South Korea's Yoon hails US ties at joint meeting of Congress - CNA

"KOREA WILL NEVER FORGET"

"We need to speed up Korea, US, Japan trilateral security cooperation to counter increasing North Korean nuclear threat," Yoon warned Congress, vowing to work for Pyongyang's denuclearisation.

"We must raise global awareness of (the) dire human rights situation in North Korea. We must not shy away from our duty to promote freedom for North Koreans," he added.

Yoon and Biden had rounded off a day of pomp and ceremony Wednesday with a lavish state dinner attended by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie - with Yoon surprising guests with a rendition of his favourite song, American Pie.

Biden had recalled the sacrifice by American soldiers to help fight the communist north during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

"Korea will never forget the great American heroes who fought with us to defend freedom," Yoon told Congress on Thursday.

Turning to modern conflict, he condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a "violation of international law", pledging to work for the freedom of the Ukrainian people and to support the country's reconstruction.

There were conspicuous gaps across the floor for what could have been an awkward affair, seven months after Yoon was overheard calling US lawmakers who rejected funding for a global health programme "idiots".

But he was warmly received by the majority of members who did show up, receiving a raucous ovation on his entry into the chamber for an address that was punctuated by exuberant applause.

He prompted laughter across the chamber as he joked that K-Pop band BTS, who visited Biden earlier last year, "beat him to the White House, but I beat them to Capitol Hill".

Yoon was due to have lunch with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken later Thursday before a visit Friday to MIT and Harvard University in Boston and his return home on Saturday.

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2023-04-27 18:53:00Z
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Thai woman charged with cyanide murder as list of victims grows - CNA

BANGKOK: Thai police have widened their investigation into a woman accused of a spate of cyanide poisoning murders, with officers on Thursday (Apr 27) raising the number of victims to 13 and charging her with premeditated murder.

Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, who is married to a senior policeman, was arrested on Tuesday over nine alleged murders which took place over several years.

Police believe money was the motive in the killings but said that Sararat - who is four months pregnant - has previously been diagnosed with psychiatric issues.

Officers were now investigating at least 13 suspicious deaths dating back to 2020, deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said Thursday.

"She has been charged with premeditated murder," he told reporters in Bangkok.

On Thursday, Sararat, wearing pale pink and flanked by officers who pushed through a scrum of reporters, was seen being taken from a Bangkok police station into custody.

Police have not specified how many murders she has been charged with, but they say she denies all the allegations against her.

Officers have also expanded the geographic area they are investigating to five provinces, most to the west of Bangkok.

Officers found a substance at the woman's home that authorities believe to be cyanide, and suspect she poisoned the victims' food and drink.

Following routine health checks in prison, the Department of Corrections confirmed Thursday that Sararat is four months pregnant and experiencing stress, blurry eyes and headaches.

Investigators have interviewed her police officer husband and other witnesses.

Police described how a fourteenth person narrowly escaped death after vomiting up poisoned food.

"The suspect lured her latest victim into eating a herb, and around 20 minutes later she collapsed," Surachate said.

He urged the public to contact police with any information about other potential cases.

Police initially suspected the woman of murdering a friend in Ratchaburi province, west of Bangkok, about two weeks ago.

Local media said the victim collapsed on the bank of the Mae Klong River after releasing fish as part of a Buddhist ritual.

After questioning the suspect, investigators linked her to other cyanide poisoning cases.

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2023-04-27 15:20:00Z
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Is the US pledge to share nuclear planning insights with South Korea enough to deter North Korean threat? - CNA

The devil is always in the details, Dr Hastings told CNA938. “Partly because the question that any ally would have is, ‘Is the US willing to give up one of its cities to protect ours?’”

North Korea's rapidly advancing weapons programmes - including ballistic missiles that can reach US cities - have raised concerns about whether the US would really use its nuclear weapons to defend South Korea under what it calls “extended deterrence”. 

Meanwhile, opinion polls in South Korea show a majority of the public wants Seoul to acquire its own nuclear bombs in response to the North Korean threat, something which Washington opposes. 

“As long as South Korea feels that the sort of assertions and the assurances that the US has made are sort of credible in some way, that South Korea will, at least, sort of hold off from doing that,” said Dr Hastings, adding that the country will reaffirm its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 

“The US is trying to essentially step up nuclear weapons information sharing and cooperation, and putting nuclear assets in the Korean peninsula as a way of reassuring South Korea that they don't need to develop nuclear weapons because there's sufficient cover by the US.”

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2023-04-27 09:24:00Z
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China approves wide-ranging expansion of counter-espionage law - CNA

The law does not define what falls under China's national security or interests.

It expands the definition of espionage to include cyber attacks against state organs or critical information infrastructure, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The revised law allows authorities carrying out an anti-espionage investigation to gain access to data, electronic equipment, information on personal property and also to ban border crossings. Cyberattacks are also classed as acts of espionage.

"International relations continue to sour, suspicions continue to rise, and (there is) increased emphasis on national security and countering espionage," said Jeremy Daum, a senior fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center.

The revisions "(adopt) both an expansive understanding of national security and emphasise the consideration of potential security risks in all areas".

In recent years, China has detained dozens of Chinese and foreign nationals on suspicion of espionage, such as an executive at Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma who was detained in Beijing last month. Espionage cases are usually tried in secret due to their links to national security.

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2023-04-27 04:58:44Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9jaGluYS1hcHByb3Zlcy13aWRlLXJhbmdpbmctZXhwYW5zaW9uLWNvdW50ZXItZXNwaW9uYWdlLWxhdy0zNDQ1NDY20gEA

Snap Insight: Xi-Zelenskyy phone call could trigger real effort towards ending Ukraine war - CNA

And though China has saved billions on cheap Russian oil and coal, a long protracted war that Russia is not guaranteed to win won’t be in China’s long-term interests either. And a path to the negotiation table from his “dear friend” Xi could offer Putin a way to engage in the process without losing face.

China’s Ukraine peace plan was almost universally seen as lacking substance, ambition and utility. Zelenskyy called it “interesting” to avoid insulting China and encourage Xi to engage further.

This telephone call is the second effort by China to appear relevant and helpful. Hopefully, this time there will be a real and sincere effort by China to help achieve peace.

James Carouso is a Senior Fellow and Chair of the Australia Advisory Board at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, and a former Acting US Ambassador to Australia.

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2023-04-27 00:07:00Z
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'A good thing': US hails Zelenskyy-Xi talks - CNA

WASHINGTON: The White House on Wednesday (Apr 26) welcomed a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy but said it was too soon to tell whether it would lead to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

"That's a good thing," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said about the call. "Now, whether that's going to lead to some sort of meaningful peace movement, or plan, or proposal, I just don't think we know that right now."

Xi spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Zelenskyy for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. The call came after months of pressure from Kyiv for such talks.

Xi told Zelenskyy that China would send special representatives to Ukraine and hold talks with all parties seeking peace, Chinese state media reported.

"We have long said we want this war to end," Kirby said. "It could end immediately if Putin would leave. That doesn't appear to be in the offing.

"If there's going to be a negotiated peace, it's got to be when President Zelenskyy is ready for it," Kirby said, adding that the United States would welcome "any effort to arrive at a just peace as long as that peace could be ... sustainable, and could be credible."

Kirby said the United States did not have advanced knowledge of the call, and would not necessarily expect to.

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2023-04-26 15:14:14Z
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China's Xi holds call with Zelenskyy; Beijing to send special envoy to Ukraine - CNA

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone on Wednesday (Apr 26), the first call between the two leaders since the start of Russia's invasion.

Beijing says it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict and Xi has never condemned the Russian invasion, but the Chinese leader has come under increased pressure from Western nations to step in and mediate.

During the long-awaited call, Xi appealed for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi told Zelenskyy "talks and negotiation" were the "only way out" of the war.

"On the issue of the Ukraine crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace and its core position is to promote peace talks," CCTV reported Xi as saying.

He told Zelenskyy that China will send a delegation to Ukraine to hold talks on resolving the conflict with Russia. 

"The Chinese side will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties for a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," China's foreign ministry said at a press conference.

Xi said in early April he was willing to speak with Zelenskyy, who has repeatedly said he would be open to talks with his Chinese counterpart.

"I had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping," Zelenskyy said on Twitter on Wednesday.

"I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations," he wrote.

Zelenskyy's spokesman Sergiy Nykyforov said on Facebook that the two had "an almost one-hour-long telephone conversation".

Pavel Ryabikin, who previously headed the ministry of strategic industries of Ukraine, was named Kyiv's new envoy to China, according to a decree on the presidency's website. Ukraine has not had an ambassador to China since February 2021.

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2023-04-26 12:30:00Z
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