Sabtu, 15 April 2023

Brazil leader ends China visit by telling US to ‘stop encouraging’ war - South China Morning Post

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  1. Brazil leader ends China visit by telling US to ‘stop encouraging’ war  South China Morning Post
  2. Brazil paves way for semiconductor cooperation with China  CNA
  3. China, Brazil urge developed nations to meet climate finance vows  Bangkok Post
  4. China and Brazil deepen ties amid rising US-China tensions  The Straits Times
  5. Lula courts Chinese tech for Brazil, brushes off "prejudices"  CNA
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-04-15 13:50:39Z
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Japan's Premier Vows to Continue Election After Smoke Bomb Scare - Bloomberg

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  1. Japan's Premier Vows to Continue Election After Smoke Bomb Scare  Bloomberg
  2. Japan PM Kishida evacuated after apparent smoke bomb blast  CNA
  3. Japan PM Kishida unhurt after smoke bomb thrown at him during outdoor event, suspect held  The Straits Times
  4. Japan PM Kishida unhurt after smoke bomb thrown during stump speech  Bangkok Post
  5. Japan PM Kishida evacuated unhurt after apparent smoke bomb blast  CNA
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-04-15 08:48:44Z
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Blinken starts Vietnam visit amid hopes of deeper ties to counter China - CNA

For Hanoi, it has been a difficult balancing act, being open to more cooperation with Washington without upsetting Beijing, even though Vietnam has been alarmed by China's growing military claims in the South China Sea.

The diplomatic calculus is further complicated by the increasingly close relationship between Beijing and Moscow, which last year declared a "no limits" partnership shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Last month saw a call between US President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist party Nguyen Phu Trong, which together with Blinken's visit could lead to a meeting between the two in July, the 10th anniversary of the existing formal bilateral partnership, analysts say.

But while the United States will likely to push for stronger ties with Vietnam, Hanoi may not share the enthusiasm, Rand Corporation analyst Derek Grossman said.

"For one thing, there is no need, from Vietnam’s perspective, to unnecessarily antagonise China ... Another is that Hanoi wants to avoid appearing openly part of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy designed to counter China," he said.

Blinken is also expected to raise human rights issues with Vietnamese officials. Rights groups have regularly raised concerns over the communist country's treatment of dissidents.

Earlier this week, a Hanoi court sentenced a prominent Vietnamese political activist to six years in prison for conducting anti-state activities, his lawyer said.

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2023-04-15 01:31:44Z
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Jumat, 14 April 2023

Mum shocked after son returns home from pre-school with bruised face and gash on arm - AsiaOne

Was it a case of kids being kids, or something more malicious? 

A mother of a three-year-old boy has requested to withdraw her son from his pre-school after the latter returned home from school on four occasions with injuries on various parts of his body

The woman, surnamed Wu told Shin Min Daily News that her son had enrolled in Hampton Pre-School located in Tiong Bahru at the start of the year. 

His latest mishap was on March 29, when a teacher called Wu to inform her that the boy had a 3.5cm gash on his left arm. 

"A school staff told me that he was pinched by a classmate, but it didn't look like a pinch wound to me. I brought my son to the doctor that day, and he agreed it didn't look like my son was pinched," the 42-year-old accountant told the Chinese daily. 

Her son had also told her the same thing, but she still felt that something was amiss from the way he spoke. 

According to her, the young boy has been traumatised from the incident.

"He's had repeated nightmares after that day, and he yelled 'Don't chase me!' on one occasion. His wound also hasn't healed after one week." 

Wu also said that her son came home from pre-school with scratches between his eyebrows and bruises on his face on other occasions. 

"These were inflicted by another classmate while they were playing with each other," she explained. 

No CCTV in school

Following the incident in late March, Wu escalated the matter to the school's principal but was told the same story. 

"There's no way to prove what actually happened, as there isn't a CCTV installed on the school's premises."

[[nid:603390]]

Wu also questioned why the staff did not stop the other student from injuring her son, and why she wasn't informed immediately after the incident. 

"I tried asking if I could speak to the student's parents, but the school said I couldn't do so," lamented the frustrated mother. 

Left with no choice, Wu said she has since reported the matter to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). 

To protect her son, she has also applied to withdraw him from the pre-school.

Although the school has refunded Wu her deposit of $770, they still asked her to pay for his fees for the month of April — even though the boy has been absent since the incident. 

Responding to Shin Min's queries, Hampton Pre-School said that two staff members were present when the boy had gotten injured — a teacher and a teaching assistant. 

"The teacher inspected the boy's injuries and informed the boy's parents immediately," said the school. 

They stated that they have also investigated the incident, and determined that the boy's injuries were caused by another student, adding that they are currently in touch with Wu to resolve the matter. 

ECDA also told Shin Min that they are aware of the incident and are investigating the situation. 

Student attacked by classmate with metal rod 

In 2021, a secondary school student was left with a gaping wound in his head after he was allegedly brutally attacked by a schoolmate who was armed with a metal rod. 

The victim had been dropped off at school by his elder sister at about 6.45am that morning, and was attacked by his schoolmate an hour later. 

He was subsequently taken to the hospital. 

Police told The Straits Times then that another student was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon. 

ALSO READ: Woman who failed O-level English twice tries to become pre-school principal, jailed for forgery

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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2023-04-15 01:18:00Z
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Commentary: Maskless coughs and sneezes show we haven't learnt anything from the COVID-19 pandemic - CNA

FRESH WAVE OF INFECTION IN SINGAPORE

In Singapore, the current COVID-19 wave is being driven by multiple variants XBB, XBB.1.5, XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16, XBB.2.3, BN.1, CH.1.1, but without a clear dominant strain, said Mr Ong on Friday. There has been no evidence showing that any of the current XBB strains cause more severe illnesses.

Official data shows that the number of COVID-19 infections spiked to 28,410 cases in the final week of March, almost double the previous week's 14,467 cases.

The actual number of cases, however, is likely to be higher as MOH no longer imposes mandatory testing, and official case numbers are estimated based on the National ARI (Acute Respiratory Infection) Surveillance Programme. Many people are also choosing to recover at home on their own, and do not get tested.

Clinics in Singapore said they have seen a spike in patient load as well as patients seeking medical treatment for influenza.

When my family went to a doctor on Tuesday morning, we waited three hours for our turn, with 30 other patients in the line before us.

HAVING TO PAY FOR COVID-19 TESTS AND TREATMENT

As part of Singapore’s move to the endemic phase, financing support for COVID-19 testing and treatment was scaled back and re-aligned with that of other acute illnesses from Apr 1.

COVID-19 patients admitted to a C-class ward might pay up to S$700 (US$528) after subsidies and tapping MediShield Life, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam told Parliament in February. The cost for COVID-19 treatment for subsidised patients at polyclinics is about S$20 to S$35, similar to other acute respiratory diseases.

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2023-04-14 22:00:00Z
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Ukraine troops forced to pull back in Bakhmut as Russia launches new push - CNA

Capturing the city would be Russia's first substantial victory in eight months. Moscow says it would open a route to capturing more territory in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, a major war aim.

After major Ukrainian breakthroughs in the second half of 2022, the front lines have barely budged over the last five months, despite a massive Russian offensive.

"READYING OUR BOYS"

Moscow has made use of hundreds of thousands of freshly conscripted reservists and thousands of convicts recruited as mercenaries from jails. Kyiv, meanwhile, has mostly stuck to defending its lines while waiting for the arrival of new Western arms for an expected counter-offensive in coming months.

"We are readying our boys," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address late on Thursday. "We look forward to the delivery of weapons promised by our partners. We are bringing victory closer as much as possible."

Ukraine had appeared likely to abandon Bakhmut at the end of February, but announced in March it would fight on there, saying it was worth defending the largely ruined city because of the losses it was inflicting on Russians trying to assault it.

Both sides say they are inflicting huge casualties. US intelligence documents leaked last week said Russia had lost 35,500 to 43,000 soldiers killed, while Ukraine had lost 15,500 to 17,500, between a third and half as many.

Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Ukrainian civilians have also been killed across the country since Russia launched its invasion in February last year. Moscow claims the war is necessary to protect Russia from a security threat. Kyiv and the West call it an unprovoked war to conquer an independent country.

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2023-04-14 11:38:00Z
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Final lap for Malaysian trishaw maker - CNA

He rolls out three to four pedicabs annually, selling them for RM7,500 (US$1,700) each.

"I've no feelings. It's just a job," Choo, a man of few words, said when asked how he feels after completing a trishaw.

There are just over 130 trishaws in Penang, where they differ in style from the few dozen found in the southern state of Melaka, where the vehicles remain popular among tourists.

Melaka's trishaws are designed to have their rider sit beside their passengers, while Penang handlers pedal from behind.

None of Choo's children are interested in trishaws, nor is he keen to teach them as it involves a lot of hard work and spare parts that are hard to find.

And he is looking forward to his retirement.

"Maybe I'll go stay at my son's house or go on holiday," he said with a small grin.

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2023-04-14 06:37:29Z
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