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☆ How the U.S. courted the Philippines to thwart China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

What followed was two trips to the United States in less than a year for Marcos, and visits to the Philippines by high-ranking Biden administration officials. Marcos’ predecessor, the populist firebrand Rodrigo Duterte, was openly hostile to the United States and attempted to bring his country closer to communist China during his six-year term. For the United States, cementing alliances in the Asia-Pacific region is likewise crucial to keeping China in check. China’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement to Reuters, characterized China and the Philippines as “close neighbors across the sea” with a common interest in friendship. At the time, he said the cancellation of his visa was the latest in a list of “gripes and disrespect” by the United States.

Persons: Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Joe Biden, Marcos, Gregorio Maria Araneta III, “, ” Araneta, Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Julio Amador III, Marcos ’, Rodrigo Duterte, China’s, Xi Jinping, ” Marcos ’, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, ”, Marcos family’s, Washington, Duterte, China “, Becca Wasser, Wasser, Barack Obama, Xi, “ I’ve, ” Duterte, Ronald “ Bato, dela Rosa, Dela Rosa, gripes, Toribio Adaci, hadn’t, Blake Herzinger, Herzinger Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Defense, ., Party, China, U.S . State Department, ” Reuters, Philippine, United, Foreign Ministry, ” ‘, People’s Liberation Army, Center, New, New American Security, CNAS, U.S . Department of Defense, U.S ., Initiative, Philippines National Economic Development Authority, United States, Philippine National Police, Washington, Forces, VFA, Mutual, China’s, U.S . Pacific Fleet, Cooperation Locations: Philippines, Philippine, Manila, United States, U.S, China, America, Asia, Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, South, East Asia, Pacific, Washington, Hawaii, South China, It’s, American, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New American, Taiwan . U.S, Duterte, China’s, Guangdong

☆ Opinion | Many West Bank Palestinians Are Being Forced Out of Their Villages. Is My Family Next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ali Awad | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

We live in Area C of the West Bank, which means the Israeli military has complete civil and security control over our lives. In 2002, they cut off the main road that connected Tuba to the surrounding villages, including the children’s closest school and the city of Yatta, where we buy all of our food and medical supplies. Throughout it all, we had been awaiting the final ruling from the Israeli high court about whether the Israeli military could force us to evacuate. Then, last year, the court ruled in favor of the state, allowing Israel to evict about 1,200 Palestinians, including those in my village. In Tuba, as in nearby villages, settlers have also targeted the water systems and solar panels we have built and are entirely dependent on, as if to remind us of our vulnerability.

Persons: it’s, “, Itamar Ben Organizations: West Bank, Army, Local Locations: Israel, Tuba, Yatta, Hebron

Two and a half weeks after sending tanks and ground troops into northern Gaza, Israeli forces entered a hospital early Wednesday that they claim Hamas operates out of. The Israeli army claims the militant group uses hospitals as cover for its fighters, and has set up its main command center in and beneath Shifa Hospital, the largest in the besieged territory. Both Hamas and Shifa Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations. Both Hamas and Shifa Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations. ISRAEL SAYS IT'S CARRYING OUT A ‘PRECISE AND TARGETED OPERATION’ INSIDE GAZA'S SHIFA HOSPITALJERUSALEM — The Israeli military says its forces have entered Gaza’s Shifa hospital, the site of a lengthy standoff.

Persons: Mohammed Zaqout, — Israel, ‘, ’, Ahmed Mhanna, ”, Jabaliya, Mhanna, NETANYAHU, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “, Fahrettin Koca, Koca, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Martin Griffiths, Meirav Eilon Shahar, “ Israel, ” Philippe Lazzarini, CAIRO —, Munir al, Boursh, ” Israel, Hamas ”, Paltel, Israel, ” Griffiths, Shifa, that’s, Jonas Gahr Støre, Espen Barth Eide, ” Barth Eide, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, ” Erdogan, Israel —, Daniel Hagari, Hamas’s, ” Hagari, KHAN YOUNIS, Mohammad al, Abdallah, National Security Itamar Ben, Gvir, Nasser, Khan Younis, Catherine Russell, Russell, ” Russell, ISRAEL Organizations: Hamas, Shifa, Shifa Hospital, Health Ministry, . Security, ASEAN, AS, Awda Hospital, Awda, PEACEMAKING GROUP GENEVA, Centre, Associated Press, Iran's, Iranian, ” UN, UNRWA, United Nations, OFFICIAL, International Committee, COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, UN OFFICIAL, Health Organization, ” FIRST, NTB, ISRAEL, TEL, Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, MINISTRY, Ministry of National Security, National Security, UNICEF, JERUSALEM Locations: Gaza, Israel, Shifa, Myanmar, Washington, israel, GAZA, CAIRO, Jabaliya, GAZA ZIKIM, Israeli, Gaza City, TURKEY ANKARA, Turkey, Egypt, Rafah, Geneva, Basque, Spain, Iranian, Iran, Palestine, ”, Territories, United States, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, GENEVA, what’s, GAZA COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Norwegian, Norway, ISRAEL ANKARA, Turkish, TEL AVIV, West Bank, Ben, Khan, SHIFA

☆ Israelis are arming up in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack. Some are worried it is playing to the far right’s vision for the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Tara John | Adi Koplewitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We saw this in the first days of the war, wherever there were weapons, the scale of the disaster was smaller,” Ben Gvir said in a press release. Critics see it as part of a far-right vision to inflame Israeli-Palestinian relations in the country, especially in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Some in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, such as Ben Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, support annexing the West Bank. When CNN asked Ben Gvir at the Caesarea event last week whether his actions were inciting violence against Palestinians, CNN was kicked out of the ceremony. He adds that arming people like that “is only showing what he (Ben Gvir) is trying to cause, which is chaos.”CNN has reached out to Eliasi for comment.

Persons: Itamar Ben Gvir, ’, “, Ben Gvir, ” Ben Gvir’s, Mariam Barghouti, Ben Gvir’s, , ”, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Bezalel Smotrich, we’re, we’ll, Itamar Ben, Gvir, William Bonnett, Amichay Eliyahu, Ben, Eliyahu, Roy Malkan, ” Malkan, Yoav Eliasi, Ori Givati, Guy Ben, Israel’s Ben, ” Ben, Porat, Liat Eisner, We’re, Eisner, she’s, Netanyahu’s, I’m Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Ministry of National Security, West Bank, Power, New York Times, “, Jewish Power, CNN, Palestinian Ministry of Health, The United Nations, Israeli National Security, Israel Defense Forces, Heritage, ”, ” CNN, Reuters, Survey, Israel’s, Gurion University, ” Protesters, Ben, ” Security Locations: Caesarea, Jerusalem, Israel, Judea, Samaria, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Abdelathim, Qusra, Nablus, Judaea, ”, Ben Gvir’s, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Swiss

☆ Israel-Hamas War France Puts Focus on Dire Conditions in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

President Emmanuel Macron of France has insisted that Israel has the right to defend itself after the Hamas attack, but says it needs to follow international laws on protecting civilians in Gaza. President Emmanuel Macron of France is hoping to secure more humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza at an international conference in Paris on Thursday as conditions in the territory continue to deteriorate under weeks of bombardment by Israel. The goal of the conference is to assess the situation in Gaza with international organizations working there and to find ways of improving access to humanitarian aid. Many civilians fear for their safety daily, even in United Nations-run shelters, some of which have been damaged in Israeli strikes. But Israel — which has rebuffed calls for a cease-fire or a “humanitarian pause” — is not sending a representative.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Uzra Zeya Organizations: United Nations, Amnesty, Gaza, UNRWA, International Committee, Red Cross, European Union, European, Palestinian Locations: France, Israel, Gaza, Paris, United, Palestinian, United States

☆ Israel arms civilian security squads, fearing internal strife
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The last Gaza war in 2021 saw sometimes violent pro-Palestinian protests among the Arab citizens who make up 21% of Israel's population. Israeli police have arrested dozens of Arab citizens on suspicion of incitement and support for Hamas, based on social media posts. An additional measure has been the setting up of volunteer security squads to patrol the streets and back up police. Shabtai said security squads would be subordinate to police. "It is good that there will be a lot of security squads and force, but caution must be exercised with this," he said.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Israel's, Kobi Shabtai, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Shabtai, Ben, Eliezer Rosenbaum, Naella, Dan Williams, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West Bank, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Old City, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza, Lebanese, Haifa

☆ US to send controversial depleted-uranium munitions to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cezary Aszkielowicz/ Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday announced a new security assistance package worth up to $175 million for Ukraine, including depleted uranium ammunition for Abrams tanks, the first time the U.S. is sending the controversial armor-piercing munitions to Kyiv. Reuters was first to report last week that the rounds, which could help destroy Russian tanks, would form part of a new military aid package for Ukraine, which Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. Washington previously announced it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite concerns over the dangers such weapons pose to civilians. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects.

Persons: Cezary, Wyborcza.pl, Antony Blinken's, Blinken, Washington, Costas Pitas, Mike Stone, Kanishka Singh, Ronald Popeski, Rami Ayyub, Eric Beech, Grant McCool Organizations: Abrams, REUTERS Acquire, Pentagon, Reuters, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, International Coalition, Thomson Locations: U.S, Szczecin, Poland, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Washington, United States

☆ How China is threatening U.S. GPS dominance with Beidou
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is the oldest and most widely used satellite navigation system in the world with 6 billion users. But the U.S. is not the only country with its own global navigation satellite system. The latest entrant is China's Beidou constellation. But experts say China's Beidou system is about more than just military might. To find out more about China's Beidou satellite navigation system, what implications it may have for the world, and how the U.S. is working to bolster its own GPS constellation, watch the video.

Persons: Mikie Sherill, Galileo, Sarah Sewall, Sewall Organizations: GPS, U.S, Space Force, U.S . Air Force, House GPS Caucus, European Union, Galileo, State, Civilian Security, Human Locations: U.S, Russia, China, Taiwan

☆ How the Falluja ambush impacted the Iraq War
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsHow the Falluja ambush impacted the Iraq WarPostedA year after President George W. Bush launched the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, four U.S. civilian security contractors were ambushed and brutally killed by insurgents in the city of Falluja. Reuters journalist Michael Georgy explains how the attack proved to be a defining moment in the conflict. This video contains graphic images that some viewers may find distressing.

☆ Iraqi ambush of Americans made a mockery of 'Mission Accomplished'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Michael Georgy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/5] FILE PHOTO: A U.S. soldier walks past Iraqi detainees standing behind a wired fence, at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, Iraq May 17, 2004. Arriving in the city an hour or so after the ambush on March 31, 2004, I was confronted by a crowd kicking the head of an incinerated body. I was taking notes, trying to make sense of the furore, when a boy, who was probably aged about nine, approached. HOTSPOTIn the two decades of turmoil since the invasion, Falluja repeatedly emerged as a hotspot. I saw an Iraqi douse one of the corpses with petrol, sending flames soaring into the air.

☆ West backs Nigeria's war on extremists, and backs off on human rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +21 min

“While respect for human rights is unquestionably a high priority, we have many other equities at stake,” McCulley wrote. He said the focus on human rights had sent relations between the two countries into the “lowest ebb” in his three years there. Nigeria’s human rights record wasn’t only a moral issue – it was a legal one. Working under these laws provided “openings to incentivise and institutionalise” human rights protections within the Nigerian military, the State Department said. The pact also noted that London and Abuja had agreed on an “enhanced human rights dialogue” to ensure compliance with international rights standards.

☆ U.S. announces $457.5 mln civilian aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Ukrainian national flag is seen behind the U.S. national flag during a rally of foreign community members in support of Ukraine amid growing tensions with Russia, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 6, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoWASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The United States will provide $457.5 million in new civilian security aid for Ukraine, a portion of which will be used to support the government's investigation of atrocities, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. The aid is designed to help Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, Blinken said in a statement. The latest tranche of aid brings U.S. assistance for Ukrainian law enforcement and its partners to more than $645 million since mid-December, Blinken said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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