Kremlin: US answerable for health risk from giving Kyiv depleted uranium shells - CNA

The Kremlin said on Thursday (Sep 7) that the United States would have to answer for the "very sad consequences" of its decision to provide depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine.

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced an assistance package for Ukraine including armour-piercing depleted uranium ammunition for Abrams tanks. Britain has already sent similar shells.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said NATO's heavy use of such ammunition in bombing Yugoslavia in 1999 had caused a jump in cases of cancer and other diseases.

"These consequences are also felt by subsequent generations of those who somehow came into contact or were in areas where these weapons were used," he told reporters, saying the same would now happen in Ukraine.

The use of depleted uranium munitions is fiercely debated; the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons says ingesting or inhaling even depleted uranium dust can cause cancers and birth defects.

But a United Nations Environment Programme report on the impact of depleted uranium on Serbia and Montenegro, in then-Yugoslavia, found "no significant, widespread contamination".

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, says that studies in former Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq and Lebanon "indicated that the existence of depleted uranium residues dispersed in the environment does not pose a radiological hazard to the population of the affected regions".

Some Serbian politicians have disputed this and reported an increased incidence of malignancies, and deaths from them.

Britain's Royal Society said in a report in 2002 that the risks to the kidney and other organs from the use of depleted uranium munitions were very low, both for most soldiers in the field and for those living in the conflict area.

Britain says in its guidance that inhaling enough depleted uranium dust to cause injury would be difficult.

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2023-09-07 11:22:08Z
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Amid global tensions, PM Lee urges ASEAN, major powers to foster strong cooperation under alternative regional initiative - CNA

During his intervention at the ASEAN-India Summit on Thursday, Mr Lee said India’s support is "crucial" in addressing common challenges, such as the problem of Myanmar.

"Our external partners and Myanmar’s neighbours, including India, have important roles, working with ASEAN to facilitate national reconciliation," he said at the summit, attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Lee said ASEAN and India should explore "concrete projects" to implement the AOIP and collaborate in emerging areas like clean energy and pandemic preparedness.

"We should also strengthen supply chain resilience and food security to address likely shocks to come," he added.

Mr Lee also said that ASEAN and India must press on with economic integration.

"We hope that the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement will make it more user-friendly and trade facilitative for our businesses," he said. 

AUSTRALIA'S ROLE "IMPORTANT" IN ENSURING SECURITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

During the ASEAN-Australia Summit also on Thursday, Mr Lee said Singapore welcomes the ASEAN-Australia Joint Leaders’ Statement on Food Security.

It reaffirms the countries' commitment to unimpeded trade and flow of food products, and to building more resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

"The war in Ukraine and adverse weather events caused by climate change have disrupted agricultural production and food value chains," Mr Lee said at the forum, attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Mr Lee also welcomed the signing of an upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area two weeks ago, which he said strengthens the countries' supply chains and reduces business costs, while setting standards for emerging areas of cooperation like the digital economy.

He noted that ASEAN has just launched negotiations on an ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and hopes to work with Australia "as a frontrunner in this field". 

Separately, Mr Lee said that he hopes that ASEAN can leverage on Australia's expertise in the deployment of renewable energy.

"The Clean Energy and Climate Transition track for next year's Special Summit with Australia is thus timely," he said. 

But Mr Lee also called on ASEAN and Australia to work on tangible projects under the AOIP to further underpin Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific, even as Australia's "firm commitment" to the AOIP signals its continued support for ASEAN centrality.

"Australia’s contributions have been an important factor in ensuring the security and stability of Southeast Asia," he added.

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2023-09-07 08:00:00Z
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Japan PM speaks to China's Li about Fukushima radioactive water release - CNA

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday (Sep 6) he explained Japan's stance on the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant to Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Indonesia.

Japan started releasing the water from the wrecked plant into the ocean last month, drawing strong criticism from China. In retaliation, China has imposed a blanket ban on all aquatic imports from Japan.

A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 triggered a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier.

Kishida told reporters he spoke briefly with Qiang ahead of a session at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta.

"During the chat, I explained Japan's position on the treated water to Premier Li," Kishida said. He refused to say how Li had responded.

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2023-09-06 13:49:00Z
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For foreign envoys in China, Xi's G20 absence confirms worrying trend - CNA

He has only left China twice - to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and to attend a meeting of major BRICS emerging economies in South Africa last month, where he also missed a keynote address without explanation.

SCRIPTED COMMENTS

By comparison, Xi managed five overseas visits in 2022 - when the country's borders were effectively shut due to rigid pandemic controls - and a dozen in 2019 before COVID-19 struck.

Some Western leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have travelled to China to hold talks with Xi this year.

But for several Western envoys in Beijing, regular access to Chinese officials or even scholars from state-linked think tanks - which play a key role in explaining China's policies to the world - has dropped off compared to before the pandemic, they said.

Scheduling visits for travelling dignitaries, as well as establishing protocols and ensuring media access, is also getting harder, several diplomats said.

When meetings are arranged, Chinese officials stick rigidly to scripted comments, the diplomats said, while some added they experienced hostile behaviour from nationalistic academics. This has curtailed the quality of information envoys can feed back to their capitals, they said.

Reuters reported in July on how some diplomats say they are also facing heightened scrutiny and interference from Chinese authorities.

However, envoys from two countries which enjoy close relations with China said they had experienced no such problems.

Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington DC-based think tank, said curtailing access or not attending events is increasingly used by China as "leverage" against countries with whom it has disagreements.

"Engagement is seen and used by China as a leverage to shape other countries' behaviours," Sun said, adding that she had also heard that the lack of access and security restrictions for Western diplomats in China had "intensified".

And with China ramping up a sweeping national security drive, aimed in part at rooting out foreign spies, there is little sign of this trend letting up any time soon, analysts say.

"When the anti-West sentiment is on the rise within the Chinese bureaucracy, frequent contact or close working relationships with Western officials may raise questions about one's political trustworthiness," said Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"To Chinese officials, the benefits of such engagements have become less evident, while the political and security risks are growing."

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2023-09-06 12:19:21Z
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Attend G-20 Summit With Xi Absent - Bloomberg

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1. Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Attend G-20 Summit With Xi Absent  Bloomberg
2. Xi's G20 no-show hints at China's shifting diplomatic priorities  CNA
3. Analysis: Xi reprimanded by elders at Beidaihe over direction of nation  Nikkei Asia
4. What Xi’s G20 absence means  Hindustan Times
5. Opinion: Looking For Excuses, Xi Skips G20 To Avoid Tough Questions On Economy  NDTV
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-09-05 22:17:59Z
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Malaysia seeks return of ex-Goldman banker convicted in 1MDB case - The Straits Times

NEW YORK - Malaysia wants a former Goldman Sachs banker convicted in 2022 in New York of helping loot billions of dollars from its 1MDB sovereign wealth fund to return to the country before starting his 10-year US prison sentence.

In a letter on Tuesday, to US District Judge Margo Brodie in Brooklyn, federal prosecutors asked for a one-month delay in Roger Ng’s scheduled Sept 6 surrender, so they could talk to Kuala Lumpur about first letting him stand trial on charges there.

“The United States is also working to ensure that the procedures governing the defendant’s return to Malaysia will not unduly delay the service of his US sentence,” prosecutors said.

Ng’s lawyers agreed to the one-month delay, prosecutors said. Mr Marc Agnifilo, one of the lawyers, declined to comment.

The case stemmed from about US$6.5 billion (S$8.85 billion) in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB sell in 2012 and 2013.

US prosecutors said US$4.5 billion of that sum was embezzled by officials, bankers and their associates.

Ng, 51, was convicted in March 2022 on bribery and money laundering conspiracy charges.

Judge Brodie called his embezzlement “a crime of pure greed” when sentencing Ng a year later.

At a court hearing in August, US prosecutor Drew Rolle said Ng could be returned to Malaysia to stand trial there once he is in US custody.

Mr Agnifilo said at the hearing that Malaysia wanted Ng’s cooperation with an ongoing 1MDB probe.

Ng was arrested in Malaysia in November 2018 and agreed to be extradited to the US three months later.

In a separate letter to Judge Brodie on Tuesday, lawyers hired in September by Malaysia’s government said the US had “backtracked” on its commitments regarding Ng’s surrender. The lawyers called the matter a “very serious issue”.

Another one-time Goldman banker, Ng’s former boss Tim Leissner, pleaded guilty and testified against Ng at trial. He has not yet been sentenced.

Jho Low, the alleged mastermind of the 1MDB scheme, was also criminally charged but is at large. REUTERS

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2023-09-05 17:00:40Z
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ASEAN risks losing relevance if it remains passive, avoids taking positions on issues: PM Lee - CNA

JAKARTA: In a world fraught with geopolitical uncertainty, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must be proactive and not avoid taking collective positions on issues, or it could risk losing its relevance, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday (Sep 5).

Tensions between the United States and China - both of which have strong links with ASEAN economies - have threatened to strike an overbearing influence on the bloc, while in its own backyard, ASEAN members have had different approaches to resolving the Myanmar crisis.

Describing the present situation as one of “great geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty”, Mr Lee said how the 10-member grouping responds will determine whether its centrality still holds in the years ahead. 

Speaking during a retreat session with fellow leaders at the ASEAN Summit, he outlined how ASEAN centrality must be manifested consistently in its positions, actions and policies and be based on a “unity of purpose and action”.

“We have to be united in dealing with difficult issues, whether external or internal, for example the situation in Myanmar,” said Mr Lee. 

“We will each have our own national interests and positions on the geopolitical challenges, but we still have to work towards common landing points. And this inevitably will involve all of us with some give and take.”

As global superpowers de-couple their economies and become more assertive, the bloc’s passive, consensus-based “ASEAN Way” that is rooted in the principle of non-interference cooperation through lengthy dialogue has sometimes been criticised as ineffective.

Mr Lee said ASEAN has done well in ensuring its external partners engage the grouping on its terms and for the benefits and value it brings, which is why there needs to be a doubling down of efforts at economic integration, especially in areas of green and digital economies.

But he added that even as the grouping steps up external engagement in an open and inclusive way, it has to accept that “geopolitical rivalry will play out in our region, as is happening elsewhere in the world; we may not wish it but we have to accept it”.

“The solution is not to remain passive and avoid taking positions on all issues. Otherwise, ASEAN will lose its relevance. We have to be prepared to engage all sides actively, in mutually beneficial ways,” he said.

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2023-09-05 13:25:29Z
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