapsed as it could not bear the weight of the people standing on it.

Footage broadcast by the TV channel showed dozens of people clinging onto the cables of the collapsed bridge as emergency teams struggled to rescue them.

Some clambered up the broken structure to try to make their way to the river banks, while others swam to safety. A number of children were among the victims.

Mr Prateek Vasava, who swam to the river bank after falling from the bridge, told 24 Hours Gujarati-language news channel that he witnessed several children drop into the river.

“I wanted to pull some of them along with me but they had drowned or got swept away,” he said.

The bridge had collapsed in just a few seconds, he said.

Broadcaster NDTV reported that people also swam to safety, with parts of the bridge partially submerged in the river.

“Many people came here in view of Diwali holidays and weekend; it’s a tourist-friendly place. When it collapsed, people fell over each other,” an eyewitness told ANI.

The 230m-long historic bridge was built during British rule in the 19th century. It had been closed for renovation for six months and was reopened to the public last week.

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2022-10-30 15:25:00Z
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No reports of Singaporeans among the casualties in South Korea stampede: MFA - CNA

SINGAPORE: There are currently no reports of Singaporeans among the casualties in the stampede in Seoul, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Sunday (Oct 30) night.

At least 153 people were killed and dozens more injured in the Itaewon district of Seoul when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities on Saturday night. 

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday to convey his condolences.

In his letter, Mr Lee said he was deeply saddened to hear about the stampede.

"It is especially heart wrenching that many who died are young people," he added.

"On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I express my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.

"Our thoughts are with the people of South Korea during this difficult time, and I wish all the injured a swift recovery."

MFA said that Singapore's Embassy in Seoul is in close contact with local authorities about the situation.

Singaporeans in Seoul who require consular assistance can contact the Singapore Embassy in Seoul at +82-10-7204-6240 or the MFA Duty Office at +65 6379 8800 / 8855.

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2022-10-30 13:57:00Z
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South Korea mourns, wants answers after Halloween crush kills 153 people - CNA

SEOUL: Shocked family members collected bodies, parents searched for children and a country sought answers on Sunday (Oct 30) after at least 153 people were crushed to death when a crowd in South Korea surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities.

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a period of national mourning and designated Seoul's popular Itaewon district a disaster zone after the Saturday night disaster.

"This news came like a bolt from the blue sky," said a father who burst into tears as he collected his daughter's body from a morgue in the nation's capital.

A huge crowd celebrating in Itaewon surged into an alley, killing at least 153 people, most of them in their 20s, emergency officials said, adding the death toll could rise.

The partiers, some still in their teens and many in Halloween costumes, were ready to enjoy the bars, nightclubs and restaurants where the revelry routinely spills over into narrow and often steep side streets.

Instead, the street became filled with people crying for help, while emergency workers desperately sought to free trapped bodies and perform CPR on people splayed across the debris-littered ground.

Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, told a briefing at the scene 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously. The deaths included 22 foreigners, he said.

Families and friends desperately sought word of loved ones at community centres turned into facilities for missing people.

At least 90 per cent of the victims had been identified by midday, with delays affecting some foreign nationals and teenagers who did not yet have identification cards, the Interior Ministry said.

Makeshift memorials began appearing near the site, with onlookers leaving flowers and notes.

President Yoon expressed condolences to the victims and his wishes for a speedy recovery to the many injured in one of South Korea's worst disasters and the world's worst stampedes in decades.

"This is truly tragic," he said in a statement, vowing an investigation into the cause of the disaster. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night."

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2022-10-30 12:06:00Z
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Macao's MGM Cotai casino locked down after dealer infected with COVID-19 - CNA

HONG KONG: Macao's MGM Cotai, operated by MGM China, was locked down on Sunday (Oct 30) morning after a dealer was found to be infected with COVID-19, local gaming publication Inside Asian Gaming reported, citing unidentified sources.

MGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Government health workers were at the MGM Cotai site and no one is allowed to enter or exit the building, Inside Asian Gaming said.

The closure comes after Macao detected its second coronavirus case this month, after having no cases for more than three months. The infections come just ahead of a planned resumption of inbound tours from mainland visitors in November after a hiatus of more than two and a half years.

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2022-10-30 07:56:53Z
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The cost of Laos' quest to be Southeast Asia's 'battery', and the World Heritage town at risk - CNA

“We have to use our natural resources to bring more prosperity,” he said, adding that hydropower development has also “helped directly” to increase the electrification rate from about 30 per cent before 2000 to about 95 per cent of households.

The country’s National Assembly has approved a strategy of deriving 75 per cent of electricity from hydropower and 14 per cent from coal by 2025, with the remainder coming from sources like solar and biomass, he said.

On why coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, has crept into the energy mix — only since 2015 — he said: “We don’t have any oil, any gas, but we have quite a large amount of coal.

“It’ll help to stabilise the (electricity) supply.”

During the dry season, when Laos experiences an energy deficit, it buys back what it has exported to Thailand. But this is at about twice the initial sale price, which does not make economic sense, said Lee.

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2022-10-29 22:00:00Z
CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vY25hLWluc2lkZXIvY29zdC1sYW9zLWh5ZHJvcG93ZXItcXVlc3Qtc291dGhlYXN0LWFzaWEtYmF0dGVyeS1lbGVjdHJpY2l0eS1kYW1zLXJpc2stMzAyOTA4NtIBAA

'It's truly horrific': South Korea's Yoon declares national mourning period over crush - The Straits Times

SEOUL – South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday declared a national mourning period over a crush during Halloween festivities, saying it was so miserable to see such a disaster happening in the heart of Seoul, the Yonhap news agency reported.

“It’s truly horrific,” Mr Yoon said, saying Saturday’s “tragedy and disaster should never have happened.”

“As president, who is responsible for the people’s lives and safety, my heart is heavy and I struggle to cope with my grief,” he said.

“The government will designate the period from today until the accident is brought under control as a period of national mourning and will place top priority in administrative affairs in recovery and follow-up measures.”

Mr Yoon expressed his condolences over the deaths and wished a speedy recovery for the injured, say the government will support funeral preparations and fully mobilise emergency medical services to treat patients, including by assigning public servants individually to those requiring assistance.

“The most important thing is to determine the cause of the accident and prevent similar accidents,” he said. “We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and make fundamental improvements so that similar accidents do not happen again in the future.”

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2022-10-30 01:13:41Z
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At least 146 people dead, 150 injured in South Korea Halloween stampede - The Straits Times

SEOUL - At least 146 people were killed in a stampede when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween crammed into an alley in a night life area of the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday night, emergency officials said.

A further 150 people were injured in the crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district, Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene.

Many of the injured were in serious condition and receiving emergency treatment, the officials said.

The incident took place at about 10.20pm (9.20pm Singapore time).

A large number of people fell down in the alley during the festivities, Choi said. Many of the party-goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.

Many of the victims were women in their twenties, Choi said.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes moments before the stampede, with the police on hand in anticipation of the Halloween event at times having trouble maintaining control of the crowds.

Social media footage showed hundreds of people packed in the narrow, sloped alley crushed and immobile as emergency officials and police tried to pull them free.

One woman heard on a social media post cries out in English: “Oh my God, oh my God, Jesus f***ing Christ.”

Other footage showed chaotic scenes of fire officials and citizens treating dozens of people who appeared to be unconscious.

A witness quoted by JoongAng Daily said he tried to leave Itaewon’s main pedestrian entertainment street via a small side street next to the Hamilton Hotel.

He escaped before the crush turned deadly but said that other people were already panicking, with some in tears.

“It was people fighting to leave and people fighting to get in,” he said.

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2022-10-29 19:34:52Z
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Mahathir says willing to forget 'betrayal' to cooperate with PN but Muhyiddin refused - The Straits Times

ALOR SETAR – Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad says his new coalition is willing to work with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance to defeat Umno in Malaysia’s Nov 19 general election, Bernama reported, but the latter has refused to meet him.

Tun Dr Mahathir said his Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition is willing to work with PN despite being “betrayed” by Mr Muhyiddin in February 2020, when Mr Muhyiddin led a group of lawmakers to defect and join up with Umno, causing the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government.

“I thought it is okay, even though he had stabbed me in the back before; for the sake of our people, country and religion, we are willing to humble ourselves to cooperate with Muhyiddin, even after he had betrayed me. I am willing to forget about it.

“But... he said he did not want to cooperate with anyone. How arrogant,” Dr Mahathir said, when speaking at the GTA rally in Alor Setar, the capital of Kedah state, on Friday night, as quoted by Bernama.

The Mahathir-led GTA is the fourth coalition in Malaysia’s crowded election space and is the smallest political bloc.

Dr Mahathir, 97, is pro tem chairman of GTA, whose four MPs are from his new party, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air.

The other members of GTA are even smaller political parties with no seats in Parliament.

The biggest electoral battles are expected to feature Umno-led Barisan Nasional, which has 42 MPs; PH (90 MPs), which is led by opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim; and PN (49 MPs).

GTA’s overtures to work with PH have also been rebuffed.

Dr Mahathir claimed that Mr Muhyiddin, 75, is confident that PN can win the election without cooperating with any party and is still interested in becoming prime minister for the second time.

Dr Mahathir said GTA has never refused to cooperate with any party to defeat Umno.

“I know people like to see opposition parties unite so that we can defeat Umno, but when we asked them (PN) to cooperate, they refused. We are ready, even in GTA, we have four parties, we are united, but they don’t want to (cooperate),” he said.

Meanwhile, GTA pro tem deputy chairman Mukhriz Mahathir said the coalition planned to contest about 120 parliamentary seats, and the candidates will be announced on Nov 2.

He said the actual number of seats would be finalised later, adding that it would field candidates in no less than 10 parliamentary seats in Kedah, Dr Mahathir’s home state.

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2022-10-29 09:16:05Z
1620260068

Biden calls attack on US Speaker Pelosi's husband 'despicable' - CNA

PHILADELPHIA: US President Joe Biden called Friday's (Oct 28) attack on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband "despicable."

An intruder attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, fracturing his skull in the early hours after breaking into the couple's California house in search of the speaker, according to officials.

Addressing a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Biden said political violence had "no place" in the United States, adding "Enough is enough is enough."

Biden also referenced media reports that the assailant was chanting "Where is Nancy," the same chant used during the deadly Jan 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

"I am not making this up," Biden said. "This is reported."

Paul Pelosi was "attacked at home by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the speaker," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said earlier on Friday.

Paul Pelosi, 82 - who underwent surgery and is recovering in hospital - was at home alone, as his wife was working in Washington.

With less than two weeks to go before the crucial US midterm elections, members of both parties have sounded the alarm about the potential for political violence.

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2022-10-29 01:03:00Z
1626482009

Taiwan invites Chinese veterinary experts as beloved panda nears death - CNA

Tuan Tuan and his breeding mate Yuan Yuan were given to Taiwan by Beijing at a time when relations between the two neighbours were more cordial.

In a nod to the Chinese Communist Party's goal of one day taking Taiwan, their names combined mean "reunion" or "unity".

The couple became huge stars in Taiwan and Yuan Yuan has since given birth to two female cubs.

"He (Tuan Tuan) was small and so cute when he first got here," said Heng Ling-lin, who brought her children to Taipei Zoo to sign get-well notes.

"He was like everybody's baby," she told AFP.

"It breaks my heart now to see him like this."

"PANDA DIPLOMACY"

China only loans pandas to foreign zoos which must usually return any offspring within a few years of their birth to join the country's breeding programme.

But Taiwan was granted an exception as part of a brief charm offensive China launched in the late 2000s and was fully gifted both Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan and any offspring they had.

Vets first noticed Tuan Tuan, 18, was ill in August when he began suffering seizures and appeared increasingly unsteady and lethargic.

Subsequent scans showed he had a brain-lesion and he was placed on anti-seizure medication.

Earlier this week Taipei Zoo said they suspected Tuan Tuan had a brain tumour and he was moved into palliative care.

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2022-10-28 08:53:47Z
CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS90YWl3YW4taW52aXRlcy1jaGluZXNlLXZldGVyaW5hcnktZXhwZXJ0cy1tYWxlLXBhbmRhLXR1YW4tdHVhbi1uZWFyLWRlYXRoLTMwMzA2MzHSAQA

Forgotten Uyghurs locked up in Thailand face 'hell on earth' - CNA

DIPLOMATIC BALANCE

"What's a life, in this kind of prison cell for almost 10 years?" asked Thai senator Zakee Phithakkumpol, one of the leaders of the Islamic Central Council, which represents the kingdom's eight million Muslims.

Support for the detainees has stepped up in recent months, with eight Thai human rights organisations urging authorities in July not to send them to China.

The renewed attention comes as Thailand prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next month, with China and the US both increasingly vying for influence in Southeast Asia.

Thailand's junta cosied up to Beijing after seizing power in 2014, but in recent years it has sought to tread a path between China and the US, the kingdom's oldest ally.

"Lately, Bangkok has been rebalancing its relations between Washington and Beijing, rather moving closer to the US," political professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak at Chulalongkorn University told AFP.

The massive diplomatic and security fallout from the 2015 deportation may also contribute to the government's hesitancy, but it is keeping mum about its next moves.

Contacted by AFP, a ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson said the position of the kingdom "remained the same", without giving further details.

Sami, who was in communication with a number of the men held, says their fears will not have changed.

Every time they spoke, he said, "I tell them with sorrow that there is no news, there is nothing about them."

Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said the Uyghurs' treatment was "absolutely shocking" and Thailand should release them immediately.

"Thai Immigration is acting like it will hold these men indefinitely, for the rest of their lives if need be, to avoid offending China," Robertson told AFP.

"If there is a hell on earth, Thailand has created it for these Uyghur detainees."

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2022-10-28 06:40:19Z
CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS91eWdodXJzLWNoaW5hLXRoYWktZGV0ZW50aW9uLWh1bWFuLXJpZ2h0cy1hYnVzZS14aW5qaWFuZy1kaXBsb21hY3ktMzAzMDQ0NtIBAA

Putin blasts West, says world faces most dangerous decade since WWII - CNA

LONDON: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (Oct 27) that the world faced the most dangerous decade since World War II as Western elites scrambled to prevent the inevitable crumbling of the global dominance of the United States and its allies.

In one of his longest public appearances since he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, Putin signalled he had no regrets about what he calls "a special operation" and accused the West of inciting the war and of playing a "dangerous, bloody and dirty" game that was sowing chaos across the world.

"The historical period of the West's undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end," Putin, Russia's paramount leader, told the Valdai Discussion Club during a session entitled A Post-Hegemonic World: Justice and Security for Everyone.

"We are standing at a historical frontier: Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of World War II."

The 70-year-old former KGB spy was more than an hour late to the meeting of Russia experts where he gave a typically scathing interpretation of what he portrayed as Western decadence and decline in the face of rising Asian powers such as China.

He appeared relaxed over more than three and a half hours as he was questioned about fears of nuclear war, his relations with President Xi Jinping, and about how he felt about Russian soldiers killed in the Ukraine war, which he cast "partly" as a civil war, a notion Kyiv rejects.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the war, while the West has imposed the most severe sanctions in history on Russia, one of the world's biggest suppliers of natural resources.

"DIRTY BOMB"

The Russian leader blamed the West for stoking recent nuclear tensions, citing remarks by former British Prime Minister Liz Truss about her readiness to use London's nuclear deterrent if the circumstances demanded it.

He repeated an assertion that Ukraine could detonate a "dirty bomb" laced with radioactive material to frame Moscow - an allegation dismissed by Kyiv and the West as false and without evidence.

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2022-10-27 18:28:00Z
1628608169

Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan reiterates 'deep disappointment' over Myanmar situation - CNA

The regime change has prompted the emergence of opposition movements, some armed, across the country, which the military has countered with lethal action.

Southeast Asian countries have led efforts to bring peace to Myanmar, but the junta has done little to implement the consensus agreed upon last April.

At Thursday's meeting, Dr Balakrishnan urged Myanmar's military authorities to "swiftly and fully implement" the plan, which includes granting the ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy on Myanmar access to all stakeholders and facilitating the swift, equitable and transparent distribution of humanitarian assistance to all in need, without discrimination, said MFA.

"He reaffirmed the need for ASEAN to engage all stakeholders in Myanmar soon and called for constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people of Myanmar."

The foreign ministers agreed to continue discussing recommendations to be proposed to ASEAN leaders at the upcoming summits, MFA added.

Thursday's meeting at the ASEAN secretariat in the Indonesian capital was not attended by any representatives from Myanmar.

Myanmar had been invited to send a non-political representative, but the junta did not agree.

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2022-10-27 09:36:00Z
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Helicopter crashes in Malaysia's Cameron Highlands, injuring all 6 people on board - The Straits Times

IPOH, Perak - A helicopter with six people on board crashed in Cameron Highlands on Wednesday. All had injuries, including one with a broken leg.

Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said rescuers had found all six in the hills of Brinchang at around 4pm. The victims had managed to contact the rescue team while waiting to be rescued.

They were in stable condition and receiving medical assistance, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed, a few hours after the Airbus AS355 F2 helicopter carrying medical personnel and equipment crashed at about 1pm in a forest in Brinchang.

Those aboard the aircraft included medical officers, nurses and a public health assistant from the Kinta Health Department in Perak, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

He added that the team was on its way back to Tanjung Rambutan in Ipoh after completing a regular visit to an indigenous people’s village in rural Kampung Gawin, Gua Musang.

After first responders arrived at the crash site amid heavy rain, emergency medical units were also mobilised to assess the victims’ injuries at a vegetable farm near the site. The last victim was moved out of the crash site at about 9.10pm and taken to hospital.

Mr Khairy said he was planning to visit the victims in hospital on Thursday.

The pilot, who was unable to walk, was the first to be taken to Hospital Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom in Cameron Highlands for treatment.

One of the medical officers on board the helicopter, Dr Murnirah Abd Rahman, was in stable condition and taken to a hospital in Ipoh, her husband told Malaysian news portal Majoriti.

Mr Abdul Latiff Abdul Razak said: “(I am OK) is all she said. Maybe she is traumatised, thank God she is safe. I was told she injured her hip.”

He said his wife, who has been a medical officer for 12 years, has flown on similar medical missions in helicopters to Gua Musang in Kelantan several times, without an incident like this happening.

The helicopter was operated by private charter airline Layang Layang Aerospace, said CAAM chief executive Chester Voo.

The aircraft lost contact with the company’s flight operations centre shortly after taking off at 12.20pm, said Layang Layang. It crashed while attempting an emergency landing at around 1pm. An investigation into why it had to make an emergency landing is under way.

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2022-10-26 17:13:55Z
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Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh visits Singapore from Oct 26 - CNA

SINGAPORE: The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Dr Mohammad Shtayyeh, will visit Singapore from Wednesday (Oct 26) to Saturday.

His visit to Singapore is the first by a Palestinian prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a press statement.

Dr Shtayyeh will call on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana and be hosted to lunch by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He will have meetings with Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan as well as Dr Maliki Osman, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Dr Shtayyeh will also visit the Institute of Technical Education College East, as well as the NEWater Visitor Centre.

He will be accompanied by Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al Malki, Governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority Feras Milhem and other senior officials.

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2022-10-26 11:32:00Z
CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL3BhbGVzdGluaWFuLXByaW1lLW1pbmlzdGVyLXNodGF5eWVoLXZpc2l0cy1zaW5nYXBvcmUtMzAyNjY1NtIBAA

5 things to know about Rishi Sunak, Britain's first Asian prime minister - CNA

CONTROVERSIES

The couple’s wealth has hurt Sunak politically in the past, with critics saying he could not possibly understand the pain that inflation is causing to the man on the street.  

He has also faced public anger over his wife’s tax status. As an Indian citizen, Ms Murthy is eligible for so-called “non-domiciled” status in Britain, which allowed her to avoid paying UK taxes on the millions she earned abroad. 

She eventually agreed to start paying extra taxes to relieve pressure on Sunak, saying she did not want this to be “a distraction for my husband or to affect my family”. 

Sunak himself was at the centre of controversy when he was fined for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules in June 2020, when he attended a birthday gathering for then-prime minister Boris Johnson. 

Sunak, who was finance minister then, apologised but rejected calls to quit. 

RECORD RISE

Sunak’s rise - from MP to prime minister in seven years - is also a record-breaking one, in modern times. 

Cameron did the same in nine years. The 18th-century leader Pitt the Younger holds the overall record of two years.

Sunak entered parliament in 2015 as MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, and served as a junior minister in former prime minister Theresa May's government.

He was then made chief secretary to the Treasury by her successor Johnson, before being promoted to chancellor in February 2020. 

Notwithstanding the flouting of lockdown curbs to party with his boss at the time Johnson, it was also during the pandemic when Sunak's popularity soared, as he unveiled support measures worth £350 billion to help Britons weather the storm.

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2022-10-26 06:53:00Z
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Russia raises accusation at UN of Ukraine 'dirty bomb' plans - CNA

With Ukrainian forces advancing into Russian-occupied Kherson province, threatening a major defeat for Moscow, Russian officials phoned their Western counterparts on Sunday and Monday to air their suspicions.

Russia accused the Kyiv government of ordering two organisations to create a dirty bomb, an explosive device laced with radioactive material, without giving any evidence.

France, Britain and the United States said the allegations were "transparently false" and Washington warned Russia there would be "severe consequences" for any nuclear use.

"Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake for it (to) use a tactical nuclear weapon," US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday. "I'm not guaranteeing you that it's a false flag operation yet, we don't know. But it would be a serious mistake."

INSPECTORS

Britain's Deputy UN Ambassador James Kariuki told reporters: "This is pure Russian misinformation of the kind of we've seen many times before and it should stop."

Russia's defence ministry said the aim of a dirty bomb attack by Ukraine would be to blame Moscow for the radioactive contamination, which it said Russia had begun preparing for.

In an apparent response to Moscow's allegation, the UN nuclear watchdog said it was preparing to send inspectors to two unidentified Ukrainian sites at Kyiv's request, both already subject to its inspections.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters the inspectors would receive full access, and he called on Moscow to demonstrate the same transparency as Ukraine.

Russia's state news agency RIA has identified what it said were the two sites involved - the Eastern Mineral Enrichment Plant in the central Dnipropetrovsk region and the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv.

President Vladimir Putin has not spoken publicly about the dirty bomb allegations but on Tuesday said Russia needed to streamline decision-making in what it calls its "special military operation" to rid its neighbour of extremists. Ukraine and its allies accuse Moscow of an unprovoked war to grab territory.

Putin, speaking at the first meeting of a new council to manage the government's work, said increased coordination of government structures and regions was necessary.

MORE HELP FOR UKRAINE?

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday on his first visit since Russia invaded on Feb 24 as Berlin hosted what it said was a conference on a "Marshall Plan" to rebuild Ukraine, a reference to the US initiative to rebuild Western Europe at the end of World War II.

Thousands have been killed, and homes and factories destroyed, since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Since Russian forces suffered major defeats in September, Putin has doubled down, calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists, announcing the annexation of occupied territory and repeatedly threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Steinmeier said Berlin was working to help Ukraine with air defence equipment and would focus on assisting with repairs to infrastructure such as power grids before winter arrives.

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2022-10-25 21:41:00Z
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PM Lee congratulates Chinese President Xi on reappointment as Communist Party leader - CNA

"SUBSTANTIVE RELATIONSHIP"

Congratulating Mr Li on his appointment to the 20th CPC Central Committee Politburo Standing Committee, Mr Lee wrote of the "substantive relationship" between Singapore and China.

"Our three Government-to-Government projects – the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tianjin Eco-City and the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative – continue to be successful examples of what our countries can achieve together," he said. 

"Our multifaceted and forward-looking cooperation has progressed steadily over the years, expanding into new areas such as the digital and green economies.

"I am confident that Singapore-China relations will continue to flourish with the incoming Chinese leadership and as our countries work towards the full restoration of air connectivity."

Mr Lee recalled his last meeting with Mr Li as he rounded off his letter.

"I warmly recall our discussions when we last met in Shanghai in 2018," he said, adding that he looked forward to meeting Mr Li again and working closely with him and his colleagues to strengthen bilateral relations. 

"I wish you every success in your new appointment."

The CPC Central Committee elected Mr Xi as its general secretary for another five-year term on Oct 23.

The 69-year-old is expected to officially secure a historic third term as China's president, due to be formally announced during the government's annual legislative sessions next March.

Mr Li, a former Shanghai party chief and a confidante of Mr Xi's, was elevated to the number two position on the seven-man Standing Committee, making him likely to be named premier during the same sessions.

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2022-10-25 13:52:04Z
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Russia brings Ukraine 'dirty bomb' claim to UN as West rejects it as false - CNA

The foreign ministers of France, Britain and the United States rejected Moscow's allegations as "transparently false" and reiterated their support for Ukraine.

"The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation," they said in a joint statement.

Later, the US issued a warning to Moscow.

"We've been very clear with the Russians ... about the severe consequences that would result from nuclear use," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "There would be consequences for Russia whether it uses a dirty bomb or a nuclear bomb."

Russia's defence ministry said the aim of a "dirty bomb" attack by Ukraine would be to blame Russia for the resulting radioactive contamination. The ministry has begun preparing for such a scenario, it said, readying forces and resources "to perform tasks in conditions of radioactive contamination".

The UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday it was preparing to send inspectors in the coming days to two Ukrainian sites at Kyiv's request, in an apparent reaction to the Russian "dirty bomb" claims. It said both sites were already subject to its inspections and one was inspected a month ago.

Russia's state news agency RIA had earlier identified what it said were the two sites involved in the operation - the Eastern Mineral Enrichment Plant in central Dnipropetrovsk region and the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv. The IAEA statement did not name the facilities it would inspect.

US officials said there was no indication Moscow had made the decision to use a dirty bomb or any nuclear weapon.

"We continue to see nothing in the way of preparations by the Russian side for the use of nuclear weapons," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian accusation was a sign Moscow was planning such an attack itself and would blame Ukraine.

"If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this," Zelenskyy said in an overnight address.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on late Monday he had a detailed discussion with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on "ways to end Russia's nuclear blackmail".

EVACUATION

Russia has ordered civilians to evacuate territory it controls on the western bank of the Dnipro River, where Ukrainian forces have been advancing this month shortly after Moscow claimed to have annexed the area.

A Russian defeat there would be one of Moscow's biggest setbacks yet since its invasion eight months ago.

Kherson's regional capital is the only big city Russia has captured intact since its Feb 24 invasion, and its only foothold on the west bank of the Dnipro, which bisects Ukraine. The province controls the gateway to Crimea, the peninsula Russia seized and claimed to annex in 2014.

The Russian-installed authorities in Kherson announced on Monday that men who stay behind would have the option of joining a military self-defence unit. Kyiv accuses Russia of press-ganging men in occupied areas into military formations, a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.

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2022-10-24 23:58:36Z
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Commentary: Xi cements power at Chinese Communist Party congress, but is still exposed on the economy - CNA

ECONOMIC WOES STILL LOOM LARGE

In all of this, the critical question is whether Xi will become a more abrasive global figure unbound by restrictions on his tenure and surrounded in the leadership by allies who are unlikely to challenge him.

Are there risks that his reach on issues like Taiwan will exceed his grasp?

The short answer is we don’t yet know. But Xi will likely have been further emboldened by his continued rise.

Xi is also a relentless aggregator of power. Since his elevation in 2007 to the Standing Committee, he has moved relentlessly.

In the decade since he was confirmed in 2012 as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party he has, step by step, consolidated power.

This all comes with the important caveat that behind the scenes in an opaque Chinese system, politicking can be brutal. Power struggles, sometimes violent, have scarred Chinese Communist Party history since its founding in Shanghai in 1921.

Xi would not need reminding that what the Communist Party giveth, it can also taketh away.

His own family’s experience is a case in point. Xi’s father Xi Zhongxun, a member of the first generation, with Mao Zedong, of Communist leaders, was purged in 1962. He was accused of being a member of a rightist clique.

Xi Jinping tasted the bitterness of that experience. He was shipped off to Shaanxi province, south-west of Beijing, in the early 1960s, where he spent six years in the countryside.

Xi senior was rehabilitated after the Cultural Revolution. Xi junior completed a degree in chemical engineering at Tsinghua University, one of China’s premier universities, before making his way up party ranks with various provincial assignments.

History will not be absent from Xi’s calculations, nor will he overlook the historical significance of the National Party Congress just concluded in Beijing.

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2022-10-24 22:06:00Z
1594410375

Hu Jintao's dramatic China Congress exit fuels speculation, official silence - CNA

"FEELING UNWELL"

China's only comment came in a pair of tweets in English late on Saturday by its official Xinhua news agency saying that Hu had been feeling unwell, an explanation that has been met with scepticism by some China-watchers.

Twitter is blocked in China, and there has been no mention of the incident in domestic media.

State TV's Saturday night news broadcasts included images of Hu at the congress, before his exit.

Asked at a regular news conference on Monday about the incident and the global attention it has gained, China's foreign ministry referred to the Xinhua tweets.

China's State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"This episode probably tells us much more about China's information environment than it does about any power struggles within elite Chinese politics," said Benjamin Herscovitch, a research fellow at the Australian National University.

Chinese politics, always opaque, have become even more secretive under Xi's decade-long tenure.

"Despite the plausibility of a mundane explanation of ill-health, the CCP's secretiveness vis-a-vis senior Chinese leaders and elite Chinese politics lends itself to many more salacious explanations," he said.

On China's Twitter-like Weibo, a few social media users alluded to the incident by commenting on old posts featuring Hu. By Saturday night, the comments sections of almost all Weibo posts with Hu's name were no longer visible.

"I don't know what happened," said Victor Shih, associate professor at the University of California, San Diego. "Obviously, the timing is a bit suspicious."

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2022-10-24 11:17:00Z
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What to expect from Xi's next five years in power - CNA

ZERO COVID

Xi will also need to decide the future of China's strict zero-COVID policy - and whether the country is now ready to open up to the outside world after two years of closed borders and strict quarantines.

The policy is dragging on the economy, with officials this week blaming the epidemic for rising unemployment.

"Consumption is unlikely to recover to pre-COVID level with the current scale of COVID control," said Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank China.

And with pandemic rules in China's semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong slowly being relaxed in a bid to attract more international capital, Xi could decide the economic costs outweigh the benefits of keeping controls tight.

But the Chinese leader's speech to the party faithful last week gave no sign that the rigid policy - which has forced millions into lockdowns over just handfuls of cases as the rest of the world learns to live with the virus - would relent anytime soon.

And with the success of the zero-COVID policy so entwined with Xi's legitimacy, it appears unlikely that a relaxation will take place anytime soon - no matter the cost to the economy.

HUMAN RIGHTS

China under Xi has seen the almost-total eradication of civil society, with scores of activists having fled the country and opposition to the government all but snuffed out.

And in the far-western region of Xinjiang, rights groups say more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are detained in what the United States and lawmakers in Western countries have said amounts to genocide.

The situation looks unlikely to improve over the next five years as Xi's power grows increasingly impossible to challenge and the leadership digs in its heels against international pressure.

Xi's next term will likely see him "continue his profound assault on human rights across the country and around the globe", Sophie Richardson at Human Rights Watch wrote.

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2022-10-24 08:51:00Z
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Sunak favourite to be Britain's PM after Johnson drops comeback bid - The Straits Times

LONDON - Rishi Sunak looked set to become Britain’s next prime minister after Mr Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest on Sunday, saying that although he had enough support to make the final ballot, he realised the country and the Conservative Party needed unity.

Mr Johnson had raced home from a holiday in the Caribbean to try and secure the backing of 100 lawmakers to enter Monday’s contest to replace Ms Liz Truss, the woman who succeeded him in September after he was forced to quit over a string of scandals.

He said he had secured the backing of 102 lawmakers and could have been “back in Downing Street”, but that he had failed to persuade either Mr Sunak, or the other contender Penny Mordaunt, to come together “in the national interest”.

“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” Mr Johnson said late on Sunday.

The former prime minister had secured the public backing of just under 60 Conservative lawmakers by Sunday, well under half of the nearly 150 endorsements Mr Sunak had received.

Sterling rose more than half a cent against the dollar in early trading in Asia.

Mr Johnson’s statement likely paves the way for his arch rival, the 42-year-old former finance minister Sunak, to become prime minister, possibly as soon as Monday. If confirmed, he would replace Ms Truss, who was forced to resign after she launched an economic programme that triggered turmoil on financial markets.

According to the rules, if only one candidate secures the backing of 100 Conservative lawmakers, they will be named prime minister on Monday.

If two candidates pass the threshold, they will go forward to a vote of the party membership, with the winner announced on Friday, just days before new Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt lays bare the state of the country’s finances in a budget plan due to be released on Oct 31.

That had raised concerns that Mr Johnson would return to Downing Street with the backing of the party members, and not a majority of lawmakers in Parliament, leaving the party badly divided. Mr Hunt declared his backing for Mr Sunak late on Sunday.

Some Johnson supporters could switch to Ms Mordaunt, who has presented herself as the unity candidate, but many immediately switched to Mr Sunak. A source close to the Mordaunt campaign said the former defence minister would continue in the contest.

“She is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together,” the source said.

Mr Johnson has loomed large over British politics ever since he became mayor of London in 2008 and went on to become the face of the Brexit vote in 2016. While he led the Conservative Party to a landslide election in 2019, he was forced out just three years later by a rebellion of his ministers.

Mr Sunak said he hoped Mr Johnson would continue to contribute to public life “at home and abroad”.

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2022-10-23 20:49:02Z
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Rishi Sunak's bid to be Britain's next PM gains momentum - The Straits Times

Mr Sunak was defeated by Ms Truss in the race to replace Mr Boris Johnson in September after losing an election held by members of the Conservative party across the country. Mr Sunak quit Mr Johnson’s government in July, helping trigger a rebellion that bought him down.

Even before declaring on Sunday, Mr Sunak had received more support from Conservative lawmakers than his rivals - former defence minister Penny Mordaunt and Mr Johnson, who is attempting a comeback.

“There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done,” he said in a statement.

“I am asking you for the opportunity to help fix our problems.”

Mr Sunak failed in the summer leadership contest to convince the grassroots he was a better option than Ms Truss. But having correctly predicted her economic agenda would spark economic turmoil, he may hope for more success second time around.

However, Mr Johnson remains a favourite of the party faithful and some members see his former finance minister as a back-stabber, making any such ballot highly fraught for Mr Sunak.

Fabulously rich from his pre-politics career in finance, he has been mocked as out of touch with Britons struggling with decades-high inflation.

On the summer campaign trail, he wore expensive Prada loafers on a visit to a building site and faced accusations of “mansplaining” to Ms Truss.

Video footage also emerged of a 21-year-old Sunak describing his mix of friends following his education at Winchester College, one of Britain’s most exclusive private schools, and the University of Oxford.

“I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are, you know, working class,” he said, before adding: “Well, not working class.”

Dishy Rishi

A details-oriented policy wonk with a background in economics, Mr Sunak, 42, is set to market himself as a stable choice at a time of crisis.

An early backer of Brexit, he took over as chancellor of the exchequer in February 2020 – a baptism of fire for the Tory rising star as the Covid-19 pandemic erupted.

He was forced to craft an enormous economic support package at breakneck speed, which he now insists must be paid off with sound fiscal plans.

In India, Mr Sunak has been better known through his wife, Ms Akshata Murty. She is the daughter of Indian tycoon Narayana Murthy, the billionaire co-founder of information technology group Infosys.

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2022-10-23 14:29:52Z
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Rishi Sunak confirms he is standing to become UK's next prime minister - CNA

LONDON: Britain's former finance minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday (Oct 23) he was standing to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.

"The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis," he said on Twitter.

"That's why I am standing to be leader of the Conservative Party and your next prime minister."

Sunak was defeated by Truss in the race to replace Boris Johnson in September after losing an election held by members of the Conservative party across the country.

Even before declaring on Sunday, Sunak had received more support from Conservative lawmakers than his rivals - former defence minister Penny Mordaunt and Johnson, who is attempting a comeback.

Sunak quit Johnson's government in July, helping trigger a rebellion that bought him down.

"There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done," he said in a statement.

"I am asking you for the opportunity to help fix our problems."

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2022-10-23 10:30:00Z
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China's next premier Li Qiang: Xi Jinping loyalist who oversaw Shanghai COVID-19 lockdown - CNA

BEIJING: Li Qiang, who oversaw Shanghai's grinding two-month COVID-19 lockdown this year as party boss of China's commercial hub, is on track to become China's next premier after President Xi Jinping unveiled a new governing body packed with loyalists.

Li, a close ally of the newly re-appointed Chinese leader, was elevated to the number two position on the seven-man Standing Committee on Sunday (Oct 23), putting him on track to take over the economic management role. Current Premier Li Keqiang, a more reform-minded voice, will step down in March after the maximum two terms.

"Honestly, I did not have him on my list," said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, who had expected the reform-minded Hu Chunhua or Wang Yang to be tapped as the next premier.

Both were left out of the new 24-member Politburo.

"Well, it seems to be that they feel confident doing it their way and it remains to be seen if it works out," he said.

Li became a target for some of the social media ire that made it past censors during a lockdown that caused major disruptions to Shanghai's economy and drew anger from many of its 25 million residents.

Li would also be the first premier since 1976 not to be promoted from vice-premier, said Neil Thomas, a senior analyst for China and Northeast Asia at the Eurasia Group, on Twitter.

"Tradition is that somebody who becomes premier must be vice-premier before - this is totally against party convention," said Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a US think tank, who described Li's performance in Shanghai as mediocre.

"We have not seen Li Qiang introduce any market-oriented reforms," said Lam.

A Chinese fund manager who declined to be named said the general market feeling towards the new leadership lineup is negative.

"Hardly anyone in the line-up has profound understanding of the economy," he said. "Li is already seen as being better than the rest."

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2022-10-23 09:57:00Z
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From Xi's historic third term to leadership reshuffle: Key highlights from China's Communist Party congress - CNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China's leader on Sunday (Oct 23), shortly after the first meeting of the new Central Committee, which was elected on Saturday.

Xi walked at the head of the group at the presentation event for the Communist Party's seven-member Standing Committee, a position reserved for the party's general secretary.

The anointment of Xi came after a week-long congress which saw a sweeping reshuffle of the Central Committee, where a number of top officials - including Premier Li Keqiang - stepped down, as well as the endorsement of Xi's "core position" among the country's leadership.

CNA looks at the key highlights:

A HISTORIC THIRD TERM

Xi's reappointment as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party for another five-year term effectively cements his position as the nation's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, as it tilts the country decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among its elite.

Former leader Deng Xiaoping had written the presidential two-term limit into the constitution in 1982 to institutionalise succession but Xi abolished that limit in 2018.

The 69-year-old is now all but certain to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be formally announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.

Since becoming the country's leader a decade ago, Xi has achieved a concentration of power like no modern Chinese ruler other than Mao.

He proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, pushed for China's rapid expansion in the South China Sea and hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Xi also oversaw China's rise as the world's second-biggest economy, a huge military expansion and a far more aggressive global posture that has drawn strong opposition from the United States.

LEADERSHIP SHUFFLE

The Politburo Standing Committee of seven people, which included re-elected general secretary Xi, was revealed on Sunday.

The Standing Committee, which saw four new faces, represents the apex of political power in China.

The committee members were elected by the newly-minted Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials.

Former Shanghai party chief Li Qiang, a confidante of Xi's, was promoted to number two in the party hierarchy, making him likely to be named premier at the government's annual legislative sessions next March.

It would be an unusual appointment since Li, unlike most past premiers, does not have experience as a vice premier managing central government portfolios.

The 63-year-old rising star's prospects were seemingly in doubt after he bungled a harsh two-month lockdown of Shanghai earlier this year that saw residents left with a lack of access to food and medical care.

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2022-10-23 07:44:00Z
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Who's on the Chinese Communist Party's new Politburo Standing Committee? - CNA

This "showcases to everyone that loyalty rather than popularity is the key for your promotion", tweeted Yang Zhang, an assistant professor at American University in Washington.

"The disaster of Shanghai Lockdown did not stop Li's elevation precisely because he followed Xi's order despite all criticism."

Li is viewed as one of Xi's favourites, having served as the leader's chief of staff while he was party boss of the affluent Zhejiang province between 2004 and 2007.

ZHAO LEJI

The 65-year-old former head of the party's top anti-corruption watchdog has remained on the Standing Committee, being promoted to No 3 in the party hierarchy.

The experienced administrator has been party secretary of two provinces and a Politburo member since 2012.

WANG HUNING

Xi's ideology tsar and existing Standing Committee member has been promoted to No 4 in the party lineup.

Dubbed the "brains behind the throne", the 67-year-old former university professor has devised ideologies for three current and former Chinese presidents, and is the architect of Xi's "China Dream" slogan, as well as the country's more assertive foreign policy.

In one of his most famous works, "America Against America", he argued for the US' inevitable downfall due to wayward cultural values like decadence and individualism.

CAI QI

Current Beijing party chief Cai Qi has been promoted to the Standing Committee and becomes the head of the General Secretariat, managing the day-to-day affairs of the party, according to a member list released by Xinhua.

The 66-year-old is seen as a close political ally of Xi due to his time working under him in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.

He was sent to Beijing as deputy head of the General Office of the National Security Commission in 2014, before becoming Beijing party boss in 2017. He oversaw the successful Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

DING XUEXIANG

The low-key Politburo member and top aide of Xi has been promoted to the Standing Committee - an appointment widely expected by analysts for a member of the leader's inner circle.

The 60-year-old regularly accompanies Xi on official engagements, becoming a familiar face hovering in the background of state media reports, never far from his boss.

The former head of the Communist Party's General Office has never served as a provincial-level party boss or governor, making his appointment effectively a reward for his loyalty to Xi.

The pair became close while Ding served in the Shanghai party committee - Xi was Shanghai's top party boss in 2007 to 2008 - and he moved to Beijing to work as Xi's personal secretary in 2013.

"If Xi's two secretaries lead the (government) State Council ... it will no longer be parallel with the Party, but simply one (of) many institutions under the leadership of the Party, and of Xi," tweeted Zhang.

LI XI

The current Politburo member and party chief of economic powerhouse Guangdong province has been promoted to the Standing Committee, in an appointment widely anticipated by observers.

Li, 66, was confirmed as head of the powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's powerful anti-graft watchdog, in a list released by Xinhua.

Li is regarded as a confidant of Xi, having known him since the 1980s after working as secretary for a close ally of Xi's father, revolutionary leader Xi Zhongxun. He also built up a power base in Shaanxi, Xi's ancestral province.

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2022-10-23 05:40:00Z
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China's former leader Hu Jintao escorted out of party congress - Nikkei Asia

TOKYO -- In perhaps the most dramatic moment of the 2022 Chinese Communist Party national congress, former President Hu Jintao was led by the arm out of the Great Hall of the People on Saturday.

In the closing session of the seven-day gathering, the 79-year-old was urged to leave the session by a steward, as media cameras captured the scene.

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2022-10-22 17:38:00Z
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Commentary: Five things to watch as Malaysia prepares to head to the polls - CNA

HOBART, Australia: Let the race begin. In the upcoming Malaysia General Election (GE15), the best description for competitive seats is “free for all”.

The Election Commission on Thursday (Oct 20) announced three important dates: Nomination Day on Nov 5, early voting on Nov 15 and Polling Day on Nov 19. There were no real surprises - the general consensus was for Malaysia to go to the polls in mid-Nov and a two-week campaign period.

What can we expect over the next fortnight before nomination day? Here are the major items to watch out for.

MAD SCRAMBLE ON CANDIDATE ISSUES

First, we can expect a mad scramble to sort out the candidate issue. While the political parties would have settled on most seats, there are problematic seats in both the government and the opposition side. There will always be highly competitive constituencies that all parties want.

This is especially difficult for coalitions where more than one member of the coalition is staking a claim. The golden rule is that the incumbent and his party have first claim.

In the past, this was a manageable problem given that there were really only two big coalitions fighting Malaysian elections - Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH). This is no longer the case. There are currently about 40 to 50 highly competitive constituencies.

There are three credible coalition - BN, PH and Perikatan Nasional (PN) - plus a smaller coalition, Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA). GTA consists of Malay nationalists' parties led by Mahathir Mohamad, who at 97 is still in the game. On top of this, there are at least two new parties who will put up candidates in these competitive constituencies.

In the meantime, over the next fortnight, party leaders will be holding clandestine meetings with each other to sort out the candidate issue.

Nevertheless, I will not be surprised that on nomination day, there will be seats where members of the same coalition will actually field candidates against each other.

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2022-10-21 22:00:00Z
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