China declines meeting with US defence chief: Pentagon - CNA

WASHINGTON: Beijing has declined a US invitation for a meeting in Singapore between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, the Pentagon said on Monday (May 29).

"Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defence Li Shangfu in Singapore this week," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"The PRC's concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish (the Defence Department's) commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People's Liberation Army," Ryder said.

A senior US defence official described the declined invitation as "just the latest in a litany of excuses", saying that since 2021, China has "declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defense for key leader engagements, multiple requests for standing dialogues, and nearly ten working-level engagements".

Li was sanctioned by the US government in 2018 for buying Russian weapons, but the Pentagon says that does not prevent Austin from conducting official business with him.

Austin is due to travel to Singapore later this week to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defence summit where he met Li's predecessor Wei Fenghe last June.

Austin and Wei met again in Cambodia later in 2022, but tensions between Washington and Beijing soared this year over issues including Taiwan and an alleged Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a US warplane after traversing the country.

Austin and other US officials have been working to shore up alliances and partnerships in Asia as part of efforts to counter increasingly assertive moves by Beijing, but there have also been tentative signs that the two sides were working to lower the temperature.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Vienna earlier this month, and President Joe Biden recently said ties between Washington and Beijing should thaw "very shortly", citing the spy balloon incident as a factor that had boosted tensions.

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2023-05-29 22:59:00Z
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Explosions rock Kyiv after new air-raid warning - CNA

KYIV: Explosions echoed through the centre of Kyiv on Monday (May 29) morning and residents to shelters, hours after a heavy Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.

Reuters witnesses said residents headed for shelters in metro stations as the sky above Kyiv filled with blast clouds and smoke trails.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were explosions in the capital's central districts and that emergency services had been dispatched. He urged residents to stay in shelters.

"Emergency services have responded to a call near the centre of the capital. The attack on Kyiv continues. Don't leave the shelters!" he wrote on the Telegram messaging app as residents ran to shelters in metro stations.

The attack came hours after Russia unleashed dozens of missiles and drones on targets across the country in the early hours of Monday.

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2023-05-29 09:21:00Z
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Japan aims to destroy any North Korean missile after it warns of satellite launch - CNA

North Korea has also undertaken a series of missile and weapons tests in recent months, including a new, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.

North Korea informed the Japanese coast guard of the planned launch between May 31 and Jun 11, a coast guard official told Reuters, confirming a report by public broadcaster NHK and other media.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said any launch by North Korea, even if termed a satellite launch, affected the safety of Japanese citizens.

"The government recognises that there is a possibility that the satellite may pass through our country's territory," he told a press conference.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that any North Koran missile launch would be a serious violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution.

"We strongly urge North Korea to refrain from launching," the prime minister's office said earlier on Twitter, adding it would cooperate "with relevant countries such as the US and South Korea".

Staunch US ally Japan would do all it could to collect and analyse information from the launch, it said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in May inspected a military satellite facility, North Korean state media KCNA reported.

North Korean media previously criticised plans by South Korea, the United States and Japan to share real-time data on its missile launches, describing the three as discussing "sinister measures" for tightening military cooperation. 

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2023-05-29 03:02:21Z
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Türkiye's Erdogan prevails in election test of his 20-year rule - CNA

ANKARA: President Racep Tayyip Erdogan extended his two decades in power in elections on Sunday (May 28), winning a mandate to pursue increasingly authoritarian policies which have polarised Türkiye and strengthened its position as a regional military power.

His challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, called it "the most unfair election in years" but did not dispute the outcome.

Official results showed Kilicdaroglu won 47.9 per cent of the votes to Erdogan's 52.1 per cent, pointing to a deeply divided nation.

The election had been seen as one of the most consequential yet for Turkey, with the opposition believing it had a strong chance of unseating Erdogan and reversing his policies after his popularity was hit by a cost-of-living crisis.

Instead, victory reinforced his image of invincibility, after he had already redrawn domestic, economic, security and foreign policy in the NATO member country of 85 million people.

The prospect of five more years of his rule was a major blow to opponents who accused him of undermining democracy as he amassed ever more power - a charge he denies.

In a victory speech in Ankara, Erdogan pledged to leave all disputes behind and unite behind national values and dreams but then switched gears, lashing out at the opposition and accusing Kilicdaroglu of siding with terrorists without providing evidence.

He said releasing former pro-Kurdish party leader Selahattin Demirtas, whom he branded a "terrorist", would not be possible under his governance.

Erdogan said inflation was Turkey's most urgent issue.

Kilicdaroglu's defeat will likely be mourned by Turkey's NATO allies which have been alarmed by Erdogan's ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who congratulated his "dear friend" on his victory.

US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter: "I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges."

US relations with Turkey have been impeded by Erdogan's objection to Sweden joining NATO as well as Ankara's close relationship with Moscow and differences over Syria.

"THE ONLY WINNER TODAY IS TURKIYE," ERDOGAN SAYS

Addressing jubilant supporters earlier from atop a bus in Istanbul, Erdogan, 69, said "the only winner today is Türkiye". "I thank every single one of our people who once again gave us the responsibility to govern the country five more years," he said.

Erdogan's victory extends his tenure as the longest-serving leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established modern Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire a century ago - a politically potent anniversary to be marked in October with Erdogan in charge.

Erdogan, head of the Islamist-rooted AK Party, appealed to voters with nationalist and conservative rhetoric during a divisive campaign that deflected attention from deep economic troubles.

In his victory speech, he attacked the opposition again, calling them pro-LGBT.

Kilicdaroglu, who had promised to set the country on a more democratic and collaborative path, said the vote showed people's will to change an authoritarian government. "All the means of the state were laid at the feet of one man," he said.

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2023-05-28 22:44:56Z
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China’s C919 jet completes first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing - South China Morning Post

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1. China’s C919 jet completes first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing  South China Morning Post
2. China's first homegrown passenger jet makes maiden commercial flight  CNA
3. China Jet to Rival Airbus, Boeing Makes First Commercial Flight  Bloomberg
4. China's first home-grown passenger jet, C919, marks first commercial flight  The Straits Times
5. China's C919 jetliner goes into commercial operation  Xinhua
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-05-28 06:06:58Z
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US-led Indo-Pacific talks produce deal on supply chain early warnings - CNA

DETROIT: Trade ministers of 14 countries in the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) talks "substantially completed" negotiations on an agreement to make supply chains more resilient and secure, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Saturday (May 27).

The "first of its kind" agreement calls for countries to form a council to coordinate supply chain activities and a "Crisis Response Network" to give early warnings to IPEF countries of potential supply disruptions, Raimondo told a news conference following a ministerial meeting in Detroit.

The deal provides an emergency communications channel for IPEF countries to seek support during supply chain disruptions, coordinate more closely during a crisis and recover more quickly.

Raimondo cited shortages of semiconductors during the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down American auto production, idling thousands of workers.

"I can tell you I would have loved to have had that Crisis Response Network during COVID. It absolutely would have helped us secure American jobs and keep supply chains moving," she said.

The supply chains agreement, led by Commerce, marks the first tangible outcome of a year's worth of IPEF discussions. But it is just one the four "pillars" of the IPEF talks.

The other pillars - trade, climate transition, and labour and inclusiveness - are more complex and expected to take longer to negotiate.

The supply chains agreement also includes a new labour rights advisory board aimed at raising labour standards in supply chains, consisting of government, worker, and employer representatives, the Commerce Department said.

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2023-05-27 19:03:00Z
CBMic2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvdXMtbGVkLWluZG8tcGFjaWZpYy10YWxrcy1wcm9kdWNlLWRlYWwtc3VwcGx5LWNoYWluLWVhcmx5LXdhcm5pbmdzLTM1MjA1MTHSAQA

Toddler tantrum almost forces family off Langkawi-KL flight, airline cites safety regulations - The Straits Times

PETALING JAYA - An airline cited safety regulations for almost forcing a family to disembark from a Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur flight recently.

The incident on Wednesday went viral after a man claimed on Facebook that his family was almost removed from the MYAirline flight because his two-year-old child was not properly seated and buckled up as the plane was getting ready for take off.

He claimed the cabin crew refused to provide an infant belt or seat belt extender to allow the child – who had just turned two years old – to sit with the mother, as it was “against policy”.

The man said his child was distraught and would not remain seated with the seat belt buckled, which prompted the cabin crew to repeatedly remind him to keep the child seated.

After a brief argument, the cabin crew consulted the pilot who announced over the plane that the family would have to be removed if they did not follow the instructions.

The man said they managed to comply in the end despite protests and crying from his child, and the take-off was successful.

He added that the whole incident was embarrassing and that a group of ground staff also tried to convince them to delete video clips of the incident after they landed.

“In conclusion, if you plan to travel with MYAirline with a child who is two or three years of age and cannot be seated independently like a robot, you should reconsider and choose another airline.

“For now, MYAirline is a firm ‘no’ for me and my family because they are not child-friendly,” wrote the man.

MYAirline later released a statement to clarify that it had initially asked the family to leave, as it had to comply with Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) safety requirements.

It said it was mandatory for children aged 24 months and below to be seated with a parent or guardian using an infant seat belt.

“However, children above 24 months must be fastened with a seat belt in their own seat for safety,” said MYAirline on a Facebook post on Saturday.

MYAirline said it would be conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We will identify the gaps in our service and take immediate corrective actions to prevent similar situations from occurring,” it added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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2023-05-27 13:45:00Z
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