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☆ China praises Ukraine talks in Saudi that Russia said were ‘doomed to fail’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Kremlin officials said Russia had not been invited to the talks but was monitoring them, state media reported. Beijing had steered clear of a previous round of talks in Denmark in June, but has deepened ties with Saudi Arabia in recent years. China scored a diplomatic win in the Middle East earlier this year when it helped broker a landmark normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In a statement from the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of “benefiting from views and positive suggestions” made during the meeting. In the meantime, the prospect of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine seem as far-fetched as ever, as the grueling war approaches the 18-month mark.

Persons: “, Musaed bin Mohammed Al, Jake Sullivan, Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, Li “, …, ”, Li, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, ” “, Dmytro Kuleba, Russia –, Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov Organizations: CNN, Beijing, Reuters, Kremlin, Saudi, Aiba, Eurasian Affairs, Western, China, Russia, Moscow ”, Saudi Press Agency Locations: Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Jeddah, United States, Beijing, Denmark, Saudi, Moscow, Ukraine’s, Kyiv, ” “ Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian, Riyadh, Iran, OPEC, India

☆ China tells Russia it will uphold 'impartial' position on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 7 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone conversation on Monday that China would uphold an independent and impartial position on Ukraine as it strives to find a political settlement to the issue. The statement came after the ministry said earlier on Monday that international talks in Saudi Arabia at the weekend on finding a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis had helped "to consolidate international consensus". More than 40 countries, including China, India, the United States and European countries, but not Russia, took part in the Jeddah talks that ended on Sunday. Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine it launched in February 2022. It has offered its own peace plan, which received a lukewarm response in both Russia and Ukraine, while the United States and NATO were sceptical.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Wang Yi, Lavrov, Li Hui, Farah Master, Andrew Cawthorne, Alex Richardson Organizations: Russia's, Central Foreign Affairs Commission, ASEAN Foreign, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS, China's, Eurasian Affairs, NATO, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, BEIJING, China, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, India, United States, Russia, Jeddah, Beijing, Moscow

This account of how Niger's coup unfolded is based on 15 interviews with Nigerien security officials, politicians, as well as current and former Western government officials. In his first address following the July 26 coup, Tiani said he had ousted the president for the good of the country. But in recent months, Bazoum had curtailed the size of the presidential guard, which was about 700-strong at the time of the coup, and started to scrutinize its budget. Issoufou was elected in 2011, a year after a previous military coup. Almost all the different branches of Niger's security apparatus had a member in the group, including the police, army, air force and presidential guard.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Mahamadou Issoufou, Regis, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, Keen, Issoufou, Spokespeople, swirled, Salifou Mody, Mody, Hassoumi Massaoudou, Amadou Abdramane, Ahmad Sidien, Moussa Aksar, David Lewis, David Gauthier, Michel Rose, Edward McAllister, Alexandra Zavis, David Clarke Organizations: Niger, REUTERS, Nigerien, Reuters, West African States, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Western, Niger Armed Forces, United Arab Emirates, National Guard, Thomson Locations: Sahel, French, Pau, France, NIAMEY, United States, Niamey, Diffa, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Russia, West Africa, Tiani, Nairobi, Villars, Istanbul, Paris, Dakar

BEIJING, Aug 6 (Reuters) - China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say. "Beijing will not want to be absent from other credible peace initiatives that are led by non-Western countries." China did not attend the talks in Copenhagen in late June, despite being invited and having proposed its own 12-point plan for peace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Li's involvement a "considerable breakthrough", according to Ukrainian media. While China's move was good for its image, Singapore-based analyst Li Mingjiang said Beijing would be looking to fine-tune its positions.

Persons: Yun Sun, Li Hui, Xi Jinping, Qin, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Shen Dingli, Shen, China's, Li Mingjiang, Li, Geng Shuang, Moritz Rudolf, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, Laurie Chen, Martin Quin Pollard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: NATO, Stimson, Qin Gang, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, U.S, Ukrainian, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, United Nations, Security, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Denmark, Russia, China, Washington, Jeddah, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Ukraine seeks progress towards peace at Saudi Arabia talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Maha El Dahan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at present, with the war raging. The world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, which has maintained contacts with both sides since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, has played a role in convening countries that did not join earlier meetings, Western diplomats have said. SAUDI DIPLOMACYWestern officials and analysts said Saudi diplomacy had been important in securing China's presence at the talks. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia last year where MbS voiced readiness to help mediate in the war. In March, Beijing brokered a resumption of ties between Saudi Arabia and its arch regional foe Iran.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Russia's, Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, Ajit Doval, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi Jinping, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice, Yun Sun, Sun, Lidia Kelly, Maha El Dahan, Omar Abdel, Michael Martina, Aftab Ahmed, Angus McDowall, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: International, REUTERS, Saudi, Global, Kremlin, Eurasian Affairs, Indian National Security, Crown, Arab, MbS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Iran, Baker Institute, Stimson, Razek, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, China, India, Jeddah Ukraine, Russia, DUBAI, United States, Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian, Copenhagen, Beijing, Moscow, Jeddah, Riyadh, SAUDI, Saudi, Turkey, Middle East, Washington, Warsaw, Maha, Dubai, New Delhi

☆ Ukraine expects difficult but successful talks in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Viacheslav... Read moreAug 5 (Reuters) - Talks starting Saudi Arabia this weekend to find a peaceful settlement to end Russia's war in Ukraine will be difficult, but Kyiv is counting persuading more countries to back its peace formula, the head of Kyiv's delegation said on Friday. Ukraine and its allies hope the meeting in Jeddah of national security advisers and other senior officials from some 40 countries - but not Russia - will agree on key principles on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine. China, which has firm ties with Russia, said on Friday it will send Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui for the talks. "We have many disagreements and we have heard different positions, but it is important that our principles are shared," he said. Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Read, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: International, REUTERS, Eurasian Affairs, Global, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Russia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Moscow, Warsaw

☆ National Gallery of Australia to return $1.5M statues, bought from disgraced art dealer Douglas Latchford, to Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Three bronze sculptures looted from Cambodia and later sold to the National Gallery of Australia for $1.5 million will be returned to the Southeast Asian kingdom, the museum announced Thursday. The gallery purchased the artifacts in 2011 from the late art dealer Douglas Latchford, who was subsequently accused by US investigators of trafficking stolen antiquities. He added that “about 20” other Cambodian items in the museum’s collection are still being reviewed. Kingdom of Cambodia/National Gallery of AustraliaThe three items from the National Gallery will join that collection in Phnom Penh once the new extension is complete. In 2021, it returned 17 works of art connected to disgraced art dealers Subhash Kapoor and William Wolff.

Persons: Douglas Latchford, ”, Chanborey, Cheunboran, Nick Mitzevich, Arts Susan Templeman, Karlee, of Australia Latchford, Latchford, Bradley Gordon, Latchford’s, Nawapan Kriangsak, —, Phoeurng Sackona, Subhash Kapoor, William Wolff Organizations: CNN, National Gallery of Australia, Arts, of Australia, Cambodia’s, Culture and Fine Arts, of Locations: Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, Canberra, Karlee Holland, Khmer, New York, Angkor Wat, Thailand, Phnom Penh, Kingdom

CNN —Hundreds of protesters gathered in Lebanon on Friday to mark the third anniversary of a devastating explosion that ripped through a port in Beirut, demanding accountability from officials over a disaster that remains shrouded in mystery. The incident at the Port of Beirut in the country’s capital was one of the world’s largest non-nuclear explosions. Relatives hold the pictures of some of those killed in the August 2020 Beirut port blast during a march marking the three-year anniversary of the disaster. He also launched a nationwide three-day mourning period for those affected by the blast. Grain silos damaged in the 2020 Beirut port blast.

Persons: Emilie Madi, Najib Mikati, ”, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Jean Yves Le Drian Organizations: CNN, Investigators, Reuters, United Nations, Reuters “ Public Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Port, Cyprus, “ Lebanon, France

☆ China to send special envoy to Saudi Arabia for Ukraine talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui leaves the headquarters of the Russian foreign ministry following talks in Moscow, Russia, May 26, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Chinese Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for international talks on the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, China's foreign ministry said on Friday. "China is willing to work with the international community to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine," Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson at the Chinese ministry, said in a statement. China was invited to a previous round of talks in Copenhagen in late June but did not attend. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, Maxim, Wang Wenbin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Toby Chopra Organizations: Eurasian Affairs, REUTERS, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, BEIJING, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, Copenhagen

☆ Explainer: What are West Africa's options to reverse Niger's coup?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] A member of the ECOWAS regional force is seen at Denton check point in Banjul, Gambia January 22, 2017. GROUND INVASIONECOWAS has sent troops into trouble spots before, but never in Niger and rarely with the region so divided. Coup leaders in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali have expressed support for Niger's junta, and other countries have their own security challenges. It is not clear how big an ECOWAS force would be or what form it would take. Security analysts and diplomats have also noted apparent divisions among Niger's armed forces, who may not all be united behind the coup.

Persons: Afolabi, Mohamed Bazoum, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Djiby Sow, Bazoum, Ikemesit Effiong, Effiong, Peter Pham, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Emelia Sithole, Alexandra Zavis, Kevin Liffey Organizations: ECOWAS, REUTERS, Economic, West African States, Security, Institute for Security Studies, SPECIAL, SBM Intelligence, Nigerien, Atlantic Council, Thomson Locations: Denton, Banjul, Gambia, DAKAR, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Dakar, Nigeria, Niamey, U.S

☆ These are the airlines most likely to bump people from flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Frontier Airlines was the most likely of the 15 largest US carriers to bump people from flights in early 2023. A further 3,395 were voluntarily denied boarding and 2,442 were involuntarily denied boarding. The data covers domestic US flights and international flights that departed from the US, and doesn't include passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding for other reasons. These are how the 15 carriers rank in terms of the proportion of passengers involuntarily bumped, per ATCR data:Frontier Airlines Envoy Air Spirit Airlines PSA Airlines American Airlines Skywest Airlines Republic Airways Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Jetblue Airways United Airlines Hawaiian Airlines, Endeavor Air, Allegiant Air, Delta Air LinesFrontier says on its website that in the event of an overbooked flight, passengers who volunteer to give up their seats get "alternative travel accommodations" as well as a Frontier voucher. "It is our goal to find enough volunteers so that no customers are denied boarding involuntarily," the airlines says.

Organizations: Frontier Airlines, Endeavor, Frontier, Travel, Department of Transportation's, of Aviation Consumer Protection, June's, Consumer, Airlines, Envoy Air, Delta Air Lines, Endeavor Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Frontier Airlines Envoy Air Spirit Airlines PSA Airlines American Airlines Skywest Airlines Republic Airways Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Jetblue Airways United Airlines Hawaiian Airlines, Allegiant Locations: Delta

☆ Niger coup leaders blamed insecurity; conflict data paints a different picture
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

In Burkina Faso, where there were two coups last year, deaths rose 80% to more than 4,000 in 2022. Military spokespeople in Mali and Burkina Faso did not respond to requests for comment. Military leaders in Mali and Burkina Faso kicked out French forces after their coups. Niger army operations could falter, he said. "You saw it in Burkina Faso after the second coup.

Persons: Abdourahmane Tiani, Balima, Mohamed Bazoum, Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, Wagner, Leonardo Santos Simao, Tiani, Simao, Bazoum, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Edward McAllister, Michelle Nichols, Alexandra Zavis, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Security, Islamic, Crisis, Wagner Group, Reuters, spokespeople, United Nations, Economic, West, Sunday, Local, Military, Burkina Faso, European Union, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Thomson Locations: Niger, Niamey, DAKAR, U.S, Mali, Burkina Faso, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West Africa's, Brussels, Boko, Nigeria, West Africa, West African States, Burkina, French, France, New York

☆ Australia Will Return Looted Sculptures to Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Natasha Frost | More About Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An ancient gilt bronze Buddhist sculpture that traveled a circuitous and legally questionable route from a rice paddy in southern Cambodia to the capital of Australia will soon be headed back to its homeland. Over about 15 years, it traveled from a rural area near the Vietnamese border to the hands of Douglas A.J. In 2011, he in turn sold it and two smaller accompanying statues to the National Gallery of Australia, where they have resided ever since. Now, after an extensive investigation into the work’s provenance, the gallery will return the sculptures in no more than three years to Cambodia, giving the government time to prepare an appropriate place for them in Phnom Penh, the capital. At a ceremony last week in Canberra, Australia’s capital, Susan Templeman, a special envoy for the arts, described the handover in terms of reparations.

Persons: ”, Douglas A.J, Susan Templeman Organizations: National Gallery of Australia Locations: Cambodia, Australia, Phnom Penh, Canberra

☆ North Korea criticises US human rights envoy as 'wicked, mudslinging'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turner, former director of the State Department's Office of East Asia and the Pacific in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, was nominated by President Joe Biden to the position in January and confirmed last week by the Senate. An unnamed spokesperson of what North Korea's state media called the Association for Human Rights Studies said Turner had earned "notoriety" for "mudslinging" over human rights issues and "spitting out coarse invective" against the country. The appointment of "such a wicked woman" highlights Washington's hostile policy toward Pyongyang, it said, warning of "retaliatory action of justice." In a separate dispatch, KCNA accused France of escalating tension by sending fighter jets for joint air drills with South Korea. Reporting by Hyonhee Shin in Seoul Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tae, Julie Turner, Turner, Joe Biden, KCNA, Ryu Gyong, Hyonhee Shin, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, State Department's Office, East, of Democracy, Human Rights, Labor, Senate, Association for Human Rights Studies, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, SEOUL, North Korea, East Asia, North, Pyongyang, France, South Korea, U.N, Seoul

☆ U.S. sanctions four Bosnian Serb top officials for undermining peace deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO, July 31 (Reuters) - The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against four top Bosnian Serb officials, including the Serb member of the country's presidency, for undermining a U.S.-sponsored peace deal that ended the Balkan country's war in the 1990s. The constitution is part of the Dayton peace accords that ended the 1992-1995 Bosnian war in which 100,000 were killed, dividing the country into two autonomous regions, the Serb Republic and the Bosniak-Croat Federation, linked via a weak central government. Late in June, lawmakers in the Serb Republic voted to suspend rulings by Bosnia's constitutional court, a vote initiated by the region's separatist pro-Russian President Milorad Dodik who is already under U.S. and UK sanctions. "This action threatens the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the hard-won peace underpinned by the Dayton Peace Agreement," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. They stepped up activities undermining state institutions in recent months, including suspension of decisions by an international peace envoy.

Persons: Bosnia's, Zeljka Cvijanovic, Matthew Miller, Milorad Dodik, Radovan Viskovic, Milos Bukejlovic, Nenad Stevandic, Brian E, Nelson, Cvijanovic, Stevandic, Radovan Kovacevic, Dodik, Daria Sito, Nick Macfie Organizations: Bosnian, U.S . State Department, - Croat Federation, Russian, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Dodik, Thomson Locations: SARAJEVO, United States, U.S, Serb Republic, Bosnian, Dayton, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia

☆ 'Not found': China's ex-foreign minister is gone but wait for explanation goes on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Hours after China's top legislature convened a special meeting last week to remove foreign minister Qin Gang, photos and mentions of the 57-year-old started disappearing from his former ministry's website. China named veteran diplomat Wang Yi to replace Qin, but gave few further clues on the reason for the change. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Thursday said Beijing will release information in a timely matter regarding Qin and opposes "malicious hype". The foreign ministry removed all online traces to its former chief protocol officer Zhang Kunsheng who was found guilty of corruption and using his position of power to obtain sex in 2016. He then made a triple jump from director of protocol to U.S. ambassador and then to foreign minister and state councillor in five years, bullet-train speed by China standards.

Persons: Qin Gang, Qin, Gang, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Mao Ning, Ian Johnson, Wu Qiang, Wu, Xiao Yaqing, Zhang Kunsheng, Mao Zedong, Mao, Xi, Xi's, Alfred Wu, Lee Kwan, Yew Lun Tian, John Geddie Organizations: Foreign Ministry, State, Information Office, Council, Foreign Relations, Industry, Committee, Communist, Xinhua, Lee Kwan Yew, of Public Policy, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Washington, Singapore, Lincoln

☆ Michelle Yeoh marries longtime partner Jean Todt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh has married her longtime partner Jean Todt in a ceremony in Switzerland – nearly two decades after the French businessman first proposed to her. We love you and here’s to many more to come,” the Malaysian actress wrote. The post included images of the two exchanging rings and another of them sitting snuggled together on a bed decorated with flower petals. Todt posted the framed image on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over the weekend, thanking long-time Bond producer Barbara Broccoli for the “touching” wedding gift. Todt, who made his name as a World Rally Championship co-driver, is also a former president of Formula 1’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile.

Persons: CNN — Oscar, Michelle Yeoh, Jean Todt, Yeoh, Todt, Felipe Massa, “, M.Y, Oscar, ” Yeoh, don’t, Marvel, Rich Asians ”, ”, Pierce Brosnan, James Bond, Barbara Broccoli, General’s Organizations: CNN, Switzerland –, Ferrari, Academy, Rich Asians, Formula, Internationale de, United Nations Locations: Switzerland, French, Malaysian, Shanghai, J.T, Geneva, Hong Kong

☆ Pope urges Russian 'brothers' to restore Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, July 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called on Russia to reverse its decision to abandon the Black Sea grain deal, under which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from its seaports despite the ongoing war. "I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, so that the Black Sea initiative may be resumed and grain may be transported safely," Francis said during his weekly Angelus message. Global wheat prices have spiked since Russia on July 17 quit the pact, which was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, and began targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River. Addressing crowds in St Peter's Square, the pope urged the faithful to continue praying "for martyred Ukraine, where war is destroying everything, even grain," calling this "a grave insult to God." Russia walked out of the Black Sea deal after saying its demands to ease sanctions on its own grain and fertilizer exports had not been met.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Angelus, Vladimir Putin, Azali Assoumani, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Zuppi, Alvise Armellini, Angus MacSwan, Susan Fenton Organizations: CITY, Russian Federation, United, African Union, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, St Peter's, Moscow, Africa, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Biden says deal may be in offing with Saudi Arabia, provides no details
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FREEPORT, Maine, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday a deal may be on the way with Saudi Arabia after talks that his national security adviser had with Saudi officials in Jeddah aimed at reaching a normalization in relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. "There’s a rapprochement maybe under way," Biden told contributors to his 2024 re-election campaign at an event in Freeport, Maine. Biden did not give details about the possible deal. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in a piece published on Thursday, said Biden was considering whether to pursue a U.S.-Saudi mutual security pact that would involve Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. U.S. officials see a potential deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia as possible after the administration of former President Donald Trump reached similar agreements between Israel and Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Thomas Friedman, Jake Sullivan, Brett McGurk, Donald Trump, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Dan Whitcomb, Grant McCool Organizations: Saudi, New York Times, White House, Middle East, White, United, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: FREEPORT, Maine, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Israel, Freeport , Maine, U.S, Saudi, White, Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain, United Arab

The principle is that nature is an unpaid worker providing services, like carbon sequestration, soil retention, water filtration, replenishing raw materials and more. It is providing an invisible subsidy to world economies. Take carbon pricing. Poor countries that have abundant natural resources are loaning their economic resources, like the carbon-sequestering value of their rainforests, to rich countries without compensation. Why add such a pricing structure when economies can exploit nature for free?

Persons: John Kerry, ” It’s Organizations: Democratic, Resilience Locations: Democratic Republic of, Congo

☆ Half of Americans polled see China as the biggest threat to the U.S., says Pew
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty ImagesHalf of Americans polled widely view China as the biggest threat facing the U.S., a new Pew research center survey revealed. In an open-ended question, Americans were asked to name any country as the greatest threat to the U.S. — 50% named China. While it's difficult to compare responses from year to year, Pew noted that "Americans have not always seen China as the top threat to the United States." "When we last asked a question of this sort in 2019, equal shares of Americans pointed to China and Russia as the greatest threat facing their country," it said. The survey reflects Americans' view of China have become more negative over time — particularly since 2020, added Pew.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Saul Loeb, Pew, Laura Clancy, we've, Pew's Clancy, Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry Organizations: Afp, Getty, Pew, CNBC, U.S . Locations: Nusa Dua, Bali, China, Russia, United States, U.S, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Washington

☆ Russian court jails top cyber security executive for 14 years in treason case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] People, including supporters of founder of Group-IB cybersecurity firm Ilya Sachkov charged with treason, gather in a court building during a hearing in Moscow, Russia July 26, 2023. Sachkov, 37, who is no longer associated with Group-IB but owns a share in its former Russian business, was arrested in September 2021 by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on treason charges in a case that was classified. Former colleagues who bought Group-IB's Russian business and renamed it F.A.C.C.T said in a statement that his legal team would appeal against his conviction and ask President Vladimir Putin to intervene. "This is a hard moment for all of us and a black day for the (Russian) cybersecurity market." Sachkov had ruffled official feathers a year before his arrest at an event attended by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Persons: Ilya Sachkov, Sachkov, F.A.C.C.T, Vladimir Putin, Ilya, Mikhail Mishustin, Putin's, Putin, Andrew Osborn, William Maclean Organizations: IB, REUTERS, TASS, Russia's Federal Security Service, Employees, Russian, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, Russian

☆ China replaces Qin Gang as foreign minister after one-month absence and weeks of speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, speaks while holding a copy of the constitution during a news conference in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. China removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his post on Tuesday after a one-month absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor Wang Yi, state media said, after weeks of speculation about what had happened to him. Wang, 69, who filled in for Qin during his absence, retakes the role he held between 2018 and 2022. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about reasons behind the switch. It comes amid a flurry of international engagements and frayed ties with rival superpower the United States, which Beijing has described as at its lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Persons: Qin, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Wang Organizations: Foreign Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Indonesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Taiwan

☆ China replaces foreign minister Qin after brief stint and weeks of speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang looks on during his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File PhotoBEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - China removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his post on Tuesday after a one-month absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor Wang Yi, state media said, after weeks of speculation about what had happened to him. Qin, 57, who only took up the job in December after a brief stint as envoy to the United States, had not been seen in public since June 25 when he met visiting diplomats in Beijing. Wang, 69, who filled in for Qin during his absence, retakes the role he held between 2018 and 2022. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about reasons behind the switch.

Persons: Qin Gang, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Wang Yi, Qin, Wang, Andrew Heavens, Nick Macfie Organizations: Foreign, REUTERS, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, BEIJING, China, United States, Beijing, Indonesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Taiwan

☆ China and the US are talking -- but can they work together?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Beijing views Washington as bent on suppressing its development and global rise, while Washington has proclaimed the need to protect its national security and the world order from an increasingly authoritarian and assertive China. Washington last year imposed sweeping curbs on exports of critical technology to China in the name of security, and Beijing has responded with export controls of its own. China has refused US overtures to restore those ties, apparently until Washington removes sanctions against its defense minister Li Shangfu. US climate envoy John Kerry during a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in the Great Hall of the People on July 18, 2023 in Beijing, China. But all this doesn’t mean there’s no room to work together, according to Shanghai-based international relations scholar Shen Dingli.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Li Qiang, Wang Yi, –, ”, Chong Ja Ian, “, Suisheng Zhao, Kerry, Wang, ” Yellen, Li, Li Shangfu, Shi Yinhong, Florence Lo, Shen Dingli, ” Shen, Shen, Blinken, ” Blinken, Xi, Qin Gang, Yun Sun, Chong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Washington, US, Treasury, National University of Singapore, US Air Force, Air Force, South Carolina . U.S . Air Force, Department of Defense, Reuters, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver, China’s Communist Party, Renmin University, of, CNN, ”, Economic Cooperation, Foreign, China Program, Stimson, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, United States, China, Taiwan, Bali, —, South Carolina . U.S, Washington, Center for China, South, Shanghai, Asia, Singapore

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