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Selasa, 11 Juni 2024

CNA Correspondent Podcast: Journey to the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea - CNA

Here's an excerpt from the podcast:

Teresa Tang:

What I found really interesting in your TV report was that when you were out on the water, you actually saw these orange buoys in the distance and written on them was a Filipino phrase that you said translates into “This is ours”, which is hugely symbolic. On the water, did you encounter any problems? You know what happened when you approach the shoal?

Buena Bernal:

So 40 nautical miles from shore, two China coast guard vessels already started shadowing our convoy. By this time, the 100 small wooden boats weren't with us anymore ... And I talked to experts after that trip, because 40 nautical miles from shore, that's well within the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone of a country, and those are distances that are set by the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea that sets the belt of sea that a country can claim based on distance from its shore.

And they told me that based on their monitoring that Chinese vessels that are surveilling the West Philippine Sea, which is how the Philippines calls its maritime zone in the larger South China Sea, are coming closer and closer to shore. They're seeing that China is moving their goalposts each time. It started in 1996 with West Philippine Sea with China seizing Mischief Reef, 2012, China's seizing the inner lagoon of Scarborough Shoal.

And now the issue is becoming Sabina Shoal, which is the closest major maritime feature in the West Philippine Sea to the island of Palawan. And so what you're really seeing here, according to academics that I've spoke to is China's quote unquote, constructive occupation of the West Philippine Sea.

And it's trying to normalise, the academics are saying, that movement of its goalpost. And so efforts like this, where civilians are trying to go to these maritime features ... or this is our civilian mission that I joined, there have been medical missions to Spratly Islands, at least to the Philippine occupied islands there, there was a tour boat, a tour yacht that went again to the Spratly Islands that I joined last year.

So all these efforts to "civilianised" the area, they say, is basically a defiance of, or a challenge to growing Chinese constructive occupation of the West Philippine Sea, or what they say is China's militarisation of that area.

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2024-06-11 23:18:44Z
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US President's son, Hunter Biden, lied about drug use to buy gun, jury finds - The Straits Times

Hunter Biden is still facing three felony and six misdemeanour tax offences in California. PHOTO: NYTIMES

WILMINGTON, Delaware – President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury on June 11 of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun, making him the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime.

A 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware - the Bidens’ hometown - found the defendant guilty on all three counts against him.

Hunter Biden, 54, lightly nodded his head after the verdict was read but otherwise showed little reaction. He then patted his lawyer Abbe Lowell on the back and hugged another member of his legal team.

Mr Lowell said in a statement they would “vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter.”

Hunter Biden still faces a separate tax case in California.

The trial took place against the background of a Nov 5 election pitting Democrat Joe Biden against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who was himself found guilty at a landmark New York state trial in May.

After about three hours of deliberation, the jurors found Hunter Biden falsely claimed to be free of illegal drugs when he filled out a government screening document for a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018 and then illegally possessed the weapon.

In a statement Hunter Biden said he was more grateful for the love and support he had received than he was disappointed by the guilty verdict. He said he was “blessed” to experience the gift of recovery “one day at a time.”

US District Judge Maryellen Noreika set no date for sentencing, but added it would usually be within 120 days. That would place it no later than about a month before the Nov 5 US presidential election.

President Joe Biden issued a statement saying he accepted the outcome of the case and would respect the judicial process as his son considers an appeal.

Some 61 per cent of registered voters responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in February said Hunter Biden’s legal troubles would have no impact on whether they voted for his father in November. The poll showed voters divided over whether Hunter Biden’s legal troubles were related to his father’s service as president.

Sentencing guidelines for the gun charges are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases often get shorter sentences and are less likely to be incarcerated if they abide by the terms of their pretrial release.

In an audio interview with CNN, a juror identified only as No. 10, said: “In deliberating, we were not thinking of the sentencing and I really don’t think that Hunter belongs in jail.”

The juror said: “No politics came into play and politics was not even spoken about. The first family was not even spoken about. It was all about Hunter.”

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Focus on tight White House race

The trial followed the May 30 criminal conviction of Donald Trump, the first US president to be found guilty of a felony.

Trump, convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal, has claimed without evidence that the multiple criminal prosecutions he faces have been orchestrated by Joe Biden in a bid to block his reelection.

On June 11, Trump’s campaign showed no signs of changing its tack.

“This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Congressional Democrats had pointed to the Hunter Biden trial, as well as ongoing federal prosecutions of two Democratic members of Congress, as evidence that President Biden was not using the legal system for partisan ends.

The president himself said last week he would not pardon his son if convicted.

The Delaware trial included prosecution testimony by Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, former girlfriend and sister-in-law, who gave firsthand accounts of his spiraling addiction in the weeks before and after he bought the gun.

Prosecutors also showed text messages, photos and bank records that they said showed Biden was deep in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun and knowingly broke the law by answering “no” to being a drug user on a government screening form.

Biden’s lawyers sought to show he was not using drugs when he bought the gun and did not intend to deceive because he didn’t consider himself a drug user when he filled out the form.

The defence called Hunter Biden’s daughter, Naomi Biden, who testified that her father seemed to be doing well when she saw him shortly before and after he bought the gun.

The Hunter Biden case was brought by US Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee.

At a press conference afterwards, Mr Weiss said the case was not just about addiction but also about the illegal choices Hunter Biden made while in the throes of addiction.

“His choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun, and the choice to then possess that gun. It was these choices, and the combination of guns and drugs, that made his conduct dangerous,” Mr Weiss said.

Mr Weiss has also charged Hunter Biden with three felony and six misdemeanour tax offences in California, alleging he failed to pay US$1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, escorts, exotic cars and other high-ticket items.

Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to those charges. A trial is scheduled for Sept 5 in Los Angeles. REUTERS

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2024-06-11 15:20:33Z
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JB-S'pore RTS Link project reports steady progress, nears 80% completion - The Star Online

JOHOR BARU: The construction of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project between Johor Baru and Singapore is progressing as scheduled, reaching 77.61% completion as of May 31.

Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) said that the maintenance depot, a key part of the railway infrastructure located in Wadi Hana, has achieved 82.14% progress and is set for system installation by the end of the year.

"Currently, the track level floor, architectural, mechanical, and electrical works, as well as external works, are progressing well.

"The platform for Bukit Chagar Station will be ready for system access by the end of the year, with current progress at 71.16% following the completion of U-shell beams above the KTMB tracks," it said in a statement on Tuesday (June 11).

MRT Corp added that the current focus is on constructing the station floors.

"All pier columns along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Ismail Sultan have been installed.

"With more than half of the guideway spans connecting the pier columns along the alignment completed, progress now stands at 65% and is on track for completion by the end of the year.

"Meanwhile, all marine pier columns have been erected and installation works for the guideway spans connecting the columns are underway.

"This brings the progress of overall construction of the marine section to 74.76%, and we anticipate full completion by the end of November 2024.

"Construction of the marine section includes a navigation channel between designated piers, measuring 75m wide and 25m high, to allow boats and barges to pass through.

"With all areas progressing as planned, the operator of the RTS Link, RTS Operations Systems Pte Ltd (RTSO), will have access by the end of this year to carry out system installation works," it added.

The RTS Link is a 4km light rail transit shuttle service between Bukit Chagar Station in Johor Baru and Woodlands North Station in Singapore.

The link has a capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour per direction and is expected to relieve congestion at the Johor-Malaysia Causeway, currently the world’s busiest border crossing.

The Malaysian portion of infrastructure works, which includes the construction of the station, depot, and 2.7km of land and marine viaducts, is being handled by MRT Corp subsidiary Malaysia Rapid Transit System Sdn Bhd, as the Malaysian Infrastructure Company (InfraCo).

"Since construction began, MRT Corp, alongside related federal and state government agencies, has ensured regular updates on the RTS Link project, underscoring our commitment to transparency and keeping the public well-informed about the progress and milestones of this crucial infrastructure project," it said.

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2024-06-11 13:18:00Z
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South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean soldiers briefly cross border - The Straits Times

In recent weeks, North Korea has sent hundreds of balloons laden with trash like cigarette butts and toilet paper southwards. PHOTO: REUTERS

SEOUL – South Korean troops fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the border this week, Seoul’s military said on June 11, with tensions high over Pyongyang’s trash-carrying balloons and the South’s retaliatory loudspeaker campaign.

The June 9 incursion over the line separating the two militaries took place in an overgrown area of the heavily fortified border area and was most likely accidental, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

Relations between the two Koreas – which remain technically at war as the 1950 to 1953 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty – are at one of their lowest points in years.

“Some North Korean soldiers working within the DMZ (demilitarised zone) on the central front briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL),” the JCS said in a statement, referring to the line of control between the two Koreas.

“After our military issued warning broadcasts and warning shots, they retreated northwards,” it said, adding that there had been “no unusual movements observed” subsequently.

About 20 North Korean soldiers crossed the border, according to the JCS.

The incursion was most likely accidental, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung-joon told reporters on June 11.

“The situation at that time was that the DMZ was now overgrown with trees and the MDL mark was not clearly visible,” Mr Lee said.

“There was no road, and the (North Korean soldiers) were moving through the bushes, and we were observing (them) even before they got close to the MDL,” Mr Lee said. “We believe that they did not intend to invade, considering that they immediately moved northwards after the warning broadcasts and warning shots.”

In recent weeks, North Korea has sent hundreds of balloons laden with trash such as cigarette butts and toilet paper southwards, in what it calls retaliation for balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda sent north by activists.

In response, the South Korean government has suspended a 2018 tension-reducing military deal and restarted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border, infuriating the North, which warned that Seoul was creating “a new crisis”.

Seoul’s military said on June 10 that North Korea may also be re-installing its own loudspeakers along the border, a tactic it has used since the 1960s, typically broadcasting praise of the ruling Kim family. It suspended the campaign in 2018 as ties briefly warmed.

Seoul’s spy agency told AFP on June 11 it had also detected signs that Pyongyang was demolishing sections of the inter-Korean railway.

‘Small provocation’

The incursion of the North Korean soldiers could be a “small provocation” to test the waters ahead of a bigger move, Dr Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP.

“It can also be seen as part of (leader Kim Jong Un’s sister and chief regime spokeswoman) Kim Yo Jong’s preparation for what she described as ‘new countermeasures’,” he added.

Pyongyang has previously threatened artillery strikes against the loudspeaker units.

South Korea’s loudspeaker broadcast on June 9 included news segments about Seoul’s decision to suspend the 2018 military agreement along with a report on the global sales performance of Samsung Electronics smartphones, according to the Yonhap news agency.

It also played songs by K-pop sensation BTS, Yonhap said.

Apart from anti-Kim Jong Un leaflets, North Korea is also extremely sensitive about its people gaining access to South Korea’s flourishing popular culture.

According to a United Nations report, Pyongyang enacted a law in 2020 to punish anyone possessing or distributing a large amount of South Korean media content with life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Experts have warned that the decision to jettison the 2018 deal and restart loudspeaker broadcasts could have serious implications, as previous propaganda tit-for-tat actions have had real-world consequences for inter-Korea relations.

In 2020, Pyongyang, blaming anti-North leaflets, unilaterally cut off all official military and political communication links with the South and blew up an inter-Korea liaison office on its side of the border. AFP

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2024-06-11 02:15:15Z
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Outrage in Indonesia over viral videos of 2 mothers sexually abusing their kids; both claim to be sextortion victims - CNA

JAKARTA: Two videos of children being molested by their mothers have been making the rounds online in Indonesia, sparking shock and outrage among netizens while shining the spotlight on sextortion in the country.

The videos were taken last year, but only became viral and a trending topic on social media last week after they emerged on platforms such as X and TikTok.

Police have arrested the two suspects, both in their 20s, who claim to be victims of sextortion. They were allegedly approached on Facebook by a user “Icha Khalisa” in 2023 who promised them payment if they sent over nude photos of themselves.

According to the women, after doing so, the user then demanded that they record videos of them sexually abusing their children and to send the clips over, or else the nudes would be circulated on social media.

Indonesian police published details of the cases on Jun 3. In one case in South Tangerang, the mother - whom the police referred to as R - claimed she was forced to record herself sexually abusing her five-year-old son.

The Facebook user had offered payment of 15 million rupiah (US$920) in exchange while also threatening to circulate her nude photos online if she failed to record and send over the video.

"Because she felt threatened, R finally committed sexual abuse and did bad things. Then, it was recorded which then went viral," said Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesperson Ade Ary Syam Indradi as quoted by Detik.

The video was recorded and sent by R, but she never received the payment. Instead, a year later, the video became viral on social media.

According to the police, a mother in Bekasi, referred to as AK, molested her 10-year-old son under similar circumstances, The incident was recorded and sent to the same Facebook account in December 2023, and the video went viral this month as well.

Both R and AK are suspected of breaking multiple laws concerning pornography and child protection. If charged and found guilty, they face up to 12 years in prison.

Indonesian police say they have tracked down the owner of the “Icha Khalisa” Facebook account, but it turns out the account was hacked by someone who is still at large, and the owner claims to be a victim of extortion like R and AK.

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2024-06-11 09:50:44Z
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Senin, 10 Juni 2024

Hamas welcomes UN Security Council cease-fire resolution on Gaza - CNA

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council passed on Monday (June 10) afternoon a US resolution that welcomes a ceasefire proposal announced by President Joe Biden that the United States says Israel has accepted. It calls on Hamas to accept the three-phase plan.

Out of the 15 members, Russia abstained from the vote, while the remaining 14 council members voted in favour. The US had finalized its text on Sunday after six days of negotiations among council members.

Hamas welcomed the UNSC resolution backing a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan. The group also said it was willing to engage in indirect negotiations over implementing the principles "that are consistent with the demands of our people and resistance."

The resolution urges Israel and Hamas “to fully implement its terms without delay and condition.”

FIRST UNSC RESOLUTION ON CEASEFIRE

It is the first Security Council resolution on a ceasefire plan aimed at ending the eight-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told reporters before the vote on Monday that the United States wanted to make sure all 15 Security Council members were on board. Wood described the draft resolution as "the best, most realistic opportunity to bring at least a temporary halt to this war.”

The Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Monday that the presidency is with any resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and preserves Palestinian land unity.

MORE THAN EIGHT MONTHS OF VIOLENCE

The conflict was sparked by Hamas’ Oct 7 attack in Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mainly Israeli civilians, and saw some 250 others taken hostage. About 120 hostages remain, with 43 pronounced dead.

Israel’s massive military offensive has killed over 36,700 Palestinians and wounded more than 83,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It has also destroyed about 80 per cent of Gaza’s buildings, according to the UN.

The Security Council adopted a resolution on March 25 demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which ended April 9, with the US abstaining. But there was no halt to the war.

The resolution underscores “the importance of the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States aimed at reaching a comprehensive ceasefire consisting of three phases.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his eighth trip to the Middle East since Oct 7 pursuing that goal.

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2024-06-10 20:53:43Z
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Johor Regent denies masterminding footballer acid attack, alleges 'movement to character assassinate me' - CNA

During the question and answer segment of the forum, Tunku Ismail also raised the issue in which a member of his security personnel allegedly punched a deaf ride-hailing driver.

According to media reports, the driver claimed he was punched by a member of Tunku Ismail’s security detail outside St Regis hotel in Kuala Lumpur, and that he was offered RM800 (US$170) by a representative from the palace to withdraw his police report on the incident.

Malaysian police chief Razarudin Husain has said that police were now investigating allegations on whether the driver was punched and pressured to reach a settlement.

Following the incident, the Johor crown prince posted on social media platform X saying that any effort to link actions of an “external security personnel” with him and the entire royal institution was “uncalled for”.

Tunku Ismail said on Sunday that he was not present during the incident and only learnt about it from the head of his security detail the day after it happened.

“Perhaps there was some rough treatment by police, but you have to remember, they are the ones given authority, they are professionals, they have to do their jobs.

"And there is no number plate or anything that indicates that the driver is a handicapped person, so how would they have known?” he said.

“So if indeed there is some rough treatment, further action will be taken. We are not trying to hide behind this matter, but there are some parties or movements who made it as if it was me who punched the driver. I was not even there,” he added.

When pressed on whether he knew who was the individual who hit the driver, Tunku Ismail suggested that it was a member of the police force who was part of his security team that day.

“A police officer … who was perhaps hotheaded while at work,” said Tunku Ismail.

“These officers are trained, they have procedures they follow. At the time of the incident perhaps the officer did not listen to instructions, they must think before they act and not just follow their emotions,” he added.

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2024-06-10 10:41:28Z
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