Cambodia to push forward with plans to build US$1.7 billion canal, says PM Hun Manet - CNA

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will push forward with controversial plans to build a US$1.7 billion canal, linking its capital Phnom Penh to the sea, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday (Apr 11).

The Funan Techo canal is the latest Chinese-backed infrastructure project in Cambodia, which received billions in investments as one of Beijing's closest regional allies under former leader Hun Sen.

The planned canal has raised concerns from academics in neighbouring Vietnam that it could facilitate travel by Chinese warships near the Vietnamese coastline.

Hun Manet dismissed those concerns during a speech in Takeo province, where the proposed 180km waterway would cut through, ending in the coastal province of Kep.

"The canal is a historic project that will provide benefits to our people," he said.

Cambodian officials say the construction of the canal will begin later this year with Chinese funding, although details remain sparse.

The canal – measuring 100m wide and 5.4m deep – would connect Phnom Penh with Cambodian ports on the Gulf of Thailand, bypassing Vietnam's traditional route.

Hun Manet rejected media reports citing two researchers at a Vietnamese state-backed institute that suggested the canal would allow Chinese warships to travel closer to the Vietnamese border.

"We will not allow (any country) to use our country as a base against another country, let alone a military base," he said.

He added that the canal would be too shallow for a warship. The prime minister said the canal would provide an economic boost, benefiting millions.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9jYW1ib2RpYS1wbGFucy1jYW5hbC1wbS1odW4tbWFuZXQtY2hpbmEtd2Fyc2hpcHMtNDI1ODUwMdIBAA?oc=5

2024-04-11 11:37:19Z
CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9jYW1ib2RpYS1wbGFucy1jYW5hbC1wbS1odW4tbWFuZXQtY2hpbmEtd2Fyc2hpcHMtNDI1ODUwMdIBAA

CNA Explains: South Korea's opposition won a landslide election vote. Now what? - CNA

What does the result mean for the Yoon administration?

Dr Jong Eun Lee, assistant professor of political science at North Greenville University, said voters have chosen to hold the ruling party and Mr Yoon more accountable. 

He added: “A lot of South Korean voters seem to have been frustrated that President Yoon seems to always emphasise his legal (and) political principles, and is not willing to find the middle ground or negotiate compromise.”

The resounding electoral defeat “confirms the people's discontent with the Yoon Suk Yeol government and their performance for the last two years,” Prof Shin, who is also director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, told CNA’s Asia First on Thursday. 

“And now facing a larger opposition in the parliament, it's a big challenge for Yoon and his government to run the country for the next three years.”

However, President Yoon can still exercise his veto power over parliament Bills.

“So what will happen is that the opposition will probably keep passing Bills, and be more aggressive in pushing for their policy agendas. And Yoon may have to continue to veto and there'll be some stalemates,” said Prof Shin. 

“Then it's very hard to implement any policy reform or agenda in this kind of situation. It's likely to continue in the coming three years.”

Mr Yoon, who took office in May 2022, has already vetoed nine contentious Bills passed by the DP, including one for a special counsel investigation into his wife and First Lady Kim Keon-hee's alleged involvement in stock manipulation. 

Dr Lee told CNA938 on Thursday that the opposition party will renew their efforts to investigate President Yoon’s government.

“In the next three years, will he continue to exercise his veto power against the National Assembly?” said Dr Lee.

“He could, but what would be the public reaction? Would they blame the National Assembly, or would they blame the president for continuing to block the laws passed by the National Assembly? 

“So that's going to be a burden that President Yoon would have to think about for every single legislation passed by the National Assembly they oppose.”

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2FzaWEvY25hLWV4cGxhaW5zLXNvdXRoLWtvcmVhLW9wcG9zaXRpb24tZGVtb2NyYXRpYy1wYXJ0eS13b24tbGFuZHNsaWRlLWVsZWN0aW9uLXZvdGUtcGFybGlhbWVudC1wZW9wbGUtcG93ZXItcGFydHktcHJlc2lkZW50LXlvb24tc3VrLXllb2wtbGFtZS1kdWNrLTQyNTgxMjHSAQA?oc=5

2024-04-11 08:43:00Z
CBMivQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2FzaWEvY25hLWV4cGxhaW5zLXNvdXRoLWtvcmVhLW9wcG9zaXRpb24tZGVtb2NyYXRpYy1wYXJ0eS13b24tbGFuZHNsaWRlLWVsZWN0aW9uLXZvdGUtcGFybGlhbWVudC1wZW9wbGUtcG93ZXItcGFydHktcHJlc2lkZW50LXlvb24tc3VrLXllb2wtbGFtZS1kdWNrLTQyNTgxMjHSAQA

Myanmar troops retreat as rebels declare control over key border town - CNA

BORDER CROSSINGS

The assault on Myawaddy began last week after the KNU said it had attacked a junta camp near the town, forcing about 500 security personnel to surrender, along with their families.

The military has already lost control of areas along Myanmar's borders with Bangladesh, China and India, while suffering a significant loss of manpower that has pushed it to introduce a draft for the first time.

"Next the resistance forces might go after major towns across Myanmar," said political analyst Than Soe Naing, adding that Myanmar's resistance forces control almost all border trading posts after the latest takeover in Myawaddy.

Border crossings in the area were open for civilians who were arriving in Thailand from Myanmar in large numbers, said police official Borwornphop Soontornlekha, the immigration superintendent in Tak, the province where Mae Sot is located.

"Usually there are about 2,000 people who cross into Mae Sot from Myawaddy each day but the last three days the number was almost 4,000 a day," Borwornphop told Reuters.

Families with children were among the long queues at one border crossing near Mae Sot on Thursday, as Thai soldiers checked the bags and belongings of those going across.

Thailand's military has stepped up security on its side of the border, using army vehicles equipped with roof-mounted machine guns.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who earlier told Reuters the Myanmar junta was "losing strength" and pushed to open talks with the regime, said on Thursday the recent fighting should not spill into his country's airspace.

Thailand remains neutral in the Myanmar conflict and is able to accept up to 100,000 people displaced by the turmoil, its foreign minister has said.

At least 2,000 people have been displaced within Myanmar by the latest round of fighting between the rebels and the military, according to civil society group Karen Peace Support Network.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9teWFubWFyLXRyb29wcy1yZXRyZWF0LXJlYmVscy1kZWNsYXJlLWNvbnRyb2wtb3Zlci1rZXktYm9yZGVyLXRvd24tNDI1NzcxNtIBAA?oc=5

2024-04-11 07:47:36Z
CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9teWFubWFyLXRyb29wcy1yZXRyZWF0LXJlYmVscy1kZWNsYXJlLWNvbnRyb2wtb3Zlci1rZXktYm9yZGVyLXRvd24tNDI1NzcxNtIBAA

'Lame duck' South Korean president reels from election debacle - CNA

Yoon, 63, has taken a tough line with the nuclear-armed North while improving ties with Washington and former colonial occupier Japan.

But the former prosecutor is unloved among voters, with many angry at inequality, sky-high housing prices and youth unemployment in the nation of 51 million people.

The opposition also hammered Yoon after he called the price of green onions, a staple in Korean cooking, "reasonable" and a video of his wife accepting a US$2,200 designer handbag was widely circulated.

"I will humbly honour the will of the people expressed in the general election, reform the state affairs, and do my best to stabilise the economy and people's livelihood," Yoon said, according to his chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup.

With all votes counted on Thursday, results from the National Election Commission and major broadcasters showed Yoon's conservative People Power Party (PPP) and its satellite sliding from 114 seats in parliament to just 108.

The big winners were Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party (DP) and its partner, which saw their seat tally rise to 175 from 156 in the outgoing legislature.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvc291dGgta29yZWEtZWxlY3Rpb24teW9vbi1zdWsteWVvbC1wYXJ0eS00MjU3NjIx0gEA?oc=5

2024-04-11 05:46:00Z
CBMiVmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvc291dGgta29yZWEtZWxlY3Rpb24teW9vbi1zdWsteWVvbC1wYXJ0eS00MjU3NjIx0gEA

Myanmar troops retreat to Thai border bridge after days of fighting - CNA

A spokesperson for the Myanmar junta did not respond to calls for comment.

The KNU said last week that its troops had attacked a junta camp near Myawaddy, forcing about 600 security personnel and their families to surrender.

Border crossings in the area were open for civilians who have been coming into Thailand from Myanmar in large numbers, said Police Colonel Borwornphop Soontornlekha, Superintendent of Immigration in the Thai province of Tak, where Mae Sot is located.

"Usually there are about 2,000 people who cross into Mae Sot from Myawaddy each day but the last three days the number was almost 4,000 per day," Borwornphop told Reuters.

Thailand's military has stepped up security on its side of the border, deploying army vehicles equipped with roof-mounted machine guns.

At least 2,000 people have been displaced within Myanmar by the latest round of fighting between the rebels and the military, according to civil society group Karen Peace Support Network.

Myanmar's military, which took power in a 2021 coup after deposing an elected civilian government, has faced a series of setbacks against a loose alliance of ethnic rebel groups and a civilian militia movement.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9teWFubWFyLXRyb29wcy1yZXRyZWF0LXRoYWktYm9yZGVyLWJyaWRnZS1hZnRlci1kYXlzLWZpZ2h0aW5nLTQyNTc3MTbSAQA?oc=5

2024-04-11 04:34:51Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9teWFubWFyLXRyb29wcy1yZXRyZWF0LXRoYWktYm9yZGVyLWJyaWRnZS1hZnRlci1kYXlzLWZpZ2h0aW5nLTQyNTc3MTbSAQA

Israel says more aid is entering Gaza, but figures disputed - CNA

DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS

An increase in aid flows into Gaza over recent days has also been noted by Red Crescent officials in Egypt, who said more than 350 trucks had crossed from there into Gaza on Monday and 258 on Sunday. That was much more than in recent weeks when the number was usually fewer than 200, they said.

However, UNRWA, the main United Nations agency in Gaza, said 223 trucks had entered on Monday, fewer than half the 500 trucks it says are required daily.

In its daily situation report on Tuesday, UNRWA said "there has been no significant change in the volume of humanitarian supplies entering Gaza or improved access to the north".

Around 500 trucks with aid and other commercial supplies were entering Gaza daily before the conflict when the enclave was also able to produce much of its food through agriculture and fishing, both of which have nearly entirely ceased.

UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said both humanitarian and commercial supplies were needed for Gaza because the entire population was now dependent on handouts, which was not sustainable.

OCHA spokesperson Laerke said Israel typically counted the half-filled trucks going through an initial screening process, rather than repacked, full trucks for delivery inside Gaza.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaXNyYWVsLXNheXMtbW9yZS1haWQtZW50ZXJpbmctZ2F6YS1maWd1cmVzLWRpc3B1dGVkLTQyNTMyODbSAQA?oc=5

2024-04-09 18:26:00Z
CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvaXNyYWVsLXNheXMtbW9yZS1haWQtZW50ZXJpbmctZ2F6YS1maWd1cmVzLWRpc3B1dGVkLTQyNTMyODbSAQA

Muslims in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand to celebrate Aidilfitri tomorrow - New Straits Times

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Muslims in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand to celebrate Aidilfitri tomorrow  New Straits TimesView Full coverage on Google News
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5zdC5jb20ubXkvd29ybGQvd29ybGQvMjAyNC8wNC8xMDM2MzQ5L211c2xpbXMtc2luZ2Fwb3JlLWluZG9uZXNpYS1hbmQtdGhhaWxhbmQtY2VsZWJyYXRlLWFpZGlsZml0cmktdG9tb3Jyb3fSAX1odHRwczovL3d3dy5uc3QuY29tLm15L2FtcC93b3JsZC93b3JsZC8yMDI0LzA0LzEwMzYzNDkvbXVzbGltcy1zaW5nYXBvcmUtaW5kb25lc2lhLWFuZC10aGFpbGFuZC1jZWxlYnJhdGUtYWlkaWxmaXRyaS10b21vcnJvdw?oc=5

2024-04-09 14:21:03Z
CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5zdC5jb20ubXkvd29ybGQvd29ybGQvMjAyNC8wNC8xMDM2MzQ5L211c2xpbXMtc2luZ2Fwb3JlLWluZG9uZXNpYS1hbmQtdGhhaWxhbmQtY2VsZWJyYXRlLWFpZGlsZml0cmktdG9tb3Jyb3fSAX1odHRwczovL3d3dy5uc3QuY29tLm15L2FtcC93b3JsZC93b3JsZC8yMDI0LzA0LzEwMzYzNDkvbXVzbGltcy1zaW5nYXBvcmUtaW5kb25lc2lhLWFuZC10aGFpbGFuZC1jZWxlYnJhdGUtYWlkaWxmaXRyaS10b21vcnJvdw