VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

China's Premier Li Qiang will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) being held Sept. 5-8, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.

While at the summit, Li will attend several meetings, including the East Asia Summit and a key meeting that includes Japan and South Korea. (Reuters)

Kazakhstan will hold a referendum to decide whether to build its first nuclear power plant, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Friday, adding that the date would be decided later.

The Central Asian nation's government has long discussed the idea, citing the need for new power generation capacity, and even identified a planned location for the facility in the southeastern Almaty region and mentioned Russia's Rosatom as a potential partner.

But some activists oppose the project because of safety concerns and Kazakhstan's history as home to the Soviet-operated Semei nuclear weapons testing ground.

"On the one hand, Kazakhstan, as the world's biggest uranium producer, should have its own nuclear power capacity," Tokayev said. "On the other hand, many citizens and some experts have concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants." (Reuters)

A former member of Singapore's ruling party on Saturday scored a landslide victory to become the city-state's president, in an election seen as a barometer of public sentiment amid economic challenges and high-profile scandals.

Former deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, won 70.4% of votes, the elections department said, to become Singapore's head of state. The country is a parliamentary democracy and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the head of government.

Analysts said the landslide victory for the candidate seen as closest to the establishment is a sign that Singaporeans generally still trust the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

"It shows that the PAP is still a trusted brand, as long as the candidate that is put forth is credible. Tharman is as credible as it gets," said political scientist Walid Jumblatt Abdullah of Nanyang Technological University.

Tharman has been a popular politician, having scored several victories in parliamentary elections, including the biggest margin of votes in the general election in 2020 as a PAP member.

He resigned from the party earlier this year and emphasised his independence during his campaign for the presidency.

Usually a beacon of stable and corruption-free politics, Singapore has been rocked by a series of high-profile scandals in recent months, raising frustration among voters already wearied by exorbitant living costs.

A rare graft investigation involving a cabinet minister, the resignations of two ruling party lawmakers including the house speaker, and public outcry over ministers renting plush state-owned properties have made headlines in the tiny city-state of 5.6 million.

The role of the president is largely ceremonial in Singapore, though the office is expected to ensure checks and balances on the government.

The president holds the key to the country's large but undisclosed reserves, with veto powers over any budget or specific transaction that is likely to draw on those reserves, thought they must consult the Council of Presidential Advisers.

The president can also veto the appointment or removal of key public officials, and direct the anti-graft bureau to investigate cases even when the prime minister disagrees.

This is Singapore's third presidential election since a 1991 act gave the public the right to choose and Tharman will be the country's ninth president overall.

PM Lee said in a statement he had called to congratulate Tharman.

"I...assure(d) him of my government's full cooperation. Mr Tharman has also declared his intention to work closely with the government," he said. (Reuters)

Thailand's king has commuted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's eight-year prison sentence to one year, the royal gazette said on Friday, a day after the billionaire submitted a request for pardon.

The country's most famous politician returned to Thailand last week in a dramatic homecoming after 15 years abroad in self-exile to avoid jail time after he was ousted by the military in 2006.

He arrived on a private jet and was transferred to prison to serve an eight-year sentence on charges of abuse of power and conflicts of interest from during his time in power. On the first night, he was moved to a police hospital over chest pains and high blood pressure.

On Thursday he submitted a request for a royal pardon.

Thaksin "was a prime minister, has done good for the country and people and is loyal to the monarchy," the royal gazette said on Friday.

"He respected the process, admitted his guilt, repented, accepted court verdicts. Right now he is old, has illness that needs care from medical professionals," it read.

Despite being away for 15 years, Thaksin remains an influential figure in Thai policies with parties loyal to him winning every election since 2001 until this year.

His return overshadowed a vote in parliament that installed political ally Srettha Thavisin of the Shinawatra-backed Pheu Thai party, as prime minister.

Srettha, a real estate tycoon, received support from pro-military and conservative parties connected to the same generals who ousted Thaksin's governments in 2006 and 2014.

Thaksin's return and time in hospital have fuelled speculation that he has struck a deal with those very rivals among the country's powerful generals and conservative old money elites - something he and the Pheu Thai party deny.

He remains hospitalised, with authorities citing the need for specialists and advanced medical equipment for his treatment.

"It is his majesty's grace that showed Thaksin mercy," the former leader's lawyer Winyat Chatmontri told Reuters, referring to King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

"Thais should accept and not criticise this outcome because it could be considered a violation of royal power," he said.

Thailand's strict royal insult law shields the monarchy from criticism, carrying a prison sentence of up to 15 years. (Reuters)