Zelenskyy has promised Ukraine will not use F-16 planes to go into Russia, says Biden - CNA

HIROSHIMA, Japan: US President Joe Biden on Sunday (May 21) said he had received a "flat assurance" from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would not use Western-provided F-16 fighter jets to go into Russian territory.

Biden told reporters in Hiroshima, Japan, at the conclusion of a meeting of world leaders that F-16 warplanes could be used "wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area".

He said it was "highly unlikely" the planes would be used in any Ukrainian offensive in the coming weeks, but that Ukrainian troops could need such weapons to defend themselves against Russian forces beyond their current reach.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) richest democracies on Sunday said they would not back down from supporting Ukraine, in a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin as he claimed to have taken the eastern city of Bakhmut, something Kyiv denied.

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2023-05-21 12:33:00Z
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Zelenskyy says Bakhmut still in Ukraine's hands - CNA

HIROSHIMA, Japan: Ukraine said on Sunday (May 21) that it was still fighting for control of the eastern city of Bakhmut, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said earlier that the city remained "only in our hearts".

Asked before a meeting with United States President Joe Biden in Japan if the city was still in Ukraine's hands after the Russians said they had seized it in its entirety, Zelenskyy told reporters, "I think no."

He added: "For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts."

Zelenskyy's press secretary later clarified that the leader was responding to a different part of the question.

"Reporter's question: Russians said they have taken Bakhmut," Sergii Nykyforov wrote on Facebook. "President's reply: I think no."

He added in Ukrainian: "In this way, the president denied the capture of Bakhmut."

Russia claimed on Saturday to have fully captured the smashed eastern Ukrainian city, which if true would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war.

"It is tragedy," Zelenskyy said. "There is nothing on this place."

The assault on the largely levelled city was led by troops from the Wagner Group of mercenaries, whose leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said earlier in the day that his troops had finally pushed the Ukrainians out of the last built-up area inside the city.

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2023-05-21 07:30:00Z
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G7 stiffens resolve to thwart Russia, gives Zelenskyy chance to win over fence sitters - CNA

HIROSHIMA: The Group of Seven (G7) rich nations signalled to Russia their readiness to stand by Ukraine for the long haul while giving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a chance to win over countries such as Brazil and India on the last day of a summit in Japan.

Distrust of China as a trading partner and determination to help Ukraine repel Russia's invasion were the key messages delivered by the world's leading democracies at the gathering in the city of Hiroshima.

But even as the G7 leaders began wrapping up their three-day meeting on Sunday, Russia claimed to have finally captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, following a months-long siege that marked the bloodiest battle of the war.

The heads of the G7 - the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada - have debated how to respond as the conflict that began in February last year drags on.

Potential joint allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on US-made F-16 warplanes was a message to Russia that it should not expect to succeed in its invasion by prolonging the conflict, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday.

Ukraine has not yet won commitments for delivery of the planes, but senior US officials said US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders Washington supports joint allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, said the summit was an opportunity to convince big emerging states such as India and Brazil to come off the fence and put their support behind Ukraine.

Macron made the comment to reporters a day after calling Zelenskyy's surprise visit at the summit a "game changer".

Shortly after Zelenskyy arrived in Japan, Russia claimed victory in Bakhmut. Hours before the claims from Moscow, Ukraine had rejected a claim by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin that his Wagner fighters had completed the capture of the city.

NO "FROZEN CONFLICT" IN UKRAINE

During the first day of the summit on Friday, US President Joe Biden endorsed training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets for the first time as leaders announced new sanctions on Russia.

Biden is planning to roll out a US$375 million military aid package for Ukraine in Japan as well, according to a US official. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the package will include artillery, ammunition and HIMARS rocket launchers.

Zelenskyy has pushed the countries to go further on both economic and military measures.

Scholz said that while the immediate priority was supporting Ukraine's defence, security guarantees for Ukraine needed to be established once the war was over.

The German leader said it was important for Zelenskyy to meet leaders of the Global South - a term encompassing major emerging economies like Brazil, India and Indonesia - to convey the message that any proposals for peace talks could not be with the aim of creating a "frozen conflict" and should involve the withdrawal of Russian troops.

As Moscow's 15-month-old invasion has dragged on, several analysts and diplomats have floated the idea that it could become a frozen conflict like the Korean Peninsula. North and South Korea remain technically at war their 1950-53 conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.

Macron struck a similar theme, saying: "Peace should not make Ukraine a frozen conflict because that would lead to a war in the future. It needs to resolve the problem."

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2023-05-21 04:38:00Z
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Black panther dies after being hit by car in Malaysia - CNA

SEREMBAN: An adult male panther died after being hit by a car at Simpang Pertang in Malaysia on Saturday (May 20) afternoon.

Jelebu district police chief Maslan Udin said a multi-purpose vehicle hit the 40kg animal at 2pm. The car was driven by a 38-year-old man, who was travelling from Seremban to Kuala Klawang with his family.

"As the vehicle was making a right turn down the hill, a panther suddenly crossed from the right side of the road, causing the man to hit the animal as he had no time to swerve.

"As a result, the panther managed to make its way to a nearby drain about 4m away but died at that location. The man and his family did not suffer any injuries," the police chief said in a statement.

He said the panther’s remains were handed over to the Negeri Sembilan Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks for further action.

The Malay Peninsula is home to the largest population of black panthers in the world, according to Panthera, an organisation devoted to the conservation of wild cats.

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2023-05-21 05:25:00Z
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Teenager who set dog on fire in Johor eludes public caning after High Court overturns sentence - CNA

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor Bahru High Court has overturned a caning sentence for an 18-year-old teenager who was charged for animal abuse and setting a dog on fire.

Braden Yap Hong Sheng was sentenced by the Johor Bahru Sessions Court in April to receive seven strokes of light caning and be placed on a good behaviour bond for one year with a surety of RM10,000 (US$2,200). The caning was due to be carried out on Sunday (May 21) in court. 

However, on Sunday morning, High Court Judge Abu Bakar Katar ruled that the caning sentence be overturned but upheld the 1-year good behaviour bond.

He said that the sentence was overturned based on the wording of Section 293 of Malaysia's Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). 

The judge explained that according to the CPC, a male youth offender convicted of any offence may be whipped with a light cane within the court premises instead of awarding any term of imprisonment or good behaviour bond - but not both. 

Speaking to reporters after the High Court ruling, Yap’s lawyer G K Sritharan confirmed that his client would now only serve the 1-year good behaviour bond.

“We were summoned by the High Court this morning by Justice Abu Bakar and we were informed of the judgement,” said Mr Sritharan. 

“So (my client) should not get involved in any offences in the future, especially so for the next 12 months,” he added. 

Mr Sritharan also said that his client’s hand was fractured during the incident with the dog and that caning could inflict further injury. 

“One arm was already broken and he has not recovered fully from it. And to inflict harm on him now may be too harsh, I don’t know,” said Mr Sritharan. 

“Of course, the (overturning of the caning sentence) will make this case viral again - they will say ‘it’s not fair’ etc, but it will be ok. My client can go on with his life,” he added. 

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2023-05-21 04:15:46Z
CBMihQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2FzaWEvdGVlbmFnZXItd2hvLXNldC1kb2ctZmlyZS1qb2hvci1lbHVkZXMtcHVibGljLWNhbmluZy1hZnRlci1oaWdoLWNvdXJ0LW92ZXJ0dXJucy1zZW50ZW5jZS0zNTA0MDkx0gEA

At G7, Japan and Germany want a rethink on the 'Global South' - CNA

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said international organisations need to change as the world has.

"Any functioning international order must reflect the multipolar character of the world," he said on Monday in Berlin.

"The uni- or bipolar world of yesterday may have been easier to shape - at least for the powerful," he added. "But it is no longer the world we live in."

The initiative comes as Japan and other G7 members try to engage the Global South, as the G7 nations struggle to stay relevant amid growing Chinese influence in developing countries.

The G7's economic clout has also shrunk. The G7 economies accounted for 29.9 per cent of global GDP in 2023, down from 50.7 per cent in 1980, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Japan's Kishida has said his country's role is to bridge the gap between the G7 and the Global South in areas such as energy and food security.

Tokyo announced a new security aid programme this year, the Overseas Security Aid, which will provide military equipment to help developing countries bolster security with an eye on countering Chinese pressure, a Japanese official said.

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2023-05-20 14:40:00Z
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G7 leaders agree to new initiative to fight economic coercion - CNA

TOKYO : Group of Seven leaders on Saturday (May 20) agreed to a new initiative to counter economic coercion, and pledged action to ensure that any actors attempting to weaponise economic dependence would fail and face consequences.

The initiative, dubbed Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion, will use early warning and rapid information sharing on economic coercion with members meeting regularly for consultations, the leaders said in a statement.

"The world has encountered a disturbing rise in incidents of economic coercion that seek to exploit economic vulnerabilities," the G7 leaders said in a statement following a meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.

The statement did not identify China, but in details released on Friday that outlined the proposed initiative, the British government pointed to attempts by China to use its economic power in political disputes with Australia and Lithuania.

In a statement posted Saturday on its website, China's embassy in Britain warned the G7 countries that any words or deeds harming Beijing's interests would be met with "firm and resolute countermeasures".

The G7 statement also committed the leaders to deepen cooperation on hardening supply chains and called for a bigger role for lower income countries in promoting economic resilience.

They urged all nations to adhere to principles of "transparency, diversification, security, sustainability, and trustworthiness and reliability" in building supply chain networks.

The group also agreed to deepen cooperation in information sharing as it looks to establish new standards for next generation technologies. 

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2023-05-20 08:32:06Z
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