Former Thai PM Thaksin prepares request for royal pardon: Lawyer - CNA

BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is preparing documentation to draft a request for a royal pardon, but when it would be submitted was at his discretion, his lawyer said on Wednesday (Aug 30).

Thaksin returned to Thailand in a vaunted homecoming last week after spending 15 years abroad in self-exile. After landing in a private jet, he was transferred to prison to serve an eight-year sentence on charges of abuse of power and conflict of interest remnant from his days in power.

Hours after his arrival, Srettha Thavisin of the Shinawatra family-backed Pheu Thai party sailed through a parliamentary vote to become prime minister, fuelling speculation that Thaksin had struck a deal with his former enemies among the country's conservative and royalist military that ousted his government in 2006 and 2014.

Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party have denied this.

During his first night in Thailand, he was moved to a police hospital with chest pains and high blood pressure.

On Wednesday his lawyer Winyat Chartmontri told Reuters the former prime minister was preparing a request for a royal pardon.

"Thaksin is proceeding on his own and is currently in the preparatory stages of documentation and drafting the request," Winyat said, adding the legal team has not seen the request.

The timing of when the request will be submitted will be at Thaksin's own discretion, said Winyat.

Despite being away for 15 years, Thaksin still towers over Thai politics, known for populist policies like universal healthcare and cash handouts. Parties loyal to him have won every election in the last 20 years until 2023.

Anti-Thaksin groups have petitioned the corrections department to block any attempt to seek a pardon, citing that corruption cases should not receive clemency.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9mb3JtZXItdGhhaS1wcmltZS1taW5pc3Rlci10aGFrc2luLXNoaW5hd2F0cmEtcHJlcGFyZXMtcmVxdWVzdC1yb3lhbC1wYXJkb24tMzczNTAyMdIBAA?oc=5

2023-08-30 11:42:00Z
2382825647

India allows rice exports to Singapore: ministry - The Star Online

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

India allows rice exports to Singapore: ministry  The Star OnlineView Full coverage on Google News
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN0YXIuY29tLm15L2FzZWFucGx1cy9hc2VhbnBsdXMtbmV3cy8yMDIzLzA4LzMwL2luZGlhLWFsbG93cy1yaWNlLWV4cG9ydHMtdG8tc2luZ2Fwb3JlLW1pbmlzdHJ50gEA?oc=5

2023-08-30 04:03:00Z
CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN0YXIuY29tLm15L2FzZWFucGx1cy9hc2VhbnBsdXMtbmV3cy8yMDIzLzA4LzMwL2luZGlhLWFsbG93cy1yaWNlLWV4cG9ydHMtdG8tc2luZ2Fwb3JlLW1pbmlzdHJ50gEA

Wanted: Man who chopped tree down at new Tampines BTO estate - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - The Tampines Town Council is looking for a man who illegally chopped down a tree at an HDB housing estate at Tampines Street 62.

The town council had put up notices at the GreenDew estate, a new Build-to-Order (BTO) project in Tampines, on Aug 24, urging those with information on the culprit to come forward.

The notices carry a picture of a man taking what looks like a chopper to young saplings at the estate.

The town council told The Straits Times that one tree has been chopped down, while two others have been damaged, although it was not able to confirm if the same culprit was responsible.

A town council spokesman told The Straits Times that it was informed on Aug 23 that a resident was “seen chopping a tree” near Block 648C Tampines Street 62.

The Straits Times visited the site and saw two crudely hacked trees in front of the lift lobby of Block 648C. One felled tree was lying on a side.

“We are working with HDB to investigate the matter and have posted notices in the vicinity, seeking residents’ assistance in identifying the responsible party,” said the town council spokesman.

He added that the town council was taking the incident seriously and warned that damaging or removing plants, shrubs or trees in common areas is a violation of town council by-laws.

“We have reported the incident to the police, and appropriate action will be taken against the offender,” he said.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL3dhbnRlZC1tYW4td2hvLWNob3BwZWQtZG93bi10cmVlLWF0LW5ldy10YW1waW5lcy1idG8tZXN0YXRl0gEA?oc=5

2023-08-30 07:28:00Z
2376850020

US seeking more 'predictable' business environment in China: Raimondo - CNA

Those fears have been compounded this year by a broad crackdown on US consulting firms operating in China.

A new anti-espionage law, which came into force on Jul 1, has also spooked foreign and domestic firms as they try to decipher authorities' intentions and, crucially, pinpoint what is off-limits.

In a Tuesday meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing, Raimondo raised what Washington sees as unfair trade practices by China, according to a US Department of Commerce readout.

She also emphasised the "importance of strengthening the protection of trade secrets for US businesses operating in China".

The commerce secretary is one of a number of senior US officials to visit China in recent months - part of an effort by Washington to improve its working relationship with its largest strategic rival.

Raimondo has used the trip to seek more open discussions with the Chinese over restrictive trade curbs and the two sides have agreed to set up a working group to iron out the laundry list of trade disputes between them.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvdXMtc2Vla2luZy1jaGluYS1wcmVkaWN0YWJsZS1idXNpbmVzcy1lbnZpcm9ubWVudC0zNzMzOTIx0gEA?oc=5

2023-08-30 02:51:16Z
2352572814

Five new business deals signed as more Singapore firms respond to call of Africa - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Five agreements to boost business ties were signed between Singaporean and African companies at the seventh edition of the Africa Singapore Business Forum (ASBF) on Tuesday.

The new deals add to a lengthening list of recently concluded agreements between Singapore brand owners and their African counterparts who are seeking opportunities in manufacturing, digitalisation and technology, sustainable development, transport, and logistics.

First launched in 2010 on a biennial basis, the ASBF serves as a key platform for Singapore and African business leaders and government officials to discuss trade and investment opportunities. The forum has brought together more than 5,000 thought leaders from 40 countries.

The event comes on the heels of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s official visits in the past year to Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya – aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, including business linkages.

According to Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), the Republic’s bilateral trade in goods with the continent has grown by about 15 per cent every year between 2019 and 2022, reaching $19.4 billion in 2022. Singapore companies’ investments in the African continent had cumulatively reached $32.1 billion as at 2021.

Mr Tan Soon Kim, EnterpriseSG’s deputy chief executive officer for global markets, said: “Singapore companies are recognising the value of diversifying their businesses to markets farther afield and have been responding to our call to explore Africa.”

In his keynote address, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said: “Today, there are about 100 Singapore companies present in 40 countries in Africa.”

Africa comprises 54 countries, with a total population of 1.4 billion people.

Companies have invested in various sectors, such as manufacturing, logistics, agri-commodities and urban solutions, as well as exploring potential in digitalisation and sustainability.

“I encourage more Singapore companies to seek out business and investment opportunities in Africa,” said Mr Gan.

Singapore is also in the process of negotiating new pacts to improve connectivity with African nations – both on a bilateral basis and with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

On Aug 20, the Kenya-Singapore Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement entered into force.

Mr Gan said such agreements provide certainty to companies from both Africa and Singapore that operate in each other’s markets, thus boosting trade and investment flows between both sides.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry will also offer a capacity-building course in trade negotiations as part of the Singapore Cooperation Programme’s Singapore-Africa Partnership Package.

Mr Gan said the course will start in January 2024 and is designed to meet the needs of African trade negotiators, even as it helps to foster stronger relations between the governments as well as officials.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvZml2ZS1uZXctYnVzaW5lc3MtZGVhbHMtc2lnbmVkLWFzLW1vcmUtcy1wb3JlLWNvbXBhbmllcy1yZXNwb25kLXRvLWNhbGwtb2YtYWZyaWNh0gEA?oc=5

2023-08-29 06:54:10Z
CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvZml2ZS1uZXctYnVzaW5lc3MtZGVhbHMtc2lnbmVkLWFzLW1vcmUtcy1wb3JlLWNvbXBhbmllcy1yZXNwb25kLXRvLWNhbGwtb2YtYWZyaWNh0gEA

Japan says may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban - CNA

TOKYO: Japan threatened on Tuesday (Aug 29) to take China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to seek a reversal of Beijing's ban on all of its seafood imports after the release of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Japan's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that Japan will take "necessary action (on China's aquatic product ban) under various routes including the WTO framework".

Filing a WTO complaint might become an option if protesting to China through diplomatic routes is ineffective, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi said separately.

The comments came as Japanese businesses and public facilities continued to receive harassment calls from phone numbers with the +86 Chinese country code, with many reporting callers complaining of the Fukushima water release.

Japan's National Policy Agency has received 225 reports of harassment calls to date, Jiji news reported, and the government said it was seeking help from telecommunications companies to block the calls.

An increasing number of landline phone users are requesting to block foreign numbers, said a spokesperson at NTT Communications, a Nippon Telegraph and Telephone unit. NTT and other phone companies including KDDI and SoftBank Corp are discussing measures following the government’s request.

"It is extremely regrettable and concerning about the large number of harassment calls that have likely come from China," Trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said during a news conference. He said that according to the people of Fukushima some calls were even going to hospitals, .

"Human life is at stake now. Please stop the calls immediately,” Nishimura said.

The minister said the government is gathering information on the reports of movements to boycott Japanese products in China and would work with business leaders to address the situation.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9qYXBhbi1jaGluYS13b3JsZC10cmFkZS1vcmdhbml6YXRpb24tZnVrdXNoaW1hLW51Y2xlYXItcG93ZXJwbGFudC13YXN0ZXdhdGVyLTM3MzE3NDHSAQA?oc=5

2023-08-29 06:53:52Z
CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9qYXBhbi1jaGluYS13b3JsZC10cmFkZS1vcmdhbml6YXRpb24tZnVrdXNoaW1hLW51Y2xlYXItcG93ZXJwbGFudC13YXN0ZXdhdGVyLTM3MzE3NDHSAQA

China, US set to hold fresh talks on trade disputes - CNA

But Wang warned they "run counter to market rules and the principle of fair competition, and will only harm the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains".

Raimondo is set to meet with vice premier He Lifeng and culture minister Hu Heping on Tuesday, and pay a courtesy visit to Premier Li Qiang.

She will then head to China's economic powerhouse Shanghai, before leaving the country on Wednesday.

HEALTHY COMPETITION

Raimondo is one of a number of senior US officials to visit China in recent months - part of an effort by Washington to improve its working relationship with its largest strategic rival.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted to some of their lowest levels in decades, with US trade curbs near the top of the list of disagreements.

This month, Biden issued an executive order aimed at restricting certain US investments in sensitive high-tech areas in China - a move Beijing blasted as being "anti-globalisation".

The long-anticipated rules, expected to be implemented next year, target sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sought to reassure Chinese officials about the expected curbs during a visit to Beijing last month.

And Raimondo on Monday told Chinese officials that while there was "no room to compromise or negotiate" on US national security, "the vast majority of our trade and investment relationship does not involve national security concerns".

"We seek healthy competition with China. A growing Chinese economy that plays by the rules is in both of our interests," she said.

In June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Beijing, where he met President Xi Jinping and said progress had been made on a number of key sources of contention. US climate envoy John Kerry also visited China in July.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvY2hpbmEtdXMtc2V0LWhvbGQtZnJlc2gtdGFsa3MtdHJhZGUtZGlzcHV0ZXMtMzczMTUzNtIBAA?oc=5

2023-08-29 04:32:38Z
2352572814