Violent US storms kill at least 32 people - CNA

The death toll from a violent storm that whipped up tornadoes in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States rose to at least 32 over the weekend, according to officials and media reports.

In Memphis, Tennessee, two children and an adult were found dead on Saturday (Apr 1) after the storm's heavy winds knocked trees onto several houses, according to the Memphis Police Department.

In Tennessee's McNairy County, officials reported that an additional two people had died, having reported seven deaths earlier on Saturday, according to local media. The Tennessee Department of Health on Sunday reported that there were an additional three weather-related deaths in three more counties, but did not provide more details.

In Owen County, Indiana, the bodies of a couple were found at a campground in McCormick's Creek State Park, according to the state's Department of Natural Resources.

Another 15 deaths from the storm, which generated tornadoes in several areas, were earlier reported in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Delaware, Mississippi and Alabama. Scores of people were injured and many buildings damaged or destroyed.

US President Joe Biden declared a "major disaster" in Arkansas on Sunday, ordering federal aid to help with the recovery.

The president said in a statement on Sunday afternoon that he and wife Jill Biden were praying for the people impacted by the weekend storms and ordered relevant federal officials "to help with immediate needs and long-term rebuilding."

"We know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses," he said.

The National Storm Prediction Center warned of severe weather on Sunday in parts of north and northeast Texas around Dallas and Fort Worth, including very large hail, significant wind gusts and a "strong tornado or two." Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was under a ground-stop order for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, and flights were delayed as heavy rain, hail and strong winds hit the area.

Similarly severe weather, including thunderstorms, was forecast for Tuesday in much of the Midwest between Chicago and Little Rock, Arkansas, the centre said.

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2023-04-02 16:19:00Z
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‘Don’t help a villain’: China urges Japan not to abet US on tech containment - South China Morning Post

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‘Don’t help a villain’: China urges Japan not to abet US on tech containment  South China Morning PostView Full coverage on Google News
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2023-04-02 13:13:27Z
CBMiemh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNjbXAuY29tL25ld3MvY2hpbmEvZGlwbG9tYWN5L2FydGljbGUvMzIxNTc1NC9kb250LWhlbHAtdmlsbGFpbi1jaGluYS11cmdlcy1qYXBhbi1ub3QtYWJldC11cy10ZWNoLWNvbnRhaW5tZW500gF6aHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuc2NtcC5jb20vbmV3cy9jaGluYS9kaXBsb21hY3kvYXJ0aWNsZS8zMjE1NzU0L2RvbnQtaGVscC12aWxsYWluLWNoaW5hLXVyZ2VzLWphcGFuLW5vdC1hYmV0LXVzLXRlY2gtY29udGFpbm1lbnQ

Japan's foreign minister urges China to release detained national - CNA

BEIJING/TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, meeting his Chinese counterpart on Sunday (Apr 2), urged Beijing to promptly release a detained Japanese national.

Hayashi's meeting with Qin Gang was the first visit to Beijing for a Japanese foreign minister in over three years, as the two rival Asian powers seek common ground amid rising regional tension.

An employee of Astellas Pharma Inc was detained in China for unknown reasons, a company spokesperson said a week ago. At least 16 other Japanese have been detained in China on suspicion of spying since 2015, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

"I made a protest against the recent detention of a Japanese person in Beijing, and made a strong point of our position on the matter, including the early release of this national," Hayashi told reporters.

Qin responded that China "will handle (the case) according to the law", according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.

Hayashi said Japan is seeking transparency over the legal process regarding detentions and has asked for China to secure a fair and safe business environment. He did not elaborate on China's reaction.

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2023-04-02 10:31:52Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9qYXBhbnMtZm9yZWlnbi1taW5pc3Rlci11cmdlcy1jaGluYS1yZWxlYXNlLWRldGFpbmVkLW5hdGlvbmFsLTMzOTE1NTbSAQA

Malaysia, China ink partnership to stabilise palm oil supply chain - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said on Sunday (Apr 2) it has signed a memorandum of understanding with a China government-backed trade association to enhance palm oil trade and cooperation.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board said its partnership with the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products will help Malaysia regain market share in the world's most populous country.

Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm producer, and China, the world's second-largest buyer, will jointly promote the use of Malaysia's sustainable palm oil in China, as well as the design and implementation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence in oil palm plantations.

"China wishes to work with Malaysia in order to secure the palm oil supply to the country," the Malaysian board said in a statement. The memorandum "will help gain China’s confidence towards Malaysian palm oil".

The agreement "shall facilitate China's participation on the technology exploration in the oil palm mechanisation in Malaysia, which will help to increase productivity and reduce reliance on human labour in the plantation," it said.

In 2022, Malaysia exported 3.14 million tonnes of palm oil and palm products to China, making China its most important trading partner for the edible oil after India.

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2023-04-02 06:39:48Z
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Explosion at Indonesia Pertamina's refinery arm unit injures 9 - CNA

JAKARTA: An explosion at a refinery owned by a Pertamina PT unit in western Indonesia injured nine people, the state energy firm said on Sunday (Apr 2), adding to two dozen deaths from two other fires over the past month.

The explosion late on Saturday in a gas compressor caused "minor" injuries from glass shards and damaged several houses in the city of Dumai on Sumatra island, PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) said in a statement. The cause was under investigation.

A fire on Mar 3 at Pertamina's Plumpang fuel terminal in Jakarta, one of the country's oldest and largest, killed more than 20 people. Three died from a Mar 26 fire on a tanker carrying Pertamina oil to the islands of Bali and Lombok.

KPI apologised for Saturday's incident, a spokesperson said, adding that a "recovery process" was underway after the fire had been extinguished. Several units were affected and stopped by the explosion and fire, but the rest were operating as usual, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question on the impact on production or supply, but KPI said the national fuel stock was "safe".

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2023-04-02 04:06:00Z
CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9leHBsb3Npb24taW5kb25lc2lhLXBlcnRhbWluYXMtcmVmaW5lcnktYXJtLXVuaXQtaW5qdXJlcy05LTMzOTEzMzHSAQA

Malaysia, China trade group ink deal to stabilise palm oil supply chain - Malaysiakini

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce, and Animal By-products (CFNA) to enhance trade and cooperation in the palm oil sector between both countries on palm oil supply chain stabilisation fields.

The MoU was signed in Beijing, China on April 1, 2023 by MPOB deputy director-general (research and development) Zainab Idris and CFNA president Cao Derong. 

“China wishes to...

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2023-04-02 06:19:30Z
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Meet Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over Trump's criminal case - CNA

On Friday, Trump, who was not charged in his company's case, lashed out at Merchan on his Truth Social platform.

"The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," wrote Trump, who has launched a campaign to regain the presidency in 2024. "He strong-armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn't 'plead,' VICIOUSLY."

Merchan did not reply to a request for comment.

The Trump Organization trial is not Merchan's only recent encounter with people close to the former president. Merchan also is presiding over a criminal case involving former Trump campaign and White House adviser Steve Bannon, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy and fraud related to a nonprofit that raised funds for building a wall on the US border with Mexico.

Merchan has been a Manhattan criminal court judge since 2009 after prior stints on the state's Court of Claims, which hears cases against the state and its agencies, and family court in the Bronx.

The judge was born in Colombia and moved to the United States at age six, growing up in New York City's borough of Queens, according to news reports. Merchan graduated from Baruch College and Hofstra University School of Law and began his legal career in the same District Attorney's office that is now prosecuting Trump.

Merchan presided over the 2012 case of the so-called "Soccer Mom Madam" Anna Gristina, which garnered lurid headlines in the New York media. Gristina was accused of running a high-end brothel out of her Manhattan apartment and eventually pleaded guilty. Gristina sued Merchan in 2021 to unseal records in her case as part of an effort to vacate her record. Her case was dismissed, according to court records.

In 2011, Democratic US Senator Charles Schumer of New York recommended that President Barack Obama nominate Merchan for a federal judgeship in Brooklyn, saying he would have been the first Colombian-born federal judge, according to the New York Law Journal. Merchan was not nominated for the post.

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2023-04-01 13:51:08Z
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