Why Donald Trump picked JD Vance and what it shows about his standing - CNA

WILL THE CALL FOR UNITY CONTINUE?

After the assassination attempt, there were powerful calls for unity and healing in the US, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson and in Biden’s Oval Office address. 

Trump also said he was revising his acceptance speech to emphasise national unity, rather than highlight his differences with Biden. 

Trump is due to formally accept the party's nomination in a prime-time speech on Thursday.

However the spirit of unity is not likely to continue, said Allen. He noted that even while such messages were coming out, some – notably Vance – were amplifying the partisan division. 

Vance had said that the attempted assassination was the result of democratic messaging. 

Despite Trump saying he will emphasise national unity, there is unlikely to be a message on cooling the temperature or coming together as a country, said Howell. He added that politically speaking, it has been an “extraordinarily favourable couple of weeks” for Trump.

“This is for him a moment of ascendance, and he's going to do everything he can to make the most of it,” he said. 

Describing Trump as a “master politician”, Allen said it would be beneficial for Trump to highlight that he is responding to the attack. 

“Certainly, his address will focus heavily on the events of this weekend because they do paint a picture of him now as this Lazarus-like candidate, as well as draw a pretty powerful distinction to President Biden,” he added.

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2024-07-16 07:48:55Z
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Dismembered Chinese TikToker: Suspect in alleged kidnap, killing reportedly arrested in Macao after fleeing Thailand - CNA

SINGAPORE: The suspect in the alleged kidnapping and killing of a Chinese TikToker in Thailand has reportedly been arrested in Macao.

A dismembered body was found outside Bangkok on Saturday (Jul 13). Thai police have said the remains are likely those of 38-year-old TikTok personality Yan Ruimin, who went missing about two weeks ago.

Investigators are coordinating with forensic officers to carry out DNA tests of the body parts and to formally confirm the identity, according to Thai news outlet Bangkok Post.

The alleged suspect in the case is a 34-year-old man surnamed Ma, who holds a Chinese passport and is unemployed, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. The suspect was previously identified by Thai media as a 32-year-old Chinese man called Ma Qingyan.

According to Chinese news reports, Ma was arrested in Macao on Jul 10 for a separate incident.

He had attempted to pawn a fake watch at a shop, but the employee called the police upon realising it was a counterfeit.

Ma was arrested at Taipa Ferry Terminal while trying to flee to Hong Kong. Authorities did not specify when he was nabbed.

During investigations, Macao police were alerted by mainland Chinese authorities that the suspect in the murder and dismemberment of a Chinese tourist could be hiding in the city. 

They subsequently discovered that the man’s identity was a match. Macao police have since transferred the case to the Chinese mainland authorities for further investigation.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Ms Yan arrived in Thailand from Malaysia on Jun 26. She was reported missing on Jul 12 by a friend who last heard from her on Jun 30, according to the Thai Examiner. 

A day later on Jul 13, Thai police forensic teams recovered a badly decomposed and dismembered body in Chachoengsao, some 50km east of Bangkok.

The body was found near a deserted site near a housing estate in Tambon Bang Phra of Muang district in the eastern province.

Local media reported the suspect as Ma Qingyan, who had entered Thailand from Singapore on Jun 30. Ma was believed to have met Ms Yan in Bangkok on Jul 1, the day she was thought to have been murdered.

Police evidence referenced in local media suggested the suspect later drove a rental car out of the city, stopping 12 times along the way.

His final stop, near the centre of Chachoengsao, is where he is believed to have stayed for around an hour burning documents and other debris including a suitcase believed to be Ms Yan’s. The victim’s body was found about 1km away. 

Ma returned the rental car on Jul 3 and left the country shortly after for Hong Kong, followed by Macao. 

Between Jul 4 and Jul 6, Ms Yan’s WeChat Pay account made several purchases in Macao, although there was no record of her leaving Thailand, regional media reported. 

Ms Yan was active on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu under the name "Ruiming", where she was listed as being from Shenzhen and had around 11,000 followers.

Her last post on Xiaohongshu was of her partying in Macao in May.

The incident has resurfaced a number of recent tourist kidnappings in Thailand and the Philippines.

Late last month, a Chinese national and a Chinese-American reportedly travelling together on a business trip in the Philippines were kidnapped and killed.

In April, a Chinese student studying in Australia was lured to Thailand by a kidnapping gang and rescued by Thai police, following a ransom of 8 million yuan.

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2024-07-16 08:47:40Z
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Trump picks onetime critic JD Vance, now a fierce defender, as his running mate - CNA

FRAUGHT SELECTION PROCESS

Vance's anti-corporate rhetoric and his opposition to Ukraine aid gave some donors pause, and four donors told Reuters in the moments after the selection that they felt let down. Many contributors to the campaign were hoping for a moderate or business-friendly nominee, who would embrace free-market economics and expand the electoral map.

"Of all the choices he had, I think he chose the worst one," said donor and metals businessman Andy Sabin, who had been waiting for Trump's pick for running mate to see whether he would donate to the campaign.

"Vance is going to hurt Trump more than help him," Sabin said, citing Vance's Ukraine stance. "Now I definitely won't donate."

At least some senior campaign advisers were partial to Rubio, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Rubio has significant political experience and might have helped boost the former president's support among Latinos.

Trump's vice presidential selection process was drawn out and calibrated for maximum suspense.

While the former president started with an informal long list of at least a dozen people, he had whittled down his options over the course of 2024, with Vance, Burgum and Rubio emerging as the most serious contenders.

Many of Trump's closest advisers did not know until Monday who the former president would pick.

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China convenes third plenum with focus on reforms and advancing modernisation - CNA

WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?

For this session, observers are not anticipating drastic policies. Instead, expectations are for a scaling up of existing reform measures.

As China battles economic headwinds on many fronts, including the ongoing property crisis, analysts believe the leadership may not want to rock the boat too much.

“The key words would be consistency and stability for this session because China is now in an uphill battle, dealing with economic development and also global pressure,” said Dr Liu Baocheng, director of the University of International Business and Economics’ Center for International Business Ethics.

“To keep the central leadership of Xi Jinping and on top of that, push more of the leadership of the Communist Party at different institutions, would be the desired outcome of this meeting,” he added.

Policymakers are banking on the development of new and cutting-edge technologies to drive growth. Experts said this includes biotechnology, green energy, artificial intelligence and the aerospace industry.

This marks a shift from its old growth model that relied on real estate and infrastructure, which raises questions over how much support China's property sector will receive.

Measures so far have failed to revive the crisis-hit sector, with latest home price data still logging a decline.

EXPECTATIONS FOR REFORMS

The world’s second-biggest economy is also grappling with a declining population, shrinking labour force, and weakened business confidence.

While China is expected to hit its growth target of around five per cent this year, economists say Chinese policymakers need to ramp up structural changes to focus on long-term economic policy.

They have been calling on the central government to cover more expenses, as localities are saddled with debt made worse by the property crisis.

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2024-07-15 09:05:00Z
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Biden asks Americans to 'cool it down' after Trump shooting - CNA

Trump was hit in the ear and left with a bloodied face by the attack, which also killed a bystander while two other people were wounded, but he managed to raise a defiant fist to the crowd as Secret Service agents bundled him away.

He landed later Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he will be anointed as the party's presidential nominee, with supporters believing the attack will swing voters behind him in November.

The US Secret Service insisted the agency is "fully prepared" to maintain security at the huge Republican gathering, and that it was not changing its protocols even after the attempt to kill Trump.

But the agency faces searching questions about how the shooter was able to climb onto a rooftop around 150m from where Trump was speaking and fire multiple rounds.

The FBI was "looking at it as a potential domestic terrorism act," the bureau's assistant director of counterterrorism Robert Wells said.

The shooter's father was believed to have bought the semi-automatic weapon used in the attack but it was unclear how the shooter accessed it. Investigators also found a "suspicious device" in the shooter's car.

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Trump rally shooting victim was a firefighter and 'superhero' who died shielding family from bullets - CNA

Shapiro called Saturday's shooting, in which Trump was bloodied but survived and two other spectators were wounded, "shocking, for this Commonwealth (state) and the country".

The other victims were identified as David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, according to Pennsylvania State Police on Sunday.

Both were also from Pennsylvania and said to be "in stable condition".

The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of nearby Bethel Park, was killed by a Secret Service sniper.

A GoFundMe page created to raise money for the Comperatore family had received donations of nearly US$650,000 as of 7pm.

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2024-07-15 00:59:00Z
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Wary Filipino fishermen continue to fish in disputed waters, despite China’s maritime detention rule - CNA

RUN-INS WITH CHINESE COAST GUARD

At the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, some Filipino fishermen – including Mr Freddie Legaspi – have continued fishing there despite China’s new regulation threatening to detain maritime trespassers.
 
Both the Philippines and China lay claim to Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks famed for its rich waters and marine resources.
 
A landmark 2016 ruling on the South China Sea by an arbitral tribunal convened under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China's blockade of the shoal violated international law. The court noted that the area was a traditional fishing ground for several countries.
 
But China has ignored the judgement.
 
"Sometimes, when we are near Scarborough, we are shooed away by the China coast guard, so we are forced to travel further,” Mr Legaspi told CNA.
 
“We're somewhat worried now because of China's new trespass rule. But our fish aggregating device is near Scarborough, so we need to go there.”
 
Such a device, which is used to attract fish, can cost at least US$1,300. They usually consist of buoys or floats tethered to the ocean floor.
 
It is considered a steep investment for local fisherfolk and boat owners, who refuse to abandon such devices out at sea despite possible run-ins with China’s coast guard.
 
In late June, the engine on the boat that Mr Legaspi was on exploded 17 nautical miles southwest of Scarborough. He suffered second-degree burns, but had to wait two hours before he was rescued.
 
The Philippine coast guard has accused China's coast guard of initially blocking its rescue mission that was heading to help the crew.
 
Mr Legaspi's wife, Laurence, is worried about the medical costs for his burn injuries.
 
“It's better if the government has funds for accidents at sea faced by fisherfolk,” she said.
 
“Many of us rely on fishing as our main source of living. I hope the government continues to patrol Scarborough.”

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2024-07-15 02:50:00Z
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