Anyhow cross road, but still dare to flash middle finger and gesture at drivers - STOMP

Two men crossed the road recklessly, then still had the audacity to express unhappiness at drivers who honked at them.

Stomper Luna shared dashcam footage of the incident that occurred along Kampong Java Road on Friday (Aug 11), at around 9.40pm.

She said: "We were turning toward Bukit Timah, beside KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

"These men crossed the road illegally and everyone was honking, including the cars in front and behind me, so we honked too. One of the men then pointed the middle finger."

In the video, the men can be seen crossing the road despite oncoming traffic, with one of them coming into close proximity with a white car.

The same guy then flashes his middle finger at the Stomper's car as he continues crossing the road, while his companion appears to be saying something and gesturing.

Luna added: "Just sharing because this is not right and he still has the cheek to point the finger."

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2023-08-15 05:00:29Z
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Poor showing at state polls may strain shaky relations for parties in Malaysia's unity government - CNA

Najib is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million (US$9.1 million) belonging to SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.

The former UMNO chief continues to have major influence and support among party leaders and is seen as a key unifying figure. 

“It has been a year since Datuk Seri Najib has been imprisoned and there has not been any justice for him,” Mr Isham told CNA.

He suggested that BN might have stood a better chance in recent polls if Najib had been campaigning alongside UMNO candidates. 

In April, UMNO announced that it was submitting a petition for a royal pardon for Najib to Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. 

DAP chief Anthony Loke later stressed that the petition was a party matter within UMNO, and not the stance of the unity government. 

DAP members have also been quoted by local media as saying that expediting or supporting a pardon for Najib is a red line they are not willing to cross as partners in the unity government. 

The royal pardon is determined by a Pardon Board, which is chaired by the king. Prime Minister Anwar is also a member of the board. 

Analyst Dr Jeniri stressed that if the unity government pushes for Najib to be pardoned, this might appease BN supporters. 

But he stressed that the move could trigger discontent among Anwar’s PH partners, as Najib’s pardon is seen as a non-negotiable compromise for some leaders. 

“Najib is a popular figure not only inside UMNO but also outside the party. He has an aura, he can boost support towards the unity government,” said Dr Jeniri. 

“But I don't think pushing for a pardon is doable and palatable at this juncture,” he added. 

Commenting on how PH-BN ties might unfold post-state elections, political analyst Hafidzi Razali acknowledged that the two coalitions will always have significant issues to navigate around. 

The associate director with strategic advisory firm Bower Group Asia acknowledged that the clout over Najib's case could haunt ties. He added there will continue to be clashes in matters relating to policies, political appointments and electoral seat negotiations. 

However, Mr Hafidzi maintained that there is a possibility for a strong partnership if both sides learn to compromise.

"In the context of the different issues that arise, there will be concessions needed. But the hope for PH-BN is that their leaders find a win-win scenario when these issues arise," said Mr Hafidzi. 

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2023-08-15 04:24:00Z
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Typhoon Lan makes landfall in western Japan, threatens damage - CNA

Power outages hit almost 90,000 households in central and western Japan, according to regional utilities. Seven & i Holdings said about 210 7-Eleven convenience store outlets were shuttered to ensure safety.

The dangerous levels of rains and winds forced road closures and dozens of train lines to suspend services in the area.

Over the next 24 hours, the central Tokai region - home of Toyota Motor - was expected to get about 350mm of rainfall, nearly three times the average rainfall for the month of August.

Many factories close during the Obon holidays, when city-dwellers return to their ancestral homes.

Typhoon Lan had sustained winds of 150kmh and was moving northwest across the western part of the main island of Honshu at around 15kmh.

It was forecast to reach the Sea of Japan by early Wednesday and continue north along the sea, according to Japan's weather agency. 

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2023-08-15 00:10:28Z
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Malaysians want change, says opposition leader after Perikatan Nasional gains in state polls - CNA

An analyst that CNA spoke to said PN’s gains in the PH-BN states indicate not a desire for change by Malaysians, but a yearning among many Malays for “a return to the pre-2018 absolute Malay dominance over Malaysian polity and society”. 

“As UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) is perceived to be scandal-ridden, (the Malays) go for other Malay parties such as PAS (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) and Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia),” said Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. 

UMNO is a BN-component party while PAS and Bersatu are PN-component parties. 

Dr Oh added that the results of the state polls suggest that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government is “very shaky”. 

“Members of Parliament (MPs) currently professing support for Anwar may sense the change in the political wind, and switch their support accordingly without offending the anti-hopping law,” he told CNA. 

The anti-hopping law – a constitutional amendment which came into force on Oct 5 – was first mooted as a bipartisan response to the Sheraton Move in 2020 which saw the collapse of the then-PH government.

Under the new law, politicians who switch parties will lose their seats, triggering a by-election. 

Following the state polls results on Sunday morning, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, citing the opposition’s strong performance in the state elections, said that the people have rejected Mr Anwar’s unity government alliance. 

He also called for Mr Anwar’s resignation. 

Meanwhile, Mr Anwar, who leads the PH-BN alliance, stressed that the unity government at the federal level remains intact and committed to serving the people, even as he added that the people's choice must be accepted.

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2023-08-14 12:10:00Z
2325525536

China diplomat Wang Yi’s deft touch with a tie wins online praise - South China Morning Post

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1. China diplomat Wang Yi’s deft touch with a tie wins online praise  South China Morning Post
2. Cambodia's next leader, Chinese FM pledge to boost ties  CNA
3. Wang Yi's visit signals China's desire to engage with South-east Asia's new and incoming leaders  The Straits Times
4. In Phnom Penh, Wang Yi shows support for Cambodia’s changing of the guard  South China Morning Post
5. Malaysia and China to deepen ties in various fields  The Star Online
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-08-14 07:47:55Z
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Typhoon Lan bears down on Japan's main island - CNA

TOKYO: An approaching typhoon battered communities along Japan's Pacific coast on Monday (Aug 14) with heavy rain and crashing waves, prompting authorities to warn about landslides and flooding.

On track to hit the main island of Honshu early on Tuesday, Lan was expected to dump up to 40cm of rain in the 24 hours to 6am on Tuesday in some areas, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Some towns would see gusts up to 162kmh on Monday, picking up to 180kmh on Tuesday when the system slams into Honshu, the agency said.

The storm was forecast to make landfall on the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula, about 600km west of Tokyo, before making a beeline inland for Osaka, western Japan's main city.

By late Monday morning, one municipality in the Wakayama region started calling on local elderly people to consider evacuating their homes for public shelters.

The approaching typhoon has also prompted the cancellation of public transport services on Tuesday, causing headaches for holidaymakers during the traditional "obon" travel week.

Annually, millions of families return to their hometowns during this season, but some people decided to shorten their vacations and returned to cities Monday before the typhoon strikes.

Japan Airlines said it cancelled 19 flights for Monday and 240 flights on Tuesday. Its rival All Nippon Airways also planned to announce cancellations later.

Various sections of high-speed "Shinkansen" bullet train services are also due to be suspended on Tuesday, especially in regions surrounding the regional business hubs of Osaka and Nagoya on Honshu island.

As of Monday morning, Lan was 260km southeast of Cape Shionomisaki on the Kii Peninsula, packing gusts up to 198kmh.

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2023-08-14 04:24:21Z
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Taiwan will not back down to threats, says its vice president during US trip - CNA

China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue, and is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, which is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier.

China has a particular dislike of Lai, who has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence", a red line for Beijing which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

WILLING TO TALK

Lai, who has pledged to maintain peace and the status quo, reiterated in New York that on the basic of dignity and parity he was "very willing" to talk to China and seek peace and stability.

But Lai said he will protect Taiwan's sovereignty, that only Taiwan's people can decide their future and that the Republic of China - Taiwan's formal name - and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other".

Both Taipei and Washington are aiming for the US stopovers to be low-key, and have called on China not to take any provocative action in response.

Still, Taiwanese officials say China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Lai's US stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of a next year's election and make them "fear war".

On Monday, the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army, which has responsibility for the area around Taiwan, showed pictures on its WeChat account of troops practising storming a beach, though did not give the location, timing or specifically mention Taiwan.

It said the soldiers guided armoured vehicles "to the enemy frontline positions and launched a fierce attack".

China carried out war games around Taiwan in April after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from California where she met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while also on a transit on her way back from Central America. 

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2023-08-14 01:54:00Z
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