Chef Andres says Israel targeted his aid workers 'systematically' - CNA

WASHINGTON: Celebrity chef Jose Andres told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday (Apr 3) that an Israeli attack that killed seven of his food aid workers in Gaza had targeted them "systematically, car by car".

Speaking in a video interview, Andres said the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity group he founded had clear communication with the Israeli military, which he said knew his aid workers' movements.

This was not a "bad luck situation where, 'oops,' we dropped the bomb in the wrong place", Andres said. "Even if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians."

The aid workers were killed when their convoy was hit shortly after they oversaw the unloading of 100 tons of food brought to Gaza by sea. Israel's military expressed "severe sorrow" over the incident and Prime Minister Netanyahu called it unintentional.

Andres said he was supposed to be in Gaza with his team but for different reasons "wasn't able to go back again to Gaza".

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2024-04-03 18:42:11Z
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Pope Francis expected to visit Singapore in September as part of Asia trip - CNA

SINGAPORE: Pope Francis is expected to visit Singapore as part of a trip to Asia later this year, with officials from Singapore and the Holy See in discussions on the proposed visit. 

According to Archbishop Paul R Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, the Pope's trip to Singapore, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea would take place in September. 

Vietnam could be added to the list, he said in a Mar 26 article by America magazine, which is published by the Jesuits in the United States. 

In January, two other Catholic publications - EWTN Vatican and Radio Veritas Asia - reported that the Pope is likely to visit Singapore in August. 

"Singapore welcomes a visit by Pope Francis," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Tuesday evening (Apr 2) in response to CNA's query.

"Officials from Singapore and the Holy See are in discussion on the proposed visit."

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore told CNA earlier on Tuesday that while it is aware of the "unconfirmed reports" by the various Catholic publications, it had no confirmation at the time that the Pope is coming to Singapore. 

The last time a pope visited Singapore was in 1986 when John Paul II made a five-hour stop as part of his Asia-Pacific tour that included Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia. 

Thousands attended a papal mass at the National Stadium on Nov 20, 1986.

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2024-04-02 14:56:44Z
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Pope Francis expected to visit Singapore in September; MFA confirms Govt in talks with Vatican - The Straits Times

Pope Francis' tour, which was earlier expected to take place in August, will mark only the second papal visit to Singapore. PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE – Singapore is in talks with the Vatican about a proposed visit by Pope Francis, which is expected to happen in September.

“Singapore welcomes a visit by Pope Francis,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said on April 2 in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The last papal visit was almost 40 years ago, when the late Pope John Paul II drew thousands of Roman Catholics during a brief stopover in 1986.

The Pope’s planned visit was announced by the de facto Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, in an interview with the America magazine on March 26.

America is a monthly Catholic magazine founded in 1909 and published by the Jesuits of the US.

Early reports of an Asia-Pacific tour first appeared in January in two Catholic media outlets – America and EWTN Vatican. The latter, in an article outlining the Pope’s agenda for 2024, reported that “plans are under way” for a 10-day visit to Indonesia, Singapore, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.

The tour, which was earlier scheduled for August, will mark only the second papal visit to Singapore. When Pope John Paul II visited, he stayed just five hours in the country.

The late Pope John Paul II arriving at the National Stadium in an open-topped Land Rover for the papal Mass in 1986. He delivered his homily, a message of love and peace that lasted nearly half an hour. PHOTO: ST FILE

If health permits, Pope Francis, 87, is expected to spend at least a day in Singapore. A possible visit to Vietnam is also under consideration, the America magazine report added.

In January 2022, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong was granted a brief audience with Pope Francis during a working visit to the Vatican City. His visit was to reaffirm bilateral ties with the city-state and came a month after the Roman Catholic Church marked its 200th anniversary in Singapore.

On March 31, Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas confirmed that Pope Francis would visit Indonesia on Sept 3. Outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo reportedly invited the pontiff to visit Indonesia – which has the world’s largest Muslim population, numbering about 242 million – in June 2022, as part of efforts to promote religious tolerance.

However, the Pope’s ailing health has cast a pall on his Asia-Pacific travel plans. On March 29, he withdrew abruptly from the Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum. The last-minute decision was an attempt “to preserve his health” ahead of his Easter obligations, said the Vatican.

He presided at the Easter Vigil service on March 30, and on Easter Sunday, March 31, read his twice-annual Urbi et Orbi message and gave blessings from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to a crowd of several thousand. Urbi et Orbi means to the city and world in Latin.

There are about 395,000 Roman Catholics in Singapore, according to the 2020 census.

In 1986, Pope John Paul II knelt and kissed the tarmac when he touched down at Changi Airport – a traditional gesture marking the start of a state visit.

In 1986, the late Pope John Paul II knelt and kissed the tarmac when he touched down at Changi Airport – a traditional gesture marking the start of a state visit. PHOTO: ST FILE

Then Singapore Archbishop Gregory Yong and then Vatican Ambassador to Singapore, Archbishop Renato Martino, as well as then Communications Minister Yeo Ning Hong boarded the plane to receive him.

After meeting then President Wee Kim Wee and then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the Istana, he presided over a mass attended by about 70,000 people at the former National Stadium.

Pope John Paul II calling on then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the Istana in 1986. PHOTO: ST FILE

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• Catholic Church
• Pope
• Vatican
• Asia
• Indonesia

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Majority of ASEAN people favor China over U.S., survey finds - Nikkei Asia

SINGAPORE -- Over half of Southeast Asians would now prefer to align with China over the U.S. if ASEAN were forced to choose between the rival superpowers, a regional survey by a Singapore-based think tank showed Tuesday, reflecting Beijing's growing influence in the region.

According to the State of Southeast Asia 2024 survey, compiled by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 50.5% of respondents opted for China and 49.5% preferred the U.S. if ASEAN had to pick sides -- the first time Beijing edged past Washington since the annual survey started asking the question in 2020.

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2024-04-02 03:00:00Z
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Shipowner in Baltimore bridge collapse seeks to limit its liability - The Straits Times

Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key bridge lies across the deck of the Dali cargo vessel, as salvage work continues in Baltimore on April 1. PHOTO: REUTERS

BALTIMORE – The owner of the ship that rammed into a bridge in Baltimore last week, killing six workers and throwing the eastern US transportation network into chaos, is seeking to limit its liability to about US$43.7 million (S$59 million).

The company, Grace Ocean, could face hundreds of millions of dollars in damage claims, legal experts say. On April 1, it filed a petition jointly with Synergy Marine, which was operating the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali. They claim the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was “not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care” of the companies and that they should not be held liable for any loss or damage from the disaster.

But if they are held liable, it should not be for more than the current value of the ship and its cargo, the companies said. Following the crash, the total value has fallen from as much as US$90 million to US$43,670,000, according to the filing in federal court in Maryland.

The petition, filed less than a week after the March 26 crash and as parts of the ship remain stuck at the site of the accident, is a common move for shipowners in the wake of catastrophic crashes. It invokes a 19th-century law once used by the Titanic’s owner to reduce the shipowner’s liability after a crash to the value of the ship and any pending freight.

The companies said they expect the liability limit they are seeking to be “substantially less than the amount that has been or will be claimed” in losses or damages. They also want any lawsuits filed against them as a result of the bridge collapse to be litigated in the Maryland federal court where the companies filed their petition. 

The law that would enable Grace Ocean to curb its liability was also used by the owner of a dive boat that caught fire off the coast of southern California in 2019 and killed 34 people. In that case, boat owner Truth Aquatics filed its petition to a California federal court three days after the fatal voyage took place.

Families of the victims filed wrongful death claims for an unspecified amount in damages. That litigation has yet to be resolved more than four years later, a possible indication of a long legal fight for Grace Ocean and Synergy. 

To overcome the liability limit, anyone seeking to recover funds from owners of the Dali would likely have to show that the ship was not seaworthy due to issues such as an incompetent crew or mechanical issues, said Mr Steven Yerrid, a lawyer who represented the pilot of the vessel that struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida, in 1980, killing 35 people.

“It’s an entitlement that’s allowed, it’s not a guarantee,” he said. “A shipowner that’s found to have an unseaworthy vessel, they lose the entitlement to limit the fund recovered by injured people or dead people or people who have the status to sue. The limitation fund is for those who sail seaworthy vessels with competent crews. If that’s not found, they don’t get that limitation.” BLOOMBERG

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• Maritime and shipping
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2024-04-01 23:40:00Z
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New Indonesia leader visits China, promises close ties - CNA

Prabowo's decision to visit China ahead of Indonesia's neighbours in the region underlines the close partnership built up in the past decade under Jokowi when China became Indonesia's top trading partner, supplying natural resources including nickel and coal.

Jokowi's first visit after his inauguration was to China, for an annual summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in 2014. That was followed by six more visits.

China has also ploughed billions into Indonesian infrastructure and industrial projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.

It remains to be seen how Prabowo, now Indonesia's defence minister, will navigate issues including the jostling for influence between China and the United States in Southeast Asia.

Prabowo has previously said Indonesia was committed to its policy of non-alignment and would keep good ties with both China and the United States.

China's expansive claims in the South China Sea may present a test for his leadership, although the two countries' overlapping claims there have not become a vociferous dispute as has unfolded in recent months between China and the Philippines.

Indonesia says the southern end of the South China Sea is part of its exclusive economic zone. China says the area is within its own territorial claim, marked by a U-shaped "nine-dash line" rejected by other regional states.

China is willing to continue to deepen maritime cooperation with Indonesia, Xi told Prabowo on Monday.

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2024-04-01 13:50:00Z
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Indonesian president-elect visits China after decade of close ties - CNA

BEIJING: Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday (Apr 1) for high-level talks, less than two months after winning the race to lead Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Prabowo is visiting at Xi's invitation to discuss two-way ties, even though the 72-year-old political veteran will only be sworn in as the next leader of Southeast Asia's most populous nation in October.

China becomes the first foreign nation Prabowo has visited as president-elect, ahead of Indonesia's neighbours in the region, underlining the close partnership built up in the past decade under his predecessor, Joko Widodo.

In contrast, Jokowi, as the incumbent Indonesian leader is also known, did not travel abroad as president-elect before being sworn in.

But Jokowi's first visit after his inauguration was to China, for an annual summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in 2014. That was followed by six more through 2023.

China has become Indonesia's top trading partner during the last decade, as its natural resources such as coal and nickel help to power the world's second-largest economy.

China has also ploughed billions into Indonesian infrastructure and industrial projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.

Prabowo will also visit Japan on Apr 2 to 3, where he is set to meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other officials, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Monday.

Japan and Indonesia are comprehensive strategic partners sharing fundamental principles and values, and it is hoped Prabowo's visit will bolster close bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, Hayashi told a regular press conference.

In 2021, Prabowo and Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi signed a deal to facilitate defence equipment transfers in a meeting with their Japanese counterparts, as Japan seeks to expand military and economic cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to counter China.

Japan and Indonesia in December reached another deal to remove more trade barriers.

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2024-04-01 08:44:00Z
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