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☆ Who is accompanying North Korea's Kim on trip to Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Top military commanders, arms industry officials and diplomats accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his trip to Russia, hinting at a potentially defence-heavy agenda for meetings with President Vladimir Putin. North Korea did not name the members of the delegation, but analysts identified several key figures who appear to be accompanying Kim in photos released by state media on Tuesday. Overseeing North Korea's defence industry including its nuclear and missile programmes, Ri travelled to Russia with Kim's late father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011. An official at Seoul's Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said Kim and Putin could explore ways to return North Korean labourers to Russia, banned under the U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Ri Pyong Chol, Ri, Kim's, Kim Jong Il, Marshal Pak Jong Chon, Pak, Jo Chun Ryong, Michael Madden, Putin, Jo, Kang Sun Nam, Madden, Choe Son Hui, Choe, Donald Trump, Kim Yo Jong, Su Yong, Pak Hun, Han Kwang Sang, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Central Military Commission, Marshal, Munitions Industry Department, Stimson, Jo . Defence, U.S, Seoul's Unification Ministry, . Security, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Washington, Vietnam

☆ Ukrainian intercepts show Russian soldiers’ anger at losses, disarray
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Story contains strong languageUkraine’s counteroffensive was in its second month when Andrey, a Russian soldier, called his wife to say his unit was taking heavy casualties. The expletive-laden intercepts, shared with Reuters by a Ukrainian intelligence source, provide a rare - albeit partial - glimpse into the conditions of some Russian soldiers as Kyiv prosecuted a major counteroffensive, which started in early June, two military analysts told Reuters. Ukraine has acknowledged that its efforts to recapture territory have been hindered by vast Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines. The Ukrainian intelligence source said they illustrated the challenges facing Russian soldiers but did not elaborate on how the recordings were selected. In the excerpts, several soldiers used profane language to describe Russian units that had taken heavy casualties and had been unable to retrieve their wounded.

Persons: Andrey, ” Andrey, “, Neil Melvin, Vladimir Putin, SBU, ” Maxim, Anna, Kupiansk, Maxim, Putin, ”, Elena, Alexei, “ Everyone’s, Dmitry Medvedev, Tom Balmforth, Filipp Lebedev, Eve Watling, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Security Service of Ukraine, Reuters, International Security, Royal United Services Institute, Russia’s Defence Ministry, Ukrainian General Staff, Lyman, Russia’s 52nd Regiment, U.S . Defence Intelligence Agency, “, ” Reuters, Russian Security Council Locations: Russian, Soviet, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia, London, Irkutsk, Russia’s, Afghanistan, Rubizhne, Ukraine’s, Luhansk

That’s almost three times what Russia spent on defense in 2021, before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Those figures are likely to underestimate the total spent on Russia’s war effort. He said that before the war Russia would typically splash around 3-4% of its annual gross domestic product on defense but now it could be anywhere between 8% and 10%. Russia’s exports are still greater than the value of its imports, despite a boost to the latter from the hefty military spending. Rising military spending is, on the other hand, boosting Russia’s industrial output and, with it, GDP.

Persons: London CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, That’s, Richard Connolly, Janis Kluge, Irina Okladnikova, Liam Peach, it’s, Peach, Kluge, “, ”, —, Maksim Konstantinov, Alexandra Suslina, Suslina, Alexandra Prokopenko, Prokopenko, — Anna Cooban, Tim Lister, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Reuters, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Royal United Services Institute for Defence, Security Studies, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Capital Economics, CNN, “, ZUMA, International Monetary Fund, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, International Energy Agency, West Locations: “, Ukraine, Russia, Stockholm, Moscow, “ Russia, Russian, Saint Petersburg, Soviet, Berlin

☆ UN says over 200 former Afghan military, officials killed since Taliban takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ali Khara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - More than 200 members of Afghanistan's former military, law enforcement and government have been killed since the Taliban took over, the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said on Tuesday, despite a "general amnesty" for old enemies. The mission said in a report it had recorded at least 218 extrajudicial killings with links to the Taliban from their takeover of Afghanistan in mid-2021 up to June. "In most instances, individuals were detained by de facto security forces, often briefly, before being killed," the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said. Senior Taliban leaders have said there is an amnesty for former government officials and members of the military by order of their supreme leader. In total, UNAMA had recorded 800 incidents of human rights violations connected with the Taliban against former government employees and military including arbitrary arrests, disappearance and torture.

Persons: Ali Khara, UNAMA, Charlotte Greenfield, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Senior, Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, Thomson Locations: Emirate, Afghanistan, Kabul, Islamic Emirate

☆ West African nations mull troop contributions for possible Niger intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Boureima Balima | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

West African leaders gather for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Head of States and Government meeting in Abuja, Nigeria August 10, 2023. ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) said all options were on the table and they still hoped for a peaceful resolution to the Niger crisis. Security analysts said an ECOWAS force could take weeks or longer to assemble, potentially leaving room for negotiations. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday promised to supply a battalion of troops to the standby force. The African Union welcomed ECOWAS' decision to activate a regional force and continue to seek a diplomatic solution.

Persons: Abraham Achirga, Mohamed Bazoum, Alassane Ouattara, Sering Modou, Ledgerhood Rennie, Ikemesit Effiong, Hama Moussa, Issa Seydou, Antony Blinken, Bazoum, They’ve, Pap, Ange Aboa, Alberto Dabo, Alphonso Toweh, Diadie, Edward McAllister, Anait Miridzhanian, Nellie Peyton, David Lewis, Ingrid Melander, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Economic Community, West African States, REUTERS, ECOWAS, Economic, West, Ivory, SBM Intelligence, African Union, Military, EU, Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, NIAMEY, Niger, West, Central Africa, West African States, Ivory Coast, Ivorian, Senegal, Sahel, U.S, Niamey, Russia, France, United States, Mali, Burkina Faso, Banjul, Abidjan, Bissau, Monrivia, Diadie Ba, Dakar

☆ In New Zealand, defence and security become election issues amid China’s Pacific push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“Foreign policy, defence, our relationship with the Pacific - all of that will be far more relevant and the public will be more conscious of it compared to other elections, where it's been pretty much non-existent,” said Josie Pagani, a political commentator and host of the pre-election foreign policy debate. Sixty-three percent of voters say inflation and the cost of living are a most important issues of the election, a poll by the Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor released in June said. A second survey released last week by the country’s national intelligence and security board found increasing levels of concern about defence, security and foreign policy. Foreign policy doesn't usually play in New Zealand elections, said Jason Young, an associate professor of international relations and politics at Victoria University. The opposition National party, which polls indicate will win control of the government, hasn’t released its defence policy and said it needs more detail about AUKUS.

Persons: it's, ”, Josie Pagani, Andrew Little, “, Chris Seed, Jason Young, Helen Clark, Nanaia Mahuta, hasn’t, Gerry Brownlee, Lucy Craymer, Gerry Doyle Organizations: WELLINGTON, ”, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Victoria University, Washington, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Solomon, Ukraine, Pacific, Zealand, United States, Australia, Britain, “, AUKUS, Zealanders

☆ Exclusive: Russia doubles 2023 defence spending plan as war costs soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They show that in the first half of 2023 alone, Russia spent 12%, or 600 billion roubles, more on defence than the 4.98 trillion roubles ($54 billion) it had originally targeted for 2023. Defence spending in the first six months of 2023 amounted to 5.59 trillion roubles, 37.3% of a total 14.97 trillion roubles spent in the period, the document showed. Between 2011 and 2022, Russia spent a minimum of 13.9% and a maximum 23% of its budget on defence. Russia has already spent 57.4% of its new annual defence budget, the document showed. Funding for schools, hospitals and roads was already being squeezed this year in favour of defence and security, but as the share of defence spending grows, other areas could face cuts.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ilya Pitalyov, Denis Manturov, Dmitry Polevoy, Yevgeny Suvorov, Suvorov, Mike Collett, White, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, Reuters, Defence, MMI Telegram, Bank of Russia, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Russian, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Locko

The company has also begun offering retired workers meals at the canteen so they can share knowledge of recently re-started lines producing Soviet-era ammunition for Ukraine, he added. Jiri Hynek, president and executive director of the Defence and Security Industry Association (DSIA) of the Czech Republic, told Reuters a lack of workers could push production out of central Europe. The association, which represents more than 160 companies, said exports accounted for around 90 percent of the industry's production of weapons and military-related supplies. Of that, Hynek estimated that supplies of military equipment to Ukraine accounted for 40% of exports. PITCHING PATRIOTISMOther sectors in Poland – emerging Europe's biggest economy – and the Czech Republic have struggled in recent years to find workers: a situation that has driven up labor costs and dampened growth.

Persons: David Hac, Hac, Jiri Hynek, Hynek, Lukas Visingr, Artur Zaborek, Zaborek, Michael Kahn, Anna Koper, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Europe's, STV, Reuters, European Union, Defence and Security Industry Association, WB Group, Central, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Thomson Locations: PRAGUE, WARSAW, Europe, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Policka, Prague, Czech, Central Europe, Stockholm, Poland's

☆ Niger: US State Department orders evacuation of non-emergency personnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US State Department on Wednesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Niger following last week’s military takeover. Subsequent events have severely limited flight options,” the State Department said in an updated travel advisory. “We’re working really, really hard to see if we can turn this around,” a senior State Department official said Monday. On Tuesday, however, the US Embassy in Niger asked Americans who are in the country and wish to leave to register with the US State Department. The State Department created a similar form in the midst of deadly violence in Sudan, when scores of Americans were in need of assistance to depart the country.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, “, Matt Miller, ”, ” Miller, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Miller Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Wednesday, “, State Department, Department, Embassy, Nigerien, Nigerien Party for Democracy and, Getty, CNN Wednesday, The State Department Locations: Niger, Embassy Niamey, ”, U.S, Niamey, AFP, West, Sahel, Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Nigerien, Sudan, France, Italy

☆ Myanmar junta officially postpones election promised after 2021 coup - state TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, July 31 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling junta has officially postponed an election promised by August this year after its 2021 coup, state television reported on Monday night. Junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, in a meeting on Monday with the army-backed National Defence and Security Council (NDSC), extended a state of emergency by six more months. The military seized power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won by Suu Kyi's party. The overthrow of Suu Kyi's elected government derailed a decade of reform, international engagement and economic growth, while leaving a trail of upended lives in its wake. Reporting by Myanmar staff; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: CHIANG, General Min Aung, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi's, Nick Macfie Organizations: CHIANG MAI, Junta, National Defence, Security, Myanmar, Thomson Locations: Thailand, Suu, Myanmar

☆ West African leaders meet over Niger coup, junta warns against intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Niger's military leaders warned against any armed intervention in the country as West African leaders are set to gather in Nigeria's capital on Sunday for an emergency summit to decide on further actions to pressure the army to restore constitutional order. Heads of state of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union could suspend Niger from its institutions, cut off the country from the regional central bank and financial market, and close borders. Niger's eastern neighbor Chad, a non-member of both regional organizations, has been invited to the ECOWAS summit, a statement from the Chadian president's office said on Saturday. The West African leaders could also for the first time, consider a military intervention to restore President Mohamed Bazoum who was ousted when General Abdourahamane Tiani was declared the new head of state on Friday. Ahead of the Sunday summit, the military leaders in Niger on Saturday night, warned in a statement read on Niger national television on Saturday night against any military intervention.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Amadou Abdramane, Bazoum Organizations: Nigerien, Nigerien Party for Democracy and, West African States, ECOWAS, West African Economic, Monetary Union, Chadian, World Bank, West, Niger, European Union, African Union Locations: Niamey, Niger, Chad, . Niger, France, United States, West, Central

Chicago wheat futures , a benchmark of global prices, have risen around 20% since Russia ended the deal on July 17. It's absolutely an important national security issue for a lot of these African countries," he said. Putin says Russia is expecting a record harvest this year and is ready to fill the gap for African countries by supplying grain both commercially and for free. Dizolele said, noting that Russia backed African countries at the U.N., had defence and security agreements with some of them and gave scholarships to their students. But Putin's response, when Ramaphosa and other African leaders presented the proposal to him last month, was to repeat a familiar list of accusations against Ukraine and the West.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Mvemba Dizolele, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Dizolele, WAGNER, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramani, Mark Trevelyan, Joe Bavier, Carien du, Tom Balmforth, Michelle Nichols, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Saint, REUTERS, Putin, Kremlin, U.S, Africa, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, International Criminal Court, Treasury, Central African, Ukraine, South, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Isaac's, central Saint Petersburg, Black, Russian, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Chicago, Washington, Turkey, Qatar, Moscow, United States, Kenya, Somalia, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, West, London, Johannesburg, Carien du Plessis

REUTERS/Jason Lee/File PhotoTAIPEI, July 14 (Reuters) - China's military has been flexing its muscles this week around Taiwan practicing joint force operations far out at sea, ahead of Taipei holding its annual war games at the end of the month when Taiwan will simulate breaking a Chinese blockade. Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation think tank, said practicing long-distance missions was important for China as they would be the "main combat mode" in any conflict. "They are expanding military deterrence actions to create a cognitive effect that Taiwan's national defences are useless," the official said. China routinely denounces U.S. military activity in the strait as provocation. "The Eastern Theatre Command are well seasoned, but it's the Southern Theatre Command that needs training for long-distance support," Su said.

Persons: Jason Lee, Chieh Chung, Han Kuang, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Xi Jinping, Su Tzu, yun, Su, Yimou Lee, Roger Tung, Yew Lun Tian, Ben Blanchard, Robert Birsel Organizations: Chinese Air Force, REUTERS, Foundation, Taiwan, House, Eastern Theatre Command, U.S . Navy, Institute for National Defence and Security Research, Southern Theatre Command, Thomson Locations: Beijing, TAIPEI, Taiwan, Taipei, China, Philippines, Japan, Borneo, Los Angeles

☆ Analysis: Canada pressured by allies to up military spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 average spending for all of NATO was 2.58% of GDP. "We say nice things but do not invest," said the former defense official, and allies now say: "Show us the money." And you don’t get elected in Canada by promising to increase defense spending." The move is allies telling Canada: "We don't want to hear the words anymore. David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, also said it was time for Canada to step up.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Scotti, I'd, Daniel Minden, Anita Anand, Roland Paris, Trudeau, don’t, Christyn, David Perry, Steve Scherer, Denny Thomas, Grant McCool Organizations: Canada's, NATO, Canadian Forces CF, Minister's, REUTERS, Canada, OTTAWA, Canadian, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Forces, University of Ottawa, Trudeau's Liberal, Lockheed Martin Corp, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Washington Post, HIGH, Canadian Association of Defence, Security Industries, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, Thomson Locations: CFB Cold Lake, Cold Lake , Alberta, Canada, China, Russia, Ukraine, NATO, Lithuania, Pacific, Australia

☆ Berlin and Paris 'missing in action' as EU lacks leadership in defence, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The crucial capability gap in European defence is still political leadership," the Munich Security Report on European Defence said. The annual Munich Security Conference, usually held in February, is an influential global gathering of top policymakers and analysts to debate defence and security challenges. The report said Germany and France in particular were "missing in action" at a time when European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and EU top diplomat Josep Borrell are driving EU support for Kyiv and joint procurement initiatives. "Under the (Chancellor Olaf) Scholz government, Germany has faced recurrent criticism for its absence in EU defence questions," it said. "The onus is on Germany and France to win back trust," the report said, adding that time was of the essence in speeding up defence cooperation.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Sarah Meyssonnier, Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, Chancellor Olaf, Scholz, Sabine Siebold, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Weimar, REUTERS, Munich Security, European Defence, Munich Security Conference, European Commission, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, BERLIN, Germany, Europe, Ukraine, Munich, Russia

☆ Egypt and India bolster ties as Modi makes first trip to Cairo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt June 25, 2023. The Egyptian Presidency/Handout via REUTERSCAIRO, June 25 (Reuters) - Egypt and India discussed strengthening ties in areas including trade, food security and defence during a state visit to Cairo by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries said on Sunday. On his first trip to Egypt, Modi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egyptian ministers appointed to an "India unit" after a state visit by Sisi to India in January during which a "strategic partnership" was announced. India is seen as keen to boost ties with Egypt partly to secure trade through the Suez Canal. Modi, a Hindu nationalist, has rarely made public visits to mosques as prime minister.

Persons: Abdel Fattah El, Narendra Modi, Modi, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Al Hakim, Mohamed Waly, Rajesh, Jyoti Narayan, Shivani, Aidan Lewis, Ros Russell Organizations: Indian, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, REUTERS CAIRO, India, Sisi, Suez, Gujarat

TALLINN, June 20 (Reuters) - Estonia's parliament approved on Tuesday a law to legalise same-sex marriage, making it the first central European country to do so. Same-sex marriage is legal in much of western Europe but not in central European countries which were once under communist rule and members of the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact alliance but now members of NATO and, largely, the EU. In the largely secular Baltic country of 1.3 million, 53% of the population supported same-sex marriage in a 2023 poll by the Centre for Human Rights. Same-sex marriage is opposed by the ethnic-Russian minority, which constitutes a quarter of the country, with only 40% of them supporting it. Latvia and Lithuania, the other two Baltic countries which were previously annexed by the Soviet Union, have same-sex partnership bills stuck in their parliaments.

Persons: Kaja Kallas, Kallas, Tomas Jermalavicius, Janis Laizans, Terje Solsvik, Ed Osmond Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Centre for Human Rights, Gay, International Centre for Defence, Security, Andrius Sytas, Thomson Locations: TALLINN, Europe, Moscow, Warsaw, EU, Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Soviet Union, Tallinn, Andrius, Vilnius

☆ Vladimir Putin delivers keynote address at St Petersburg forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MOSCOW, June 16 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin delivered the keynote address at Russia's showcase St Petersburg International Economic Forum. DE-DOLLARISATION:"We have never had, and do not have, the goal of de-dollarisation of the Russian economy. And we have never had, and do not have, the goal of influencing the de-dollarisation of the world economy. The influence of one or another currency on the world economy is connected with the economic potential of the country that is the issuer of that currency." UKRAINE CONFLICT:"Soon Ukraine will stop using its own equipment altogether.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, F16s, JOE BIDEN, Biden, It's, Gareth Jones Organizations: St Petersburg, Economic, Reuters, Eurasian Economic, Leopards, UNITED STATES, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, RUSSIAN, RUSSIA, China, Russia, Russian, OPEC, UKRAINE, Ukraine, NATO

☆ UK's Sunak seeks stronger economic ties with U.S. on Washington trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - Britain wants to put its economic ties with the United States on the same footing as the two countries' defence and security cooperation to help both counter global threats, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will tell President Joe Biden this week. Having left the European Union, Britain is seeking to further align itself with Washington to help navigate a more volatile world driven by the rise of China, the aggression of Russia and the development of Artificial Intelligence. Sunak will meet Biden, U.S. business leaders and members of congress this week, arguing that the existing ties between the two countries mean they are better placed to take on the new challenges together. [1/3] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Maryland, ahead of his visit to Washington DC. Writing by Kate Holton; additional reporting by Bharat Govind Gautam in Bengaluru Editing by Elizabeth PiperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Sunak, Niall Carson, Biden, Kate Holton, Bharat Govind Gautam, Elizabeth Piper Organizations: European Union, Artificial Intelligence, Biden, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington DC, Thomson Locations: United States, Britain, Washington, China, Russia, Prince George's County , Maryland, Brussels, London, Bengaluru

☆ Russia's reaction to the drone attacks on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

He received direct information both via the Defence Ministry and via the relevant departments." He also received "information from the Mayor of Moscow, the governor of the Moscow region, the Ministry of Emergency Situations". RUSSIA'S DEFENCE MINISTRY:"This morning, the Kyiv regime launched a terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on premises in the city of Moscow. Five more unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex in the Moscow region." RUSSIAN LAWMAKER ANDREI GURULYOV (UNITED RUSSIA)"I would not give in to panic about the drone attack on Moscow and the Moscow region.

☆ UAE cancels Airbus H225M helicopters deal, Breaking Defense reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, May 9 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has pulled out of a 2021 deal with Airbus (AIR.PA) to procure a dozen H225M Caracal multirole helicopters for about 800 million euros ($880.6 million), Breaking Defense magazine reported on Tuesday. Breaking Defense quoted Muammar Abdulla Abushehab, an official at the UAE's defence and security acquisitions authority, as saying the decision was not political but was based on financial and technical reasons. Airbus said it had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. The UAE government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Writing by Lisa Barrington Additional reporting by Tim Hepher Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China, Singapore plan military drills as Beijing forges defence ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) - China and Singapore will hold a joint military exercise as soon as this week, their first combined drills since 2021, as Beijing deepens its defence and security ties with Southeast Asia, a region with strong existing U.S. alliances. Two years ago, China and Singapore held a combined military drill in international waters at the southern tip of the South China Sea, following the upgrade of a bilateral defence pact in 2019 to include bigger-scale exercises among their army, navy and air force. Such passages annoy China, which lays claims to nearly all of the South China Sea despite an international ruling to the contrary. Around the same time, China sent fighter-bombers to Thailand in joint air force drills code named Falcon Strike 2022. China's increased military engagement in Southeast Asia is widely expected to challenge the influence that the United States has shaped with countries including Singapore and Indonesia in coming years.

☆ Biden to meet Philippine President at White House on May 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech as part of a joint press statement with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, at Malacanang Palace, in Manila, Philippines, April 17, 2023. Ezra Acayan/Pool via REUTERSSummary Treaty allies to reaffirm partnership - Philippines presidential officeTwo leaders to discuss economic cooperation - White HouseMarcos' second trip to U.S. since SeptemberApril 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will meet his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the White House on May 1 to discuss deepening economic cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region, Manila and Washington said on Friday. The two leaders will also discuss further economic cooperation, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "During the visit, President Biden will reaffirm the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the longstanding U.S.-Philippines alliance," the statement said. Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Costas Pitas in Los AngelesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Saudi crown prince acts to realign Mideast dynamics amid concern over US support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"Saudi Arabia is moving from disengagement towards engagement to allow it to focus on pushing ahead on Vision 2030," said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Sager. A Saudi official said the United States and China are both very important partners for Riyadh. Washington and Riyadh are working on addressing common security challenges, he said. "The Saudis don’t want to be in a shooting war between Iran and the United States. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution in Washington said Saudi Arabia's view that the U.S. is increasingly disengaged from the region is not entirely wrong.

Kishida said there were four "pillars" to Japan's new Indo-Pacific plan: maintaining peace, dealing with new global issues in cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries, achieving global connectivity through various platforms, and ensuring the safety of the open seas and skies. Japan pledged $75 billion to the region by 2030 via private investment and yen loans and by ramping up aid through official governmental assistance and grants. "We plan to expand the cooperation of the free and open Indo-Pacific framework," Kishida told the Indian Council of World Affairs. China has ramped up its military presence in the Indo-Pacific and rapidly modernised its navy while promoting its Belt and Road Initiative. "Giving voice to the priorities of the Global South is an important pillar of our G20 presidency," Modi said after his talks with Kishida.

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