Biden says 'I'm feeling good' after cancer diagnosis
[WILMINGTON] Former US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday (May 30) he was feeling 'optimistic' about the future after delivering his first public remarks since revealing he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
'Well, the prognosis is good. You know, we're working on everything. It's moving along. So, I feel good,' Biden, 82, said after an event in Delaware belatedly marking Monday's Memorial Day federal holiday.
Biden's office announced earlier this month he is battling prostate cancer with a Gleason score of nine, which places him in the most severe category.
The veteran Democrat told reporters he had decided on a treatment regime, adding that 'the expectation is, we're going to be able to beat this.'
'It's not in any organ, my bones are strong, it hasn't penetrated. So I'm feeling good,' he said.
The mental and physical health of the former president, the oldest person ever to hold the office, was a dominant issue in the 2024 election.
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After a disastrous debate performance against Trump, Biden ended his campaign for a second term.
When Biden's office announced his diagnosis, they said the cancer had spread to his bones.
But Biden told reporters: 'We're all optimistic about the diagnosis. As a matter of fact, one of the leading surgeons in the world is working with me.'
The political row over Biden's aborted candidacy has become a major scandal since the release of the book 'Original Sin' – which alleges that Biden's White House covered up his cognitive decline while he was in office.
The ex-president was asked about the controversy and responded with sarcasm, joking that 'I'm mentally incompetent and I can't walk.'
He said he had no regrets about initially running for a second term, and that his Democratic critics could have challenged him but chose not to 'because I'd have beaten them.'
In earlier formal remarks in New Castle, Delaware, Biden spoke of his presidency as his greatest honor, and called for better treatment of veterans.
But he saved his most poignant comments to mark the 10th anniversary on May 30 of his son, National Guard veteran Beau Biden, dying of brain cancer at the age of 46.
'For the Bidens, this day is the 10th anniversary, the loss of my son Beau, who spent a year in Iraq,' said Biden, who had attended a memorial service for his son earlier in the day.
'And, to be honest, it's a hard day.' AFP
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Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Will anger over martial law debacle push Lee Jae-myung into S. Korea's presidential Blue House?
A woman voting at a polling station on the second day of early voting of the presidential elections in Seoul on May 30. PHOTO: AFP – South Koreans head to the polls on June 3 to pick a new leader after former president Yoon Suk Yeol was stripped of his powers by the Constitutional Court for his martial law declaration in December 2024 that triggered months of political chaos . Opposition Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung is in pole position to clinch the race after maintaining a two-digit lead over his rivals for most of the three-week campaign, analysts said . This election will be Mr Lee's second attempt at the presidency after he lost to Yoon by 0.73 percentage point in the 2022 race, the narrowest margin ever in South Korea's election history . In the last set of opinion polls conducted by research firm Gallup Korea that was released on May 28, Mr Lee clinched 46 per cent, followed by ruling People Power Party's (PPP) candidate, Mr Kim Moon-soo, at 37 per cent, and minor conservative Reform Party's Mr Lee Jun-seok at 11 per cent. In a media briefing on May 27, Gallup Korea research director Heo Jin-jae told journalists that it is quite rare in South Korean politics to see a near-10 percentage point difference between the top two leading candidates, and that based on precedent, it is unlikely for the second leading candidate to close such a gap in just a few days. Kyonggi University's political science and law expert Professor Hahm Sung-deuk predicts that it will be a landslide victory for Mr Lee Jae-myung, with his riding the tide of public anger over the martial law fiasco to the presidential Blue House. 'Mr Lee is a very lucky man. He will get elected not because he is popular, not because of his abilities, but simply because of the martial law incident. In a way, you can say that Yoon turned out to be Mr Lee's biggest supporter because he caused this snap election,' said Prof Hahm. He added that while Mr Lee's legal troubles and past controversies once made voters hesitant about picking him to lead the country, the post-martial law political turmoil has left voters angry and yearning for stability. 'The moderates who make up 30 per cent of the electorate are always the key to winning the election. Even if they have doubts about Mr Lee, they hate Yoon even more because of the martial law,' said Prof Hahm. The rest of the electorate is split equally between conservatives and liberals, with 35 per cent each. Salt was further rubbed into South Korean's martial law wounds when the police suspected that former prime minister Han Duck-soo and former deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok had made false statements regarding their involvement in Yoon's actions, and slapped travel bans on both of them on May 27. The pair, who were both acting presidents at different periods of Yoon's four-month suspension, had previously denied knowledge of Yoon's martial law plans, but recent CCTV footage obtained by the authorities appeared to show otherwise. Yoon is currently undergoing a criminal trial on insurrection charges, while Mr Han attempted to run in the presidential election but eventually dropped out. Prof Hahm believes this development will only push more people to support DP's Mr Lee, while Gallup Korea's Mr Heo, who has overseen polls and analysed results for the past seven presidential elections, said such 'situational factors' would likely play a decisive role in the election. 'Considering how 69 per cent of South Koreans had supported the former president's impeachment, you can say that the conditions are all favourable towards DP and Mr Lee,' said Mr Heo. While the ruling conservative camp is still holding out hopes for a campaign merger with minor conservative Reform Party's Mr Lee Jun-seok, both parties had failed to reach an agreement before early voting took place on May 29 and 30. The PPP and Mr Kim believe that unifying the conservatives' votes would place Mr Kim in a better position to compete against DP's Mr Lee. But Prof Hahm believes such a merger would work only if Mr Lee Jun-seok leads the conservatives and not former labour minister Mr Kim, who is struggling to emerge from Yoon's shadow. As the only Cabinet minister who refused to apologise in Parliament for the martial law fiasco, he is seen as a Yoon supporter. Prof Hahm said: 'Lee Jun-seok represents the future of South Korea politics because he is younger and not tainted by the martial law scandal. The PPP and Mr Kim, on the other hand, made the crucial mistake of not denouncing Yoon and his martial law action right from the start.' In the last of three sessions of the presidential debate on May 28, which was predominated by mudslinging rather than policy debates, Mr Kim was attacked for just that, with DP's Mr Lee calling him Yoon's 'avatar'. Taxi driver Yoon Chung-rae, in his 60s, has been a card-carrying PPP member for more than 20 years but cannot bring himself to vote for PPP's Mr Kim this time round. 'First, we had martial law and then we had the party infighting over the candidate. We look so bad in comparison with the DP, which has supported its candidate Lee Jae-myung since the beginning and never once wavered,' he told The Straits Times. 'I told myself I should give Mr Lee a chance. We need to set things right in this country and I don't have confidence in PPP right now.' The most decisive factor shaping voter sentiment, said Sogang University's Associate Professor Hannah Kim, lies in Yoon's martial law bungle and his subsequent impeachment. 'In the wake of this political turmoil, many voters are looking for a new president who can restore stability, pursue democratic reforms, and tackle pressing economic and foreign policy issues that were sidelined during the crisis,' the academic from the Graduate School of International Studies in Seoul told ST. Domestic woes have seen South Korea's economic growth forecast for 2025 adjusted downwards for the third time this year, from 1.9 per cent to 1.5 per cent and now 0.8 per cent, as announced by the Bank of Korea on May 29. This was on account of tariff talks with the United States not being resolved yet, and domestic consumption remaining in a slump. DP's Mr Lee has pledged that, if elected, among his first tasks would be to lead an emergency task force to fight the domestic recession head-on. For this purpose, there is talk that Mr Lee has identified current Bank of Korea governor Rhee Chang-yong as his prime minister candidate. Wendy Teo is The Straits Times' South Korea correspondent based in Seoul. She covers issues concerning the two Koreas. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
3 hours ago
- Business Times
Going alone is not the answer to security questions: Chan Chun Sing
[SINGAPORE] Political and military leaders must arrest the temptation to go it alone when they feel insecure, as history has many examples of such an approach backfiring, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Sunday(June 1). This is as attempts to prioritise one's security without due regard for international laws and norms could easily lead to greater insecurity in others, sparking a vicious spiral that begets greater insecurity, Chan said at the sixth and final plenary session of the Shangri-La Dialogue. This applies to all aspects of security, including countries' economic well-being, he added, recalling a point made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the forum a day earlier that faltering trade has consequences that ripple beyond any one region. Chan said today's world is not unlike the 1930s, when beggar-thy-neighbour policies arguably contributed to expansionist and irredentist foreign policies that culminated in World War II. As competition in the security and economic domains increase, so has the need for guardrails and communication channels to reduce the risk of miscalculation, he said. He cited how Singapore and Malaysia both respected an international tribunal's directive when there was a disagreement over reclamation works, and thereby managed to reach an amicable settlement. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'While the issue began with acrimony, the warmth and civility between the negotiating teams led to an amicable resolution,' he noted. The two neighbours still have their differences, but have continued to deepen cooperation, such as through the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, he said. Chan emphasised that while great powers have great responsibilities when it comes to upholding international rules, small countries also have agency and responsibility in upholding the global economic and security order. On its part, Singapore is committed to engaging both the US and China without taking any sides. 'We believe that taking sides, regardless of issues and context, breeds irrelevance,' he said. 'And if one is irrelevant, it will almost certainly require (one) to take sides.' Instead, Singapore takes the side of principles that promote a more integrated global economic and security order, where states have a fair chance to compete and can improve the lives of their people through trade rather than war, he added. Noting that emerging security challenges have to do with threats against networked infrastructure that transcend borders, Chan said Singapore is working with Asean partners to develop principles to facilitate defence cooperation for the region's critical underwater infrastructure. Fellow speakers at the plenary also shared different ways by which small states can contribute to tackling security problems. Sweden's Defence Minister, Dr Pal Jonson, noted his country's expertise in psychological defence and in responding to information operations, and how small states like Sweden and Singapore are ranked well when in innovation and research capabilities. Papua New Guinea Defence Minister Billy Joseph said his country amplifies its voice by working through multilateral forums such as the South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting and the Pacific Islands Forum. The Pacific Response Group, a disaster coordination organisation formed in November 2024, helped Vanuatu following an earthquake there a month later, added Dr Joseph. Responding to a question about Singapore's diplomatic approach, Chan said small states are realistic that engagement is not on the basis of sympathy or charity, but on being successful and having value-add. Singapore's approach is to look at the principles that will best enable it to survive and thrive, he added. For instance, on Ukraine, Chan said the principle the Republic holds dear is that of the sovereignty of nations, as it would be a dangerous world if one country can march into another on the basis of wanting to right the wrongs of history. Holding to this principle meant it has stood up to great powers in the past for doing the same, as the greater risk is of the principle no longer being observed by countries big and small, he added. On questions about understanding China's perspectives, Chan said it is in the interest of everyone to work with China, and vice versa. This year's summit was the first time since 2019 that China did not send its defence minister, which raised questions about Beijing's continued engagement with the region. If China perceives that the world does not respect or understand it sufficiently, it is incumbent upon the country to use every opportunity possible, including the Shangri-La Dialogue, to get its voice heard and make clear its stance, said Chan. He urged countries to deepen efforts to understand others, so that they do not end up with simplistic interpretations or misreadings of other people's intentions. Chan was also asked if Singapore would apply the concept of self-determination to the case of Taiwan. Responding, he said it was scary to hear simplistic explanations that try to frame the conflict as one between democracy and autocracy, or to draw 'unhelpful parallels' between Taiwan and Ukraine. How the issue is going to be resolved, if not managed, will have to be determined by the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, he added. People on both sides share similar end goals of having security, including economic security, and the hope is that channels of communication can be opened so they can discuss where their shared future lies, said Chan. Chan said his final takeaway from the forum was the need for deeper cooperation, given the complexity of the issues confronting the world. 'Today, the challenges that we face are not geographically isolated challenges (but) are interwoven,' he said. 'And to solve those issues... we need to build the solutions at the network level, and all of us can contribute to that – be it big or small countries.' THE STRAITS TIMES
Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business Times
China blasts Hegseth as defence minister avoids Singapore forum
[BEIJING] China lodged a protest over Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's speech at a defence forum in Singapore on Saturday, even as Beijing chose not to send its top military diplomat to the annual event. Hegseth chided China during the Shangri-La Dialogue, noting how the nation didn't send a high-profile representative to the gathering. It was the first time Beijing hasn't sent a defence minister to the forum since 2019, depriving China from conducting diplomacy with top military officials from around the globe and pushing its vision for regional security. In a statement on Sunday (Jun 1) responding to Hegseth's speech, China's Foreign Ministry called the US 'the true hegemonic country in the world and the primary factor that undermines peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region.' It added that the US 'must never play with fire' regarding Taiwan, after Hegseth warned that conflict over the island 'could be imminent.' Departing from tradition, this year's Sunday programming didn't begin with a session focused on China, which is typically when the nation's chief military diplomat rebuts any accusations floated by speakers from the US and other allied nations the day before. The only session featuring a Chinese delegate this year saw him sidestep questions on the absence of Defence Minister Dong Jun, who attended a year ago. 'Every time we send the delegation on different levels – this is completely a normal work arrangement,' Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng, vice president of the National Defense University, said at a panel on Saturday. 'It'll not affect our explanation of our national defence policies, ideas and communication with others or enhancing mutual trust.' In an X thread on Sunday, Chinese envoy to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong slammed Hegseth's remark a day earlier on Taiwan. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'If this is not sabre-rattling or fearmongering, then nothing is,' Wang wrote. 'It will be a stretch of imagination to think that many, if any at all, in the region would buy that unfounded, self-centric and delusional rhetoric,' he added. The Chinese Embassy in Singapore has posted twice on Facebook since the start of the forum. It hit back at French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks that the global response to Russia's war in Ukraine should inform how the world might react to a Taiwan invasion, rejecting the comparison as 'unacceptable.' It also criticised Hegseth's speech, labelling China as an imminent threat. 'Mr Hegseth repeatedly smeared and attacked China and relentlessly played up the so-called 'China threat,'' the embassy wrote. 'As a matter of fact, the US itself is the biggest 'troublemaker' for regional peace and stability.' China's embassy in Singapore rarely comments publicly on the Shangri-La Dialogue, usually staying behind the scenes to coordinate with the visiting Chinese delegation. Chinese military delegates were still active in asking questions in sessions. Senior Colonel Zhang Chi, an associate professor at the National Defence University, asked Hegseth about how the US would choose between allies and Asean when its multilateral frameworks do not include South-east Asian countries. But outside of sessions, they stayed mum. It's a contrast to last year, when China held a record number of press briefings and its university delegates had roundtable discussions with the media. Beijing hasn't officially explained why it downgraded its representation at this year's event. However, signs of frustration surfaced during a session on Sunday. Senior Colonel Lu Yin, a professor at the PLA's National Defense University, attempted to ask a question at the forum but noted beforehand that her query about cooperation didn't seem to fit the atmosphere of the Shangri-La Dialogue. 'It seems that labeling China, blaming China, verbally attacking China are political right here,' she added. Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said it wasn't ideal for China to miss an opportunity to send a defence minister to the forum and have exchanges with other countries. Given that Dong has travelled to the region and Europe before, he said, 'this loss is probably not that huge.' Singapore's Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing also described it as a missed opportunity for China. 'If China perceives that the world does not respect China sufficiently, or do not understand China sufficiently, then it is incumbent upon China to use every opportunity possible, including the Shangri-La Dialogue, to get its voice heard, to make clear a stance, and to help others to understand why it's doing what it is doing,' Chan said on Sunday. BLOOMBERG
