'Silver fox' Wang Yi returns to lead China's foreign ministry - CNA

BEIJING: China's top diplomat Wang Yi has been given back his old job as foreign minister, one he had held for almost a decade from 2013, after the shock removal of his short-lived successor.

Wang, 69, is a career diplomat and fluent Japanese speaker who served as China’s ambassador in Tokyo and head of China’s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office.

Likened to a "silver fox" by China’s state media and online admirers due to his greying hair and diplomatic wiles, Wang currently heads the Chinese Communist Party Foreign Affairs Commission, the top foreign policy decision-making body.

Regarded by some of his foreign counterparts as suave and charming, he has become increasingly tough in recent years: A proponent of China's aggressive and often abrasive "wolf warrior" style of diplomacy.

"No matter how blonde you dye your hair or how sharp you make your nose, you will never become European, American or Western," he told South Korean and Japanese counterparts at a forum earlier this month, in a criticism about their pro-western stance.

He told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022 that the U.S. should "stop trying to deal with the Chinese from a position of strength."

When he met Blinken in Beijing last month - the first visit by Washington's top diplomat in five years - he told him China had "no room for compromise or concessions" on Taiwan, the democratic island China claims as its own and Washington supports.

Journalists have also been on the receiving end of Wang's sharp tongue.

After a Canadian reporter asked him about human rights in 2016, he responded by saying the question was "full of prejudice against China and arrogance".

"I don’t know where that comes from. This is totally unacceptable,” he said through an interpreter.

Wang had been kept busy after stepping down as foreign minister in 2022.

He was seen as instrumental in brokering a surprise peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March and then stood in for his successor Qin Gang at several engagements after he disappeared from public view for a month before his removal.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS93YW5nLXlpLXFpbi1nYW5nLWNoaW5hLWZvcmVpZ24tbWluaXN0ZXItY29tbXVuaXN0LXBhcnR5LXdvbGYtd2Fycmlvci0zNjUzMjE20gEA?oc=5

2023-07-25 14:33:22Z
2239059089

Gone in seven months: China's fired foreign minister Qin Gang - CNA

A fluent English speaker, Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi's interactions with foreign leaders.

As ministry spokesman, he stood out for being one of the first diplomats to speak aggressively in defence of China's increasingly assertive foreign policy, a style that became known as "wolf warrior" diplomacy.

During his stints as foreign ministry spokesman, he became known for his caustic responses to difficult questions from journalists.

The Diplomat magazine called him "one of the first Chinese foreign ministry celebrities" for his memorable lines, such as when asked his opinion of US rock band Guns N' Roses' album 'Chinese Democracy', he replied: "Not many people are fond of this kind of music because it's too loud and noisy. Besides, you are a mature adult, aren't you?"

But analysts say Qin's real break came when he entered Xi's direct orbit as chief of the foreign ministry's protocol department between 2014 and 2018.

That job involved organising Xi's foreign trips and accompanying the leader on them.

He served as vice-foreign minister between 2018 and 2021, before becoming US ambassador.

Qin also displayed willingness to work with the United States, declaring upon his arrival in Washington as ambassador in July 2021, after a period of unusual public vitriol between US and Chinese officials, that relations held "great opportunities and potential".

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9xaW4tZ2FuZy1jaGluYS1mb3JlaWduLW1pbmlzdGVyLXN3aWZ0LXJlbW92YWwtMzY1Mjk0NtIBAA?oc=5

2023-07-25 12:19:00Z
2239059089

Singapore records first 2 deaths from dengue for 2023 - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – Two people died from dengue in Singapore between April and June, logging the first deaths from local dengue infections for 2023.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in its quarterly dengue surveillance report on Tuesday that 1,989 cases were recorded in the second quarter of 2023, a 15.7 per cent decrease from the previous quarter.

This is the fourth consecutive quarter in which the number of dengue cases has dropped, despite a high number of cases at the start of the year. The 279 weekly cases recorded in the first week of 2023 were the second-highest for the first week of the year in the last five years.

NEA said then that the spike was driven by a high Aedes aegypti mosquito population and low population immunity against the prevalent dengue serotype then.

Dengue is spread through the bite of a female Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same species that carries yellow fever and Zika.

Symptoms can appear three to 14 days after a person is bitten. They include joint and muscle pain, severe headache with pain behind the eyes, and skin rash.

The number of dengue clusters identified from April to June dropped by about 34 per cent compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest NEA data.

Of the 213 clusters detected, 170 were closed in the same period.

However, NEA has detected more mosquito habitats, with about 5,300 identified in the second quarter of 2023. This marks an increase of about 15 per cent compared with the previous quarter.

The top five breeding habitats for the second quarter of 2023 in homes were pails, flowerpot plates and trays, vases, canvas sheets and plastic sheets, and refuse bins placed outside landed houses.

The top five breeding habitats for the same period in public areas were covered perimeter drains, discarded containers, gully traps, scupper drains of housing estates and covered carpark drains.

People can be infected with dengue up to four times as there are four serotypes of the dengue virus. Repeated infections increase the risk of severe dengue and death.

NEA’s report noted that the dengue serotype-1 virus accounted for the majority of the cases sampled between April and June. This was followed by dengue serotype-3, dengue serotype-2 and dengue serotype-4.

The peak season for dengue is from June to October because of warmer weather, faster multiplication of the virus in mosquitoes and accelerated development of the mosquitoes.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL2hlYWx0aC9zaW5nYXBvcmUtcmVjb3Jkcy1maXJzdC0yLWRlYXRocy1mcm9tLWRlbmd1ZS1mb3ItMjAyM9IBAA?oc=5

2023-07-25 09:40:00Z
2253918045

‘Wiped out my savings’: Taiwan woman shocked mum spent most of her US$90,000 - South China Morning Post

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

‘Wiped out my savings’: Taiwan woman shocked mum spent most of her US$90,000  South China Morning PostView Full coverage on Google News
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zY21wLmNvbS9uZXdzL3Blb3BsZS1jdWx0dXJlL3RyZW5kaW5nLWNoaW5hL2FydGljbGUvMzIyODM4Ny93aXBlZC1vdXQtbXktc2F2aW5ncy10YWl3YW4td29tYW4td2hvc2UtbW90aGVyLXNhdmVkLWhlci1wYXktMTIteWVhcnMtc2hvY2tlZC1sZXNzLTItY2VudC11czkwMDAw0gGpAWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnNjbXAuY29tL25ld3MvcGVvcGxlLWN1bHR1cmUvdHJlbmRpbmctY2hpbmEvYXJ0aWNsZS8zMjI4Mzg3L3dpcGVkLW91dC1teS1zYXZpbmdzLXRhaXdhbi13b21hbi13aG9zZS1tb3RoZXItc2F2ZWQtaGVyLXBheS0xMi15ZWFycy1zaG9ja2VkLWxlc3MtMi1jZW50LXVzOTAwMDA?oc=5

2023-07-24 10:00:14Z
CBMiqQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zY21wLmNvbS9uZXdzL3Blb3BsZS1jdWx0dXJlL3RyZW5kaW5nLWNoaW5hL2FydGljbGUvMzIyODM4Ny93aXBlZC1vdXQtbXktc2F2aW5ncy10YWl3YW4td29tYW4td2hvc2UtbW90aGVyLXNhdmVkLWhlci1wYXktMTIteWVhcnMtc2hvY2tlZC1sZXNzLTItY2VudC11czkwMDAw0gGpAWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnNjbXAuY29tL25ld3MvcGVvcGxlLWN1bHR1cmUvdHJlbmRpbmctY2hpbmEvYXJ0aWNsZS8zMjI4Mzg3L3dpcGVkLW91dC1teS1zYXZpbmdzLXRhaXdhbi13b21hbi13aG9zZS1tb3RoZXItc2F2ZWQtaGVyLXBheS0xMi15ZWFycy1zaG9ja2VkLWxlc3MtMi1jZW50LXVzOTAwMDA

Daughter drains elderly woman's life savings of $130,000 from their joint accounts - STOMP

An elderly woman accumulated $180,000 in savings after a lifetime of hard work, only to lose $130,000 to her youngest daughter.

Left with just over $200 in her bank accounts, Mdm Chen has had no choice but to lodge a police report.

The 73-year-old woman told Shin Min Daily News that she had opened three joints accounts with her youngest daughter in May 2021.

She said: "My husband and I worked hard all our lives for these savings. The money was previously in our couple's joint account before being transferred into these three accounts."

On June 26, 2023, Mdm Chen discovered that one of the accounts was left with $180 instead of the $85,000 it was supposed to have.

Feeling something amiss, she checked the other two accounts as well.

She found one account completely emptied of its $19,999 sum, while the other account had gone from having $76,174 to $61.

Mdm Chen said: "I saved about $180,000 saved and previously withdrew $50,000, so there should be $130,000 remaining. But now, I'm left with only over $200."

After investigating, Mdm Chen realised that all the money had been transferred by her youngest daughter.

She subsequently lodged a police report, but was told that nothing could be done as the money had been in joint accounts.

"The police suggested that I get a lawyer, but that will cost a lot of money," added Mdm Chen, who was unable to recall why she had opened the joint accounts with her daughter.

Mdm Chen also called her daughter.

"She admitted to using my money and said she would pay it back to me slowly, but I don't know how she is going to do that," said Mdm Chen.

Reporters tried to contact Mdm Chen's daughter for two consecutive days, but to no avail. When they got in touch with Mdm Chen's son-in-law, he said: "Don't write nonsense."

Mdm Chen's eldest daughter, 43-year-old Ms Zhuo, said her parents have lost their life savings.

According to Ms Zhuo, her mother worked as a dishwasher for 30 years while her father operated a boat.

She added: "My father was in poor health a few years ago and is currently bedridden. I didn't expect my sister to take their money."

The family's relationship with Mdm Chen's youngest daughter deteriorated following the incident and she has since stopped replying to Mdm Chen's messages.

Mdm Chen believes that her youngest daughter and son-in-law are facing problems with their business, a frozen seafood company which they started in 2021.

She said: "I requested for transfer records from the bank and discovered that my youngest daughter has been transferring money to her company's employees, suppliers and even directly to her husband since June 2021.

"In fact, even the registration fee for her marriage this year is my money."

Ms Zhuo said that things have been amiss ever since her youngest sister started dating her now-husband in 2021.

She explained: "His own divorce procedures had yet to be completed when he was with my sister. Afterwards, he did not come to see my parents so we do not know him well and don't have a good impression of him."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifWh0dHBzOi8vc3RvbXAuc3RyYWl0c3RpbWVzLmNvbS9zaW5nYXBvcmUtc2Vlbi9kYXVnaHRlci1kcmFpbnMtZWxkZXJseS13b21hbnMtbGlmZS1zYXZpbmdzLW9mLTEzMDAwMC1mcm9tLXRoZWlyLWpvaW50LWFjY291bnRz0gGBAWh0dHBzOi8vc3RvbXAuc3RyYWl0c3RpbWVzLmNvbS9zaW5nYXBvcmUtc2Vlbi9kYXVnaHRlci1kcmFpbnMtZWxkZXJseS13b21hbnMtbGlmZS1zYXZpbmdzLW9mLTEzMDAwMC1mcm9tLXRoZWlyLWpvaW50LWFjY291bnRzP2FtcA?oc=5

2023-07-24 07:17:35Z
2256638462

Malaysia's ruling coalition goes on offensive against Kedah leader in battle to win state - The Straits Times

ALOR SETAR – Malaysia’s ruling coalition has painted a large bull’s eye on the back of Kedah’s caretaker chief minister Sanusi Md Nor, as it ramps up efforts to win back the northern state in the Aug 12 state polls.

Sanusi, from the federal opposition alliance Perikatan Nasional (PN), was last week charged in court with sedition for insulting the Selangor ruler, and is due for questioning over alleged corruption involving mining activities in the state.

He alleged that his popular TikTok account, with some 540,000 followers, was mysteriously blocked for three days in mid-July and then unblocked again, with the Home Minister and Minister of Communications and Digital saying they had no hand in it.

These developments come just ahead of the Aug 12 polls involving six states. Sanusi, 48, is the election director for PN, which is led by two major Malay-Muslim parties.

Despite these distractions, PN and Sanusi are set to put up a tough fight to defend Kedah.

Sanusi became the state’s Menteri Besar (chief minister) after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government was toppled in 2020 following a major shift of alliances among state politicians.

To boost its support among Malay voters in Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition led by PH badly needs to wrest Kedah back.

But PH and its key ally Barisan Nasional (BN) may face an uphill battle. Many Kedahans whom The Straits Times spoke to sang praises of the blunt-speaking Sanusi.

At political rallies, his shoot-from-the-hip style and thick Kedah accent resonate with heartlanders in the state, which is known as Malaysia’s “rice bowl state” as it has the highest rice output in the country.

Stock trader Abdul Rahim, 35, who works part-time as a private-hire driver, said Sanusi is “the best Menteri Besar”.

“He builds new roads and he goes down to the ground when there are floods. He may be brash, but we don’t mind it,” he told ST.

Of the six states headed for the polls in August, PN controls the state governments of Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan. Mr Anwar’s PH-BN alliance controls the other three state assemblies – Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

An influential figure, Sanusi has accused Mr Anwar’s federal administration of launching investigations against him to curtail his speeches.

“In Malaysia, it looks like we cannot say anything. We have a government that is afraid and using the police to stop our speech,” he told reporters after his court appearance on Tuesday.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvc2UtYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1zLXJ1bGluZy1jb2FsaXRpb24tZ29lcy1vbi1vZmZlbnNpdmUtYWdhaW5zdC1rZWRhaC1sZWFkZXItaW4tYmF0dGxlLXRvLXdpbi1zdGF0ZdIBAA?oc=5

2023-07-23 21:00:00Z
2264197267

Malaysia domestic trade minister Salahuddin Ayub dies aged 61 - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub died on Sunday (Jul 23) following surgery for a brain haemorrhage. He was 61.

This was confirmed by his daughter Fatiha Salahuddin in a Facebook post.

“We are saddened to inform that the head of our family, Salahuddin Ayub died at 9.23 pm on July 23, 2023,” she posted.

Salahuddin’s press secretary, Syakirin Husnal, said in a statement that Salahuddin died at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) in Alor Setar, Kedah.

He said Salahuddin’s remains would be taken to his mother’s home in Kampung Serkat (Kopi Tenggek), Tanjung Piai, and that the minister’s office will provide further information regarding funeral arrangements soon.

He added that the deceased's family would like to express their utmost appreciation and gratitude to everyone for their prayers and condolences.

“They also wish to thank all the doctors and staff of the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar, Kedah,” he said.

On Saturday, Syakirin said the minister was taken to the emergency ward of the HSB at about 10.15pm on Friday after suffering from nausea and vomiting, before being diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage by a specialist.

Salahuddin leaves behind his wife, Fatimah Taha, and six children.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described the demise of Salahuddin as a huge loss for him, personally, and his family.

Admitting to being affected by the sad news, the prime minister said that the services of Salahuddin, who was also the Amanah deputy president, could not be materially repaid.

“He was known for being of an esteemed character, be it to his friends or foes. A strong figure who works and is very obedient to trust and responsibility.

“Rest now, my friend,” he posted on Facebook on Sunday.

CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE

Born on Dec 1, 1961, in Tanjung Piai, Pontian, Johor, Salahuddin will be best remembered as a champion of the people on the issue of the rising cost of living by introducing various initiatives known as 'Payung RAHMAH'.

Salahuddin was no stranger to national politics and succeeded in making a name for himself until he was appointed Deputy President of Parti Amanah Party (Amanah).

He was also Pontian branch Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) secretary from 1981 to 1983, before being actively involved in politics after joining PAS in 1983.

In PAS, he rose through the ranks, from being the Pontian PAS vice-president (1983-1987) and to being overall party vice-president from 2009 to 2015.

In the 2004 general election, PAS nominated him to contest the Kubang Kerian parliamentary constituency, which he won and served for two terms.

However, Salahuddin exited PAS and joined Amanah on Aug 31, 2015, after an internal conflict between PAS members at the time.

The Amanah deputy president then won the Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram state seat in the 14th general election in 2018 on a Pakatan Harapan (PH) ticket. He was appointed Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister before the PH government collapsed in February 2020.

The Johor PH chairman defended the seats in the Johor state election in March 2022 and the 15th general election on Nov 19 last year before being appointed Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living.

During his tenure, Salahuddin implemented various initiatives under the Payung RAHMAH brand to help people face various challenges related to the rising cost of living, especially when the country and the economy were recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salahuddin was a minister always seen on the ground to ensure a sufficient supply of goods and his tireless efforts succeeded in stabilising the prices of basic goods while also reducing the effects of inflation on consumers.

"Until the end of his life, he was concerned and continued to fight for the well-being of the people. The country lost a great leader," said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in a Facebook post.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9zYWxhaHVkZGluLWF5dWItZGVhdGgtbWFsYXlzaWEtZG9tZXN0aWMtdHJhZGUtbWluaXN0ZXItMzY0ODgzNtIBAA?oc=5

2023-07-23 16:03:13Z
2270869998