Ukraine hails Jeddah talks as blow to Russia, China says it's staying impartial - CNA

A senior Ukrainian official said on Monday (Aug 7) talks about the Ukraine war held in Saudi Arabia dealt a "huge blow" to Russia, while key Kremlin ally China declared it remained impartial in the conflict following its participation in the discussions.

More than 40 countries, including China, India, the United States and European countries, but not Russia, took part in the weekend talks that were seen as an attempt by Kyiv to build a broader coalition of powers to support its vision of peace.

Moscow on Sunday dismissed the talks, aimed at establishing principles for a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, as a doomed Western attempt to align the Global South behind Kyiv.

But Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak told a briefing in Kyiv that no other peace initiatives were discussed at the weekend meeting in Jeddah apart from Ukraine's, and that all countries present at the talks had fully supported Ukrainian independence and territorial integrity.

He added that the participants agreed to hold another meeting of political advisers within about six weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promoted a set of 10 principles that Kyiv wants to serve as the basis for peace to end the full-scale war launched by Moscow in February 2022.

The principles include the withdrawal of all Russian troops and the return of all Ukraine's territory to its control. Yermak said all the countries present at the talks in Jeddah fully supported Ukrainian independence and territorial integrity.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone conversation China would uphold an independent and impartial position on Ukraine as it strives to find a political settlement to the issue.

Wang's comments to Lavrov were announced in a Foreign Ministry statement on Monday that said China would be an "objective and rational voice" at any international multilateral forums and "actively promote peace talks".

The statement came after the ministry said earlier on Monday the talks had helped "to consolidate international consensus".

China's attendance in Jeddah signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach, but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts said.

China was represented in Jeddah by its Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs and former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, who in May toured six European capitals to try to find common ground for an eventual political settlement of the conflict, now in its 18th month.

Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine it launched in February 2022. It has offered its own peace plan, which received a lukewarm response in both Russia and Ukraine, while the United States and NATO were sceptical.

In Berlin, the German government said the Jeddah conference was a successful meeting because it showed the willingness of the international community to work towards ending the war.

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2023-08-07 19:36:00Z
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Why is a rusty Philippine warship involved in the South China Sea dispute? - CNA

WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE?

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which includes Second Thomas Shoal, and deploys hundreds of vessels there to patrol the waters and swarm reefs.

Beijing has ignored a 2016 international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Manila says China's coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the waters.

They also regularly attempt to disrupt resupply operations to the tiny Philippine garrison on Second Thomas Shoal, according to Manila.

The handful of Philippine marines deployed on the BRP Sierra Madre depend upon those resupply missions to survive their remote assignment.

The Philippine Coast Guard fears China will seek to occupy Second Thomas Shoal if the military detachment leaves.

WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER?

The South China Sea is seen as a powder keg and many fear a miscalculation or accident could ignite a military conflict.

The Philippines is poorly armed, but the United States has said it would defend its longtime ally in the South China Sea under a decades-old mutual defence pact.

The US has no territorial claim over the waters, but has persisted in conducting its own patrols there, angering Beijing.

Washington says this is to ensure what it terms "freedom of navigation" in the sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually.

WHAT'S BEEN THE REACTION TO THE LATEST INCIDENT?

Manila summoned Beijing's envoy on Monday.

"Our Secretary of Foreign Affairs summoned Ambassador Huang today and gave him a note verbale including pictures, video about what happened and we are awaiting their reply," President Ferdinand Marcos told reporters.

"The position of China, of course, is they say 'this is ours so we are defending it' and we, for our part, are saying 'no, we own it so we are defending it'. So that becomes a grey area that we are discussing."

The Philippines has issued more than 400 diplomatic protests to Beijing since 2020 over its "illegal activities" in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said.

"For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal," National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told reporters Monday, using the Philippine name for Second Thomas Shoal.

The US State Department on Sunday condemned the Chinese actions, saying they were carried out by the coast guard and "maritime militia", and that they directly threatened regional peace and stability.

Britain, Australia, Canada and the European Union also criticised Beijing's actions.

China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it firmly opposes the US statement which it described as attacking China's maritime rights in the South China Sea, adding that Washington was "blatantly" supporting the Philippines' violation of China's sovereignty.

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2023-08-07 12:05:11Z
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Singapore scouts to continue with activities in South Korea despite typhoon threat ending jamboree early - CNA

Organisers of the jamboree "urgently" called for the South Korean government to "expedite the plan for departure and provide all the necessary resources and support for participants during their stay and until they return to their home countries".

Last week, hundreds of scouts were treated for heat-related ailments at the jamboree as temperatures soared.

Several contingents, including Singapore, relocated its participants to other sites over the weekend. None of the Singapore participants fell ill, said Mr Ang.

He added that the Singapore scouts will get to interact with their foreign peers, providing a "whole learning experience for them".

Before the typhoon warning, the Singapore participants told CNA that they were sad that they could not remain at the camping site with their new friends, but they understood why the contingent had to leave.

"I wish I was back here, because of the friendships I forged over the past few days. It feels really sad to leave them halfway through so I would like to come back,” one scout said.

Another said: “It's quite sad when you have to pull out and then you can't be part of the entire event.”

HEATWAVE

Tens of thousands of participants took part in the 12-day event in Saemangeum, where temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius. The global event takes place once every four years.

The military, police and firefighting authorities were sent to the area, along with more medical staff amid the soaring temperatures.

The government had also deployed another 132 air-conditioned buses, increasing the total number to 262. Shuttle buses within the campsite also doubled, with 24 buses that ran at 10-minute intervals, instead of 30 minutes previously.

The military had also installed 69 additional canopies to provide shade throughout the campsite.

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2023-08-07 09:21:28Z
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Heatwave-hit South Korea scout jamboree to end early over typhoon warning - CNA

South Korea's presidential office said Monday that President Yoon Suk-yeol was briefed on a contingency plan for the Jamboree as the typhoon approached, hinting that the scouts may relocate to Seoul for the remainder of their stay.

"By 'contingency plan', it means the scouts' accommodation and the remaining schedule can be moved to the metropolitan area including Seoul," Yoon's office said in a statement.

Yonhap news agency reported that all afternoon activities have been cancelled and the participants will begin leaving the campsite from Tuesday morning.

"NATIONAL DISGRACE"

South Korea last week issued its highest-level hot weather warning.

The exit of British, American and other scout troops is a significant public relations setback for the South Korean government, which on Friday called an emergency cabinet meeting and mobilised aid.

The presidential office approved 6.9 billion won (US$5.3 million) in spending to support the jamboree, and Yoon on Saturday spoke by phone to camp organisers, urging them to offer more tourism programmes to the scouts.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Saturday that organisers would "create and operate a tour program featuring South Korea's industry, culture, history, and nature".

Local media has described the situation as a "national disgrace", given the time the country had to prepare for the event, which happens once every four years.

Organisers have also come in for criticism from parents and the public for failing to anticipate the heat.

A Korean-American mother, whose 15-year-old daughter lost consciousness during the event, said it took a "terrifying" 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

"How can South Korea allow children to be neglected like this?" she told South Korean broadcaster SBS.

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2023-08-07 06:39:01Z
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Singapore's PM Lee congratulates new Cambodian PM Hun Manet, sends best wishes to outgoing Hun Sen - CNA

Singapore and Cambodia have stepped up cooperation in trade and investments, technical assistance as well as military-to-military exchanges under Dr Hun Manet's leadership as deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Army, said Mr Lee.

"We have also expanded collaboration in new and emerging areas, such as the export of renewable energy to Singapore and the trading of carbon credits. Our countries should continue to explore expanding collaboration in areas such as climate change and digitalisation," he added.

Mr Lee wrote that he looked forward to meeting Dr Hun Manet in person during the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta next month.

In a valedictory letter to Mr Hun Sen, also dated Jul 26, Mr Lee described the CPP's victory at the elections as "a clear endorsement" of his "leadership and vision for Cambodia’s future".

Mr Lee noted that Mr Hun Sen was one of the longest-serving leaders in the world and had "steered Cambodia through challenging and unprecedented times".

He also highlighted Mr Hun Sen's successful ASEAN chairmanship in 2022 and organisation of Cambodia’s first-ever Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN Para Games this year.

"You have worked hard to bring peace, stability, and development to the Cambodian people," said Mr Lee.

He then thanked Mr Hun Sen for his "strong support" for strengthening bilateral ties between Singapore and Cambodia.

"Our cooperation has grown across a broad spectrum of areas over the years," said Mr Lee.

Mr Lee said he looked forward to working with both Mr Hun Sen and his son to further deepen their countries' partnership.

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2023-08-07 06:20:54Z
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Search under way for missing man suspected to have drowned near Punggol Point Jetty - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – The authorities are searching for a 35-year-old man who is suspected to have drowned in the waters off Punggol on Sunday.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 3.45pm on Sunday near Punggol Point Jetty where the man was reported missing.

The police said: “A search and rescue operation by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is ongoing.”

An artist who wanted to be known only as Mr He told Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao that he was walking past Northshore Plaza at about 4pm when he saw a large group of police and SCDF officers sweeping the area.

The 50-year-old said the authorities had cordoned off a section stretching from a park connector next to Northshore Plaza to the area near seafood restaurant The Punggol Settlement.

The authorities deployed a boat to comb the sea, as well as multiple fire engines and ambulances to the scene, he said, adding that many people had gathered to watch the tense operation.

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2023-08-07 02:10:00Z
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Ukraine calls Jeddah talks productive, Russia calls them doomed - CNA

A senior Ukrainian official said on Sunday (Aug 6) that talks in Saudi Arabia to make headway towards a peaceful settlement of the war with Russia had been productive, but Moscow called the meeting a doomed attempt to swing the Global South behind Kyiv.

More than 40 countries, including China, India, the United States, and European countries, but not Russia, are taking part in the Jeddah talks that are expected to end on Sunday without any written concluding statement.

Ukraine and its allies have said the talks are an attempt to secure broad international support for principles that Kyiv wants to be the basis for peace, including the withdrawal of all Russian troops and the return of all Ukrainian territory to its control.

President Volodymir Zelenskyy has said he wants a global summit to take place based on those principles later this year.

Eighteen months after Russia invaded Ukraine, any prospect of direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow appears remote.

Speaking about the Jeddah talks, Zelenskyy's head of staff Andriy Yermak said in a statement: "We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and lasting peace should be built."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying the meeting was "a reflection of the West's attempt to continue futile, doomed efforts" to mobilise the Global South behind Zelenskyy's position.

While Western countries have broadly backed Ukraine, many other states have been reluctant to take sides even though they want an end to a conflict that has hit the global economy.

The participation of China, which stayed away from an earlier round of talks in Copenhagen and has shunned Western calls to condemn Russia's invasion, signalled a possible shift in its stance but not a major change, analysts said.

Western diplomats have also emphasised Saudi Arabia's role in convening a wider group of countries to take part, utilising its growing relationship with Beijing and its continued ties with both Moscow and Kyiv.

Yermak said different viewpoints emerged during the talks in Saudi Arabia, calling them "an extremely honest, open conversation".

He said all the countries present had demonstrated a commitment to the principles of international law and respect for the sovereignty and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states.

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2023-08-06 15:57:37Z
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