UK's King Charles III and Princess of Wales Kate in health scares - CNA

Britain's royal family has had a double health scare as King Charles III faces treatment for an enlarged prostate and his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, recuperates from abdominal surgery.

Separate announcements came within 90 minutes of each other from Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, in a rare show of transparency from royal officials about personal health matters.

The king, 75, is due in hospital next week, while Catherine, often known as Kate, was admitted to a private London clinic on Tuesday (Jan 16).

She now faces up to two weeks in hospital and several months' recuperation from the operation, which the palace said was not cancer-related.

Charles has thrown himself into his role as king after succeeding his mother Queen Elizabeth II on her death in September 2022, at a time when most men of his age have retired.

He is head of state of 14 other countries outside the United Kingdom, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and is head of the 56-member Commonwealth, which comprises 2.4 billion people.

He is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the mother church of the worldwide Anglican communion.

His last public appearance was with other senior royals, including Kate, at a Christmas Day service at his Sandringham estate in eastern England.

"In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate," the palace statement read.

"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Benign prostate enlargement is common in men aged over 50 and is not normally considered a serious threat to health or an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

If the prostate gland is enlarged, it can put pressure on the bladder and urethra, affecting urination.

Causes of prostate enlargement are unknown but are thought to be linked to hormonal changes with age, according to the UK's National Health Service.

Charles was keen to share details of his diagnosis to encourage other men to get checked if they have similar symptoms, UK royal correspondents said.

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2024-01-17 20:06:00Z
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Kim Jong Un's move to label South Korea an enemy, drop reunification policy part of North's diplomatic playbook: Experts - CNA

In October that year, the elder Kim also sent a special envoy to visit then-US president Bill Clinton in the White House, and also received then-US secretary of state Madeleine Albright in Pyongyang.

Through such overtures, the world saw “the arrival of a reform-minded (and) reasonable leader”, said Mr Lee.

The younger Kim had re-enacted such diplomatic moves in 2018, sending his sister Kim Yo Jong on a visit to South Korea, and holding a series of summits with his Chinese, South Korean and American counterparts.

“With elections in South Korea in April and in the US in November, I expect North Korea to continue to try to enhance its net value, which is not through diplomacy, conventionally speaking, but causing problems (and) exploiting insecurity,” said Mr Lee.

SOUTH KOREAN RESPONSE 

In response to Kim’s announcement, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had vowed to punish North Korea "multiple times stronger" in the event of any act of provocation against his country. 

While such a response is expected, Mr Kang said both Koreas should be careful and understand where the limits of provocation lie, so as not to inadvertently escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula into an actual conflict.

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2024-01-17 07:51:11Z
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China's population drops for 2nd year, raises long-term growth concerns - CNA

The fresh data adds to concerns that the world's No 2 economy's growth prospects are diminishing due to fewer workers and consumers, while the rising costs of elderly care and retirement benefits put more strain on indebted local governments.

India surpassed China as the world's most populous nation last year, according to estimates by the United Nations, fuelling more debate over the merits of relocating some China-based supply chains to other markets, especially as geopolitical tensions rise between Beijing and Washington.

Long-term, UN experts see China's population shrinking by 109 million by 2050, more than triple the decline of their previous forecast in 2019.

China's population aged 60 and over reached 296.97 million in 2023, about 21.1 per cent of its total population, up from 280.04 million in 2022.

PENSION ISSUES

China's 2023 rate of 7.87 deaths per 1,000 people was higher than a rate of 7.37 deaths in 2022.

The country's retirement-age population, aged 60 and over, is expected to increase to more than 400 million by 2035 - more than the entire population of the United States - from about 280 million people currently.

The state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences sees the pension system running out of money by 2035.

Zhu Guoping, a 57-year-old farmer in northwestern Gansu province, said his annual income of about 20,000 yuan (US$2,779.59) leaves his family with meagre savings.

If they have a bad harvest there is not enough money to pay for fertilisers and pesticides for the next year, Zhu said.

He will receive a 160 yuan monthly pension in three years once he turns 60, the equivalent of US$22.

"The money is definitely not enough," Zhu said. "Maybe our children can provide us with some support in the future."

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2024-01-17 02:50:00Z
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#NSTviral: Royal Poco-Poco dance takes social media by storm (Our king and queen are in it, too!) [WATCH] - New Straits Times

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1. #NSTviral: Royal Poco-Poco dance takes social media by storm (Our king and queen are in it, too!) [WATCH]  New Straits Times
2. Baju khatam al-Quran, majlis bertunang Anisha Rosnah ciptaan pereka Malaysia  Utusan Malaysia
3. Perkahwinan Diraja Brunei: Mahkota berlian dan busana mempelai perempuan, serlah kejelitaan  Berita Harian
4. King, Queen congratulate Prince Mateen, new wife  New Straits Times
5. Agong, Raja Permaisuri zahir ucapan tahniah buat Putera Mateen, pasangan  Harian Metro

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2024-01-17 05:34:26Z
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Beijing fears unpredictability of Trump-Lai combination: analyst - Nikkei Asia

WASHINGTON -- The prospect of having former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te in office at the same time is leaving China scrambling to rethink strategies, an analyst said Tuesday after the Taiwan election and the Iowa Republican caucuses.

"Beijing's real nightmare scenario is not necessarily watching Lai Ching-te winning the presidency of Taiwan, but it's the combination of Lai Ching-te and perhaps Donald Trump coming back into the White House," Rorry Daniels of the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis said at the institute's seminar.

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2024-01-16 23:00:00Z
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China's Premier Li tells world it is growing and open for business - CNA

DAVOS, Switzerland: Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday (Jan 16) in Davos the Chinese economy was open for business and highlighted its potential for foreign investment as its vast population becomes rapidly more urban and its middle class is forecast to grow.

As China grapples with a sluggish post-pandemic recovery and a real estate slump, overseas executives have grown concerned about its long-term growth prospects for the first time in the four decades since Beijing opened it up to foreign investment.

Li said in a keynote speech to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the Chinese economy had rebounded and moved upward, and was estimated to have grown around 5.2 per cent in 2023, above the official target of around 5 per cent.

He said that China's economy was making steady progress, could handle ups and downs in its performance and would continue to provide global impetus, adding that its overall trend of long-term growth would not change.

Li, who leads a large government delegation at this week's WEF, is the most senior Chinese official to rub shoulders with global business and political elites at the Swiss ski resort since President Xi Jinping in 2017.

China's Premier said healthy competition was key to enhancing cooperation and innovation, adding that the world needed to remove barriers to competition and cooperate on environmental strategies and international scientific exchange.

Li also highlighted the importance of keeping global supply chains "stable and smooth".

In his speech in Davos, Li highlighted a growing North-South divide, which he said was becoming more acute, and stressed the need for cooperation on development.

Li said China, with a rapidly urbanizing population of 1.4 billion people, would play an important role in boosting aggregate global demand. He also said China remained "firmly committed" to opening up its economy and would create "favourable conditions" to share its opportunities.

"Choosing investment in the Chinese market is not a risk, but and opportunity," Li added.

His past overtures declaring China open for business have been met with scepticism in some boardrooms in light of a broader anti-espionage law, raids on consultancies and due diligence firms and exit bans, trade bodies say.

"We will take active steps to address reasonable concerns of the global business community," Li said.

Businesses have expressed longstanding worries about geopolitics, tightening regulations and a more favourable playing field for state-owned companies. In the July-September quarter, China recorded the first quarterly deficit in foreign direct investment since records began in 1998.

WEF organisers said more than 2,800 leaders from 120 countries, including more than 60 heads of state, are due to participate at the annual meeting.

Li did not mention conflicts in Ukraine or Gaza during his WEF speech and investors are on the lookout for any bilateral meetings on the sidelines, especially with Middle Eastern leaders and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Sunday for a larger, more authoritative Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and a timetable to implement a two-state solution as the Gaza conflict escalated and the Red Sea became a new flash point.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said it was important that Russian ally China was present when Kyiv convenes future peace meetings, although no meeting between Li and Zelenskyy was on the official agenda. 

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2024-01-16 10:51:00Z
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US says Nauru switching ties from Taiwan to China 'disappointing' - CNA

"While the Government of Nauru's action on Jan 15 to sever its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan is a sovereign decision, it is nonetheless a disappointing one," the State Department said.

"Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded, and democratic partner. The PRC often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic relations that ultimately remain unfulfilled," it said, referring to China by its official acronym.

Nauru - population 12,500 - is one of the world's smallest countries and lies about 4,000km northeast of Sydney.

In making its decision, Nauru cited United Nations Resolution 2758, which recognises the PRC as a representative of China in the global body.

"DISTORTED NARRATIVES"

Speaking to media in Taipei, Laura Rosenberger, the chair of the United States' de facto embassy in Taiwan, objected to Nauru's use of that resolution to justify the diplomatic switch.

"UN Resolution 2758 did not make a determination on the status of Taiwan, does not preclude countries from having diplomatic relations with Taiwan and does not preclude Taiwan from meaningful participation in the UN system," Rosenberger said.

"It is disappointing to see distorted narratives about UN resolution 2758 being used as a tool to pressure Taiwan, limit its voice on the international stage and influence its diplomatic relationships."

China on Tuesday rebuked the United States' expression of disappointment, calling it a "smear" on Beijing.

"It (the United States) is doing its utmost to smear and slander China's diplomatic efforts, and putting in a word for Taiwan to expand its space on the international stage," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference.

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2024-01-16 09:57:29Z
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