Ron DeSantis jumps into White House race but Twitter launch marred by glitches - CNA

WASHINGTON: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday (May 24) he would seek the 2024 Republican nomination for president, but an audio interview on Twitter meant to showcase his entry into the race instead drew attention for technical snafus.

DeSantis made his announcement in a video ahead of joining Twitter CEO Elon Musk on the platform. The broadcast of the interview, which had been intended to be the formal launch for the DeSantis campaign, at times lost sound and some users were either unable to join or were dropped. It was an inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the governor's executive competence.

"We need the courage to lead and the strength to win," DeSantis said. "I'm Ron DeSantis, and I'm running for president to lead our great American comeback."

The Florida governor's entrance in the Republican contest set up a showdown with his one-time ally, former President Donald Trump, that will shake up the race for the White House.

With a rising national profile and what are expected to be deep financial resources, DeSantis, 44, immediately becomes Trump's biggest rival for the Republican nomination.

But polls show Trump with more than a 2-to-1 edge over the Florida governor, who has long been considered a Republican rising star and the herald of a new generation of leaders in the party. Trump, who announced in November, has also had a head start in organizing his campaign in key early-voting states.

"We must end the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years," DeSantis said in the event with Musk once it resumed following a lengthy interruption. The hashtag #DeSaster was trending on Twitter.

Supporters and donors will be keenly watching to see if DeSantis now takes the fight to Trump, who has been relentlessly attacking him with little reaction, much to the frustration of some DeSantis allies who wanted him to respond more forcefully.

"Government is not about entertainment, not about building a brand," DeSantis said, taking a veiled swipe at Trump.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter with 140 million Twitter followers, said earlier that his presence at Wednesday's event would not constitute an endorsement but would reflect his desire to make the service more of a town square.

DeSantis on Wednesday was also expected to convene a meeting of his top donors at a Miami hotel, where they will immediately launch his fundraising efforts.

DeSantis’ central argument for his candidacy likely will be that he is the only Republican who can defeat Democratic President Joe Biden, the winner over Trump in the 2020 election.

"Our president, while he lacks vigour, flounders in the face of our nation's challenges and he takes cues from the woke mob," DeSantis said.

MAINSTREAM REPUBLICANS

Mainstream Republicans will be watching DeSantis carefully to see if he can recover from his missteps on foreign policy, such as his initial reluctance to express support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

In the weeks leading up to his presidential bid, DeSantis has toured the country, visiting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire that will hold early nominating contests. He has boasted of his record as Florida’s governor, including his battles with the federal government over pandemic policies.

DeSantis and his advisers were determined to wait to enter the race until the Florida Legislature could hand him a series of policy victories – and lawmakers have done just that.

He signed measures that severely restricted abortions in the state, made it easier for residents to carry concealed weapons, expanded a voucher program to allow students to attend private schools and eliminated funding for diversity programs at public universities, among other things.

DeSantis remains in a pitched battle with Walt Disney over the company’s criticism of laws prohibiting the teaching of gender identity concepts in public schools. The company has filed a federal lawsuit accusing DeSantis of weaponizing state government to punish its operations.

Other declared Republican candidates include Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations, and Tim Scott, a US senator from South Carolina.

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2023-05-24 22:34:00Z
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MRT services at 7 CCL stations including Dhoby Ghaut to be affected by tunnel strengthening works - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Passengers using the Circle Line (CCL) will face delays of up to 30 minutes from June 11 to July 20, because of maintenance works that will be carried out on a stretch of the tunnel built on reclaimed land that “has been subject to greater pressure”.

Announcing this on Wednesday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the works will affect services at seven stations – Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Promenade, Nicoll Highway, Marina Bay and Bayfront.

Trains will operate from only one platform from 9pm on most days during the six-week period, with two shuttle train services plying the affected stations.

LTA said routine inspections had found that a stretch of the CCL tunnel between Promenade and Nicoll Highway stations “has been subject to greater pressure”.

“LTA has assessed that this poses no safety risks to CCL train operations,” the authority said, adding that it will carry out precautionary maintenance and strengthening works, including installing steel supports to the tunnel rings “to ensure the long-term integrity of the tunnel”.

Responding to queries, an LTA spokesman said instruments set up to monitor this stretch of the CCL tunnel round the clock had picked up “localised incidence of higher-than-projected ground pressure”.

“Residual ground movement is common, and some settlement is still expected for some time after construction. This is why we monitor tunnel stretches located in reclaimed land consisting of marine clay, such as this CCL tunnel stretch, especially closely,” he said.

“At present, we have not detected a similar issue in other areas.”

The LTA spokesman also said all the tunnels are made with reinforced concrete segments, and their design took into account ground conditions.

The steel plates that will be added to the tunnel rings are an additional strengthening measure, he added.

To allow these works to be carried out, trains will ply the seven stations as shuttle services back and forth from 9pm till the end of operating hours for much of the period from June 11 to July 20.

Trains will run normally on June 16 to 18, 24, 28 and 29; and on July 1, 2, 7, 8, and 14 to 16.

There will be two shuttle services – one between Dhoby Ghaut and Promenade stations that will run at 15-minute intervals, and another between Marina Bay and Stadium stations, where trains will arrive every 20 minutes.

“This will result in longer headways, and commuters will experience additional travel times of up to 30 minutes,” LTA said.

The LTA spokesman said it had considered other approaches, including opening the line late or carrying out works only during normal engineering hours after service ends, over a longer period.

The partial closure “strikes the best balance between minimising disruption to passengers and completing the works within a reasonable period of time”, he said.

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2023-05-24 08:17:08Z
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Johor Islamic Authority investigating sex party poster circulating on social media - CNA

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor Islamic authority is currently conducting investigations over a poster which has been circulating on social media inviting participants to a sex party. 

The poster, which has been circulating on Facebook and Twitter, states that a sex party will be held in Johor Bahru on Jun 20 between 4pm and 9pm.

The poster also details the requirements for interested participants. It states that the event is open to people of all races who are "disease and drug-free".

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 23), Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid warned that he would not allow such “immoral activities” to happen in the southern state. 

"Do not attempt to behave with bad manners in Johor ... enticing people to openly engage in vice and immorality. I have directed the Johor Islamic Authority to investigate and take immediate action."

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2023-05-24 08:07:31Z
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Russia says cross-border attack from Ukraine has been crushed, 1 civilian killed - The Straits Times

MOSCOW - The Russian military said on Tuesday it had routed militants who attacked a Russian border region with armoured vehicles the previous day, killing more than 70 “Ukrainian nationalists” and pushing the remainder back into Ukraine.

In what appeared to be one of the biggest incursions from Ukraine since the war began 15 months ago, two purported anti-Kremlin armed groups employing Russians based abroad said they were responsible for the attack in Russia’s Belgorod region.

The Russian Defence Ministry, which blamed the Ukrainian authorities, said its forces had surrounded the enemy fighters and defeated them with “air strikes, artillery fire and active action by border units”.

It said more than 70 Ukrainian fighters had been killed and four armoured vehicles and five pickup trucks destroyed.

“The remnants of the nationalists were pushed back to Ukrainian territory, where they continued to be hit by gunfire until they were completely eliminated,” the ministry added.

Belgorod regional governor, Mr Vyacheslav Gladkov, said a civilian had been killed by “the Ukrainian armed forces”.

In a statement just after midnight, well after the military announced the end of the incursion, Mr Gladkov reported a new incident, an explosive device dropped from a drone.

His post on the Telegram messaging app said there were no injuries and showed a picture of a damaged car. A drone was later downed by anti-aircraft fire, he wrote.

Reuters was unable to verify any of the assertions.

One of the two fighting groups – the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) – said on social media: “One day we’ll come to stay.”

In a later statement, the group said it has suffered no losses in the incursion.

A second group, the Freedom of Russia Legion, said it had “demilitarised” a Russian motorised rifle company and destroyed armoured vehicles.

“Putin’s forces have not distinguished themselves with any successes in the past day,” it said on social media. “While they cowardly hide in the bushes, we will move forward to our goal – the complete liberation of Russia!”

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2023-05-23 22:55:00Z
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Cathay Pacific fires three flight attendants accused of discriminating against non-English speakers - CNA

HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific Airways fired three flight attendants after a passenger accused its staff of discriminating against non-English speakers, prompting China's state media to criticise the airline for "worshipping foreigners".

Cathay had said the experience of passengers travelling on its CX987 flight from the south-western Chinese city of Chengdu to Hong Kong on Sunday caused "widespread concern" and said it sincerely apologised.

The staff were fired after an internal investigation, CEO Ronald Lam said in a statement late on Tuesday (May 23), in which he apologised again.

"I would like to reiterate that Cathay Pacific takes a 'zero tolerance' approach to serious violations of company rules and ethics by individual employees and will not tolerate them," Lam said.

He added that he would lead a cross-departmental working group to conduct a comprehensive review of service processes, staff training and related systems to enhance its service quality.

"Most importantly, we must ensure that all Cathay Pacific staff respect passengers from different backgrounds and cultures and provide professional and consistent service in all areas served," Lam said.

A passenger on the flight from Chengdu wrote in an online post that flight attendants complained among themselves about passengers in English and Cantonese. They said the flight attendants made fun of others for asking for a carpet instead of a blanket in English. "If you cannot say blanket in English, you cannot have it. ... Carpet is on the floor. Feel free if you want to lie on it," a flight attendant said, according to a recording that was circulated widely online. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the clip, which triggered criticism on social media.

Hong Kong's flagship carrier has been trying to rebuild itself as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. It was badly hit by COVID-19 related flight cancellations, border closings and strict quarantine measures for crew, resulting in drastic headcount reductions since 2020.

Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, said on Wednesday that the discrimination incident was serious and could not be repeated.

"The words and deeds of the flight attendants hurt the feelings of compatriots in Hong Kong and the mainland and destroyed Hong Kong's traditional culture and values of respect and courtesy," he said, according to a post on his Facebook.

China's state-owned People's Daily in an online commentary said it was shocked by the incident against Mandarin-speaking passengers and criticised Cathay's corporate culture for "worshipping foreigners and respecting Hong Kong people" but looking down on mainlanders.

"Cathay Pacific can't just apologise every time, but should rectify heavily, establish rules and regulations and stop the unhealthy trend from the root," it said.

The newspaper went on to say that the level of Mandarin in Hong Kong is improving by "leaps and bounds".

"In Hong Kong the reverse trend of worshipping English and looking down on Mandarin is bound to disappear," the newspaper said.

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2023-05-24 04:54:00Z
CBMihwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2FzaWEvY2F0aGF5LXBhY2lmaWMtYWlyd2F5cy1maXJlcy1mbGlnaHQtYXR0ZW5kYW50cy1hY2N1c2VkLWRpc2NyaW1pbmF0aW5nLW5vbi1lbmdsaXNoLXNwZWFrZXJzLTM1MTA5NzHSAQA

Save money, be cool: Indonesian project shows how 'cool' roofs can help Asia beat the heat - CNA

The project will set aside 10 per cent of production for corporate social responsibility purposes, which would cover about 14,400 sq m annually, she shared. The product is free for public buildings like schools, orphanages and religious institutions, she said.

For commercial customers, the product, marketed under the BeCool brand, is still cheaper than other brands on the market, she added. “We just want the product (to be widely adopted) in Indonesia and … at an affordable price.”

A set of 20 kg of primer and 20 kg of coating costs 2.73 million rupiah (S$247), which can cover 120 to 160 sq m in area, depending on the absorbency of the roof material.

A low-cost housing unit in Indonesia — at an average of 36 sq m — with a clay roof would need 13 kg of primer and coating each, estimated Beta.

With the US$750,000 prize money to be disbursed in five tranches over three years, the plan is also to set up a national laboratory to study the properties of building materials, such as how much heat they reflect and absorb, she said.

AIR CIRCULATION, BUILDING DESIGN ALSO MATTER

Since the Money Mind video appeared on YouTube, more people have visited BeCool’s website and contacted the manufacturer, which is a company registered under UPI, she said.

Purchases in Indonesia are usually made via WhatsApp, and the company also receives requests to distribute the product overseas and is looking into it.

Although the BeCool coating has been well received, Beta has had some less positive feedback from journalists who said indoor temperatures have not dropped as much as desired.

She cautioned that cool roofs may not be a surefire way to significantly reduce indoor temperatures as other factors are also at play, such as the building’s design, orientation and quality of air circulation.

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2023-05-23 22:00:00Z
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Last emperor of China's watch sells for record US$5.1 million in Hong Kong auction - CNA

HONG KONG: A watch that was once owned by the last emperor of China's Qing Dynasty, whose life formed the basis of Oscar-winning film "The Last Emperor", sold for a record HK$40 million (US$5.1 million) at Hong Kong auction on Tuesday (May 23).

An anonymous buyer bought the rare Patek Philippe watch that had belonged to Aisin-Gioro Puyi. The price did not include the auction house fee.

Thomas Perazzi, head of watches at auction house Phillips Asia, told Reuters that it is "the highest result" for any wristwatch that once belonged to an emperor.

It was one of only eight known Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune timepieces and was gifted by Puyi to his Russian interpreter when he was imprisoned by the Soviet Union, the auction house said. It easily beat a pre-sale estimate of US$3 million.

Other watches owned by emperors and sold at auction include a Patek Philippe timepiece that belonged to the last Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, which sold for US$2.9 million in 2017.

A Rolex watch that belonged to the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, fetched US$5 million at an auction in 2017.

Born in 1906, Aisin-Gioro Puyi was the last Emperor of China's Qing dynasty, who began his reign at two years old.

After Japan’s defeat in World War II in 1945, Puyi was captured at China's Shenyang Airport by the Soviet Red Army. He was detained as a war prisoner and incarcerated in a detention camp in Khabarovsk, Russia, for five years.

The auction house said it spent three years collaborating with watch specialists, historians, journalists, and scientists to research the watch's history and verify its provenance.

Perazzi told Reuters that the watch was the finest that Patek made at the time.

Journalist Russell Working, who interviewed Puyi's interpreter Georgy Permyakov in 2001, said he gave the watch to Permyakov on his last day in the Soviet Union, shortly before he was extradited back to China.

“These were the kind of things he sometimes did to people that were very special to him,” Working said.

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2023-05-23 13:59:00Z
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