While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 30
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Singapore's Yip Pin Xiu wins the S2 100m backstroke gold at the Paris Paralympics, on Aug 29.
PHOTO: SNPC/DYAN TJHIA
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Singapore’s Yip Pin Xiu wins S2 100m backstroke gold
For a brief moment, it looked as if Yip Pin Xiu had been beaten to the S2 100m backstroke gold at the Paris Paralympics on Aug 29, after the Singaporean swimmer and Mexico’s Haidee Aceves both touched the wall at the La Defense Arena.
Even Yip, the defending champion, thought she had missed out on the top spot. But the celebrations, and a delighted smile, would come later when she realised she had won the final to add a sixth Paralympic gold to her collection.
The 32-year-old narrowly edged Aceves, clocking 2min 21.73sec to finish just 0.06sec ahead of the Mexican and retain her title.
Italy’s Angela Procida touched the wall in 2:24.48 to claim the bronze.
Ukraine F-16 crashes, pilot dies during Russian airstrikes
An F-16 fighter jet used by Ukraine crashed on Aug 26, Kyiv’s military said, the first such loss reported since the long-awaited arrival of the US-made planes in the country was confirmed this month.
The jet came down and its pilot died while it was approaching a target during a Russian airstrike, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Aug 29, in a statement on Facebook.
The F-16s had “demonstrated high efficiency” and downed four Russian cruise missiles, it added.
Top Biden official meets Xi in China visit to manage ties
REUTERS
Both the United States and China have signalled that they are looking for stability, as the US nears a period of leadership transition following its presidential election this November.
Speaking with reporters after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of a three-day Beijing trip on Aug 29, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said such diplomatic efforts are meant to responsibly manage a competitive relationship.
Preventing competition from veering into conflict is work that is ongoing, he added. He also pledged to work towards reaching the end of US President Joe Biden’s administration “with the (US-China) relationship on a stable basis, even though we have areas of differences and difficulty”.
US Army criticises Trump staff over ‘push’ at cemetery visit
The US Army on Aug 29 took aim at Donald Trump’s staff over a visit by the Republican presidential candidate to the country’s most hallowed resting place for its war dead.
Trump went to the Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington with family members of some of the 13 service members killed in a 2021 bombing during the last hours of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
His campaign posted photos from the visit, including one showing him giving a thumbs-up gesture while standing with relatives at the grave of one of the Marines killed.
Russia suddenly rallies behind Telegram founder Durov
REUTERS
Days after gunmen killed 145 concert-goers at a venue near Moscow in March, as allegations emerged that the assailants had been recruited on Telegram, the Kremlin issued a stern warning to its founder.
“We would expect more attention from Pavel Durov, because this unique and phenomenal resource... is increasingly becoming a tool in the hands of terrorists,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Five months later, as French prosecutors pursue an investigation into Telegram founder and boss Durov over the use of the messaging app for fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering and other forms of organised crime, Moscow has changed its public stance on the tech entrepreneur.
