France accuses Australia, US of 'lying' in escalating crisis over submarines - The Straits Times

PARIS (AFP) - France on Saturday (Sept 18) accused Australia and the United States of lying in a crisis over a security pact that saw Canberra scrap a contract to buy French submarines in favour of American vessels.

"There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France 2 television. "This will not do."

A "serious crisis" was now in progress between the allies, he added.

Le Drian was speaking a day after Paris, on the orders of President Emmanuel Macron, recalled its ambassadors to Canberra and Washington, an unprecedented act that revealed the extent of the anger in France over the rupture of the contract.

He described the withdrawal of the ambassadors as a "very symbolic" act which aimed "to show how unhappy we are and that there is a serious crisis between us and to re-evaluate out positions to defend our interests."

"The fact that for the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France we are recalling our ambassador for consultations is a serious political act, which shows the magnitude of the crisis that exists now between our countries," he said.

He also issued a stinging response to a question over why France had not recalled its ambassador to Britain, when London was also part of the security pact that led to the rupture of the contract.

"We have recalled our ambassadors to (Canberra and Washington) to re-evaluate the situation. With Britain there is no need. We know their constant opportunism. So there is no need to bring our ambassador back to explain," he said.

Of London's role in the pact, he added: "Britain in this whole thing is a bit like the third wheel."

Nato would have to take account of what has happened as it reconsiders strategy at a summit in Madrid next year, he added.

France would make a priority now of developing a EU security strategy when it takes on the bloc's presidency at the start of 2022, he said.

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2021-09-18 19:34:34Z
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S'pore's new Covid-19 cases cross 1000 mark; unvaccinated man, 90, dies from complications - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Singapore saw its 60th Covid-19 fatality when an unvaccinated 90-year-old man died on Friday (Sept 17), said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday.

Singapore also saw more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, with a total of 1,009 new cases reported, the highest daily number since April 23 last year.

The man had a history of cancer, heart disease and pneumonia and was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases on Friday with symptoms, and tested positive for Covid-19 infection that day.

Of the 1,009 cases, 926 were cases in the community and 78 cases were among dormitory residents.

Of the local cases on Saturday, 259 are seniors above 60 years old.

There were also five imported cases.

The total number of infections in Singapore now stands at 76,792.

There was also a new Covid-19 cluster at Pfizer Asia Pacific with 22 cases.

Of these, 20 are staff and two are cleaners. MOH said the facility is not involved in vaccine production.

There are currently 863 Covid-19 patients in the hospital, up from 813 the day before.

There are also 105 cases in need of oxygen supplementation and 18 in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Of those who have fallen very ill, 100 are seniors above 60.

MOH also said some of Singapore's public hospitals are experiencing a surge in the number of patients who have rushed to their accident and emergency departments with mild acute respiratory infection symptoms.

It urged those with mild symptoms to consult a general practitioner at a Swab and Send Home clinic instead.

Read the full MOH press release here.

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2021-09-18 16:14:35Z
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Three blasts kill at least two in Afghanistan's Jalalabad - CNA

A chaotic US-led evacuation of foreigners and Afghans who worked for international forces was marred by a devastating bomb attack claimed by IS which killed scores of people.

But since the last American troop left on Aug 30, the violence-wracked country plagued by fighting, bombs and air strikes, has been free of major incidents.

Although both IS and the Taliban are hardline Sunni Islamist militants, they have differed on the minutiae of religion and strategy.

That tussle has led to bloody fighting between the two.

BOYS BACK TO SCHOOL, NOT GIRLS

Saturday's bombing came as the Taliban ordered boys and male teachers to return to secondary school in Afghanistan - but girls were excluded.

"All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions," a statement said ahead of classes resuming Saturday, the first day of the week in Afghanistan.

The statement, issued late Friday, made no mention of women teachers or girl pupils.

"We lack teachers, most of them are females and are not allowed to come by the new government, that creates a problem for us," an official at a Kabul secondary school who asked not to be named told AFP on Saturday.

Secondary schools, with students typically between the ages of 13 and 18, are often segregated by sex. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have faced repeated closures and have been shut since the Taliban seized power.

Since a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban in 2001, significant progress has been made in girls' education, with the number of schools tripling and female literacy nearly doubling to 30 percent - however, the change was largely limited to the cities.

The United Nations said it was "deeply worried" for the future of girls' schooling in Afghanistan.

"It is critical that all girls, including older girls, are able to resume their education without any further delays. For that, we need female teachers to resume teaching," the UN's children's agency UNICEF said.

PAKISTAN PUSHES FOR INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT

In a further sign that the Taliban's approach to women and girls had not softened, a sign outside the ministry of women's affairs was replaced with another - announcing the return of the feared department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Videos posted to social media showed women workers from the ministry protesting outside after losing their jobs.

No official from the Taliban responded to requests for comment.

After promising a more inclusive rule, the movement unveiled an all-male government of mostly ethnic Pashtuns, dominated by veteran members of the fundamentalist movement.

Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he had launched talks with the Taliban - whose leadership has historically had close ties with its southern neighbour - to persuade the group to form a government that includes Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.

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2021-09-18 13:43:43Z
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Will French fury at US open doors for China in Europe? - South China Morning Post

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1. Will French fury at US open doors for China in Europe?  South China Morning Post
2. France recalls envoys in US, Australia over submarine deal  CNA
3. France recalls its ambassadors to US, Australia over scrapped submarine deal  The Straits Times
4. Australia made 'huge mistake' in cancelling submarine deal, says French envoy  Yahoo News
5. EU army warning as Brussels sidelined by Boris’ defence deal with Australia and US  Daily Express
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-09-18 12:30:12Z
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Australia says China must do better on free trade if it wants to join CPTPP - South China Morning Post

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1. Australia says China must do better on free trade if it wants to join CPTPP  South China Morning Post
2. Dr Wang Huiyao on China applying to join CPTPP trade pact  CNA
3. China says trade pact application unrelated to Aukus as Japan highlights strict requirements  The Straits Times
4. China applies to join trans-Pacific free-trade pact  TODAYonline
5. China applies to join Asian trade deal abandoned by Trump  Aljazeera.com
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-09-18 04:15:21Z
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Lesson for Hong Kong, Singapore in mainland China’s tutoring crackdown? - South China Morning Post

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Lesson for Hong Kong, Singapore in mainland China’s tutoring crackdown?  South China Morning PostView Full coverage on Google News
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2021-09-18 00:30:20Z
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France recalls envoys in US, Australia over submarine deal - CNA

The French ambassador recalls from the United States and Australia, key allies of France, are unprecedented. Withdrawing envoys is a last resort diplomatic step taken when relations between feuding countries are plunged into crisis but highly unusual between allies.

"I am being recalled to Paris for consultations," France ambassador to the US Philippe Etienne wrote on Twitter. "This follows announcements directly affecting the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe."

Paris sees itself as a major power in the Indo-Pacific due to overseas territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia which give it a strategic and military foothold unmatched by any other European country.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried on Thursday to calm the French outcry, calling France a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier on Friday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected French criticism that it had not been warned about the new deal, saying he had raised the possibility in talks with the French president that Australia might scrap the 2016 submarine deal with a French company.

Morrison acknowledged the damage to Australia-France ties but insisted he had told Macron in June that Australia had revised its thinking.

"I made it very clear, we had a lengthy dinner there in Paris, about our very significant concerns about the capabilities of conventional submarines to deal with the new strategic environment we're faced with," he told 5aa Radio.

"I made it very clear that this was a matter that Australia would need to make a decision on in our national interest."

The French announcement came as Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne was speaking at the American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington. She gave no sign she was aware of it.

Referring to the submarine deal, Payne said such commercial and strategic decisions were difficult to manage, but, responding to a question, she said there was "no question" that France remained a valued ally.

"I absolutely understand the disappointment," she said.

"My task is to work as hard as I can ... to make sure that they do understand the value we place on the role that they play and do understand the value we place on the bilateral relationship and the work we want to continue to do together."

The strained ties among the long-time allies come as the United States and its allies seek additional support in Asia and the Pacific given concern about the rising influence of a more assertive China.

France is about to take over the presidency of the European Union, which on Thursday released its strategy for the Indo-Pacific, pledging to seek a trade deal with Taiwan and to deploy more ships to keep sea routes open.

Pierre Morcos, a visiting fellow at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, called France's move "historic".

"Reassuring words such as those heard yesterday from Secretary Blinken are not enough for Paris - especially after French authorities learned that this agreement was months in the making," he said.

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2021-09-17 20:40:00Z
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