Italian PM tells China's premier of plan to quit Belt and Road Initiative: Reports - CNA

ROME: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday (Sep 10) there was more to Italy's relationship with China than the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), adding that a final decision on whether to leave the BRI was still to be taken.

Italian media reported earlier in the day that Italy would quit the BRI and instead seek to revitalise a strategic partnership agreement with China, aimed at fostering economic cooperation, that it first signed in 2004.

Italy is the only G7 nation to sign up to the BRI, a global trade and infrastructure plan modelled on the old Silk Road that linked imperial China and the West.

Italy has the G7 presidency next year and recasting its relationship with Beijing would placate its Western allies, who are fearful of Chinese influence, while reducing the risk of a backlash from Beijing.

"There are European nations which in recent years haven't been part of the Belt and Road but have been able to forge more favourable relations (with China) than we have sometimes managed," Meloni told a press conference at the end of the G20 summit of the world's major economies in New Delhi.

Meloni met Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday on the G20 sidelines and described the talks as polite and constructive.

"The issue is how to guarantee a partnership that is beneficial for both sides, leaving aside the decision that we will take on the BRI," she added.

Meloni said the Chinese had renewed an invitation for her to visit Beijing but that no date had been set.

The Italian government has also been invited to a BRI Forum that China will host in October, she added.

Italian politicians have questioned the value of the BRI agreement signed by a previous administration in 2019.

In its statement on Saturday, Meloni's office mentioned the 20th anniversary next year of a separate Global Strategic Partnership signed by China and a government led by Silvio Berlusconi in 2004. 

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2023-09-10 12:23:16Z
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US and Vietnam set to expand ties as China worries grow - CNA

Ahead of the 80-year-old US president's arrival, Hanoi's central Hoan Kiem Lake area, packed with families out for a weekend stroll, was adorned with American and Vietnamese flags.

Nearby in the city's old quarter, a souvenir shop sold T-shirts with Biden's face emblazoned across the front.

"I think the US is a good friend to Vietnam," said the shop's 61-year-old owner Truong Thanh Duc.

"With this visit of President Joe Biden, I think he will bring more business contracts and jobs to Vietnamese people."

HUMAN RIGHTS

In Vietnam, Biden will be juggling strategic interests with the defence of human rights. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, said Human Rights Watch.

While the president has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners are fearful he may not press the subject.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said prior to the trip that Biden would raise issues related "to freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and other basic human rights".

His visit comes days after a US government commission on religious freedom harshly criticised Vietnam for "egregious, ongoing, and systematic violations".

On Saturday, Nguyen Bac Truyen, a legal expert and religious freedom advocate who was sentenced in 2018 to 11 years in prison for subversion, said on Facebook he had been released and allowed to travel to Germany with his wife. Vietnam often releases political prisoners prior to US presidential visits.

Biden's visit comes on the heels of the G20 summit, where leaders agreed on a joint declaration that papered over deep divisions on the war in Ukraine and tackling climate change, avoiding direct criticism of Moscow and any concrete pledge to phase out polluting fossil fuels.

His Vietnam trip will also include a visit to the memorial of his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries.

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2023-09-10 03:51:00Z
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Singapore government donates US$50000 to Morocco earthquake relief efforts - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Singapore government will contribute US$50,000 (S$68,200) to support relief efforts after an earthquake in Morocco killed more than 2,000 people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sunday (Sep 10) that there are currently no reports of Singaporeans affected by the earthquake.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan wrote to his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita on Saturday to offer his condolences. 

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and damage that the earthquake has inflicted on the city of Marrakech and surrounding areas," said Dr Balakrishnan.

"On behalf of the government of Singapore, I would like to convey my deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by the disaster. I wish for the speedy recovery of those who were injured.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Morocco during this difficult time."

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck late on Friday in a mountainous area about 72km southwest of Marrakech, the US Geological Survey reported. It is the deadliest quake to hit the country in more than six decades.

With strong tremors also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira, the quake caused widespread damage and sent residents and tourists scrambling to safety in the middle of the night.

More than 2,000 people were injured, with about 1,400 in critical condition, said the country's interior ministry. Troops and emergency services are trying to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still feared trapped.

Earlier on Sunday, the Singapore Red Cross said it is pledging US$50,000 in humanitarian aid and that a fundraising appeal will be launched in the coming week.

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2023-09-10 00:57:00Z
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Morocco earthquake death toll rises to over 2000 people - CNA

The Moroccan armed forces will deploy rescue teams to provide affected areas with clean drinking water, food supplies, tents and blankets, it added.

Türkiye, where powerful earthquakes in February killed more than 50,000 people, was among nations expressing solidarity and offering to provide support.

Algeria, which broke off ties with Morocco in 2021 after escalating tensions between the countries focused on the Western Sahara conflict, said it would open airspace for humanitarian and medical flights.

The quake was recorded at a depth of 18.5km, typically more destructive than deeper quakes of the same magnitude. It was Morocco's deadliest earthquake since 1960 when a quake was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, according to the US Geological Survey.

Mohammad Kashani, associate professor of structural and earthquake engineering at the University of Southampton, compared scenes of the aftermath to images from Türkiye in February: "The area is full of old and historical buildings, which are mainly masonry. The collapsed reinforced concrete structures that I saw ... were either old or substandard."

Marrakesh is due to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank from Oct 9.

An IMF spokesperson, asked about the planned meetings, said: “Our sole focus at this time is on the people of Morocco and the authorities who are dealing with this tragedy.”

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2023-09-09 22:34:00Z
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PM Anwar's coalition retains both seats in Johor by-elections - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition retained both its seats in Johor’s by-elections on Saturday.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidates won both the Simpang Jeram state assembly seat and the Pulai parliamentary ward.

The two seats became vacant after incumbent Salahuddin Ayub died on July 23. He had secured significant majorities in both federal and state elections.

PH notched the double wins despite a raging controversy in Malaysia following a contentious court decision on Monday to dismiss 47 graft charges against Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi. The Barisan Nasional (BN) chief is Datuk Seri Anwar’s ally in his 10-month-old unity government.

There were some expectations that the Simpang Jeram ward in north-west Johor would be wrested from PH by the opposition after the surprise decision in court.

But PH’s Nazri Abdul Rahman polled 13,844 votes, edging out his rival, Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya of Perikatan Nasional (PN), who received 10,330 votes. Independent candidate S. Jeganathan scraped together just 311 votes in the three-way fight.

PH had been more confident of a Pulai win, as the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin had secured a 51 per cent margin over his next best-performing opponent in the 2020 election. However, that margin slipped to about 39 per cent this time.

Its candidate, Mr Suhaizan Kaiat, won with 48,283 votes, followed by PN’s Zulkifli Jaafar with 29,642. The third candidate, independent Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi, polled 528 votes.

Mr Amir Fareed Rahim, strategy director from political risk consultancy KRA Group said the victory by the PH-BN alliance is a validation of the appeal and legacy of the late Mr Salahuddin, who was known for his anti-inflation Rahmah Menu initiative for the lower-income group.

PH-BN’s success in both seats is also a validation of the Johorean voters’ support for the state government led by Umno Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who is seen to be responsive in solving people’s issues, such as congestion at the Johor checkpoint, Mr Amir said.

More importantly, it “underscores that the ‘green wave’ momentum has not fully reached the southern peninsula, even though Johor is Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s home state and Bersatu’s mainstay even at its weakest,” Mr Amir told The Straits Times.

Mr Muhyiddin is president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, one of the two top members of the PN coalition, the other being fundamentalist Parti Islam SeMalaysia. A wave of Malay-Muslim voters for PN had swept aside Umno-led BN in the November 2022 General Election and in the recent August 2023 polls in three northern states.

The results would also suggest that the court’s decision to drop charges against Mr Zahid has not severely damaged PH’s support levels, at least in these two constituencies.

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2023-09-09 17:04:33Z
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G-20 Diplomats Reach Deal on Language for Russia War in Ukraine - Bloomberg

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1. G-20 Diplomats Reach Deal on Language for Russia War in Ukraine  Bloomberg
2. Ukraine says G20 summit declaration 'nothing to be proud of'  The Straits Times
3. G20 delegates reach compromise on Russia-Ukraine conflict language  South China Morning Post
4. G20: Leaders Agree Joint Statement After Resolving Differences  Bloomberg
5. G20 members struggle for consensus on Ukraine as India gears up for summit  The Straits Times
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-09-09 08:15:00Z
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Pulai, Simpang Jeram by-elections: Voters working in Singapore brave downpour to cast ballots - The Star Online

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1. Pulai, Simpang Jeram by-elections: Voters working in Singapore brave downpour to cast ballots  The Star Online
2. Rain threatens to dampen voting in Pulai  Malaysiakini
3. Unity govt's strength faces polls test in Simpang Jeram, Pulai  Free Malaysia Today
4. Urgent call for higher turnout in Pulai to safeguard two-third majority - Nur Jazlan  New Straits Times
5. EC: Unfavourable weather responsible for low turnout  Malaysiakini
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-09-09 06:06:00Z
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