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Jumat, 31 Mei 2024

Biden: Criticism of Trump jury verdict is 'dangerous, irresponsible' - CNA

"Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself," Biden said. He noted that the case against Trump in New York was brought by the state, that it was not a federal case, and that the verdict was delivered by "a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you".

The US justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, Biden said, and he criticised Trump and his supporters for attempting to tear it down with false allegations.

"It's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict," Biden said.

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2024-05-31 19:42:00Z
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F-35 fighter jets, drones among next-gen capabilities to feature in future Five Power Defence exercises - The Straits Times

(From left) New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and British director-general of security policy Paul Wyatt at the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting on May 31. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

SINGAPORE – F-35 fighter jets from Australia. P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from New Zealand. Elements of Britain’s Carrier Strike Group. Unmanned systems.

These are some of the next-generation capabilities that will be incorporated in future joint military drills under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), which Singapore is a part of.

These ideas were discussed on May 31, as defence representatives of the FPDA countries – Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Britain – met for the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting (FDMM), where they agreed to include more high-end capabilities in exercises under the grouping.

The FDMM, which is the highest decision-making platform of the FPDA, is held every three years, with Singapore and Malaysia taking turns to host it. This time round, the meeting is held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, which kicked off on May 31 as well.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia will be contributing F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Exercise Bersama Lima later this year.

The exercise is one of the regular drills aimed at building the ability for FPDA countries to operate well together, as well as improving the proficiency of their air, maritime and land forces.

Pointing out that this will make it the first time a fifth-generation aircraft will participate in Bersama Lima, Mr Marles said: “It’s an example of what we are trying to do in terms of increasing the complexity of these exercises and the higher nature of them.”

New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said a P-8 Poseidon will be deployed to Singapore for the first time as part of the drills. The P-8 aircraft is the premier US submarine hunter-tracker.

Singapore is close to important submarine channels in Indonesia linking the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.

FPDA first took form in 1971 to safeguard the external defence of Singapore and Malaysia, amid the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore.

It remains relevant 53 years on, as the FPDA countries see it as playing an important role as a “constructive and peaceful defence arrangement” in enhancing regional cooperation and strengthening military-to-military ties.

Moving forward, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who hosted the morning’s meeting, said the FPDA will venture into building capabilities in “non-conventional” fields as well.

This comes as parties discussed the need to build capabilities in areas such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster relief, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin added.

The non-conventional needs are why future exercises intend to feature drones and unmanned aircraft, Dr Ng said.

When asked by The Straits Times if the counter-terrorism focus was triggered by any particular event, Mr Khaled said: “Whatever it is, we can see what is happening elsewhere, especially in the Middle East.”

He added: “We have a new phenomenon, in the sense that threats may not come from conventional sources. Although we may not be able to come up with the correct solution, it does not mean that we should not start somewhere.”

Chiming in, Dr Ng said “memories are short”, but it was less than a decade ago that operators from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia had based themselves in Syria and the Middle East and declared targets in the region.

“I want to put on record our thanks to the UK, Australia and New Zealand intelligence that helped us monitor those various elements and, in some instances, mitigated,” Dr Ng added.

“Without their help, it’s quite certain that we’ll have real physical disasters in our region... All of us are on the same page that the threat of terrorism remains real and present.”

Ms Collins told reporters she believes the FPDA remains an important feature in the Indo-Pacific region, adding that the geopolitical situation in the world is “not becoming less tense, but in fact more tense”.

Stressing Britain’s “continued firm commitment” to the FPDA, British director-general of security policy Paul Wyatt said FPDA exercises and activities “will provide a path for thinking about modern challenges and the integration of modern capabilities”.

Asked if China had expressed any concern about increased firepower exercises in the region, particularly in the South China Sea, Mr Marles answered on behalf of everyone and said: “Not to us.”

Mr Wyatt then provided some context, noting that FPDA exercises in the 90s had some 200 aircraft flying in much larger-scale exercises.

“We are going to continue to adapt, modernise and to introduce new capabilities, but this is a message of continuity, not a message of expansion,” he said.

Given that former US president Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in the hush money trial, a reporter also asked if having a convict in the White House, if Trump is re-elected, would undermine US authority abroad.

Mr Marles said what happens at the US polls in November is “really a matter for the American people”.

Nevertheless, given the US’ “exemplary” contribution in maintaining the rules-based order so far, even as the order is put under increased pressure, he said: “I am confident that America will continue to play its role, no matter what happens at the end of this year.”

Dr Ng, meanwhile, voiced that the question asserts that Trump undermines America’s relationships with its partners, but that was not the case with Singapore.

Former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong had renewed a memorandum of understanding for the presence of US ships and planes in Singapore, and maintained the defence relationship under Trump’s presidency, he stated.

As part of the FDMM, Dr Ng, Mr Marles, Mr Khaled, Ms Collins and Mr Wyatt also called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Istana in the afternoon.

Earlier at the Istana, China Minister of National Defence Dong Jun called on PM Wong as part of his introductory visit to Singapore.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (right) with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun at the Istana, on May 31. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

The Ministry of Defence said during the call, which was also attended by Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, PM Wong and Admiral Dong reaffirmed the longstanding and warm bilateral relationship between Singapore and China.

The ministry said it welcomed the regular interactions between the defence establishments, including high-level visits, military-to-military interactions, and academic exchanges.

PM Wong and Adm Dong also exchanged views on global and regional security developments and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and build mutual trust in the region, the ministry added.

Later in the afternoon, Dr Ng separately met Thailand Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang to discuss ways to deepen defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest, and a US congressional delegation, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul.

Mr Khaled, who took over as Malaysia’s defence minister in December 2023, also called on Dr Ng, and they discussed cooperation in platforms such as the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

Dr Ng, meanwhile, called on Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta at the Shangri-La Hotel to reaffirm friendly bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and Timor-Leste.

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2024-05-31 10:10:00Z
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Donald Trump's guilty verdict fires up some Republican donors - CNA

In a flurry of support on Thursday, mega donors including casino billionaire Miriam Adelson and hotelier Robert Bigelow lined up behind Trump, with their donations set to bolster a wave of pro-Trump ads, door-knocking and phone banking in battleground states.

The verdict has also spurred some longtime Trump donors to boost their financial support for him and, in at least one case, make a big donation to him for the first time.

Robert Bigelow, who is one of Trump's top supporters having already given over US$9 million to an outside group supporting him, said criminal proceedings against Trump were a "disgrace".

"I'm sending President Trump another US$5 million as I promised him," Bigelow told Reuters.

Don Tapia, a former Trump ambassador to Jamaica, said he and a small network of family and friends with whom he donates had planned to give around US$250,000 this election to support Trump.

After Thursday's conviction, Tapia told Reuters the group would aim to give over US$1 million to the pro-Trump spending group MAGA Inc in coming weeks.

"We're going to go all-in for him," said Tapia. He sent Reuters a photo of an American flag flying upside down outside his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, in protest of the verdict.

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2024-05-30 22:12:00Z
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US, Chinese defence chiefs meet for the first time at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore - The Straits Times

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (left) and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun began their meeting at 12.50pm at the Shangri-La Hotel. PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE - The US and China defence chiefs are meeting on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Singapore, the first in-person meeting at this level in 18 months.

It comes days after China sent warships and fighter jets near Taiwan, a source of geopolitical tension for the United States and China.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun – appointed to the role five months ago – began their meeting at 12.50pm at the Shangri-La Hotel, ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue that starts on Friday night.

Both men had previously spoken over the phone in April, during which they discussed contentious issues including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The May 31 meeting in Singapore is a realisation of an agreement by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November 2023 to resume military communication, which was severed after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

Both countries have since emphasised the need for senior military-to-military communication to prevent unintended conflict.

But ties between the two major powers remain rocky, with the US banning the Chinese-owned TikTok and blaming China for dumping excess electric vehicles in other markets, China being seen as supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, and the Taiwan Strait becoming a flashpoint between the two sides.

The self-governing Taiwan, an ally of the US, is claimed by China as its territory. Cross-strait tension, already high since 2016 when the island’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party came to power, heightened further after the May 20 inauguration of new President Lai Ching-te, seen by China as a “dangerous separatist”.

In the South China Sea, ships from the Philippines - a US treaty ally - and China have locked horns near disputed islands and reefs on multiple occasions over the past year.

The Chinese defence minister who attended last year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, General Li Shangfu, had turned down Mr Austin’s invitation to meet then, as the US had not removed sanctions placed on him for his role in procuring equipment from Russia when he was head of the Equipment Development Department of the Chinese military.

Gen Li then disappeared from public view a few months after the June forum and was removed in October. Admiral Dong, who was formerly the Navy chief, replaced Gen Li as defence minister in December.

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2024-05-31 06:38:00Z
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Kamis, 30 Mei 2024

Donald Trump found guilty on all counts at hush money trial - CNA

BIDEN CAMPAIGN: NO ONE ABOVE THE LAW

Biden's campaign said the verdict showed that no one was above the law and urged voters to reject Trump in the election.

"There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box," the campaign said in a statement.

The White House declined to comment.

Trump's fellow Republicans quickly condemned the verdict.

"Today is a shameful day in American history," House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said in a prepared statement.

The jury notified the court they had reached a verdict at 4.20pm and read out all 34 guilty counts shortly after 5pm.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Merchan to throw out the guilty verdict, arguing that it was based on the unreliable testimony of Cohen. Merchan denied his request.

Trump's near-certain appeal is likely to focus on porn star Daniels' salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter as well as the novel legal theory prosecutors used in the case, but he faces long odds, legal experts said.

Falsifying business documents is normally a misdemeanour in New York, but prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office elevated it to a felony on grounds that Trump was concealing an illegal campaign contribution.

Trump had complained that he could not get a fair trial in his heavily Democratic hometown.

The case was widely regarded as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces. Jurors heard testimony of sex and lies that have been public since 2018, although the charges themselves rested on ledger accounts and other records of Cohen's reimbursement.

It was known as the "zombie case" because Bragg brought it back to life after his predecessor opted not to bring charges.

This case was also likely to be the only one to go to trial before the election, as the others are delayed by procedural challenges.

If elected, Trump could shut down the two federal cases that accuse him of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and mishandling classified documents after leaving office in 2021. He would not have the power to stop a separate election-subversion case taking place in Georgia.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all the cases and has portrayed his various legal troubles as an effort by Biden's Democratic allies to hurt him politically.

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2024-05-30 21:37:00Z
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Construction of Chinese-backed canal in Cambodia sparks fear in Vietnam - South China Morning Post

Cambodia will start work on a controversial US$1.7-billion canal linking the capital Phnom Penh to the sea in August, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday.

The Chinese-backed Funan Techo canal has sparked fears in neighbouring Vietnam that it could be used by Chinese warships, and reduce Cambodian dependence on Vietnamese ports.

Environmentalists are also concerned that the 180-kilometre (110-mile) canal will potentially reduce water flow to the Mekong, among the world’s most biodiverse rivers.

Cambodia received billions from China in infrastructure investments as one of Beijing’s closest regional allies under former leader Hun Sen.

Hun Manet, his son, said the Funan Techo canal would mostly be funded by Cambodians and that the government is in talks with a Chinese company for further investment.

“We will do it now, we can’t wait for anybody any longer,” Hun Manet said in a speech on Thursday.

Opposition figurehead Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, has alleged that the project would serve the interest of China.

The waterway is part of Beijing’s huge Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure scheme across Asia, but Hun Manet insisted it will only serve Cambodia.

06:32

China’s Belt and Road, 10 years on

“[We] do it within the Cambodian territory for the Cambodian people and for the interest of Cambodia,” he said.

“We will have a groundbreaking ceremony this August.”

The canal – 100 metres (328 feet) wide and 5.4 metres (17.7 feet) deep – will connect Phnom Penh with Cambodian ports on the Gulf of Thailand.

Cambodia and China also wrapped up their largest annual military exercises on Thursday, involving several Chinese warships and hundreds of Chinese military personnel.

In December, two Chinese warships made a first visit to a Cambodian naval base that the United States says could be used to boost China’s influence in the Gulf of Thailand.

Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied that the base, near the port city of Sihanoukville, is for use by any foreign power.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to visit Cambodia on Tuesday.

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2024-05-30 09:00:14Z
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14 Hong Kong democracy campaigners found guilty of subversion: Court - CNA

"SHOW SUPPORT"

Prosecutors said the 47 had conspired to subvert state power by holding unofficial primary polls, as part of their plan to form a majority in the legislature.

With control of the legislature, they would veto government budgets and force the city's leader to accede to five key demands raised by protesters in 2019, the court heard.

Defence lawyers argued Hong Kong's mini-constitution had laid out mechanisms for such a plan and that the matter was "a purely political issue rather than a legal matter".

Outside the court Thursday, Kathy, one of the 610,000 voters who cast their ballots in the unofficial primary election in 2020, said she believed the defendants "never committed any crime".

"For me, the primary election was simply an occasion to show my support for something I believe in," she said, declining to provide her full name.

University student Lam said the primary election was a strategy "common in many places around the world".

"I still can't figure out how it can subvert the state, so I want to see how the court would rule on that," he said.

Ahead of the hearing, well-known activist Alexandra Wong, also known as Grandma Wong, attempted to stage a protest before police moved her off across the street to a fenced-off area.

"Immediately release the 47!" she shouted, waving a British flag. "Support democracy, support the 47!"

The case has been closely watched by the international community, with diplomatic officers from the consulates of France, the European Union and Italy going to the court on Thursday.

The United States and other Western nations have criticised China for cracking down on democracy in Hong Kong and curtailing freedoms promised when the former British colony was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997.

In response to the 2021 arrests of the defendants, the United States had sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials.

Before Thursday, 114 people had been found guilty of crimes related to the national security law since it was introduced.

The case against the group of 47 was the biggest under the law.

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2024-05-30 04:02:00Z
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