US and Taiwan ink trade deal as China issues warning - CNA

"NEW BEGINNING"

Washington has remained a key ally and arms supplier to Taiwan despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. It is also the island's second-largest trade partner.

But Beijing detests any hint of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and other governments because it considers the self-ruled island its own territory.

"The deal that will be signed tonight is not only very historic but also signals a new beginning," cabinet spokesman Alan Lin told reporters in Taipei, ahead of Thursday's ceremony in the United States.

"Relevant tasks are yet to be completed ... Taiwan will continue to move towards a comprehensive FTA (free trade agreement) with the United States to ensure Taiwan's economic security," he added.

Taiwan's government has described the deal as "the most comprehensive" trade agreement signed with Washington since 1979.

China warned Washington earlier on Thursday against signing any pact "with connotations of sovereignty or of an official nature with China's Taiwan region".

The United States "must not send the wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces in the name of trade", foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a media briefing.

Beijing has stepped up threats and rhetoric against Taiwan in recent years, increasing military drills in the seas around the island and working to cut off its official ties with countries around the world.

The issue prompts rare bipartisan agreement in the United States, with politicians including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his Democratic predecessor Nancy Pelosi both meeting publicly with Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen.

Washington unveiled plans for the trade negotiations in August in a show of support while Beijing was staging huge military drills in response to then-speaker Pelosi's visit to Taipei.

China lashes out at any diplomatic action that appears to treat Taiwan as a sovereign nation and has reacted with growing anger to visits by Western politicians.

In April, Beijing conducted three days of military exercises simulating a blockade of the island in response to McCarthy and Tsai meeting in California.

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2023-06-01 18:14:00Z
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More warm nights and wet mornings expected for start of June: Weatherman - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – Expect more warm, clammy nights and wet mornings in the next two weeks, the weatherman said on Thursday.

Warm nights typically occur when winds blow from the south-east or south and bring warm, humid air from the sea, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).

MSS said nights in the first half of June are expected to be warm and humid, and temperatures may stay above 29 deg C on some nights, particularly over the southern and eastern coastal areas of the island.

The daily maximum temperature is expected to range between 33 deg C and 34 deg C on most days, and may be about 35 deg C on a few days with less cloud cover, it added.

Additionally, there may be widespread thundery showers and gusty winds between pre-dawn and morning on a few days, and short and localised thundery showers over parts of the island on some afternoons during this period, said MSS.

The total rainfall for the fortnight is likely to be near average over most parts of the island.

MSS also said that in May, there were nine days when temperatures of 35 deg C or more were registered, and maximum temperatures were above 34 deg C on most days.

On May 13, several locations recorded temperatures exceeding 36 deg C, with the highest temperature of 37 deg C recorded in Ang Mo Kio. It tied with the record for the highest daily maximum temperature in Singapore – in Tengah on April 17, 1983 – since temperature records started in 1929.

Warm night-time temperatures were also experienced in the second half of May, when temperatures stayed above 29 deg C on some nights.

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2023-06-01 09:35:00Z
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US debt ceiling Bill passes House with broad bipartisan support - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON – A divided United States House of Representatives passed a Bill to suspend the US$31.4 trillion (S$42.4 trillion) debt ceiling on Wednesday, with majority support from both Democrats and Republicans to overcome opposition from hard-line conservatives and avoid a catastrophic default.

The Republican-controlled House voted 314-117 to send the legislation to the Senate, which must enact the measure and get it to President Joe Biden’s desk before a Monday deadline, when the federal government is expected to run out of money to pay its bills.

“This agreement is good news for the American people and the American economy,” Mr Biden said after the vote.

“I urge the Senate to pass it as quickly as possible so that I can sign it into law.”

The measure, a compromise between Mr Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, drew opposition from 71 hard-line Republicans.

That would normally be enough to block partisan legislation, but 165 Democrats – more than the 149 Republicans who voted for it – backed the measure and pushed it through.

Republicans control the House by a narrow 222-213 majority.

The legislation suspends – in essence, temporarily removes – the federal government’s borrowing limit through January 1, 2025.

The timeline allows Mr Biden and Congress to set aside the politically risky issue until after the November 2024 presidential election.

It would also cap some government spending over the next two years, speed up the permitting process for certain energy projects, claw back unused Covid-19 funds and expand work requirements for food aid programmes to additional recipients.

Hard-line Republicans had wanted deeper spending cuts and more stringent reforms.

“At best, we have a two-year spending freeze that’s full of loopholes and gimmicks,” said Representative Chip Roy, a prominent member of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus.

Progressive Democrats – who along with Mr Biden had resisted negotiating over the debt ceiling – oppose the Bill for a few reasons, including new work requirements from some federal anti-poverty programmes.

“Republicans are forcing us to decide which vulnerable Americans get to eat or they’ll throw us into default. It’s just plain wrong,” said Democratic Representative Jim McGovern on Wednesday.

Late on Tuesday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the legislation would result in US$1.5 trillion in savings over a decade.

That is below the US$4.8 trillion in savings that Republicans aimed for in a Bill they passed through the House in April, and also below the US$3 trillion in deficit that Mr Biden’s proposed budget would have reduced over that time through new taxes.

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2023-06-01 01:48:00Z
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US House passes debt ceiling deal as default threat looms - CNA

It would also cap some government spending over the next two years, speed up the permitting process for some energy projects, claw back unused COVID-19 funds, and expand work requirements for food aid programs to additional recipients.

Hardline Republicans had wanted deeper spending cuts and more stringent reforms.

"At best, we have a two-year spending freeze that's full of loopholes and gimmicks," said Representative Chip Roy, a prominent member of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.

Progressive Democrats - who along with Biden had resisted negotiating over the debt ceiling - oppose the bill for a few reasons, including new work requirements from some federal anti-poverty programs.

"Republicans are forcing us to decide which vulnerable Americans get to eat or they'll throw us into default. It's just plain wrong," said Democratic Representative Jim McGovern on Wednesday.

Late on Tuesday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the legislation would result in US$1.5 trillion in savings over a decade. That is below the US$4.8 trillion in savings that Republicans aimed for in a bill they passed through the House in April, and also below the US$3 trillion in deficit that Biden's proposed budget would have reduced over that time through new taxes.

In the Senate, leaders of both parties said they hoped to move to enact the legislation before the weekend. But a potential delay over amendment votes could complicate matters.

Republicans said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could need to allow votes on Republican amendments to ensure quick action.

But Schumer appeared to rule out amendments on Wednesday, telling reporters: "We cannot send anything back to the House, plain and simple. We must avoid default."

Senate debate and voting could stretch into the weekend, especially if any one of the 100 senators tries to slow passage.

Hardline Republican Senator Rand Paul, long known for delaying important Senate votes, has said he would not hold up passage if allowed to offer an amendment for a floor vote.

Senator Bernie Sanders, a progressive independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said that he would vote against the Bill due inclusion of an energy pipeline and extra work requirements. "I cannot, in good conscience, vote for the debt ceiling deal," Sanders said on Twitter.

In a win for Republicans, the bill would shift some funding away from the Internal Revenue Service, although the White House says that should not undercut tax enforcement.

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2023-05-31 22:52:00Z
2087634956

Blinken urges China 'open lines of communication' after plane incident - CNA

"I think it only underscores why it is so important that we have regular, open lines of communication including, by the way, between our defence ministers," Blinken said.

"The most dangerous thing is not to communicate and, as a result, to have a misunderstanding and miscommunication," Blinken said.

"And as we said repeatedly, while we have a real competition with China, we also want to make sure that doesn't veer into conflict and the most important starting point for that are regular lines of communication."

Blinken cancelled a trip to Beijing in February after the United States said it spotted a surveillance balloon from China over the US mainland.

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2023-05-31 15:19:00Z
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Nepali sherpas save Malaysian climber in rare Everest 'death zone' rescue - CNA

Gelje said he convinced his Chinese client to give up his summit attempt and descend the mountain, saying it was important for him to rescue the climber.

"Saving one life is more important than praying at the monastery," said Gelje, a devout Buddhist.

Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa of the Seven Summit Treks company, which provided logistics to the Malaysian climber, declined to name him, citing his client's privacy. The climber was put on a flight to Malaysia last week.

Nepal issued a record 478 permits for Everest during this year's March to May climbing season.

At least 12 climbers have died – the highest number for eight years, and another five are still missing on Everest's slopes.

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2023-05-31 13:17:00Z
CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9uZXBhbGktc2hlcnBhcy1zYXZlLW1hbGF5c2lhbi1jbGltYmVyLXJhcmUtZXZlcmVzdC1kZWF0aC16b25lLXJlc2N1ZS0zNTI4NDU20gEA

Right-hand man of mastermind in S$39.9m SkillsFuture fraud gets over 13 years' jail - CNA

SINGAPORE: The right-hand man of a mastermind who engineered the largest fraud involving Government funds to date was sentenced to jail for 13 years and nine months on Wednesday (May 31).

Lim Wee Hong David, 44, was part of the syndicate that submitted more than 8,300 fraudulent claims to SkillsFuture Singapore for training course subsidies when no training was conducted.

SkillsFuture was duped into disbursing almost S$40 million (US$29.6m), of which S$21.3 million was laundered away and remains unaccounted for.

Lim pleaded guilty to 15 charges, which include conspiring to convert or transfer criminal proceeds, conspiring to conceal criminal proceeds and forgery of a valuable security. Another 33 charges were considered in sentencing.

The syndicate exploited the SkillsFuture Singapore Course Fee Grant scheme, where business entities in Singapore can apply to SkillsFuture for a subsidy if they send their employees to attend skills training courses with registered training providers.

The masterminds behind the fraud, husband-and-wife pair Ng Cheng Kwee and Lee Lai Leng, registered nine entities as applicant entities or training providers from January 2017.

Lim was roped in as he was Ng's friend since 2011. He also introduced another co-accused to the couple, who later helped in the criminal scheme.

The group agreed on a scheme to submit false course fee grant claims to cheat SkillsFuture into disbursing training grants.

The mastermind couple used different computers to submit such false claims online, using their relatives' details and Singpass login credentials.

Between April and October 2017, the nine entities submitted 8,381 course fee grant applications and a corresponding 8,391 claims, lying that three training providers had provided courses to 25,141 employees of the six applicant entities.

Most of the applications and claims were approved automatically, with S$39.9 million disbursed to eight of the nine entities.

After the money was disbursed to the corporate bank accounts of the eight entities, more than S$27.8 million was withdrawn in cash by members of the syndicate.

Lim was involved in the scheme from the start, helping to submit false claims, recruiting a friend to submit false claims and encashing cheques.

He also acted on Ng's instructions by collecting S$2.6 million in two bags and passing the money to two unknown people.

SkillsFuture noticed that the nine entities used by the syndicate had made abnormally high numbers of course fee grant claim submissions.

It lodged a police report in November 2017.

The prosecution sought at least 168 months to 178 months' jail for Lim, calling this an unprecedented case of fraud on a public institution.

The public funds allocated to SkillsFuture were meant to help Singapore businesses train and upskill their employees and build a more resilient workforce, said the prosecution.

Instead, Lim and his co-accused pilfered the public funds, causing immense financial losses and reputational harm to SkillsFuture.

Lim's jail term was backdated to November 2017. He has been on remand for more than five years.

The other members have been sentenced to varying jail terms, with Ng receiving 17 years and nine months' jail in 2021. His wife was given 14 years' jail.

SkillsFuture previously said it had acquired new capabilities such as fraud analytics since the incident. It has also put in place new processes to prevent, detect and respond to fraud and abuse.

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2023-05-31 08:08:47Z
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