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Sabtu, 24 Februari 2024

Zelenskyy vows triumph over Russia as Ukraine marks second war anniversary - CNA

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Ukraine and its allies not to "lose heart" and von der Leyen praised Ukraine's "extraordinary resistance" as she arrived in the Ukrainian capital.

Ukraine's military chief Oleksandr Syrsky said he was confident of victory "because light always conquers darkness".

Kyiv signed security agreements with Ottawa and Rome, with Canada saying it would provide a total of US$2.2 billion in financial and military support in 2024.

"We will stand with Ukraine with whatever it takes, for as long as it takes," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also visited Ukraine, arriving from Moldova and touring the southern port of Odesa alongside her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, according to an AFP reporter travelling with Baerbock.

Speaking at the Palanca border crossing as the two ministers walked into Ukraine, Baerbock said: "We could say this is a next step to European integration and into the European Union."

The European Union in December last year opened accession negotiations with Ukraine, which is also hoping to join the NATO military alliance.

"WAR IS OUR LIFE"

But the overall picture remains bleak for Ukraine due to the US Congress blocking a vital US$60 billion aid package, on top of delays in promised European deliveries.

Russia is attacking hard in the east after capturing the heavily fortified town of Avdiivka on Feb 17.

In the east Ukraine city of Pokrovsk - a gathering point for civilians fleeing fighting - troops sent a clear message to the foreign leaders gathered in Kyiv.

"Give us artillery, drones, counter-battery, shells," said a 31-year-old Ukrainian soldier, who identified himself as Woodie.

"Our infantry, armed with assault rifles and grenades, were facing artillery, aircraft, and tanks," added a 39-year-old serviceman from Kyiv, who has been fighting for two years.

Russia has kept up its barrage of devastating drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's cities.

In the latest strikes, Ukrainian authorities said three civilians were killed in Dnipro and Odesa in the night between Friday and Saturday.

In Kyiv, the mood was grim.

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2024-02-24 14:50:00Z
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Woman reunited with viral RM50 note given to her by late father - The Straits Times

Mr Azfarul Zainol (left) said the message written on the note by Ms Nur Hidayah Mohamad (centre) had left him moved as she had to use it despite its sentimental value. PHOTOS: TUAH LIM/FACEBOOK

A RM50 (S$14) note, which went viral in a photo posted on social media, has been reunited with its owner nearly four years after she used it.

Malaysian news outlet Sinar Harian reported that cashier Nur Hidayah Mohamad, 25, received the note from Mr Azfarul Zainol on Feb 23.

The note carries a significance for Ms Hidayah as it was the last time she had received money from her father, who died in 2020 after kidney problems.

On it, she had scrawled a message in Malay that read “Dad’s last money given to me, 11/5/20”, along with “Al-Fatihah”, a Quranic chapter commonly recited for those who have passed.

But several months after her dad’s passing, Ms Hidayah found herself in the situation where she had to use the note as it was the only cash she had in her wallet.

“I had to use it, and at that time, in my heart, I thought, God willing, I can get it back later,” she told Sinar Harian.

The note had gone to Mr Azfarul from the money he withdrew from an ATM in Kuantan on Feb 19.

He was touched by the message on the note and posted a photo of it the next day on his Facebook account, where he goes by the username Tuah Lim, looking for its owner.

His post was shared over 12,000 times, and received nearly 9,000 likes. It was ultimately how Ms Hidayah found the note.

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She contacted Mr Azfarul on Facebook after seeing the post, and they arranged to meet on Feb 23.

Mr Azfarul said that four other individuals had contacted him claiming to be the note’s owner, but he verified that Ms Hidayah was the rightful one, based on her social media posts which confirmed the date of her father’s passing.

Said Ms Hidayah: “I will take care of it as best as I can from now on because it is the last spending money given by my late father, and holds a lot of memories for me.”

Mr Azfarul, who posted a photo of their meeting on Feb 23, said he was relieved and grateful to be able to return the money to its owner, and thanked netizens for their help.

He said: “Thankfully, everything has come to an end and the owner has been found.”

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2024-02-24 09:55:00Z
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Jumat, 23 Februari 2024

Ukraine on the defensive as Russia war enters third year - CNA

"RUNNING OUT OF SHELLS"

Neither side has given numbers for military deaths and injured, while both claim to have inflicted huge losses.

In August 2023, The New York Times quoted US officials as putting Ukraine's military losses at 70,000 dead and 100,000 to 120,000 injured.

Leaked US intelligence in December indicated that 315,000 Russian troops had been killed or wounded.

On the eastern front, morale is low as outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian troops are ceding ground to Russian forces.

"We are running out of shells and the Russians keep coming. Lots of our comrades are injured - or worse. Everything is getting worse and worse," said one soldier near Bakhmut, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Moscow has massively ramped up its arms production and received drones from Iran, while Kyiv says it has confirmed Russia's use of North Korean missiles.

Zelenskyy said in December the military wanted to draft up to 500,000 more troops. A Bill to broaden mobilisation has caused wide public fear.

The conflict has thrown Russia into even greater isolation from the West, with the United States and its allies imposing a slew of sanctions.

But Putin has brushed off the fallout and hailed the troops as "true national heroes".

He has used the war years to rally patriotism and mount an even harsher crackdown on dissent, with few daring to voice opposition to the war.

The death in prison of opposition leader Alexei Navalny has removed Putin's arch-foe, and he is set to extend his term in office in elections next month.

On the streets of Moscow, most people told AFP they back the soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

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2024-02-24 02:15:22Z
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Singapore, at G20 meeting, says it supports immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza - CNA

The situation in Gaza was a key focus for foreign ministers meeting in Brazil, with G20 nations broadly backing a two-state solution to the conflict.

More than four months into Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, the Group of 20 leading economies voiced "virtual unanimity for the two-state solution as the only possible solution" to the crisis, Brazil's top diplomat Mauro Vieira told journalists.

The meeting also touched on Russia's war in Ukraine - which enters its third year on Saturday - and the need to reform global institutions like the United Nations, which have struggled to respond to mounting conflicts, crises and polarisation.

Mr Vieira said "various countries" had reiterated their condemnation of Russia's invasion. But there was little sign of diplomatic progress.

Calling the current geopolitical landscape "very worrying", Dr Maliki said countries should avoid returning to the Cold War where the world was split, warning that the relations between major powers have political and economic implications.

“Comprising major players from all regions, the G20 under Brazil’s leadership needs to demonstrate that it is able to work collectively to galvanise support and build consensus towards de-escalating tensions around the world,” he said.

“This includes urging all parties to refrain from taking actions that may have dire, unintended long-term consequences.”

He added that countries, especially those with the most influence, must be open to negotiations with support from the rest of the international community, and that the outcomes of such negotiations must be based on international law.

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2024-02-23 14:30:00Z
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South Korea and Japan beef up military export trade, showcase defence capabilities at Singapore Airshow - CNA

JAPAN EYEING ASIAN MARKET

Meanwhile, Japan is also courting the foreign market following a shift in the country's security policy, which opened its local defence industry to the global market.

It is eyeing Asia, where defence spending is on the rise due to economic growth and China’s military expansion.

Japan’s defence ministry has set up a booth at the Singapore Airshow for the first time, showcasing its capabilities from aircraft manufacturing to communications. It has also brought along 13 Japanese companies with the aim of supporting sales to other countries.

Both Japan and South Korea are the United States’ most important allies in Asia.

“For the case of Japan and Korea especially, they are very integrated into the Western supply chain. They're interoperable with western systems,” said Aviation Week Network’s Asia Pacific senior correspondent Chen Chuanren.

“And I think more importantly is that given what's happening around the world, many countries are looking to get military equipment fast and urgently, and (Korea, in particular,) has the capacity and the capability to generate and produce military equipment very easily for these countries.”

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2024-02-23 07:56:47Z
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Malaysian man gets up to $140 a day by begging, owns a premium SUV - The Straits Times

Social welfare officers were shocked to find the man can get up to RM500 (S$140) a day by just begging and is the owner of a SUV. PHOTOS: JKM MARAN/FACEBOOK

A Malaysian man said he receives up to RM500 (S$140) a day by just begging for a few hours, and he owns a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

The shocking find came to light when officers from the Social Welfare Department in the Maran district of Pahang were conducting checks to eradicate begging activities at the Sri Jaya night market on Feb 21.

The department did not say why the particular night market was targeted, but said its officers spotted the man, dressed in a grey robe and a Muslim skull cap, begging for money.

“He was holding a paper bag, soliciting sympathy from passers-by. Both of the man’s hands appeared small unlike those of a normal humans,” the department said in a Facebook post, adding that there was money in the bag.

The officers questioned the man, but he did not answer, leading the officers to assume he may be deaf and mute.

The officers, however, persisted in their questioning, including asking him to produce his identity card, and they were surprised to hear the man speak, saying that he left the document in his car.

A second surprise awaited them when the car turned out to be a Proton X70 premium SUV, which retails at between RM123,800 and RM128,800.

The unnamed man revealed to the welfare officers that he can get up to RM500 from just four to five hours of begging at night markets.

The man, who lives in the neighbouring east coast state of Kelantan, has been receiving RM450 monthly allowance from the welfare department for his disability since 2001.

The welfare officers did not take stern action against the man – letting him go with only a verbal warning since “this is his first offence” in the Maran district.

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2024-02-23 06:05:00Z
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Kamis, 22 Februari 2024

'Either help, or join our military forces': Ukrainians raise funds, send needed supplies to frontline soldiers - CNA

“If we just stay or sit and do nothing, we will lose. We will lose our country, we will lose our people, we will lose the closest members of our family,” said the 32-year-old, whose husband and brother are soldiers fighting in the war.

“My husband is the head of an intelligence platoon, and it's very dangerous. Every second, he is risking his life. So how can I just sit and do nothing?”

Hurkit supplies food, military equipment, and lifesaving tools such as generators through fundraisers.

Its founder Vlad Samoilenko started out helping residents in Irpin, where the charity ran its operations from. It only moved to Kyiv when the situation became too dangerous.

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2024-02-23 03:00:01Z
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