Latest News from AsiaOne
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Trump envoy says Russian concern over Nato enlargement is fair, World News
MOSCOW — US President Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Russia's concern over the eastward enlargement of Nato was fair and the United States did not want to see Ukraine in the US-led military alliance. Asked by US network ABC News about a Reuters report that Russia wanted a written pledge over Nato not enlarging eastwards to include Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, Kellogg said: "It's a fair concern." "We've said that to us, Ukraine coming into Nato is not on the table, and we're not the only country that says that — you know I could probably give you four other countries in Nato and it takes 32 of the 32 to allow you to come in to Nato," he told ABC late on Thursday (May 29). "That's one of the issues that Russia will bring up." "They're not just talking Ukraine, they're talking the country of Georgia, they're talking Moldova," Kellogg said, adding that a decision on US views of Nato enlargement was for Trump to make. Kellogg said the sequencing of the peace talks would include an attempt to merge the two memorandums drafted by Ukraine and Russia into one single document with talks in Turkey on Monday. "When we get into Istanbul next week we'll sit down and talk," Kellogg said, adding that the national security advisers from Germany, France and Britain would join discussions on the memorandum with the United States. Kellogg said Trump was "frustrated" with Russia because he had seen "a level of unreasonableness" from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He scolded Russia for striking Ukrainian cities and said he had told Ukraine to turn up to talks. A conservative estimate of dead and injured in the Ukraine war — from both sides combined — totals 1.2 million, Kellogg said. "That is a stunning number — this is war on an industrial scale," Kellogg told ABC. [[nid:718485]]
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Zelenskiy accuses Russia of 'another deception' by holding back peace memorandum, World News
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday (May 29) that Russia was engaging in "yet another deception" by failing to hand over its peace settlement proposal ahead of a potential meeting between Moscow and Kyiv. "Even the so-called 'memorandum' they promised and seemingly prepared for more than a week has still not been seen by anyone," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "Ukraine has not received it. Our partners have not received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, has not received the new agenda. "Despite promises to the contrary, first and foremost to the the United States of America, to President (Donald) Trump: Yet another Russian deception." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow had drafted a memorandum outlining a settlement position in the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine. [[nid:718495]] He suggested a second round of direct talks take place on Monday, again in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has maintained good ties with both sides, told reporters that Russia's invitation for more talks had heightened Ankara's hopes for peace. "The road to a resolution goes through more dialogue, more diplomacy. We are using all our diplomatic power and potential for peace," Erdogan's office quoted him as saying. In Washington, the White House said Trump, who has been pressing both sides to move towards an agreement, hoped the proposed meeting in Istanbul would go ahead. Kremlin: No word from Kyiv on talks Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow had received no reply from Kyiv on whether it would attend negotiations on Monday in Istanbul. Russia, Zelenskiy said in his address, was "doing everything to make the meetings hollow" and Ukraine's partners needed to intensify pressure on Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that without being able to review Russia's memorandum, Kyiv would conclude "it is likely filled with unrealistic ultimatums, and they are afraid of revealing that they are stalling the peace process". When asked to comment on Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's suggestion that Russia should immediately hand over the memorandum, Peskov dismissed the idea as "non-constructive". "Here, you have to either confirm your readiness to continue negotiations or do the opposite," Peskov said. Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, quoted by TASS news agency, said the composition of the delegation to the next meeting would be unchanged from the first round. The Russian delegation for the first round included an adviser to the president, a top diplomat and senior military and intelligence officials. Zelenskiy had proposed that Russian President Vladimir Putin meet him at the first Istanbul session. Putin did not join, prompting Zelenskiy not to participate and leave a delegation of officials to represent Ukraine. [[nid:718496]]
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- AsiaOne
'We couldn't believe our eyes': Tourist charged $200 cleaning fee for eating durian in Singapore hotel room, Singapore News
A tourist spent $13 for a box of durians, but ended up paying $200 as the hotel she was staying in charged that amount as cleaning fee. The China national apparently ate the snack in her room, according to a Xiaohongshu post by user Blue Mullberry (transliterated) on Monday (May 26). Her post, titled "Spending 1,000 yuan ($200) in Singapore on one durian" said that she spent $13 on the durians, but paid $200 on cleaning fees. "Other tourists in Singapore, please remember not to eat durians in your hotel room," Mulberry cautioned. In her almost five-minute video post, she detailed her experience leading up to the $200 fee. A day earlier, while walking with her friend they came across a shop selling durians, she recalled. Since it was in a market with no seating available, she took the fruit back to her room to eat. The durian had already been deshelled and placed in a Styrofoam container, Mulberry later added. "After a while, we couldn't walk any further and decided to call a cab," she said. "The smell of the durian started to waft about, and my friend also commented that the smell was quite strong." Worried that the cab driver wouldn't like the smell, she tightened the knot on the plastic bag her fruit was in, but the driver did not raise any issue, she said. "I relished the durian later that night and went out the following day to tour around the area," she said. When she returned, she found a letter addressed to her in her room, notifying her that the housekeeper discovered a durian smell and that a $200 cleaning fee would be charged. "My friend and I were stunned and couldn't believe our eyes," Mulberry said. Frantically searching on Xiaohongshu, she found that many other people have had similar experiences and didn't know that durians are not allowed in hotel rooms. Some were luckier and were stopped by staff before they took the durian to their rooms or were let off because it was their first time committing the offence, she said. Mulberry then apologised to the hotel staff and admitted that she didn't know about the regulation. She tried to request for a discount to the cleaning fee, but staff explained that they charge less than other hotels, which apparently charge $500. A quick check with other hotels in Singapore confirmed that durians are not allowed in their rooms. Carlton City Hotel charges a $500 fee for cleaning should a durian smell be discovered, while Park Regis by Prince Singapore charges $300. Taking durians into a room at Park Avenue Rochester would incur a $200 fine. The silver lining to this is that they didn't take a train back, because that would have incurred a greater fine, Mulberry also added. She commented: ""I hope that my experience can help other tourists... save 1,000 yuan." AsiaOne has reached out to Vibe Hotel Orchard for more information. [[nid:640664]] khooyihang@
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
French President Macron and PM Wong sample local fare at Lau Pa Sat; sign deals on defence, AI at summit, Singapore News
Following a casual visit to Lau Pa Sat for local delicacies on Thursday (May 29) night, Singapore and France commemorated 60 years of diplomatic relations with multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to deepen cooperation in areas such as defence and artificial intelligence. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged MoUs at a joint press conference on Friday (May 30), ahead of Macron's keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's largest forum on security and defence. Forty-seven countries, including 40 minister-level delegates, are attending the 22nd edition of the Dialogue at the Shangri-La Hotel from May 30 to June 1. Speaking about a shifting global order and heightened uncertainty on Friday, PM Wong emphasised the need for "like-minded countries to work together to put in place the outlines and the pillars of a new order that will ensure stability and continue shared prosperity for countries around the world". The MoUs mark Singapore's first comprehensive strategic partnership with a European country, and Singapore will be a constructive partner that will "always be a steadfast supporter to advance these areas of shared interest together in order to achieve win-win outcomes for both sides". Defence According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Singapore and France signed the France-Singapore General Security Agreement, which will facilitate the sharing and mutual protection of classified information between the two countries. They also agreed to support and deepen security cooperation in areas of mutual interest beyond defence, including counterterrorism and cybersecurity. Singapore and France's respective civil aviation authorities have also signed a new agreement to "collaborate comprehensively" on aviation across key major areas, including safety and security, air traffic management, environment, training & education and aviation innovation. Partnership within the maritime sector will also be enhanced as both countries plan to conduct various pilot projects in key focus areas, including the safe bunkering of alternative marine fuels, as well as data exchange to enhance port efficiency. Digital technologies & AI At a separate bilateral meeting on Wednesday, Singapore and France reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral collaboration in key areas of digital policy and innovation. Signed by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and France's Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies Clara Chappaz, the roadmap sets out new areas for collaboration, including artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and quantum technologies. Singapore's and France's AI Safety Institutes will also ramp up knowledge exchange on AI safety and collaborative research to advance responsible use of safe and trustworthy AI. Civilian nuclear energy The two nations also signed a cooperation agreement to establish bilateral civil nuclear cooperation as Singapore explores the potential deployment of nuclear energy domestically. With France being one of the largest users of nuclear energy, the agreement will facilitate information sharing on various technologies of interest to Singapore, such as the "exchange and training of personnel, exchange of scientific and technical data and participation of personnel in research and development activities related to nuclear energy". The National Environment Agency and the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection also signed an MoU regarding radiation and nuclear safety, regulatory matters, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Dinner at Lau Pa Sat Macron landed in Singapore on Thursday, for the third and final stop of his Southeast Asian tour following visits to Indonesia and Vietnam. Macron and PM Wong, together with their spouses, visited Lau Pa Sat last night and were greeted by a throng of people hoping to get a glimpse of the world leaders. Stopping for pictures with eager onlookers, the two leaders also had a taste of some local dishes — chee cheong fun and char kway teow. [[nid:718429]]
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- Health
- AsiaOne
US cancels more than $700 million funding for Moderna bird flu vaccine, World News
The Trump administration has cancelled a contract awarded to Moderna for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine for humans, as well as the right to purchase shots, the drugmaker announced on Wednesday (May 28). Shares of Moderna were flat in after-market trading. Moderna in January was awarded US$590 million (S$760) by the Biden administration to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine, and support the expansion of clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza. This was in addition to US$176 million awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last year to complete the late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza. HHS told Reuters earlier this year that it was reviewing agreements made by the Biden administration for vaccine production. "The cancellation means that the government is discarding what could be one of the most effective and rapid tools to combat an avian influenza outbreak," said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, adding that it is the opposite approach Trump took with Operation Warp Speed to combat Covid-19. An HHS spokesperson said that after a comprehensive internal review, the agency had determined that the project did not meet the scientific standards or safety expectations required for continued federal investment. Bird flu has infected 70 people, most of them farm workers, over the past year as it has spread aggressively among cattle herds and poultry flocks. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the use of vaccines and earlier this year drew censure from some in the US Congress after he suggested in a television interview that poultry farmers should let the bird flu spread unchecked through their flocks to study chickens who did not contract it. Moderna said it plans to explore alternatives for late-stage development and manufacturing of the vaccine. The company has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots, including its bird flu vaccine and experimental Covid-flu combination vaccine, to make up for waning post-pandemic demand for its Covid vaccine. Moderna also said on Wednesday that it had received positive interim data from a mid-stage trial set up to test the safety and immunogenicity of its bird flu vaccine targeting the H5 avian influenza virus subtype. [[nid:713266]]
