Western nations go on the defensive as Russia thanks India for G-20 declaration - The Straits Times

NEW DELHI – Leaders from Western countries and Japan found themselves on the defensive as they faced questions over why they stopped short of directly criticising Russia for the war in Ukraine in a joint statement issued at the just-concluded Group of 20 (G-20) summit in New Delhi.

The Delhi Declaration, which went through 15 drafts and 200 hours of negotiations, according to the Indian side, dropped the direct condemnation of Russia that found a place in the 2022 Bali Declaration, which referred to Russian aggression against Ukraine.

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2023-09-11 14:35:00Z
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Malaysian motorcyclist fined for using 'world's smallest number plate' - The Straits Times

The Malaysian police have fined a motorcyclist whose vehicle had a number plate the size of a finger.

The authorities were conducting an operation to tackle traffic violations in Shah Alam, Cyberjaya, Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya when they came across the motorcycle with the microscopic registration plate, according to a Sept 2 post on the Road Transport Department’s Facebook page.

The Malaysian authorities allow certain modifications of car and vehicle plates.

However, the owner of the motorcycle in question had modified its plate to such an extent that its numbers were barely visible.

Many netizens described it as the “world’s smallest number plate”.

According to Malaysia’s Road Transport Act 1987, using a confusing, obscured number plate that does not meet the prescribed specifications is an offence.

Fines range between RM300 (S$88) and RM3,000.

Other motorcyclists have been caught for similar offences too.

In mid-August, a teen was arrested for using the registration number “Nasty Port Flow” for his motorcycle, reported Sinar Daily.

Another motorcyclist was arrested for a similar offence in April. His number plate had the words “Sayang awok” (love you).

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2023-09-11 10:45:00Z
CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9zZS1hc2lhL21hbGF5c2lhbi1tb3RvcmN5Y2xpc3QtZmluZWQtZm9yLXVzaW5nLXdvcmxkLXMtc21hbGxlc3QtbnVtYmVyLXBsYXRl0gEA

Malaysian MP Retracts Support for Anwar Over Graft Case Handling - Bloomberg

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Malaysian MP Retracts Support for Anwar Over Graft Case Handling  BloombergView Full coverage on Google News
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2023-09-11 01:43:27Z
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U.S upgrades Vietnam ties as Biden blasts China for 'changing rules' - Nikkei Asia

HO CHI MINH CITY -- U.S. President Joe Biden denied trying to "hurt" China as he upgraded ties with Vietnam on Sunday, seeking to boost trade while navigating a thicket of challenges from human rights to climate and geoeconomic competition.

Hanoi and Washington raised their relationship two levels, to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," in a meeting between Biden and Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong in the Vietnamese capital.

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2023-09-10 17:00:00Z
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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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