As Khanun forms, China warns of third typhoon in three weeks - CNA

BEIJING: Chinese forecasters on Saturday (Jul 29) warned of the approach of Tropical Storm Khanun, which is expected to rapidly gain typhoon strength and strike China's densely populated coast sometime next week.

Khanun, now more than 1,000km east of the Philippine archipelago in the Pacific, may make landfall in China's economically important Zhejiang province as early as Tuesday, Chinese forecasters said.

Typhoons are common in China, often threatening big cities. As many as 150 Chinese cities suffer from flooding each year due to inadequate drainage systems, disrupting local economies and even claiming lives.

As the Western Pacific enters its peak typhoon season in August and September, scientists warn storms could grow more frequent and violent due to global warming. Khanun would be the third typhoon to hit China after the powerful Doksuri on Friday and Talim just a week earlier.

Global average sea surface temperatures hit 21 degrees Celsius in late March and remained at record levels for the time of year throughout April and May. In the Florida Keys last week, the surface ocean temperature soared to abnormally high levels.

Temperatures on land have also smashed records this year as heatwaves ravaged much of the Northern Hemisphere - from Canada and the United States to the Mediterranean, India and China.

A remote township in northwest China endured temperatures of 52.2 degrees Celsius earlier this month, setting a new record for the country.

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2023-07-29 14:51:27Z
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Malaysian police tracking down suspect who hurled stones at PAS headquarters - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain confirmed on Saturday (Jul 29) that they have received a report in connection with a man hurling stones at the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) headquarters, causing the glass wall to break.

He said the incident occurred at the headquarters at Jalan Raja Laut at 5.30am and police are tracking down the suspect with the help of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

"The suspect, who was riding a motorcycle, had made some noise before hurling the stones at the glass wall of the building," he said during a special media conference on Saturday, in conjunction with the state elections in Bukit Aman. 

"Guards on duty in the building witnessed the incident. Police are tracking the suspect and ... we will track him down soon."

He added that the authorities are reviewing the close-circuit television cameras in nearby areas to assist in their investigations to identify the suspect.

The case is being investigated under Section 427 of Malaysia's Penal Code for committing mischief, he said.

Earlier on Saturday, PAS lodged a police report after one of the glass walls in its headquarters was broken by stones hurled by a man just a few hours before the nomination process for six state elections began.

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2023-07-29 09:56:59Z
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Japan set for largest ever minimum wage hike after panel proposal - CNA

TOKYO : A Japanese government panel recommended on Friday that the national average minimum wage be raised by 41 yen ($0.29) an hour to 1,002 yen, the biggest hike ever in value terms, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida makes wages a key focus of his policies.

The health ministry panel's annual recommendation serves as the nationwide standard for minimum wages.

"I welcome this outcome," Kishida told reporters.

"Raising wages, as I've repeatedly said, is one of the most important challenges for the Kishida administration."

Kishida and the Bank of Japan are hoping that wage hikes can be sustained so that they generate more consumer spending that decisively lifts the world's third-largest economy out of decades of stagnation.

Minimum wages are set by the government, while in the annual round of spring wage negotiations, corporate management and labour unions negotiate directly over salaries.

Japan's largest labour organisation, Rengo, said this month that major companies had agreed to average pay hikes of 3.58 per cent this year, the highest level in three decades.

($1 = 140.3500 yen)

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2023-07-28 14:27:10Z
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Tesla set up Malaysian headquarters due to political stability by unity government: PM Anwar - CNA

Over the past four years, Malaysia has been rocked by political instability following the fall of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2020, triggered by the Sheraton Move. The two following administrations lasted 17 months under Muhyiddin Yassin and 15 months under Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Despite Mr Anwar’s claim of political stability, Muhyiddin has criticised the unity government as being “hopeless” and “fragile”. 

According to a Free Malaysia Today report on Jun 29, Muhyiddin - who is also the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman - said that the biggest concern affecting the unity government is its stability.

“There is no stability. It’s fragile. It can collapse at any time. This is the reality,” he reportedly said, adding that, unlike PN, Mr Anwar’s unity government was fractured.

“We (PN) don’t have any problems; PH has a lot of internal problems. BN (Barisan Nasional) faces the same issue. When it comes to (fighting with) DAP (Democratic Action Party), it’s not even internal, it’s out in the open.” 

The unity government comprises Mr Anwar’s PH coalition - of which DAP is a component party - and the previous ruling BN coalition, among other parties.

Separately, Mr Anwar said on Thursday that the opening of Tesla’s headquarters in Malaysia will create thousands of job opportunities for the younger generation. 

“When he comes (and) opens offices, companies and factories for the new electric vehicles, we can take tens and thousands of our children to work (there),” he said. 

On Jul 14, Mr Anwar said that he welcomed the electric vehicle maker’s decision to invest in Malaysia and stated the government’s support for the opening of the Tesla head office in Selangor.

This after a 25-minute meeting virtual meeting with Musk that was attended by Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil and SpaceX senior director Lauren Dreyer. 

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2023-07-28 08:12:00Z
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Typhoon Doksuri makes landfall in China's Fujian province after battering Taiwan - CNA

BEIJING: Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in China's southeastern Fujian province on Friday (Jul 28) morning, after it battered Taiwan and cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes. 

The typhoon arrived in the city of Jinjiang at about 10am local time, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

It is expected to continue in a north-westerly direction with a gradually weakening intensity.

Across the Taiwan Strait, the typhoon toppled trees and cut power in the island's south, prompting authorities to shut businesses and schools for another day. 

Doksuri is categorised as the second-strongest typhoon level by Taiwan's weather bureau.

A "hurricane-force-wind" alert was also issued in the Taiwanese islands of Penghu and Kinmen, where residents were warned to brace for gusts of more than 155kmh.

The storm had cut power to more than 186,000 homes across Taiwan and downed hundreds of trees in the major port city of Kaohsiung, which was also on alert for landslides and floods. Rainfall of more than 1m was recorded in the mountainous eastern and southern parts of the island.

More than 300 domestic and international flights were suspended and railway services between southern and eastern Taiwan were halted.

A ferry sank near the Philippine capital of Manila after passengers alarmed by strong winds rushed to one side of the boat, overturning it. As many as 36 people have been killed this week during Doksuri's transit off the northern Philippines.

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2023-07-28 03:57:54Z
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Faster clearance for Singaporeans visiting Taiwan with access to airport e-gates - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – Singapore passport holders visiting Taiwan will from Thursday be allowed to use the e-gates at the island’s airports for speedier immigration clearance, said Taiwan’s Interior Ministry.

Travellers will first have to register at the immigration counters with their passports and have photos of their faces taken and fingerprints recorded.

According to Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency, Singapore is the sixth country – after the United States, South Korea, Australia, Italy and Germany – whose citizens will be allowed to use the e-gates at immigration.

Previously, the e-gates could be used only by Taiwan passport holders and foreigners who hold residency status on the island.

Taiwan’s Deputy Interior Minister Wu Jung-hui said on Thursday that Singaporeans aged 12 and above who are at least 140cm tall, holding biometric passports with at least six months’ validity and have no prior criminal convictions on the island will be allowed to use the e-gates.

A ceremony to mark the start of this privilege for Singaporean travellers was held on Thursday evening in Taipei. Mr Yip Wei Kiat, the Trade Representative of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, attended the event.

Mr Wu said this latest move reciprocates Singapore’s decision to extend usage of its automated immigration lanes to Taiwan passport holders in April – the island is now one of 51 jurisdictions whose passport holders are granted this access.

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said in April that it aims to make automated immigration clearance the norm at the country’s airport and land checkpoints.

It expects 95 per cent of all arrivals at Singapore Changi Airport to be cleared through the automated lanes by the first quarter of 2024.

Taiwan is a popular tourist destination for travellers from Singapore, with 460,000 registered visitors to the island in 2019, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Singapore, almost 160,000 Singaporeans visited Taiwan from January to May 2023, more than 90 per cent of the pre-pandemic figures in 2019.

In terms of the number of travellers from South-east Asia visiting Taiwan, Singaporeans are the fourth-largest group, after those from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

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2023-07-27 15:32:54Z
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Taiwan holds annual live-fire drills at Taoyuan International Airport for the first time - CNA

NECESSITY OF DRILLS

Military experts said the drill was necessary because Taoyuan Airport is just 3km from Zhuwei beach, a potential landing point for the PLA. 

“If the international airport was seized, the enemy would move into the second phase of assault or replenish supply to further expand its attack (so it's important to conduct this defence drill)," said senior analyst at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research Su Tzu Yun.

"This airport drill would help Taiwan’s air force to use the runways as backup for military aircraft to take off and land."

Taiwan has increased its military spending by 14 per cent this year to US$18.8 billion amid escalating tensions across the strait. But China’s military budget is more than 10 times higher than the island’s.

Analysts said asymmetric warfare - a form of irregular warfare where combatants are not from regular military forces - could be the key in making up for Taiwan’s gaps.

“Taiwan must have the capability of asymmetric warfare in order to prolong the (potential) war and protect our land, allowing other countries to supply aid to the island,” said Mr Arthur Wang, spokesman for the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association.

Mr Su said that the Taiwan strait will geographically help with the island’s defence.

“With modern missile technology, it will give Taiwan the chance to build up its advantage both on air and at sea to stop the attack from the enemy,” he added.

Despite such capabilities, analysts said the best way to resolve cross-strait issues is through peaceful dialogue.

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2023-07-27 08:53:36Z
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