Livestream
Special Interview
Video Streaming
International News (6770)
December
Singapore PM Lee, Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida welcome new green and digital shipping corridor
Written by nuke
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Dec 16, 2023. (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information) -
SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday (Dec 16) during his trip to Tokyo.
Mr Lee is in Tokyo from Dec 15 to Dec 18 for the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit.
The prime ministers welcomed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between ports in Singapore and Japan.
The agreement will facilitate the adoption of digital solutions and the provision of zero and near-zero emission fuels through demonstration projects, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Saturday.
Both prime ministers also reaffirmed the longstanding and excellent relations between Singapore and Japan, and discussed how the countries could further expand and deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as the future economy, digitalisation, security, as well as sustainability and energy.
The leaders exchanged views on regional and international developments, and emphasised the importance of upholding a rules-based international order and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
"Both leaders welcomed the upgrade of ASEAN-Japan relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership earlier this year, and noted that this would be an opportunity to further ties between both sides as well as jointly address the challenges facing the region," said MFA.
The prime ministers also "looked forward to celebrating 60 years of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations in 2026".
The memorandum of cooperation to establish a green and digital shipping corridor was signed by Singapore's Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat and Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Saito Tetsuo.
This memorandum marks the first green and digital shipping corridor established between Singapore and Japan to develop standards and best practices supporting the decarbonisation, digitalisation and growth of the maritime industry, said Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT)//CNA-VOI
December
Tokyo Gas unit to buy US natgas producer Rockcliff Energy for $2.7 billion
Written by nuke
A natural gas pipeline, and the logos of Tokyo Gas and Rockcliff Energy are seen in this illustration taken January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo -
TOKYO : A unit of Tokyo Gas has decided to buy Texas-based natural gas producer Rockcliff Energy from private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners for $2.7 billion to expand its overseas business, it said on Saturday.
The deal comes as part of the Japanese company's efforts to expand its North American shale gas operations to meet growing demand for natural gas as an energy transition fuel.
Tokyo Gas, Japan's biggest city gas supplier, and other utilities are stepping up overseas expansion to counter falling demand in their domestic market. Japan has an ageing population and a declining birthrate, while energy market reform has spurred competition among old-guard utilities.
Under the deal, TG Natural Resources (TGNR) - 79 per cent owned by Tokyo Gas - will buy all shares in Rockcliff Energy from Quantum Energy Partners. The deal is expected to close on Dec. 29, Tokyo Gas said.
With the acquisition, TGNR's natural gas production will quadruple to 1.3 billion cubic feet per day from about 330 million cubic feet per day, making it one of the largest shale gas producers in Texas and Louisiana, according to Tokyo Gas.
"We expect our gas production will be more efficient after the acquisition as Rockcliff Energy's output area is located adjacent to TGNR's blocks," Takashi Nakao, senior general manager of global business development at Tokyo Gas, told reporters.
The production is also close to new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals and other facilities expected to increase demand for natural gas in the future, Nakao said.
Asked if the supply will be exported to Japan as LNG, Nakao said the current plan is to sell all the gas in the U.S. domestic market, though he did not rule out possibly sending it as LNG to Japan in the future.
Talks about the acquisition were reported by Reuters early this year//CNA-VOI
December
SpaceX targets Dec 28 for launch of US military's secretive X-37B spaceplane
Written by nuke
FILE PHOTO: SpaceX headquarters is shown in Hawthorne, California, U.S. September 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake -
SpaceX said it was targeting Thursday, Dec. 28 for the launch of the U.S. military's X-37B robot spaceplane on its seventh mission to orbit.
"Now targeting no earlier than Thursday, December 28 for Falcon Heavy to launch USSF-52 to orbit from Florida," SpaceX said in a post on X on Friday, after it stood down on the launch earlier this week to perform additional system checkouts.
The original plan to send the spacecraft to orbit late on Sunday was scrubbed due to poor weather conditions at Cape Canaveral, Florida//CNA-VOI
December
Cold wave freezes most of China, shutting highways, roads
Written by nuke
A delivery worker rides a scooter as he uses his foot to balance on a slippery street amid snowfall in Beijing, China on Dec 14, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Tingshu Wang) -
BEIJING: A cold wave extended its grip over China on Friday (Dec 15) with temperatures plummeting to below freezing across most of the country, causing authorities to limit traffic flows on highways in several provinces after vehicles collided on icy patches.
Temperatures will drop to below minus 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and in the region of Xinjiang in the northwest, along with Inner Mongolia and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai, according to forecasts from China's National Meteorological Centre.
The cold wave that began at the start of this week is moving through the country from north to south and is expected to drag temperatures lower into the weekend even as the Meteorological Centre says rain and snow will decrease.
The city of Yichun in Heilongjiang could see a January 1980 record of minus 47.9 degrees Celsius be broken early next week as severe weather conditions set in.
In Henan province, snowfall and icy roads along with heavy fog caused multiple accidents on several expressways leading to traffic controls.
Traffic authorities in Ningxia region said some of its highways have become unsafe and implemented temporary traffic measures as snow fell. Neighbouring Gansu also saw some highways closed and trains suspended, according to state media.
On Beijing's outskirts, authorities looking into an accident on a commuter rail line said a train carriage failed to brake while moving downhill, colliding with another car that had stopped because track conditions had deteriorated due to the snow.
Ferries and some buses were temporarily suspended early on Friday in Shanghai as the financial hub issued its first cold wave warning of the year as cold air from the north is forecast to reduce temperatures to as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius this weekend.
In the southwest, sections of many national and provincial highways in Tibetan cities such as Shigatse and Nyingchi were blocked due to snow, ice and low visibility as the skies have dumped snow since Monday.
The local government has mobilised 2,400 personnel, more than 3,300 metric tons of snow-melting agent, and more than 23,000 cubic meters of anti-skid materials for prevention measures. Photos from state media show tractors scooping up snow and people shovelling on roads against a backdrop of white mountains.
Beijing and the provinces of Jiangxi and Shanxi have also taken measures to secure vegetable and fruit harvests from freeze damage and diseases, state media said.
China lifted its warning for blizzards before dawn on Friday but said heavy snowfall is forecast in parts of Liaoning and Jilin provinces in the northeast as well as in Shandong.
In the city of Shenyang in Liaoning, authorities deployed 22,000 workers and more than 3,400 machines for snow removal operations, clearing as much as 12,800 cubic metres of snow by early Friday. Its observatory has forecast snowfall and strong winds until Saturday.
The national forecaster said the scope and intensity of freezing rain will decrease on Friday but will still appear in some higher terrains in Guizhou and Hunan.
Next week, cold air will continue to flow across the country from north to south, keeping temperatures low in central and eastern regions. Forecasters said most of the country will see lower-than-usual temperatures over the next ten days//CNA-VOI
December
Despite COP28 deal on fossil fuels, 1.5 degrees Celsius goal likely out of reach
Written by nuke
Firefighters tackle fire in a field as forest fires ravage the Bolivian Amazon, in San Buenaventura, Bolivia on Nov 22, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Morales) -
DUBAI: A deal for the world to transition away from fossil fuels was hailed as a historic achievement on Wednesday (Dec 13) at the UN climate summit in Dubai, but there's a good chance it won't achieve its ultimate goal - holding global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
For months, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber had described that 1.5 degrees Celsius limit - first stated in the 2015 Paris Agreement - as his "North Star" or guiding principle for the summit.
Scientists say that a global temperature rise beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average will trigger catastrophic and irreversible impacts, from melting ice sheets to the collapse of ocean currents.
But year after year, that target slips further away - with the world's planet-warming emissions still rising, and temperatures hitting new heights.
This year will be the hottest ever on record, with the global average for 2023 a sweltering 1.46 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
In terms of global warming, which is measured in terms of decades, the world has experienced nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius of warming.
The deal made in Dubai, called the UAE Consensus, would see the world commit to transitioning away from "fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner ... so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science."
But scientists said that, while the pact was unprecedented, it still wasn't enough for that outcome to be realized.
"It's a landmark result because it's the first time we've said we're going to reduce fossil fuel use," said James Dyke, an earth systems scientist at the University of Exeter in Britain.
"But you can forget about 1.5C."
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the main scientific body which informs the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, has said that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius with no or limited overshoot would require rapidly cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Specifically, the world needs to cut its emissions from 2019 levels by as much as 43 per cent in the next six years, 60 per cent by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050 in order to prevent compounding impacts, such as thawing permafrost which releases long-trapped greenhouse gases, triggering even more warming.
The IPCC declined to comment on the outcome of COP28.
The world posted record high greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, rising 1.2 per cent above 2021, according to the 2023 UN Emissions Gap Report.
The UAE Consensus does not commit the world to phasing out oil and gas, nor to near-term timelines for transitioning away from fossil fuels//CNA-VOI
December
EU gives green light to Ukraine membership talks in shock win for Kyiv
Written by nuke
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel pose for a picture during a European Union (EU) summi in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb 3, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout) -
BRUSSELS: European Union leaders unexpectedly agreed on Thursday (Dec 14) to open membership talks with Ukraine, something Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for weeks had vowed to block.
EU diplomats and officials said Orban agreed to leave the room, knowing the other leaders would go ahead and vote on Ukraine.
Orban confirmed that he had abstained from the vote at the EU summit on what he called a "bad decision".
Such an unusual way to approve a decision - especially such a major one - is unheard of in Brussels, even for a place where diplomats have long been very creative about how to strike deals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the decision.
"This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens," he said.
Ukraine badly needs support from its Western allies in its nearly two-year fight against Russia's invasion. Its counter-offensive has failed to make major gains and the Biden administration has so far been unable to get a US$60 billion aid package for Ukraine through the US Congress.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was "a strategic decision and a day that will remain engraved in the history of our Union".
Orban had very different words to describe the decision.
"Hungary's stance is clear, Ukraine is not prepared for us to start talks on EU membership," he said, calling the decision to start talks "irrational" and "inappropriate."
"But 26 member states were adamant that this decision must be made so Hungary decided that if 26 decide so, they should go on their own path and Hungary does not wish to participate in this bad decision," he said//CNA-VOI
December
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to star as MMA legend Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine
Written by nuke
Dwayne Johnson at the 95th Academy Awards on Mar 12, 2023. (Photos: Reuters/Eric Gaillard) -
Voinews, Jakarta - Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson will play the MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the movie titled The Smashing Machine.
The 51-year-old actor has been cast as the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion in the new movie that is being directed by Benny Safdie – one half of the sibling duo that helmed the acclaimed picture Uncut Gems.
Safdie has written and directed the flick (which is his first solo project behind the camera) and has been working with The Rock on the film since 2019.
Kerr's rise through the fighting world and an addiction to painkillers that led to an overdose were detailed in the 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine – a nickname he earned as a result of his fighting style.
The movie will also see Johnson return to his roots as he famously started his career as a professional wrestler and was a key figure in the success of WWE at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s.
A24 are financing the film and will produce alongside The Rock and Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions company.
The company's Noah Sacco said: "Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark's inspiring story is electrifying. We are deeply honoured to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life."
Meanwhile, The Rock recently suggested that he was open to the idea of running for the US Presidency after a poll showed that he has plenty of support from the public.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Black Adam actor said: "It’s crazy, and it’s wild. This run for President talk has kind of been in the ether for the past couple of years. And it just never stops being surreal.
"It was incredible. It came from DC. We sat down. The poll was something like almost 50 per cent of Americans would support me running for President. It was just crazy."//CNA-VOI
December
Australia plans to halve migrant intake, tighten student visa rules
Written by nuke
People cross a street in the city centre following further easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney, Australia on Dec 10, 2020. (File photo: Reuters/Loren Elliott) -
SYDNEY: Australia on Monday (Dec 11) said it would tighten visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers that could halve its migrant intake over the next two years as the government looks to overhaul what it said was a "broken" migration system.
The decision comes after net immigration was expected to have peaked at a record 510,000 in 2022 to 2023. Official data showed it was forecast to fall to about a quarter of a million in 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026, roughly in line with pre-COVID levels.
"We've worked around the clock to strike the best balance in Australia's migration system," Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said in a statement ahead of the formal release of the government's new migration strategy later on Monday.
"The government's targeted reforms are already putting downward pressure on net overseas migration, and will further contribute to this expected decline," O'Neil said.
O'Neil said the increase in net overseas migration from 2022 to 2023 was mostly driven by international students.
Australia boosted its annual migration numbers last year to help key businesses recruit staff to fill shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic brought tighter border controls, and kept foreign students and workers out of the country for nearly two years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the weekend said Australia's migration numbers needed to be wound back to a "sustainable level", adding that "the system is broken".
Long reliant on immigration to supply what is now one of the tightest labour markets in the world, Australia's Labor government has pushed to speed up the entry of highly skilled workers and smooth their path to permanent residency.
Under the new policies, international students would need higher ratings on English tests. It will also end settings that allow students to prolong their stay in Australia.
A new specialist visa for highly skilled workers will be set up with the processing time cut to one week, helping businesses recruit top migrants amid tough competition with other developed economies//CNA-VOI
December
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) pose at the Central Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi on Dec 12, 2023. (Photo: AFP/MINH HOANG) -
HANOI: China and Vietnam, at odds over claims in the South China Sea, agreed on Tuesday (Dec 12) to boost ties and build a community with a "shared future", three months after Hanoi upgraded its formal relations with the United States.
On Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Hanoi in six years, the two countries announced 37 deals, including on diplomatic ties, railways and telecommunications.
As China and the United States vie for influence in the strategic nation, the agreements mark an achievement of Vietnam's "Bamboo diplomacy", although analysts and diplomats said the improvement in relations could be more symbolic than real.
Vietnam agreed to "support the initiative of building a community of shared future for humankind", according to a joint statement shown to reporters on Tuesday, after sources said China had been pushing for it. The joint statement is expected to be formally signed on Wednesday.
The countries' diplomats had debated the "shared future" phrase for months, following Hanoi's initial reluctance to use it, say officials and diplomats.
The Chinese term literally means "common destiny", but its translation in English and Vietnamese is "common future", which may be seen as less demanding.
"One declaration, many translations," said a diplomat based in the Vietnamese capital, commenting on the interpretation of the term.
In diplomatic ties, the upgrade is symbolic, Le Hong Hiep, a specialist in Vietnamese strategic and political issues at Singapore's Iseas–Yusof Ishak Institute, said.
"Vietnam's mistrust of China runs deep, and from the Vietnamese people's viewpoint, there is little to no 'shared destiny' between the two countries, as long as China continues to claim most of the South China Sea," he said.
Despite close economic ties, the neighbours have been at odds over boundaries in the South China Sea and have a millennia-long history of conflict.
In a sign of possible de-escalation, however, they signed two cooperation agreements for joint patrols in the Tonkin Gulf in the South China Sea and to establish a hotline to handle fisheries incidents, according to one of the agreements.
Apart from taking ties to a level Beijing may consider above those with the United States, the upgraded status came with the announcement of 36 cooperation deals, according to a list of documents seen by Reuters, and the joint statement on diplomatic ties.
That was short of the 45 initially proposed, according to one Vietnamese official, and missed agreements on critical minerals and rare earths on which Xi had urged more cooperation in an opinion piece published on Tuesday in a Vietnamese state newspaper//CNA-VOI
December
Paris 2024 will 'welcome' neutral Russia and Belarus athletes - Estanguet
Written by nuke
FILE PHOTO: A view through a fence shows the Russian Olympic Committee headquarters in Moscow, Russia, October 13, 2023. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) was banned by the International Olympic Committee for recognizing regional organizations from four territories annexed from Ukraine, according to the IOC. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo -
The Paris 2024 Olympics will welcome neutral Russian and Belarusian athletes at the event next year following the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the chief of the organising committee told Reuters on Tuesday.
Russians and Belarusians who qualify in their sport for the Paris Games can take part as individual neutral athletes at the July 26-Aug. 11 event without flags, emblems or anthems, the IOC said on Friday.
"As the organising committee, we welcome and respect this decision," the head of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet said.
"We will welcome these athletes ... to participate within the rules that have been indicated, meaning no flags, no hymns, no officials, no team sports. So these delegations will be very small but will be welcomed by Paris 2024."
The neutral athletes will compete only in individual sports, while no Russian or Belarusian government or state official would be invited to or accredited for Paris 2024, the IOC said.
Russians and Belarusians had initially been banned from competing internationally following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, for which Belarus has been used as a staging ground.
In March, however, the IOC issued a first set of recommendations for international sports federations to allow Russian and Belarusian competitors to return and they have since done so in most events.
Athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine are not eligible, nor are those contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military//CNA-VOI