Chinese research vessel heads to Maldives, could concern India - CNA

NEW DELHI: A Chinese research vessel is on its way to the Maldives, according to an Indian military official and an independent researcher, as new Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu deepens ties with Beijing, distancing from New Delhi.

It is likely to raise concern in New Delhi, which has previously viewed the presence of such vessels close to its shores, including in Sri Lanka in 2022, as problematic.

These vessels are not military ships, officially, but India and others worry about the military use of their research.

Relations between traditional friends New Delhi and Male have soured since President Muizzu took office in November riding an 'India Out' campaign.

Both New Delhi and Beijing vie for influence on the tiny Indian Ocean nation but the new government in Male is pivoting towards China and has asked India to withdraw its nearly 80 troops stationed there.

The Chinese vessel is en-route to Male, open source intelligence researcher Damien Symon wrote on social media platform X, saying Xiang Yang Hong 03 “is entering the Indian Ocean Region, displaying its destination as Male, the vessel is expected to run an ocean survey operation in the Indian Ocean Region raising concern in #India”.

An Indian military official confirmed Symon’s finding and said they are monitoring its movement.  

The Maldivian president’s office, India’s foreign ministry and China’s defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

New Delhi has in the past flagged similar visits by other Chinese research vessels with its other littoral neighbour Sri Lanka, which has denied permission for such vessels to dock on its ports since 2022.

In 2019, India expelled another Chinese research vessel from its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) after it entered without permission.

A senior Indian security official said China's research vessels are “dual use” which means the information gathered by them can be used for both civilian and military purposes, including the deployment of submarines.

Both the Indian military and security officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the subject.

Earlier this month, state-affiliated Chinese media warned against calling its maritime research in the Indian Ocean Region a threat, after an American think tank said China's navy could "leverage the insights gained from these missions" for deployment of naval forces.

Vietnam and Indonesia have previously claimed that similar Chinese research vessels had entered their EEZ.

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2024-01-22 15:46:55Z
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Israel hammers Gaza's south, hostage families urge Netanyahu to seek deal - CNA

GAZA STRIP: The Israeli army bombarded Khan Younis, the latest epicentre of the war in Gaza, on Monday (Jan 22) after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he said were Hamas conditions for the release of hostages, even amid mounting pressure from their families.

Witnesses reported deadly strikes overnight in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, and fierce fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reported on Monday that more than 120 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours.

"Artillery shelling has not stopped since 5am," said Yunis Abdel Razek, 52, who was sheltering with his family at the city's Al-Aqsa University.

"We can't leave the university ... it's dangerous and I fear for the little ones," he said. "They said the Al-Mawasi area was safe but they lied," he added, referring to a coastal strip west of Khan Younis.

Mahdi Antar, 21, meanwhile said he feared forces would "storm" Al-Nasr Hospital where he was sheltering with his family.

While fighting is concentrated in the south it has not ended in the north, where Hamas authorities reported shelling in the Gaza City area and witnesses heard explosions.

The strikes came after Hamas on Sunday issued a 16-page report in which they admitted to "some faults" but defended the Oct 7 attacks that sparked the war.

The attacks resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas, launching a relentless offensive that has killed at least 25,295 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll issued Monday by Gaza's health ministry.

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China landslide kills two, dozens missing - Reuters

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China landslide kills two, dozens missing  ReutersView Full coverage on Google News
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2024-01-22 06:10:26Z
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Modi to open flashpoint temple symbolising his changing India - CNA

"DESTRUCTION"

Modi and the BJP have sought to bring the Hindu faith to the forefront of public life since sweeping to power a decade ago.

Party luminaries regularly condemn earlier eras of Islamic rule over parts of India as a time of "slavery" when their own religion was oppressed, with Ayodhya a key plank in their narrative.

Devout Hindus believe Ram, one of the most revered Hindu gods, was born in the town more than 7,000 years ago, but that the Babri mosque was built over his birthplace by a 16th-century Muslim emperor.

The BJP played an instrumental role in public campaigning that eventually led to the mosque's demolition.

The destruction presaged the rise of the BJP and Modi as unstoppable electoral juggernauts, displacing the secularist Congress party that had governed India almost without interruption since independence from Britain.

Modi's consecration of the temple alongside Hindu priests will again project him as a defender of the faith ahead of a general election expected to begin in April.

The BJP is heavily favoured to win a third successive landslide victory, in part because of Modi's appeals to Hindu nationalism, and opposition parties are boycotting the temple ceremony, saying the event will be a thinly veiled campaign rally.

But many of India's 200 million Muslims, already anxious in a climate of increased sectarian tensions, have watched the clamour around the temple with trepidation.

Mohammed Shahid, 52, speaking to AFP last month in the town, recounted how his father was burned alive by a mob.

"For me, the temple symbolises nothing but death and destruction", he said.

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2024-01-22 00:53:00Z
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Malaysia's economic reforms set to eat into budgets of middle, high-income households - The Straits Times

Savings from subsidy cuts will be channelled to the low-income group in the form of cash aid. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

KUALA LUMPUR – Rising costs of living are expected to hit Malaysia’s middle- and high-income households the hardest in 2024, as the government shifts to targeted subsidies for fuel and electricity, and imposes tax hikes as part of its economic reforms.

Household budgets for these two groups will be significantly squeezed in the second half of 2024, say economists, as they will not qualify for state assistance and will also have to grapple with higher prices of imported goods due to shipping disruptions in the Red Sea.

“Although both the middle- and high-income households will feel the pressure, the most vulnerable would be the middle-income earners as they tend to have lower savings compared with the high-income households,” said Mr Mohd Afzanizam, chief economist and social finance head at Bank Muamalat Malaysia.

Malaysia categorises household income levels as B40, for the bottom 40 per cent of income earners; M40, the middle 40 per cent; and T20, the top 20 per cent of earners.

M40 households have a gross monthly income of between RM5,250 (S$1,490) and RM11,819. Families with higher earnings, the T20, are considered high-income, while B40 households earn a gross monthly income of below RM5,250. 

Utility bills are among the big-ticket items set to rise.

From Feb 1, monthly household water bills will rise between RM1.60 and RM8 in 11 states in Peninsula Malaysia and three federal territories, to fund new water-treatment plants and fix leaking pipes.

For the first six months of 2024, monthly electricity bills will rise by an average of RM22 for domestic users paying between RM230 and RM738. This is part of the government’s plan to lower expenditure on electricity subsidies, by adjusting tariffs every six months to reflect changes in fuel prices or other generation-related costs. In 2023, targeted electricity subsidies helped save the government RM4.6 billion.

From March, Malaysia also plans to increase the service tax on water and power to 8 per cent from 6 per cent.

The largest chunk of the government’s subsidy bill, whose total is estimated to exceed RM81 billion for 2023, is for petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas. The government is expected to withdraw petrol subsidies for the T20 group by the second half of 2024, a move which would add between RM15 billion and RM17 billion to its coffers.

All this comes on top of the lifting of price controls on chicken in October 2023, which was aimed at reducing subsidies and regulating supply, but has also resulted in prices rising by as much as 17 per cent in November.

Savings from subsidy cuts will be channelled to the low-income group in the form of cash aid, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said.

An M40 income-earner, who wanted to be known only as Ms Anuradha, said it has become harder to live comfortably on a single income as prices of basic necessities have increased.

“I am surprised that now, when I buy daily goods such as milk, eggs, bread and vegetables, the bill is already between RM50 and RM100, which is double (what it was) six months ago. About 30 per cent of my total expenditure goes into buying groceries,” the 40-year-old e-commerce entrepreneur told The Straits Times.

More On This Topic

Malaysia’s economic growth misses estimate as exports to China fall

Ringgit’s risks grow as Malaysia’s political angst adds to woes

Housewife Satya Abeywickrama, 35, was also shocked to see her latest grocery bill, which was 50 per cent more compared with her bill two months ago for the same items. The price hike that stood out the most for her was for sausages, yogurt, and imported strawberries and grapes.

“Higher petrol prices will further increase my Grab fare, which is already very high. Right now, I spend up to RM1,000 on Grab fares monthly,” said Ms Satya, who belongs to a T20 income household.  

T20 households saw their gross income grow 5.6 per cent between 2019 and 2022, compared with the B40 group at 8.6 per cent, and M40 at 8.4 per cent.

In the first 11 months of 2023, Malaysia’s inflation rate was 2.6 per cent, and 3.3 per cent in the same period in 2022.

Geopolitical tensions and macro-economic conditions will further squeeze incomes in 2024, say economists.

Mr Mohd Afzanizam told ST: “Costs of imported goods will also start to rise due to higher shipping costs as container vessels are forced to circumnavigate a much longer route via South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, compared with the Red Sea, due to the ongoing shipping attacks by Houthis.”

The Red Sea is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal, which is the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe. The diversion of container vessels to a longer route around the southern tip of Africa could result in freight rates tripling in 2024 from a year ago, according to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.

Malaysia’s seaborne exports and imports amounted to about 53.5 per cent and 60 per cent of total exports and imports, respectively, in the first 11 months of 2023, according to the Department of Statistics.

“Given that our seaborne trade is more than 50 per cent of total trade, any interruptions in the global supply chain will increase the costs of doing business in Malaysia,” said Mr Mohd Afzanizam.

The M40 and T20 groups will be more affected by higher shipping costs as they consume more imported goods, said Mr Patrick Tay Soo Eng, PwC Malaysia’s deals partner of economics and policy.

Malaysia’s economic growth for 2023 is expected to register at 3.8 per cent, dragged by a slowdown in construction and stagnant manufacturing activity, according to advance estimates released by the Department of Statistics on Jan 19. This is below the central bank’s estimate of 4 per cent.  

Mr Tay expects the economy to continue its lacklustre pace in 2024, on the back of a slowing global economy from weakening global trade, elevated public debt and high borrowing costs amid mounting geopolitical tensions.

Sluggish economic growth in Malaysia will dampen business earnings and lead to slower growth in household incomes, he said. He noted, however, that the government’s economic reforms are necessary.

“Biting the bullet by taking the hard decisions will create the room and resources to build a stronger, more resilient economy, ultimately resulting in higher incomes and better public services for all,” he added.

More On This Topic

Small steps for Anwar, but a leap of faith for Malaysians after vague 2024 budget

Malaysia’s economy grows faster than expected in Q3 on domestic demand

• Malaysian economy
• Malaysia
• Inflation/Price level
• Anwar Ibrahim

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Ron DeSantis, once Trump's biggest threat, ends 2024 White House run - CNA

The Disney fight was one that pro-business critics within the party said DeSantis didn't need to wage.

While many major donors threw their support behind DeSantis early on, they began to rebel as early as the summer.

Robert Bigelow, who gave millions to the super PAC fundraising group backing DeSantis, told Reuters in August he was cutting off funding, turned off by the governor's uncompromising position on abortion.

CAMPAIGN ERRORS

DeSantis' troubles began before he ever entered the race.

In March, when Trump was indicted in New York on charges he conspired to conceal hush money payments to a porn star, the former president received a significant bump in the polls as Republicans rallied around him. Many of them believed Trump's claims that law enforcement officials were targeting him to keep him out of office.

Several DeSantis allies say the governor waited too long to become a candidate, finally throwing his hat into the ring in May, over six months after Trump had done so. That left DeSantis open to blistering attacks by Trump, while the governor himself did little to defend himself, insisting he was not a candidate.

When DeSantis did formally launch his White House run in May 2023, it was a glitch-filled disaster on Twitter, now known as X, an inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the governor's executive competence.

The campaign then overhired, burning through cash at a rapid rate. DeSantis let go of some 38 staffers in July and ousted his campaign manager in August, sowing a narrative of internal chaos that proved hard to shake.

He outsourced much of the traditional work of a campaign to an outside super PAC, which can accept donations of unlimited size, but cannot coordinate with the campaign itself.

The campaign and the PAC, known as Never Back Down, came to distrust one another. A series of back-to-back departures of senior staffers from the PAC in November and December created a sense of turmoil that furthered the narrative that the governor's campaign was mortally wounded. 

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French warship treats around 1000 injured Gazans off Egyptian shore - CNA

EL-ARISH, Egypt: About 1,000 people from Gaza have been treated in a French field hospital aboard a ship off the coast of Egypt, its captain said, providing care for some as health infrastructure in the war-devastated enclave collapses.

The Dixmude, a French helicopter carrier, has been docked in the Egyptian port of El-Arish, 50km west of the Gaza Strip, since November. The vessel is equipped with wards, operating theatres and 70 medical staff.

Nearly 120 injured people have been hospitalised on board, while hundreds more have been seen for outpatient consultations, including follow-ups on injuries and psychiatric issues, said Captain Alexandre Blonce, calling it an "unprecedented mission".

A two-person medical team from the Singapore Armed Forces is among those treating casualties on board the Dixmude.

Israeli forces launched an all-out war to eliminate Gaza's ruling Palestinian group Hamas after its militants burst across the border into southern Israeli towns and bases on Oct 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages back to the enclave. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.

Gazans have struggled to get medical care at home as tens of thousands have been wounded, with most of Gaza's 36 hospitals no longer functioning, and those remaining operating at far over capacity, the World Health Organization says.

Israel has targeted the largest remaining hospitals, saying Hamas fighters are operating there, something Hamas denies.

Those lucky enough to cross into Egypt, like 16-year-old Ahmed Abu Daqqa, who was injured on Nov 1, faced long waits for medical care.

Doctors in Gaza "took out the shrapnel and put in two rods, but a month later they discovered more shrapnel" in his knee.

"They told me they'll handle it later because there were too many surgeries," he said on board the Dixmude.

"I tried many times to get a transfer" before finally crossing into Egypt, he added.

He was then able to undergo further surgery where the rods and shrapnel were removed and a resulting infection dealt with, and he also received physical therapy.

He and others on board the French ship were awaiting further transfers to hospitals in Egypt or abroad.

Italy sent a similar floating hospital to the Egyptian coast in December.

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