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☆ China is testing the limits of a critical U.S.-Philippines defense pact — will Washington respond?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An aerial view shows a Philippines Navy vessel that has been grounded since 1999 to assert the nation's sovereignty over the Second Thomas Shoal, a remote South China Sea reef also claimed by China. Experts say the latest incident represents an escalation and shows the limitations of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1951. Ezra Acayan | Getty Images News | Getty Images"The Philippines will continue to resupply the Sierra Madre, and hopefully invest in more outposts in their Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea ... The Philippines defense chief has reiterated that the military would not announce its resupply missions to the shoal in advance. The country has also been working to bolster its own defense capabilities in the South China Sea with the support of the U.S.What's at stake?

Persons: Thomas, Jay Directo, Thomas Shoal, Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, Chester Cabalza, Cabalza, Ezra Acayan, Richard Heydarian, Abdul Rahman Yaacob, Matteo Piasentini, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Paisentini, Lowy Institute's Yaacob, Geopolitica's Organizations: Philippines Navy, Afp, Getty, U.S ., Philippines Mutual Defense, International Development, Security Cooperation, Bilateral, Philippine Coast Guard personnel, Coast Guard, University of the, U.S, Pacific Command, Philippines, Lowy, Asia Program, Philippine Navy, Sierra Madre Locations: Philippines, China, South China, Spratly, Philippine, Manila, Beijing, U.S, South, U.S . China, Washington, University of the Philippines, Philippine Government, United States, Pacific, Italian, Sierra, Asia

☆ Kenya Protests Are a Blow to Biden’s Embrace of President Ruto
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The street turmoil that swept Kenya’s capital on Tuesday represented a blow to the Biden administration’s tight embrace of President William Ruto, a strong U.S. ally on a continent where American influence is rapidly waning. Just a day earlier, President Biden had formally named Kenya a major non-NATO ally, and Mr. Ruto had seen off a first group of 400 Kenyan police officers headed to Haiti on a contentious security mission that is largely financed by the United States. At the White House, the Kenyan leader was feted with a state dinner that included celebrity guests and former President Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan. For Mr. Ruto, the state visit was the high point of a globe-trotting presidency. He has visited dozens of countries since being declared the winner of a fiercely contested presidential election in August 2022.

Persons: William Ruto, Biden, Ruto, Barack Obama Organizations: Biden, Kenyan, NATO, White Locations: U.S, Kenya, NATO, Haiti, United States, Washington, Africa, Russia, China

☆ North Korean balloons ‘presumed’ to be carrying waste seen in South Korea as tensions flare
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Gawon Bae | Michael Mitsanas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul CNN —North Korean balloons “presumed” to be carrying waste were spotted in South Korea on Monday, reigniting a tit-for-tat exchange as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to heighten. On Thursday, a South Korean advocacy group flew 20 large balloons carrying thousands of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and USB sticks with South Korean entertainment toward North Korea. The balloons also carried damaged clothes from a South Korean brand, signaling “hostility towards South Korean goods,” as well as clothes with imitations of Disney characters, according to the ministry. In the meantime, a US Navy aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea over the weekend ahead of trilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan in the waters near the peninsula. US and South Korean officials signed a new memorandum of understanding on diplomatic intelligence sharing and analysis on Monday, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, North, ”, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Kristina Kormilitsyna, Kim Organizations: Seoul CNN —, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, South, North, US Navy, Korean, ROK, DPRK, United Nations, Northeast Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Gyeonggi Province, Seoul’s, Korean, North Korea, ”, Pyongyang, Japan, Russia, United States, DPRK, Northeast Asia, Europe

☆ China is watching warily as Putin and Kim forge new ‘alliance’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Putin said Russia and North Korea have ramped up ties to a “new level.” Kim, meanwhile, called the new “alliance” a “watershed moment” in bilateral relations. In contrast, the reaction from China, the main political and economic patron for both Russia and North Korea, has been all but muted. “But they do know that China plays an irreplaceable role for both Russia and North Korea,” she said. China remains the largest trade partner to both Russia and North Korea, providing a crucial lifeline to the heavily sanctioned economies. “China doesn’t think that an alliance between Russia and North Korea would be a betrayal,” said Liu with the City University of Hong Kong.

Persons: Vladimir Putin glided, Kim Jong, Xi Jinping, Kim, Putin, ” Kim, Xi, Liu Dongshu, Liu, Kim Jong Un, ” Liu, Beijing doesn’t, Alexander Ryumin, ”, Edward Howell, Russia –, ” Yun Sun Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Benz, China’s Foreign, City University of Hong, KCNA, North Korea Treaty, Cooperation, Mutual Assistance, Getty, –, University of Oxford, North, Stimson Locations: China, Hong Kong, Pyongyang, Beijing, North Korea, Russia, United States, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Northeast Asia, City University of Hong Kong, Soviet Union, Friendship, North, Korean, Russian, Iran, Moscow, United Kingdom, Washington

☆ North Korea says Kim and Putin’s defense pact permits all available means to assist each other if either nation attacked
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Helen Regan | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —North Korea and Russia have pledged to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance in the event the other is attacked, according to the text of a new landmark defense pact agreed by the two autocratic nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new strategic partnership agreement Wednesday in Pyongyang during a rare state visit by the Russian leader who said the two allies have ramped up ties to a “new level.”North Korean state media reported on Thursday the full text of that pact, which also includes political, trade, investment, and security cooperation. According to the text, Article 4 states that should either country “get into a state of war due to an armed aggression” the other “shall immediately provide military and other assistance with all the means at its disposal.”The pact, which comes against the backdrop of Putin’s grinding war against Ukraine, is the most significant agreement signed by Russia and North Korea in decades and is seen as something of a revival of their Cold War-era mutual defense pledge. It also consolidates Kim’s powerful link with a world power that wields a veto on the UN Security CouncilThe newly released text will now raise several questions for Western observers, including whether Russia’s powerful nuclear deterrent now extends to North Korea, and vice versa, or whether the two nations will now hold joint military drills. Putin referenced the defense clause after the meeting with Kim Wednesday, saying it provides “for the provision of mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement.”Kim, meanwhile, called the new “alliance” a “watershed moment in the development of the bilateral relations.”This is a developing story and will be updated.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim Wednesday, ” Kim Organizations: CNN, North, UN Security Locations: North Korea, Russia, Russian, Pyongyang, Ukraine

Chang emphasized the need to strengthen the extended deterrence power of the South Korea-US alliance and the South Korea-US-Japan security cooperation system to address North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. Currently, South Korea’s policy is not to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty ImagesReports from earlier in the war say South Korea may have provided 155mm artillery shells to the United States to replace 155mm rounds sent to Ukraine. “Public reports suggest South Korea has around 3.4 million 105mm artillery shells,” the CSIS report said. Earlier on Thursday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed strong concern about the agreement signed by Russia and North Korea.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, “, ” Putin, Kim, Chang Ho, ”, ” Chang, Chang, Putin, Nikoletta Stoyanova, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Putin “, ” Hayashi Organizations: CNN, Democratic People’s, DPRK, UN Security Council, CNN South, National Security, Korean, 57th Motorized Brigade, Getty, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “, CSIS, UN, Japan’s Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Seoul, Russia, North Korea, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic, Republic of Korea, South, South Korea, Japan, Vovchansk, Kharkiv Region, United States, Kyiv, Vietnam, Ukrainian

☆ Taiwan to acquire more than 1,000 armed drones in new US arms sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United States has approved the $360 million sale of more than 1,000 small armed drones to Taiwan, as the self-ruled island claimed by China aims to strengthen its asymmetrical warfare abilities with an eye on successful tactics used on the battlefield in Ukraine. The proposed sale comes as China increases military pressure on Taiwan, with extensive military exercises around it and almost daily warplane flights near the island. In a statement Wednesday, Taiwan’s presidential office thanked the US for its security commitments, adding this was the Biden administration’s 15th weapons sale to the island since 2021. That includes $6.1 billion in asymmetrical weapon systems, including Harpoon missiles, PAC-3 missile interceptors and MQ-9B aerial drones, Cato said. Many analysts have urged Taiwan to pursue more asymmetrical weapons, which they say would be harder for China to counter than conventional arms in any invasion of the island.

Persons: “, Adm, Dong Jun, ”, Wahid Nawabi, Anduril, Biden, Karen Kuo, Cato Organizations: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, Washington, Chinese Defense, “, Cato Institute, Harpoon Locations: States, Taiwan, China, Ukraine, Taipei, Beijing, Singapore, “ Taiwan, Washington

☆ Putin may need arms from North Korea’s Kim for Ukraine war, but what is he willing to give in return?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

North Korea launched its first spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, in November. The arrangement may also enable North Korea to gain real-world intel on the functioning of its weaponry and help it ramp up exports more broadly. Such satellites can help North Korea improve its ground-based military capabilities, for example enabling it to more accurately target opponents’ forces with its own missiles. Both countries in recent years have blocked movement in the council related to North Korea as they grew skeptical of US-backed sanctions. He pointed to his experiences during the former US President Barack Obama administration working on nonproliferation efforts related to North Korea and Iran.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin ramped, Kim Jong, Putin, ”, Edward Howell, Xi Jinping, Kim, ” Putin, “ Kim Jong, he’ll, Ankit, Sofiia Gatilova, Putin –, “ Putin, –, John Erath, Erath, Xi, it’s, Michael McFaul, Barack Obama, ” McFaul, … we’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, University of Oxford, KCNA, intel, South, United Nations, North, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Kremlin, UN Security Council, Center for Arms Control, Observers, UN, National Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Hong Kong, North Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, Eurasia, United Kingdom, United States, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Seoul, Washington, North Korean, Korea, Russian, Kharkiv, Kyiv, China, Iran

☆ Venezuela expands military buildup at Guyana border in ‘dangerous game,’ says report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Venezuela continues to build up military infrastructure and hardware close to the border with Guyana as President Nicolas Maduro and his supporters scale up their threats to annex an oil-rich piece of Guyanese land. Guyana had called the move a step towards annexation and an “existential” threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region. Using satellite imagery and social media, CSIS found that the expansion of Anacoco Island’s military base has continued. Maduro could ‘fall victim to own rhetoric’The threats to Guyana have concerned its partners. “Thus, one of the most concerning possibilities is that Maduro will fall victim to his own rhetoric.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, “, ” Ryan Berg Organizations: CNN, Strategic, International Studies, Venezuelan, US Navy, Americas, CSIS Locations: Venezuela, Guyana, Washington, Venezuelan, Essequibo, Punta Barima, arm’s, Essequibo ”, Guyanese, Georgetown, Idaho

☆ U.S. to Withdraw Troops From Chad, Dealing Another Blow to Africa Policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Pentagon will withdraw dozens of Special Operations forces from Chad in the next few days, the second major blow in a week to American security and counterterrorism policy in a volatile swath of West and Central Africa, U.S. officials said on Thursday. The decision to pull out about 75 Army Special Forces personnel working in Ndjamena, Chad’s capital, comes days after the Biden administration said it would withdraw more than 1,000 U.S. military personnel from Niger in the coming months. The Pentagon is being forced to draw down troops in response to the African governments’ demands to renegotiate the rules and conditions under which U.S. military personnel can operate. Both countries want terms that better favor their interests, analysts say. The decision to withdraw from Niger is final, but U.S. officials said they hoped to resume talks on security cooperation after elections in Chad on May 6.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Operations, Special Forces Locations: Chad, West, Central Africa, U.S, Ndjamena, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Russia, Moscow

☆ US sends land-attack missile system to Philippines for exercises in apparent message to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The presence of the US Army’s Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system, increases the risks of “misjudgment and miscalculation” in a region already on edge over Chinese-Philippines face-offs in the South China Sea, Beijing says. It’s the first-ever deployment of the MRC missile system, also known as the Typhon system, to the Indo-Pacific theater, and it comes amid a series of US-Philippine military exercises, including the largest-ever edition of the bilateral Balikatan exercises beginning Monday. It also can fire the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, a maneuverable cruise missile with a range of 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles), according to the CSIS. Those are the same rules Washington and Manila accuse Beijing of ignoring with aggressive Chinese actions that have injured Filipino sailors and damaged vessels around disputed features in the South China Sea. US Army PacificChina’s missile advantageAnalysts say the deployment of the Typhon missile battery is the first signal of US plans to address what has long been an advantage for Beijing in the region.

Persons: Lin Jian, ” Lin, Stephen Koehler, “, equalizes, ”, Collin Koh, Christopher Milhal, Koh, Rupert Schulenberg, Donald Trump “, Thomas, CNN’s Steven Jiang Organizations: South Korea CNN, US, MRC, US Army, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign, US Pacific Fleet, Sunday, Xinhua, CNN, US Air Force, US Army Pacific, Beijing, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, ”, don’t, International Institute for Strategic Studies, South, Lewis, McChord, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Russian, Philippine News Agency, CNN Philippine Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, United States, Philippines, South China Sea, Beijing, Philippine, South China, Taiwan Strait, Qingdao, Washington, Manila, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Taiwan, Guam, Singapore, South, Soviet Union, Palawan, Sulu, Spratly

☆ Jordan walks a tightrope after downing Iranian drones and missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Jomana Karadsheh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1994. The kingdom was portrayed as shielding Israel at a time when Palestinians were being bombed by Israel in Gaza. One meme shared by users apparently outside Jordan showed a manipulated image of Jordan’s King Abdullah in an Israeli military uniform. “We are in the range of fire and any missiles or projectile that could fall in Jordan would cause harm to Jordan. Our priority is to protect Jordan and to protect Jordanian citizens.”And Jordan’s leadership seems intent on sending that message to its people.

Persons: Saddam Hussein, Jordan, Israel, King Abdullah, Bisher, “, Ayman Safadi, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ”, Safadi, “ Jordan, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyaahu, Iran ”, Abdullah, Queen Rania Organizations: CNN, Israel, West Bank, Scud, United, Sunday, ”, Jordan, Zionist, Jordanian Royal Court Locations: Amman, Israel, Damascus, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordanian, United States, Jordan, Gaza, Tehran, Fars, Iranian, Mafraq

☆ As China's navy grows, the US fleet is on a 'downward trajectory,' maritime expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"It's the end of the pacifist period on the seas," Dr Steven Wills of the Center for Maritime Strategy, told Business Insider. The US fleet is still widely considered the world's most powerful navy due to its 11 aircraft carriers and cutting-edge nuclear submarine capabilities. "They're scrapping more ships than they're building, which means the US Navy is on a downward trajectory, not an upward trajectory," said Dr Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian at Campbell University. Another piece of the puzzle is shipbuilding capacity. Expanding American shipbuilding capacity ought to start now, Wills said: "You don't make the arsenal of democracy overnight."

Persons: —, Dr Steven Wills, Gerald R, Ford, Nikos Libertas, Wills, Doug Livermore, Arleigh Burke, Salvatore Mercogliano, Tang Ke, Livermore, Defense Mark Esper, David Sacks, Mercogliano, That's, Xi Jinping, HECTOR RETAMAL, Sacks, I'm Organizations: Service, Center for Maritime Strategy, Business, Navy, US Navy, Campbell University, Naval, People's Liberation Army Navy, Defense, of Naval Intelligence, Council, Foreign Relations, Corpus Christi, Pearl, Naval Shipyard . US Navy, Pacific, of Foreign Relations, CSIS, US, South China, Australia Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Virginia, Yantai Port, Asia, America, Japan, South Korea, Los Angeles, Corpus, Taiwan, Beijing, Pingtan, China's, Pacific, Philippines, South

☆ China is sending its highest-level delegation to North Korea since 2019 to kick off a ‘friendship year’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The three-day visit, at North Korea’s invitation, shows the “great importance” China attaches to those relations, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. The delegation will also arrive amid heightened global concern about North Korea, which has in recent months ramped up its bellicose rhetoric and continued its weapons testing. The trip could also be an important opportunity for the upper echelons of China’s political establishment to better understand the circumstances in North Korea today. Balance of powerChina has long walked a thin line in its relations with North Korea. It is a critical economic lifeline for a North Korea crippled by international sanctions over its illegal weapons testing.

Persons: Zhao Leji, ”, KCNA, Zhao, Xi Jinping, China’s, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Li Qiang, Liu Dongshu, …, ” Liu, Kim, Li Mingjiang, Vladimir Putin, Yun Sun Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Beijing, Foreign Ministry, Japanese, CNN, Communist, North Korea –, Hong Kong’s City University, North, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, “, United Nations Security, Stimson Locations: China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Pyongyang, Beijing, Moscow, United States, North, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Asia, Washington, Philippines, Russia, North Korean, Covid, Pacific, American

The intensifying military cooperation between Russia and Niger is central to the dispute between the US and the Nigerien junta, officials said. Russia and Niger agreed to strengthen their military ties in January, Russia’s Defense Ministry said at the time. If the US were forced to withdraw, counterterrorism efforts across the region could take a hit, officials said. In return, Russia is profiting off the region’s natural resources, another official said, including the gold mines in Niger. Several European countries shared this goal, offering a measure of support to the junta, the official noted.

Persons: Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Langley, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, what’s, Nusrat al, “ Organizations: CNN, US Africa Command, Air Base, American, Nigerien, Russia’s Defense, EU, Pentagon, Kremlin, West, Russian Federation, National Council, Wagner, US Locations: Africa, Russia, Africa . Niger, Niger, United States, America, Nigerien, Sahel, stoking, China, Russian, Central Africa, ”, Niamey, US, Agadez, Mali, Burkina Faso, Abdramane, Western Africa, Northwest Africa

☆ Sweden clears final hurdle in bid to join NATO after Hungary approves accession
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Stephanie Halasz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Of the 194 members of parliament who voted, just six rejected Sweden’s accession. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Sweden will join the alliance now that all allies have approved Sweden’s bid to join. As NATO states, Finland and Sweden will enjoy the protection granted under Article 5 of the treaty that established the alliance – which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack against all. While most NATO members quickly approved Finland and Sweden’s applications, Hungary and Turkey held out for some time. Video Ad Feedback Turkish parliament approves Sweden's NATO membership bid 01:05 - Source: CNNShortly after the Turkish vote, Orban told NATO chief Stoltenberg that his government would also support Swedish membership.

Persons: CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Ulf Kristersson, Viktor Orban, Sweden’s, ” Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Orban, Stoltenberg, Putin, Luke McGee, Lauren Kent Organizations: CNN, NATO, Stockholm, Swedish, Gripen, “, United, Russia, Ukraine, Union, EU, Sweden’s, Budapest, Kyiv Locations: Budapest, Hungary, Swedish, “ Sweden, Sweden, United States, Atlantic Treaty, Eastern Europe, Russia’s, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Stockholm, EU, Europe, Israel

☆ Kim Jong Un has broken with decades of North Korean policy – does it mean he’s planning for war?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The two sides have been cut off from each other since 1953, when an armistice ended the Korean War, and remain technically at war. Yoon and Biden have sharpened their countries’ deterrence plans and coordination in the face of North Korea’s threats and weapons development. If anything, some analysts believe, North Korea’s public statements signal that North Korea is abandoning its reunification policy in pursuit of peace on the peninsula. Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty ImagesAn ‘emboldened’ KimThe North Korean leader may also feel more confident about his arsenal and his options as he watches a shifting global landscape. “Kim Jong Un is wary of a full-scale provocation by the South Korean military disguised as a military exercise and has vowed to occupy South Korean territory without hesitation,” said Lim in Changwon.

Persons: Kim Jong, South Korea –, ” Kim, ”, Kim, ’, Robert Carlin, Siegfred Heckler, Chul Lim, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Edward Howell, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ayse, ” He’s, Yoon, Biden, Seoul . Kim, Trump, Lim, “ That’s, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, ’ Kim, “ Kim Jong, …, Rachel Minyoung Lee, Howell, “ Kim Jong Un, Lee, Japan – Organizations: CNN, South, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, North Korea Research Center, University’s Institute, Far Eastern, University of Oxford, Japan, Ewha Womans University, US, North, Russia's Vostochny, Getty, Stimson, –, White, United Nations Security Council, West, South Korean Defense Ministry, ”, Trump, North Korean Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, North Korea, South Korea, Korea, Republic of Korea, Kim, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, United States, Korea’s, Changwon, Pyongyang, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, Guam, Gon, Seoul ., Russian, Russia's, China, Iran, denuclearization, Western, North, Moscow, Beijing, Oxford, Jeju, South, “

☆ Armenia's PM: 'We Are Not Russia's Ally' in War Against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two major wars in the past 30 years over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region has long been recognised as part of Azerbaijan and Azeri troops secured full control over it last September. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesIn his remarks to Britain's Daily Telegraph, Pashinyan said he had said from the outset of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine that it could not stand alongside Moscow as an ally. Photos You Should See View All 21 Images"I said, in the Ukraine situation, we are not Russia’s ally. He repeated that Armenia was considering whether to stay in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Ron Popeski, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Britain's Daily Telegraph, U.S, NATO, Nato, Security Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Moscow, France, Russian

CNN —US officials said Monday that Iraq was not notified ahead of a series of strikes on Iran-linked targets in the country, contradicting earlier statements that the Iraqi government was notified before the strikes occurred. We informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a briefing on Monday. “Iraq, like every country in the region, understood that there would be a response after the deaths of our soldiers,” he noted. In a statement to CNN, Kirby said he “responded with information that I had been provided at the time” after the strikes on Friday. “For operational security reasons, we did not provide any kind of official pre-notification with specific details on these strikes,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: Vedant Patel, ”, John Kirby, Kirby, “, Pat Ryder, ” Ryder, we’ll Organizations: CNN, ” State Department, National Security, State Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Pentagon Locations: Iraq, Iran, “ Iraq, Syria, Jordan, United States, Anbar Governorate, Iranian

HELSINKI (AP) — Ex-Prime Minister Alexander Stubb was projected to win the first round of Finland's presidential election on Sunday and face runner-up Pekka Haavisto in a runoff next month. Finnish public broadcaster YLE projected that Stubb won the first round of the presidential election with 27.3% of the votes, while Haavisto, an ex-foreign minister, took second place with 25.8%. Recent polls suggest that former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, 55, and ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, 65, are the leading contenders. The president also acts as the supreme commander of the Finnish military, a particularly important duty in Europe's current security environment. About 4.5 million citizens were eligible to vote for Finland’s new head of state from an array of nine candidates — six men and three women.

Persons: —, Alexander Stubb, Pekka Haavisto, Stubb, Jussi Halla, aho, Sauli Niinistö, “, ”, Eve Kinnunen, Haavisto, Olli Rehn, Niinistö, Vladimir Putin of, ___ Kostya Manenkov, Sergei Grits Organizations: HELSINKI, YLE, Legal, Nordic, NATO, Union, National Coalition Party, Finns, Bank of Finland, Halla, Associated Press, Helsinki, Green League Locations: Finnish, Stubb, Finland, HELSINKI, Russia, United States, China, Helsinki, Sunday’s, Europe, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Nordic, Finland’s, Sweden, Hungary

☆ Finns go to the polls to elect a new president at an unprecedented time for the NATO newcomer
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Polls across the country opened at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) and will close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT). The president also acts as the supreme commander of the Finnish military, a particularly important duty in Europe's current security environment. They are picking a successor to hugely popular President Sauli Niinistö, whose second six-year term expires in March. Recent polls suggest that former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, 55, and ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, 65, are the leading contenders. Advance vote results will be confirmed soon after polls close and initial results from Sunday's voting are expected by around midnight (2200 GMT).

Persons: Sauli Niinistö, Eve Kinnunen, Alexander Stubb, Pekka Haavisto, Stubb, Haavisto, Jussi Halla, Olli Rehn, Niinistö, Vladimir Putin of Organizations: Nordic, NATO, Union, National Coalition Party, United Nations, Finns, Bank of Finland, Associated Press, Green League Locations: Espoo, Finland, Russia, United States, China, Helsinki, Sunday's, Europe, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Nordic, Finland's, Sweden, Hungary

☆ US and Iraqi governments expected to start talks on future of US military presence in the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The US and Iraq are expected to soon begin talks on the future of the US military presence in the country, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid public calls from the Iraqi government for the US to withdraw its troops. US military officials and diplomats will be involved in the discussions, officials said. The talks about the future of the US’ military presence have now taken on a greater urgency amid the wider regional instability, and amid growing public calls by the Iraqi government for the US to withdraw its troops from the country. Part of the discussions will focus on whether and when it will be feasible to end the US military presence in Iraq. “The Biden administration is not considering a withdrawal of forces from Syria,” a senior US official told CNN.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, ”, They’re, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, ” “, “, ” Jonathan Lord, Jon Alterman, it’s, Alterman, Elena Romanowski, Biden, CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, ISIS, Defense, ”, ISIS Coalition, Higher, Commission, Center for New American Security, Iraqi Security Forces, Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “ Locations: Iraq, Iraqi, Iran, Syria, ”, Iranian, Baghdad, Israel

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The Earth is heating up, as is conflict in the Middle East. They'll be among more than 2,800 attendees, which also include academics, artists and international organization leaders. OpenAI chief Sam Altman will be in Davos along with top executives from Microsoft, which helped bankroll his company's rise. TRYING AGAIN TO SAVE THE PLANETOf all the lofty hopes in Davos, the perennial one of late has been the search for creative and promising ways to fight climate change. “Davos is a powerful combination potentially, of a lot of concern about the environment, and a lot of high-powered finance present,” she said.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, They'll, Bronwen Maddox, Israel's, Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu's, ”, Sam Altman, Vladimir Putin, Li Qiang, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Emmanuel Macron, Antony Blinken, Javier Milei, Donald Trump —, Biden, John Kerry, Chatham House's Maddox Organizations: Young Swiss Socialists, Chatham House, Intelligence, Microsoft, European Commission, Chatham, “ Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Russia, Davos, Chatham, Gaza, Yemen, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, China, U.S, Dubai, “ Davos

☆ Davos Devotees Deindustrialize Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Peter Huntsman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Journal Editorial Report: Paul Gigot interviews Bjorn Lomborg on COP28. Images: AP/EPA Composite: Mark KellyPolitical, business and security leaders gather in Davos next week under the mantra of “rebuilding trust.” Key topics include security cooperation, artificial intelligence, energy security and job growth “for a New Era.” Undoubtedly there will also be calls to phase out fossil fuels and aspirations for a hydrogen-based green economy. Amid this grand planning for the industries of 2050, leaders likely will pay little attention to how government pressure to reach this utopian vision is destroying the industries that made Europe the envy of the world. Over the past two years, dozens of energy-intensive manufacturers of our most basic materials—chemicals, steel, ceramics, glass and fertilizers—have ceased or slowed production in Europe. As the leader of a U.S.-headquartered chemical company that once had more than 50% of its revenue and employees in Europe, I have witnessed this devolution firsthand.

Persons: Paul Gigot, Bjorn Lomborg, Mark Kelly Locations: Davos, Europe, U.S

☆ Israel's president visits UAE, asks for help to free hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Herzog made the request during a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed in Dubai, according to a statement issued by the Israeli president's media office. "The President appealed to his friend Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to employ his full political weight to promote and speed up the return home of the hostages," it said. Israel has released 210 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages. A UAE state news agency report said the two presidents discussed relations between their countries and issues of mutual interest. Herzog was invited to attend the summit by Sheikh Mohamed earlier this year.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, SAUL LOEB, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Herzog, Sheikh Mohamed, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abraham, Abu Dhabi, Alexander Cornwell, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, State, Rights, Thursday, United Arab Emirates, Hamas, UAE, UAE ., Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Rights DUBAI, Palestinian, Gaza, Dubai, Gulf, The UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Gaza's Rafah, UAE, United States

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