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☆ Despite significant disagreements between China and the US, the world is 'big enough for both countries to thrive': Janet Yellen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen concluded her trip to China on Sunday with an appeal for both nations to find 'a way to live together.' 'We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive,' she said. We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive," she said, according to a transcript of her speech on Sunday. John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, is slated for a visit to China later this month, per Bloomberg. Despite Yellen's optimism, at least one analyst feels that relations between the US and China remain tenuous.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Biden, Yellen's, Antony Blinken's, Xi Jinping, John Kerry, Vishnu Varathan Organizations: Service, US, of Commerce, Eurasia Group, Biden, U.S, Bloomberg, Mizuho Bank's Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Mizuho Bank's Asia, Oceania

After three years of self-isolation by China, President Biden’s top aides are flying into Beijing throughout the summer to try to convince and cajole Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping, the nation’s leader, on building a new foundation for relations. It could amount to the most consequential diplomatic push of Mr. Biden’s presidency. He is betting that high-level dialogue can itself act as a ballast in a relationship that has been in a dangerous free fall for years. director and the secretary of state have also traveled to Beijing, and the special climate envoy and the commerce secretary are following soon. Mr. Biden and his aides say forging these personal ties could be necessary for defusing crises between the world’s two main superpowers.

Persons: Biden’s, Xi Jinping, “, ” Mr, Biden, Janet L, Yellen, Mr, Xi Organizations: CNN Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Yellen sees 'progress' in rocky U.S.-China ties, expects more communication
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"But President (Joe) Biden and I do not see the relationship between the U.S. and China through the frame of great power conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing last month, the first visit by the top U.S. diplomat of the Biden presidency, while climate envoy John Kerry is expected to visit China this month. Yellen met with senior Chinese officials during her visit, including Premier Li Qiang, as well as U.S. companies doing business in China, climate finance experts and women economists. But I expect that this trip will help build a resilient and productive channel of communication," Yellen said. Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Andrea Shalal and John Geddie; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Joe, Biden, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Xi, they're, Washington, Li Qiang, Andrea Shalal, John Geddie, William Mallard Organizations: . Treasury, U.S ., U.S, Biden, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, United States, China, U.S, Taiwan, New Delhi, Asia, San Francisco, Washington, Brazil, India, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Top US-China exchanges since Biden took office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Below is a list of some of the other high level U.S.-China exchanges since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. FIRST TRADE TALKS - May 26, 2021U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and China's then Vice Premier Liu He held talks virtually, the first such high level trade talks between the world's two biggest economies since Biden took office. DIPLOMAT VISITS CHINA - July 26, 2021Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held talks with State Councillor Wang Yi, in Tianjin, China. DEFENCE CHIEFS HOLD FIRST TALKS - April 20, 2022U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a call with China's then defence minister Wei Fenghe, the first talks between the two officials since Biden took office. BIDEN AND XI MEET IN BALI - November 14, 2022Biden and Xi held their long-awaited first face-to-face leadership talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Persons: Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Joe Biden, BIDEN, Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Jake Sullivan, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, Katherine Tai, China's, Liu, Wendy Sherman, SULLIVAN, YANG, Sullivan, Yang, Lloyd Austin, Wei Fenghe, WANG, Wang, Nancy Pelosi, HARRIS, Kamala Harris, Gina Raimondo, Wang Wentao, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, BLINKEN, Antony Blinken, Washington's, Martin Quin Pollard, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Kim Coghill Organizations: . Treasury, U.S, FIRST, National Security, . Trade, CHIEFS, . Defense, General Assembly, BIDEN, IN, Economic Cooperation APEC, CHINA COMMERCE, . Commerce, Commerce, Washington D.C, China's, National Defense, Pentagon, Austin, BEIJING, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Yellen's, U.S, Anchorage , Alaska, Blinken, CHINA, Tianjin, Taiwan, North Korea, ROME, Russia, Ukraine, New York, IN BALI, Bali , Indonesia, BANGKOK, Asia, Thailand, MUNICH, Munich, WASHINGTON, Washington, Singapore

After 10 hours of meetings over two days in Beijing, Ms. Yellen said at a news conference on Sunday that she believed the United States and China were on a steadier footing despite their “significant disagreements.”“We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive,” Ms. Yellen said. And later this month, John Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate change, will visit China to restart global warming negotiations. Yet a meaningful easing of the economic tension may not be likely. Ms. Yellen headed back to Washington on Sunday with no announcements of breakthroughs or agreements to mend the persistent fissures between the two nations. And Ms. Yellen made clear that the Biden administration has serious concerns about many of China’s commercial practices, including its treatment of foreign companies, and policies that the United States views as efforts at economic coercion.

Persons: Janet L, Yellen, ”, Ms, Antony J, John Kerry, Biden Locations: China, United States, Ukraine, U.S, Beijing, Washington

Beijing/Hong Kong CNN —US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged China on Saturday to combat the “existential threat” of climate change by supporting international funds intended to help developing countries confront the crisis. On the second full day of her visit to Beijing, Yellen said the United States and China should work together to tackle global challenges despite differences over a range of issues. Yellen said China’s support for existing multilateral climate institutions like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Climate Investment Funds, alongside the United States and other partners, could improve their impact. The GCF is the main climate financing mechanism of the United Nations and helps developing countries to tackle climate change. Kerry would be the third Cabinet official from the Biden administration to travel to China, after Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited in June.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, —, ”, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi’s, China Nicholas Burns, John Kerry, Kerry, Biden, Antony Blinken Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Climate, United Nations, Amazon Fund, US, Yellen Locations: Beijing, Hong Kong, China, United States, Taiwan

Beijing/Hong Kong CNN —The world is big enough for both the United States and China to thrive, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday as she wrapped up a visit to Beijing aimed at stablizing the relationship between the world’s two largest economies. But I expect that this trip will help build a resilient and productive channel of communication,” Yellen told a news conference in Beijing. “China believes that generalizing national security is not conducive to normal economic and trade exchanges,” it said. Yellen said she discussed with Chinese officials areas of cooperation on global challenges, including working together to mobilize multilateral financing for climate action. US climate envoy John Kerry is expected to visit China next, according to US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, though he did not provide a timetable for the trip.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Li Qiang, Pan Gongsheng, ” Yellen, —, Thomas Peter, ”, “, Biden, That’s, John Kerry, China Nicholas Burns Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Washington, Sunday, Reuters, US, China’s, Xinhua, China, Bain & Company, Group, Street, Politico, Ukraine Locations: Beijing, Hong Kong, United States, China, “, Japan, Netherlands, decouple, Shanghai, American, ”

[1/4] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meets with representatives of the U.S. business community in China in Beijing, July 7, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, July 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday called for market reforms in China and criticized the world's second-largest economy for its recent "punitive" actions against U.S. companies and new export controls on some critical minerals. MARKET REFORMSYellen also took aim at China's planned economy, urging Beijing to return to more market-oriented practices that had underpinned its rapid growth in past years. "A shift toward market reforms would be in China’s interests," the former top U.S. central banker told the U.S. business executives. Yellen noted that China's enormous and growing middle-class provided a big market for American goods and services, and stressed that Washington's targeted actions against China were based on national security concerns.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Thomas Peter BEIJING, Yellen, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Yi Gang, Premier Li Qiang, Yellen's, Michael Hart, Joe Biden, Xi, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Washington, Andrea Shalal, Michael Perry, Toby Chopra Organizations: . Treasury, REUTERS, U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, Treasury, Premier, BIDEN, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Washington, U.S, TEEING, New Delhi, Asia, San Francisco, Ukraine

Yellen is due to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng -- her direct counterpart as China's top economic official -- on Saturday, a U.S. Treasury official said. MARKET REFORMSYellen also took aim at China's planned economy, urging Beijing to return to more market-oriented practices that had underpinned its rapid growth in past years. "A shift toward market reforms would be in China's interests," she told the AmCham event. Yellen dismissed the idea of decoupling the U.S. and Chinese economies, nothing that China's enormous and growing middle-class provided a big market for American goods and services. A Treasury official said the vibrant U.S. business community in China was "a living embodiment that we are not decoupling."

Persons: Yellen, Li, Janet Yellen, Li Qiang, Washington, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Yi Gang, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen's, Michael Hart, BIDEN, Joe Biden, Xi, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Andrea Shalal, Joe Cash, David Lawder, Catherine Evans, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: China, . Treasury, U.S, Treasury, American Chamber of Commerce, of, People, REUTERS U.S, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: U.S, BEIJING, China, Beijing, United States, Washington, New Delhi, Asia, San Francisco, Ukraine

☆ Global shipping industry climate pledge slammed as a ‘wishy washy’ compromise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The shipping industry has agreed a climate pledge to reduce its planet-heating pollution to net zero “by or around” 2050. That changed on Friday, when the International Maritime Organization, the UN body that regulates global shipping, published a new climate strategy after days of negotiations between the organization’s 175 member states. IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim said in a statement that the new climate strategy provides a “clear direction, a common vision, and ambitious targets.”Industry groups welcomed the deal. John Maggs, the president of the Clean Shipping Coalition criticized the “vague and non-committal language” in the new climate strategy. Countries pledged in the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees – and preferably to 1.5 degrees – compared to pre-industrial temperatures.

Persons: Kitack Lim, Simon Bennett, Albon, ” Ralph Regenvanu, John Maggs, Faïg, ”, IMO’s Lim, “ Organizations: CNN, International Maritime Organization, UN, ” Industry, International Chamber of Shipping, Clean Shipping Coalition, Environment Locations: Paris, Marshall, Vanuatu

[1/6] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, Thursday, July 6, 2023. Both sides are sceptical that Yellen's visit will be able to take much heat out of U.S.-China ties, however, with officials accepting that both countries have placed safeguarding national security above economic ties. Yellen will address "unfair" practices by China, including recent punitive actions against U.S. firms and market access barriers, the official added. On Friday she will meet China's Premier Li Qiang and former economy tsar Liu He, who is widely seen as a close confidant of President Xi Jinping. They come ahead of a possible meeting between President Joe Biden and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering scheduled for November in San Francisco.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen, Nicholas Burns, Li Qiang, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Wang Huiyao, Yellen's, Zhu Feng, Xie Feng, Trump, Wu Xinbo, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi, Yew Lun Tian, Andrea Shalal, Joe Cash, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: . Treasury, Beijing Capital International Airport, REUTERS, U.S, Center for, Nanjing University, Global Times, Fudan University, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, REUTERS BEIJING, U.S, Center for China, United States, Russia, Washington, Asia, San Francisco

☆ John Kerry to Visit China to Restart Climate Negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Lisa Friedman | More About Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate change, said on Thursday he would travel to China next week to restart global warming negotiations between the world’s two largest polluters. “We need genuine cooperation,” Mr. Kerry said in an interview. “China and the United States are the two largest economies in the world and we’re also the two largest emitters. It’s clear that we have a special responsibility to find common ground.”The trip to China would be Mr. Kerry’s third as climate envoy. Mr. Kerry said he planned to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, and other officials “at the highest levels” during the week of July 16.

Persons: WASHINGTON — John Kerry, Biden’s, Nancy Pelosi, ” Mr, Kerry, we’re, Kerry’s, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Xie Zhenhua, “ Locations: China, United States, Beijing, Taiwan, Washington

Armed men attended the funeral on Wednesday of the Palestinians killed during the Israeli military operation. People stand by rubble and the remains of a destroyed vehicle outside a mosque in Jenin, West Bank, on Wednesday, July 5. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images People attend the funeral of Palestinians who were killed during the Israeli military operation. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images Aerial vehicles fly during the Israeli military operation in Jenin on Monday. “Military bulldozers destroyed multiple roads leading to the Jenin refugee camp, making it nearly impossible for ambulances to reach patients,” the group said.

Persons: Crews, Ammar Awad, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel “, Ahmad Gharabli, Robaldo Schemidt, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Nedal, Nasser Nasser, Raneen Sawafta, Jaafar Ashitiyeh, Issam, Majdi Mohammed, Ronen Zvulun, Ayman Nobani, there’s, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, it’s, ” Vanessa Huguenin, “ Organizations: CNN, West, West Bank ., Militant, United Nations, Hamas, Reuters, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Israel, Getty, People, Getty Images People, Anadolu Agency, AP Palestinian, AP, Israel’s West Bank, National, Palestinian Authority, UN, Islamic, Jenin Brigade, Palestinian, International, “, US State Department Locations: West Bank, Jenin, Wednesday, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Palestinian, Gaza, Israel, Nablus, West, AFP, Monday, Raneen, Sunday, Issam, Israel’s, Islamic Jihad

☆ The Kremlin is open to discussions over a potential prisoner swap for detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin has expressed openness to a potential prisoner swap that could involve Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich, a WSJ reporter, was detained by Russian officials in March on suspicion of espionage. The Journal and the US government have vehemently denied the allegations against Gershkovich. Russia's internal security service at the time said that it had detained Gershkovich, accusing him of "espionage in the interests of the American government." The US has told the Kremlin that Gershkovich is not a spy and is not a government official.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, —, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Gershkovich, Joe Biden, Evan, Biden, Gershkovich's, …, Roger Carstens, We've, Carstens, They're, Paul Whelan — Organizations: Gershkovich, Service, Street, Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow —, White House, Kremlin, Aspen Ideas, US State Department, US Marine Locations: Russia, United States, Yekaterinburg —, Moscow, Russian, Colorado

☆ EU wants concrete steps by Kosovo to ease tensions before lifting sanctions –envoy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PRISTINA, July 4 (Reuters) - The European Union will not lift political and economic sanctions on Kosovo unless the government de-escalates tensions with ethnic Serbs, EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak said on Tuesday during a visit in Pristina. EU countries imposed punitive measures on ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo after Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government failed to heed EU and U.S. requests to defuse strife in the country's north following the worst clashes in over a decade. "My wish is not to have sanctions," Lajcak told reporters in Pristina after a three-hour meeting with Kurti. Some 30 NATO peacekeeping soldiers defending three town halls in northern Kosovo were injured in clashes with Serb protesters, and 52 Serbs were hurt. Lajcak said the EU also wanted Serbia, which north Kosovo Serbs still devote their allegiance 15 years after Pristina declared independence from Belgrade, to act constructively to defuse the crisis, or face penalties as well.

Persons: Miroslav Lajcak, Albin Kurti's, Lajcak, Kurti, ”, Kosovo's, Fatos, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: European, EU, Kosovo, ”, NATO, Wednesday, European Union, Thomson Locations: PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbs, Pristina, Brussels, Serbia, Kosovo Serbs, Belgrade, United States

☆ The global food crisis is getting so bad that the EU now wants to reconnect a sanctioned Russian bank to the global financial system to keep the grain supply moving
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The EU wants to reconnect a sanctioned Russian bank to the global financial system. The bloc is trying to secure Putin's support to extend the Black Sea grain deal, which expires shortly. The concession wants to let the state-owned Russian Agricultural Bank handle payments related to grain exports. The news of the potential concession came just as Gennady Gatilov, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, told the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper there are no grounds to maintain the "status quo" of the Black Sea grain deal. The European Commission and the Russian Agricultural Bank did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

Persons: —, SWIFT, Vladimir Putin's, Gennady Gatilov, Gatilov, Swift, Izvestia Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Russian Agricultural Bank, United Nations, Moscow, Kremlin Izvestia, UN Food and Agriculture Organization Food, European Commission Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Russia's envoy: No grounds to maintain grain deal status quo
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 3 (Reuters) - Russia's envoy to the United Nations in Geneva said there were no grounds to maintain the "status quo" of the Black Sea grain deal that is set to expire on July 18, the Russian news outlet Izvestia reported on Monday. In a wide ranging interview, envoy Gennady Gatilov told the outlet that the implementation of Russia's conditions for the extensions of the agreement was "stalling." "However, what we are seeing now does not give us grounds to agree to maintaining the status quo." Last week, the United Nations said it was concerned no new ships had been registered under the Black Sea deal since June 26 - despite applications being made by 29 vessels. The New Start Treaty, signed in 2010 is due to expire in 2026.

Persons: Gennady Gatilov, Gatilov, Izvestia, Vladimir Putin, Lidia Kelly, Lincoln Organizations: United Nations, Russian Agricultural Bank, United, Washington, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, United States, Moscow, Washington, Izvestia Russia, Kyiv, Melbourne

WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - A powerful Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives has asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken for details about an investigation into the security clearance of the U.S. envoy for Iran, amid reports he may have mishandled classified documents. Citing media reports, Michael McCaul, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to Blinken on Friday, asking why the State Department's special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, was placed on unpaid leave after his security clearance was suspended earlier this year to investigate the alleged mishandling of classified documents. "Given the gravity of the situation, it is imperative that the Department expeditiously provide a full and transparent accounting of the circumstances surrounding Special Envoy Malley's clearance suspension and investigation and the Department's statements to Congress regarding Special Envoy Malley," McCaul wrote Blinken in a letter posted on the panel's website. On Thursday, Malley told Reuters: "I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. Appointed soon after Democratic President Joe Biden took office in 2021, Malley had the task of trying to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Michael McCaul, Blinken, Rob Malley, Malley, McCaul, Joe Biden, Donald Trump's, Iran Abram Paley, Brett McGurk, Valerie Volcovici, Arshad Mohammed, William Mallard Organizations: Republican, U.S . House, U.S, Foreign Affairs, State, State Department, Reuters, Democratic, reimposed, Iranian, National Security, Thomson Locations: U.S, Iran, reimposed U.S, Tehran, United States, East, North, Washington, Saint Paul , Minnesota

☆ Papal envoy says Moscow visit focused on humanitarian issues, not peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, July 2 (Reuters) - Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi said on Sunday his mission to Moscow on the Ukraine war was focused on humanitarian issues and had not involved any discussions of a peace plan. Pope Francis had in May asked Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine. There is not a peace plan, not a mediation", Zuppi told state broadcaster RAI. On the same day, a Vatican statement said the visit was "aimed at identifying humanitarian initiatives, which could open roads to peace". During his Sunday blessing, Francis called on pilgrims to keep praying for peace, "even during summer time and especially for Ukrainian people".

Persons: Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis, Zuppi, Vladimir Putin's, Yuri Ushakov, Kirill, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Constantinople, Francis, Gianluca Semeraro, David Holmes Organizations: MILAN, Papal, Russian Orthodox Church, RAI, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Bosnia envoy revokes Bosnian Serb laws defying the state, peace deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO, July 1 (Reuters) - Bosnia's international peace overseer, Christian Schmidt, on Saturday annulled two laws that Bosnian Serb parliament had adopted defying the constitution and the terms of a peace deal that ended the Balkan country's war in the 1990s. Schmidt, who as international High Representative in Bosnia has powers to impose laws and sack obstructive officials, also amended a law so that those seen as attacking the state institutions can be criminally prosecuted. "Recent decisions by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska directly violate the constitutional order of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Dayton peace agreement," Schmidt told a news conference in Sarajevo. The Serbs say they do not recognise Schmidt, who was appointed in 2021, as the high representative because the U.N. Security Council did not endorse his appointment. The U.S. embassy welcomed Schmidt's decisions, agreeing that he was defending the Dayton peace deal and the constitution upholding the rule of law in Bosnia.

Persons: Christian Schmidt, Schmidt, Milorad Dodik, Dodik, Daria Sito, Louise Heavens Organizations: Bosnian Serb, Representative, National Assembly, Russian, . Security, United States, Thomson Locations: SARAJEVO, Bosnian, Bosnia, Republika Srpska, Herzegovina, Dayton, Sarajevo, Republic, Serb Republic, United States, United Kingdom, U.S

☆ Climate nears point of no return as land, sea temperatures break records, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Sea temperatures also broke April and May records. Global average sea surface temperatures hit 21C in late March and have remained at record levels for the time of year throughout April and May. Australia's weather agency warned that Pacific and Indian ocean sea temperatures could be 3C warmer than normal by October. Though this year's high sea temperatures are caused by a "perfect combination" of circumstances, the ecological impact could endure, she said. The Worldwide Fund for Nature, however, warned of a "worrying lack of momentum" during climate talks in Bonn this month, with little progress made on key issues like fossil fuels and finance ahead of November's COP28 climate talks in Dubai.

Persons: Kerry, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick, Piers Forster, El Nino, Annalisa Bracco, Li Shuo, John Kerry, Li, David Stanway, Ali Withers, Gloria Dickie, Jamie Freed Organizations: EU, Australia's University of New, U.S ., World Meteorological Organization, El Nino, University of Leeds, Georgia Institute of Technology, DUBAI, The, Nature, Thomson Locations: Beijing, SINGAPORE, Bonn, Australia's University of New South Wales, United States, North America, Canada, U.S . East Coast, India, Spain, Iran, Vietnam, Paris, 1.5C, California, Africa, November's, Dubai, China, Copenhagen, London

☆ World hits record land, sea temperatures as climate change fuels 2023 extremes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: Cpl Marc, Andre Leclerc, Kerry, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick, Piers Forster, El Nino, Annalisa Bracco, Li Shuo, John Kerry, Li, David Stanway, Ali Withers, Gloria Dickie, Jamie Freed Organizations: Canadian Forces, REUTERS, EU, Australia's University of New, U.S ., World Meteorological Organization, El Nino, University of Leeds, Georgia Institute of Technology, DUBAI, The, Nature, Thomson Locations: Mistissini, Quebec, Canada, Beijing, SINGAPORE, Bonn, Australia's University of New South Wales, United States, North America, U.S . East Coast, India, Spain, Iran, Vietnam, Paris, 1.5C, California, Africa, November's, Dubai, China, Copenhagen, London

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File PhotoSEOUL, June 29 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday picked a conservative scholar and an outspoken critic of North Korea's human rights record as the country's new unification minister handling relations with Pyongyang in a cabinet reshuffle. Kim, 63, served as a presidential secretary for unification and a human rights envoy under the conservative Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers. Kim is the right person to pursue a "principle-based" and consistent North Korea policy, said Yoon's chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki. The unification ministry's role ranges from cross-border dialogue and exchanges to studying human rights abuses in North Korea and helping defectors resettle in the South.

Persons: Kim Hong, Yoon Suk, Kim Yung, Yoon, Kim, Lee Myung, Kim Jong, Kim Dae, Jang Mi, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South, REUTERS, Sungshin Women's University, North, Thomson Locations: Korean, South Korean, Paju, South Korea, SEOUL, Pyongyang, North Korea, North Korean, Korea, United States

☆ China unveils sweeping foreign policy law as Xi consolidates power — and aims to counter the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has unveiled a sweeping foreign relations law enshrining its right to impose “countermeasures” against actions that it deems a threat – in Beijing’s latest bid to bolster its position amid strained relations with the West. “This is the first comprehensive foreign relations law … but it (reads) more like Xi Jinping’s foreign policy declaration,” Zhao said, adding that its release comes at a moment when Xi is focused on countering what it sees as US efforts to contain China. “The party, not the government, runs China’s foreign relations. The law also includes China’s pledge to promote “high-level opening-up” of its economy, development of foreign trade and and encouraging and legally protecting foreign investment. In recent months, a campaign against consulting and due diligence firms has unnerved foreign businesses in China.

Persons: enshrining, Antony Blinken, Jinping, –, Zhao Leji, “, Xi, Washington, Lockheed Martin, Suisheng Zhao, University of Denver’s Josef, ” Zhao, ”, China’s, Sung, Li Qiang, Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, Global Times, Lockheed, Raytheon, Communist Party, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver’s, University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing’s, Beijing, China’s, United States, Ukraine, Taiwan, Center for China, Tianjin, Europe, Denver

☆ Pope Francis Sends Peace Envoy to Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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