'Unlikely' that temperatures in Singapore will reach 40°C in coming weeks: NEA - CNA

SINGAPORE: Despite the recent warm weather, the temperature in Singapore is "unlikely" to hit 40 degrees Celsius in the coming weeks, said the National National Environment Agency (NEA), in response to a text message being circulated.

In a Facebook post on Friday (Apr 28), NEA said it was aware of this text message, which purports to warn Singaporeans of a possible incoming heatwave between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. 

"It is unlikely for the temperature in Singapore to reach a high of 40 degrees Celsius in the coming weeks," said NEA. 

"Although we have been experiencing warmer days in recent weeks, the temperatures were not record-breaking."  

Singapore's highest temperature recorded was 37 degrees Celsius on Apr 17, 1983. 

The inter-monsoon months of April and May are normally the warmer period of the year due to strong solar heating, light and variable wind conditions, said the agency.

April has been generally warm, with daily maximum temperatures exceeding 34 degrees Celsius on most days, said NEA. As of Thursday, daily maximum temperatures have exceeded 34 degrees Celsius on 17 days, and eight of those days registered temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or more. 

The highest daily maximum temperature was 36.1 degrees Celsius at Woodlands on Apr 14. It was also the highest temperature recorded so far this year. 

Prevailing inter-monsoon conditions are expected to persist in the coming weeks, and the daily maximum temperature can still be expected to reach 34 or 35 degrees Celsius in the afternoon on most days, said NEA. 

On a few days when there is less cloud cover, the daily maximum temperature could reach a high of about 36 degrees Celsius.

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2023-04-28 22:11:17Z
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Beijing says Philippines staged near-collision in South China Sea - South China Morning Post

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1. Beijing says Philippines staged near-collision in South China Sea  South China Morning Post
2. Philippines rebukes Beijing for 'dangerous manoeuvres' in South China Sea  CNA
3. China says Philippine boat's 'provocative action' caused near-crash  The Straits Times
4. Philippines confronts Chinese coastguard over sea claims in tense face-off  South China Morning Post
5. Chinese, Philippine vessels in 'David and Goliath' near-crash  Bangkok Post
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-04-28 12:11:07Z
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Barisan Nasional reiterates backing for Anwar-led government amid alleged plan to seize power - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional’s (BN) supreme council has unanimously agreed to support the unity government led by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, said its secretary general Zambry Abd Kadir.

“Barisan Nasional is committed to jointly develop the people's policy agenda and continue to implement it,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Apr 27) night after the coalition’s supreme council meeting.

Mr Zambry said that the meeting was chaired by BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and attended by all BN component parties.

The statement was issued after a news report claimed that there are plans to remove Mr Anwar from his position via by-elections among BN Members of Parliament (MPs) who did not support him.

According to news portal The Vibes, several BN MPs were being wooed and persuaded to quit their parties and sacrifice their seats.

The MPs would then seek re-election under the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner, according to the report on Monday.

Subsequently, this was denied by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu, among other politicians. 

Mr Ahmad Faizal was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini and other local outlets that the allegations that his coalition is plotting to topple Mr Anwar’s government are baseless. Bersatu is a component party of PN. 

Under the current anti-party hopping law, MPs have to vacate their seat if they quit or cease to become a member of their political parties.

The law was enacted following the party hopping among MPs that led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2020 and Malaysia having three prime ministers in a span of one term.

Meanwhile, Mr Zambry also said that the BN’s supreme council had agreed to take part in a unity government national convention on May 14 at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

“Barisan Nasional calls for all leaders from the various walks of life to maintain unity and harmony so that political stability can be guaranteed,” said Mr Zambry.

He added that the supreme council had also been informed about the party's preparations for the six state elections - in Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan – that are likely to be held in July or August. 

"Discussions also involve the cooperation model between Barisan and parties in the unity government," said Mr Zambry.

Mr Anwar was sworn in as prime minister on Nov 24 last year after the 15th General Election (GE15) failed to produce a clear winner.

He leads a unity government comprising his PH coalition and the previous ruling coalition BN, among other parties.

Other parties and coalitions that currently back the unity government include Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Parti Warisan (Warisan).

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2023-04-28 08:00:00Z
CBMiemh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1iYXJpc2FuLW5hc2lvbmFsLWJhY2tpbmctYW53YXItaWJyYWhpbS1hbWlkLWFsbGVnZWQtcGxvdC1zZWl6ZS1wb3dlci0zNDUxMzU20gEA

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