Libya floods wipe out quarter of city, thousands dead - The Straits Times

DERNA - Thousands of people were killed and at least 10,000 were missing in Libya in floods caused by a huge Mediterranean storm that burst dams, swept away buildings and wiped out as much as a quarter of the eastern coastal city of Derna.

A senior medic in Derna told Reuters that more than 2,000 people were dead, while eastern Libya officials cited by local television were estimating a toll above 5,000.

Storm Daniel barrelled across the Mediterranean into a country divided and crumbling after more than a decade of conflict.

In Derna, a city of around 125,000 inhabitants, Reuters journalists saw wrecked neighbourhoods, their buildings washed out and cars flipped on their roofs in streets covered in mud and rubble left by a wide torrent after dams burst.

Wahda Hospital’s director Mohamad al-Qabisi said 1,700 people had died in one of the city’s two districts and 500 had died in the other.

Reuters journalists saw many bodies laid out on the ground in the hospital corridors. As more bodies were brought to the hospital people looked at them, trying to identify missing family members.

"Bodies are lying everywhere - in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings," Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that controls the east, told Reuters by phone shortly after visiting Derna.

"I am not exaggerating when I say that 25 per cent of the city has disappeared. Many, many buildings have collapsed."

The local al-Masar television said the eastern administration's interior minister had said more than 5,000 people died.

Other eastern cities, including Libya's second-biggest city Benghazi, were also hit by the storm. Mr Tamer Ramadan, head of a delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the death toll would be "huge".

"We can confirm from our independent sources of information that the number of missing people is hitting 10,000 so far," he told reporters via video link.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said emergency response teams had been mobilised to help on the ground.

As Turkey and other countries rushed aid to Libya, including search and rescue vehicles, rescue boats, generators and food, distraught Derna citizens rushed home in search of loved ones.

‘Never felt as frightened’

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2023-09-12 22:42:00Z
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Japan PM to replace foreign and defence ministers: Reports - CNA

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1. Japan PM to replace foreign and defence ministers: Reports  CNA
2. Japan PM Kishida to replace foreign and defence ministers in Cabinet reshuffle: Media  The Straits Times
3. Japan finance minister Suzuki seen retaining post in cabinet reshuffle - Kyodo  Reuters
4. Japan PM Kishida to replace foreign, defence ministers in expected cabinet reshuffle  CNA
5. Japan PM Kishida to replace foreign, defense ministers  Nikkei Asia
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-09-12 14:17:19Z
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North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Russia amid US warnings not to sell arms - CNA

Kim could offer artillery rounds from North Korea's large stockpile, which could replenish Russia's capabilities in the short term, but questions about the ammunition's quality may limit the overall impact, military analysts said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's office said many countries were watching with concern the summit between "North Korea which has been sanctioned by the United Nations, and Russia, which is a permanent member of the Security Council".

"As the president has said, we hope Russia will act responsibly as a permanent member of the UN Security Council," a presidential official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

On Monday, Washington urged Pyongyang North to abide by its promise not to sell arms to Russia that could be used in the Ukraine war, which it said would violate Security Council resolutions.

North Korea is one of the few countries to have openly supported Russia over the Ukraine conflict, and Putin pledged last week to "expand bilateral ties in all respects in a planned way by pooling efforts".

In a striking display, Kim gave a personal tour of an arms exhibition to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu when he visited Pyongyang in July, and Shoigu saluted when banned ballistic missiles rolled by at a military parade.

Both Russia and China voted for Security Council resolutions as late as 2017 punishing Pyongyang for ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.

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2023-09-12 10:25:44Z
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Bulletproof and luxurious: Inside the special train that Kim Jong Un uses for overseas trips - CNA

It makes a statement

The pageantry of train travel has played a role in Kim Jong Un's affection for it, former South Korean intelligence official Nam Sung-wook told Reuters in 2019.

It helped him in "putting on a big show" and projecting the image of himself that he wanted to project.

Lee shared the same view.

"We know that the Kim royalty have always led a lavish, extravagant life," he said.

"And I guess Kim Jong Un feels that he comes across as more (of) a statesman, taking his time while travelling overseas, if he travels by train like his father."

It could be seen as a "safer" alternative to flying

According to a 2010 Reuters report citing one of his former bodyguards, Kim Jong Il had a fear of being shot down while flying and never travelled by plane.

He travelled abroad exclusively by train and would use a car or a ship to tour North Korea.

Lee believes that Kim Jong Il's view of air travel persists in the present day.

"We think that Kim Jong Il's penchant for taking the train was perhaps out of fear of flying and being shot down, which, of course, resonates today," he said.

Kim Jong Un has, however, not shown a total aversion to air travel, flying to China and Singapore in 2018.

His trip to the Chinese city of Dalian that year marked the first time that a North Korean leader had publicly travelled by air since 1986, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

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2023-09-12 06:38:00Z
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North Korea's Kim heads to Russia with delegation of arms industry officials - CNA

DELEGATION OF DEFENCE OFFICIALS

The North Korean delegation includes prominent members of the party who handle defence industry and military affairs, including Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun Ryong, an analyst said, which suggests the visit will focus on defence industry cooperation.

"The presence of Jo Chun Ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will conclude some type of agreement for munitions purchases," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Center.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin, the former ambassador to Russia, said it would be in Moscow's interest to consider its international standing after the Ukraine conflict and remember that it helped form the current nonproliferation regime.

"Military cooperation would be violating Security Council resolutions, whatever (Russia) does with the North," he said.

On Monday, Washington renewed its warnings to Pyongyang not to sell arms to Russia that could be used in the Ukraine war, urging the North to abide by its promise not to provide or sell weapons to Russia.

The US State Department said any transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia would violate UN Security Council resolutions, which ban any arms transactions with North Korea.

"We, of course, have aggressively enforced our sanctions against entities that fund Russia's war effort ... And will not hesitate to impose new sanctions appropriately," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

North Korea is one of the few countries to have openly supported Russia since the invasion of Ukraine last year, and Putin pledged last week to "expand bilateral ties in all respects in a planned way by pooling efforts".

In a striking display, Kim gave a personal tour of an arms exhibition for Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu when he visited Pyongyang in July, and they stood together to watch a military parade that featured banned ballistic missiles.

Russia had voted, along with China, to approve Security Council resolutions as late as 2017 punishing North Korea for ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests. 

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2023-09-12 01:29:00Z
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Singapore a consistent and reliable partner: Halimah Yacob on a key message when travelling as President - CNA

There are many unforgettable moments throughout her Presidency, and there are “so many things to learn” on state visits, she shared.

For example, on a visit to the Netherlands, the contingent learned about vertical farming, she added, noting that Singapore hopes to produce 30 per cent of its own food by 2030. 

She also learned from the Queen of the Netherlands that even the children of the royal family cycle to and from school. 

“You can say because that’s how the infrastructure developed, or with people’s own desire to stay healthy. But also to reduce carbon monoxide poisoning … that’s a very interesting example,” said Mdm Halimah. 

On a state visit to Malaysia, the government held a tree-planting ceremony and even named an orchid after her, which they had never done before. 

“Those are things that are quite … they are very touching, because they make the extra effort to try and look at the head of state coming in and try to make it comfortable for the head of state.” 

When asked about her visit to Saudi Arabia as a female President, Mdm Halimah said that the fact that the country agreed to host her was already quite a “big acknowledgement” that the country is looking at ways that Singapore encourages women’s participation in the economy and society.

The King of Saudi Arabia also presented her with a very prestigious award, she said, adding that the Middle East is transforming, wanting to diversify their economies and explore stronger bilateral relations with other countries. 

Mdm Halimah was conferred the King Abdulaziz Medal by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2019. She is the first Singaporean to receive the award, which is the highest civilian honour in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“For Singapore’s part, that was a good thing that we did because I was the first head of state (of Singapore) to visit Saudi Arabia,” she said, adding that she was also Singapore’s first head of state to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Germany and the Netherlands. 

“In all these countries, we bring also our perspectives to strengthen the bilateral relations,” she continued. 

Mdm Halimah also reflected on her visits to China and her meetings with President Xi Jinping, who invited her to visit the country twice - as a speaker during the Asian Civilisations dialogue and for the Beijing Winter Olympics. 

“The first one was really very much aligned to our beliefs (and) values, and that is cohesion,” she said, adding that she was happy that she was given a chance to speak at the conference to share how Singapore conducts its multiracial and multireligious society. 

At both meetings, she had “very good discussions” with President Xi, Mdm Halimah added, describing them as very warm and friendly. 

He also invited her several times for a state visit but she was not able to make the trips because of the COVID-19 lockdowns in Singapore and China, she shared. 

“The relationship between Singapore and China is a very good relationship. And he reinforces that at the meetings that I had with him, and for that I think it is good that we continue with that,” said Mdm Halimah. 

China is a huge country with vast resources, and while it may be going through a slowdown after the COVID-19 pandemic, it has “a great deal” of opportunities when it comes to both the economy and building bilateral relations, she added. 

Noting the US-China tensions, Mdm Halimah said President Xi knows that Singapore will work with all parties. 

“I certainly hope that relations between the two countries, the big superpowers will get better because then it is also good for our whole region as well.”

Watch Halimah Yacob: A President For Everyone at 9pm SG, Sep 12 on CNA.

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2023-09-12 00:31:00Z
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Western nations go on the defensive as Russia thanks India for G-20 declaration - The Straits Times

NEW DELHI – Leaders from Western countries and Japan found themselves on the defensive as they faced questions over why they stopped short of directly criticising Russia for the war in Ukraine in a joint statement issued at the just-concluded Group of 20 (G-20) summit in New Delhi.

The Delhi Declaration, which went through 15 drafts and 200 hours of negotiations, according to the Indian side, dropped the direct condemnation of Russia that found a place in the 2022 Bali Declaration, which referred to Russian aggression against Ukraine.

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2023-09-11 14:35:00Z
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