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☆ China complains to France after Chinese tourists hurt in riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Consulate General's formal complaint called for France to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and their property, the statement said. The bus was attacked by rioters on Thursday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, during violence which hit French cities in recent days since the police shooting of a teenager of North African descent. The Chinese tourists have since left France, the Consular Office statement said. Chinese citizens in France or heading to France should "strengthen prevention" and be "more vigilant and cautious" in light of the riots which have swept across the country in recent days, the Consular office statement added. Reporting by Ziyi Tang and Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ziyi Tang, Martin Quin Pollard, Muralikumar Organizations: China's, China's Consular, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Marseille, France, North, Paris, Nice, Strasbourg

☆ Sudan conflict: The US embassy destroyed passports when it fled the violence. Some Sudanese are now 'stranded in this war zone'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Courtesy Ibrahim Khalid Ibrahim MohamedMany Sudanese have fled the fighting to neighboring countries like Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The embassy advised Sudanese visa applicants without passports to apply for a new passport with the Sudanese embassy in Cairo, despite Egyptian authorities issuing a raft of entry requirements for refugees from the country. Mohamed was among several Sudanese visa applicants who told CNN they witnessed violence while attempting to flee the country. “They had to leave because it’s a life or death matter if they stayed (in Khartoum).”Alhaj Sharafeldin, a 25-year-old university graduate, told CNN he is "stranded in this war zone." “I’m here stranded in this war zone,” he told CNN.

Persons: CNN — Ibrahim Mohamed, “, ”, Haitham Ibrahim, Ibrahim Mohamed, Ibrahim Khalid Ibrahim Mohamed, Mohamed, Fayez Nureldine, Arwa Idris, Idris, Alhaj, “ It’s, ” Sabah Ahmed, Zeyazen, Kareem, Renad, Sabah Ahmed, Madani, Ahmed, Ahmed’s, Abdelazim Alhajaa, ” Alhajaa, ” Ahmed Organizations: CNN, Rapid Support Forces, Saudi, Hadath, Television, International Organization for Migration, American, Ministry, US State Department, Getty, UN, Sudanese Locations: Khartoum, Nuzha, Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan, United States, Kabul, Cairo, Sudan, Saudi, Port Sudan, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, AFP, New York, “, Wadi Halfa, Iowa, Bahri, Omdurman, Columbus , Ohio

CNN —Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich lost his appeal against the extension of pre-trial detention in Moscow on Thursday on spying charges, which he denies. Gershkovich’s detention, at the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow, was extended last month to August 30. Gershkovich was in court for the decision, in a glass cage, wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans. The Wall Street Journal called Gershkovich’s continued detention “an outrage” in a statement released Thursday. “Our colleague Evan Gershkovich appeared in Moscow City Court today for an appeal against his ongoing pretrial detention.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich, Lynne Tracy, Ella Milman, Mikhail Gershkovich, Tracy, ” Tracy, Evan, “, ”, ” “ Evan, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Moscow, Court, TASS, Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow City Court, US State Department Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, Moscow City, Washington

☆ U.S. and India set to announce flurry of deals spanning defense, chips and A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty ImagesThe U.S. and India are set to announce a slew of defense and technology collaborations on Thursday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit, U.S. officials said. India has overtaken China as the world's most populous country and is set to become the third-largest economy in the coming years. According to Reuters, Modi has not addressed a single press conference in India since he became prime minister in 2014, making this an extremely rare occasion. India and the U.S. are expected to announce a deal to jointly produce F414 jet engines in India, involving General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics. Thirdly, the so-called India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem will aim to integrate India's growing private sector defense industry with the U.S. defense sector.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Mandel Ngan, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Elon, Ray Dalio, we've, Gary Dickerson, Dickerson, Brendan Mullarkey Organizations: India's, White, Afp, Getty, Tesla, Bridgewater Associates, Biden, Reuters, General Electric, Hindustan Aeronautics, U.S, U.S . Defense, Tech, NASA, Indian Space Research, Embassy Locations: Portico, Washington , DC, India, U.S, China, United States, Pakistan, Russia, France, Great Britain, Israel

☆ US hostage envoy Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN Wednesday. Carstens traveled to the capital city of Caracas for “discussions about the welfare and safety of US nationals wrongfully detained in Venezuela,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all wrongfully detained US nationals in Venezuela at every opportunity,” they said. ‘Signing his death warrant’The family members of the detained Americans, all of whom have been detained more than a year, are increasingly worried about their loved ones. Tillery told CNN that the US is “signing his death warrant” by not securing Kenemore’s release.

Persons: Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Carstens, ”, “, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Luke Denman, Airan Berry, Nicolas Maduro, Jeana, Tillery, Gustavo Cárdenas –, Jorge Alberto Fernandez, – Jose Pereira, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Matthew Heath, Osman Khan –, Biden Organizations: CNN, Hostage Affairs, State Department, United Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, United States, Venezuelan

MEXICO CITY, June 12 (Reuters) - U.S. asylum appointments at a dangerous Texas-Mexico border crossing can no longer be scheduled via an online app following reports that migrants face extortion in Mexico. A website for the app, called CBP One, no longer lists Laredo as a city where asylum seekers can schedule appointments. Nuevo Laredo has long been notorious for widespread kidnapping and extortion of migrants. An advocate in Nuevo Laredo, who requested anonymity due to safety fears, said criminals have demanded as much as $500 per person. Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Daina Beth Solomon, Ted Hesson, Richard Chang Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Nuevo, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, U.S, Associated Press, Strauss, University of Texas, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Texas, Mexico, Mexican, Nuevo Laredo, Laredo, U.S, Austin, Mexico City, Washington

PARIS, June 12 (Reuters) - An 11-year-old British girl has been shot dead in the garden of her home in Brittany, western France, following a years-long dispute between neighbours over land, the local prosecutor and a town hall official said. The family were enjoying a warm evening on Saturday in their garden in the small village of Saint Herbot, near Quimper, when a Dutch neighbour shot at them several times, the prosecutor said. Britain's Foreign Office said it was providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting. Regine Guillot, secretary of the nearest town hall in Plonevez-du-Faou, said the British family had lived in the hamlet for five years and that the Dutch neighbour was a private man. The shooting comes just days after a British toddler was among four children and two adults stabbed in the tranquil town of Annecy in the French Alps.

Persons: Regine Guillot, Guillot, Juliette Jabkhiro, Elizabeth Pineau, Richard Lough, Nick Macfie Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brittany, France, Saint Herbot, Quimper, Dutch, Plonevez, Brest, British, Annecy, French, Paris

☆ Russia arrests U.S. citizen on drug dealing charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MOSCOW, June 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. musician and former paratrooper has been arrested in Moscow on drug dealing charges and his court appearance, locked in a metal cage, has been shown on state television. "The former paratrooper and a musician, who is accused of running a drug dealing business involving young people, will remain in custody until Aug. 6, 2023." The spokesperson did not say if U.S. officials had yet had consular access to Leake. When Leake initially came to Moscow, he worked as an English teacher and helped translate songs for Russian bands. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in March on espionage charges that he, the Journal and Washington deny.

Persons: Michael Travis Leake, REN, Leake, Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan, Washington, Evan Gershkovich, Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly, Edmund Klamann, Frances Kerry Organizations: Moscow's, Reuters, REN TV, State Department, U.S ., Street, Washington, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, U.S, Moscow, Russian, Moscow's Khamovniki, Leake, Russia's, Ukraine, United States, Russia, Washington, Melbourne

☆ US citizen detained in Russia after appearing at Moscow court
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Josh Pennington | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A US citizen has been detained in Moscow according to a Telegram statement from Moscow’s courts of general jurisdiction. The man was detained on Saturday where “the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow took a preventive measure against an American citizen,” it said. The US State Department on Saturday said it was aware of reports of the detention of a US citizen but declined to comment further, citing privacy considerations. “We are aware of reports of the recent arrest of a US citizen in Moscow,” a State Department spokesperson said. “When a US citizen is detained overseas, the department pursues consular access as soon as possible and works to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”This is a breaking news story.

Persons: ”, “ Organizations: CNN, US State Department, State Department Locations: Moscow, Khamovniki, American, ”

☆ U.S. gives Havana embassy a facelift after years of neglect
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

HAVANA, June 10 (Reuters) - When the U.S. embassy in Havana reopened last May to Cubans seeking visas after a nearly five-year hiatus, the once proud 1950s vintage building was in shambles. The State Department imported high-grade stainless steel for its fencing, and granite from a quarry in Vermont for the building's new facade. A view of the U.S. Embassy beside the Anti-Imperialist stage in Havana, Cuba, May 24, 2023. CASTRO THREATENED TO SEIZE BUILDINGUnder former leader Fidel Castro, the jabs and antagonism often went both ways between Cuba and the embassy. U.S. intelligence investigations have since determined it "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the illness, and a more robust staff and agenda have returned to Havana, Ziff said.

Persons: Hurricane Irma, Benjamin Ziff, Ziff, Alexandre Meneghini, Alexander Garcia, CASTRO, Fidel Castro, Castro, George W, Bush, Harrison & Abramovitz, Jane Loeffler, Barack Obama, Dave Sherwood, Mario Fuentes, Anett Rios, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, State Department, Reuters, Cuban, The State Department, Ziff, Embassy, REUTERS, Harrison &, United Nations, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Havana, Hurricane, of Mexico, Cuba, China, United States, Cuban, Vermont, Florida, New York, Washington, America

CNN —The bodies of four people have been recovered from Lake Maggiore in northern Italy after a tourist boat capsized on Sunday evening, Italy’s fire service has said. A diver searches for bodies after a rescue operation in Lake Maggiore, northern Italy. Vigili Del Fuoco/Handout/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockTwenty people were rescued after the boat capsized, the fire and rescue service said. Divers and a helicopter were used as part of the search and rescue operation, according to the fire and rescue service. Passengers had been celebrating a birthday party when the boat, traveling between the Italian towns of Lisanza and Dormelletto, capsized, according to Sky Tg24.

☆ Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger thanked Russia for putting him on 'Russophobia' list and banning him from the country: 'I appreciate them thinking of me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger thanked Russia for including him on a new travel ban. "I accept that I'm not their cup of Russian tea," he said in a Saturday statement mocking the list. "My inclusion on this list is deserved, and I appreciate them thinking of me." The list, which was released Friday by the Russian Foreign Ministry, named US citizens who aren't allowed to travel to Russia. Gershkovich was detained in the country in March and formally charged with espionage in April.

☆ Russia says 500 Americans to be banned, list includes Obama
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry on Friday said former President Barack Obama was among 500 U.S. citizens who would be banned in response to the latest round of sanctions announced by Washington. The ministry also said Russia had refused the latest U.S. request for consular access to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying. This move was triggered by the U.S. refusal last month to give visas to media traveling with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the United Nations, it said in a statement. "Washington should have learned a long time ago that not a single hostile attack on Russia will go unpunished," it added. Earlier on Friday the United States announced punitive measures against more than 300 targets, aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and intensifying one of the harshest sanctions efforts ever implemented.

CNN —Former United States President Barack Obama, late night television host Stephen Colbert, and CNN’s Erin Burnett are some of the “500 Americans” Russia has banned from entering the country. The list includes Obama, former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman, several US senators and the next expected chairman of the joint chiefs Charles Q. The rambling list of names also includes American late night TV hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert, and Seth Meyers. Friday’s list also includes CNN Anchor Erin Burnett and is an update of a previously published longer list of sanctioned individuals that includes CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, CNN contributors Bianna Golodryga and Timothy Naftali. While the list was labelled, “500 Americans,” Paton Walsh is a British citizen.

CNN —South Korean soccer star Son Jun-ho has been arrested in China for allegedly accepting bribes as Beijing clamps down on alleged corruption in the upper ranks of Chinese football. A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday the ministry was aware of Son’s situation and that local Korean diplomatic missions were providing consular assistance. Wang said China would provide South Korean officials with the “necessary facilitation” to perform their consular duties. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it had written to the Chinese Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation regarding the player on Tuesday but had not yet heard back. Vice President Kim Jeong-bae was checking on Son’s condition with the South Korean Foreign and Sports Ministries, a KFA official told CNN.

☆ American jailed for spying by China rubbed shoulders with senior Chinese officials, CNN reporting shows, CNN reporting shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“He’s a very famous person, known by many overseas Chinese in the southern US,” Tang said. Reports published by Chinese-language media in Texas and China’s state media show Leung’s long-running access to senior Chinese officials. In 2014, he met with the director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office during a visit to Nanjing, the provincial capital. This photo shows John Leung with Wang Hua, the former director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. It also comes as American and Chinese officials are resuming high-level engagements since a dispute over a suspected Chinese spy balloon shattered efforts to mend ties earlier this year.

☆ Cuba announces new migration policies as exodus continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, May 16 (Reuters) - Cuba announced on Tuesday measures that ease restrictions on its citizens living abroad as the communist-run nation continues to grapple with an unprecedented exodus of migrants to the United States. The new rules take effect on July 1, said Ernesto Soberon, director of Consular Affairs for the Cuban Foreign Ministry. He said the measures are focused on "the strengthening of ties with the Cuban community abroad." Cuba for decades limited emigration of its citizens, and many Cubans living abroad complain of bureaucratic hurtles and exorbitant fees for maintaining ties and renewing travel documents with their home country. Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cheng Lei: Family urges China to release Australian TV anchor detained for 1,000 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Friends and family of Australian television anchor Cheng Lei on Monday renewed calls for her release from detention in China, 1,000 days after she was held by authorities on espionage charges. Australian authorities have expressed concern about her detention amid suggestions from analysts that strained ties between Canberra and Beijing may have provided impetus for the opaque case against her. While there were still some Australian journalists working in China, all are employed by non-Australian media companies. Cheng’s two children are being cared for by their grandmother in Melbourne, Australian public broadcaster ABC reported at the time of her original detention. “For a mother not to see her children for 1000 days is excruciating.

☆ Sudan's well-off stuck in limbo at border town en route to Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Maggie Michael | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

While women, children and the elderly can enter Egypt freely, though often after waiting days in testing conditions at a packed border, Sudanese men aged 16-50 must apply for visas. When she got to Wadi Halfa the bus driver, who had promised to take her to Egypt, dropped her off with her family and demanded more money. He returned to Wadi Halfa to apply for his visa but was told to wait, so he sent his elderly parents to Egypt alone. Half the group continued on to Egypt while the rest settled in a school in Wadi Halfa, sleeping in a classroom with three other families. The school gave him and others a warning that they needed the classrooms back this week for end of year exams.

CNN —Canada decided to expel a Chinese diplomat on Monday, following an uproar in the country over allegations of political meddling, which Beijing has fiercely denied. “Canada has decided to declare persona non grata Mr. Zhao Wei,” read a statement by Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. The intelligence service also said that Beijing had tried to sway the outcome of Canada’s federal elections in 2019 and 2021. Chong himself has focused much of his criticism on Trudeau’s government, which he says was too slow to act. Last week, Joly previewed the possibility of retaliatory action against China, but warned that Canada needed to carefully weigh how China might react.

CNN —A former US Marine, Cooper “Harris” Andrews, 26, was killed on the outskirts of Bakhmut late last week, according to his mother and colleagues in Ukraine. Andrews worked for an activist group known as the Resistance Committee, according to their social media statements. Andrews left Cleveland, Ohio in November and joined the Foreign Legion in Ukraine, a group of foreign fighters helping the Ukrainian military. The US Department of State said on Monday it could “confirm the death of a US citizen in Ukraine,” without naming the individual. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment but has yet to hear back.

☆ Second US government-organized convoy evacuates private American citizens from Sudan conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Aaron Pellish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —A second convoy of US citizens organized by the US government arrived in Port Sudan on Sunday as part of an effort to evacuate Americans from the Sudan conflict. “A second USG-organized convoy arrived in Port Sudan today. The US effort – the second convoy in as many days – comes amid mounting anger from Americans in Sudan who felt they were abandoned by the US government and left to navigate the complicated and dangerous situation on their own. The deadly violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group that broke out earlier month has left hundreds dead, including two Americans, and thousands wounded. While various official and non official estimates place the Sudanese Armed Forces at around 210,000 to 220,000 troops, the paramilitary forces are believed to number approximately 70,000 but are better trained and better equipped.

☆ Canada ends Sudan evacuation flights amid dangerous conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"Because of the dangerous conditions, and in concert with decisions made by our allies, no further Canadian flights are planned from the Wadi Seidna airfield," Anand told a news conference. There remain in Sudan roughly 230 Canadian affected persons seeking assistance and information through Global Affairs Canada, Anand said. It has since conducted six flights, including two on Saturday, airlifting almost 550 people, while approximately 400 Canadians and permanent residents have been evacuated, including on Canadian and allied flights, Anand said. The government is working with allies to find alternative departure options, including via Port Sudan, said Anand. Britain has arranged an extra evacuation flight from Port Sudan in eastern Sudan which will depart on Monday, the government said on Sunday.

CNN —Thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Sudan as clashes between two rival military factions vying for control of the country continue despite a supposed truce. Another eyewitness told CNN that Rapid Support Forces had moved in to the Wad Al-Bashir area, west of Omdurman (a major city just northwest of the capital Khartoum). Residents on the ground have told CNN that markets and shops have been heavily targeted by looters in the past few days. China, meanwhile, said it had evacuated 940 Chinese citizens and 231 foreign personnel from Sudan to Saudi Arabia between Wednesday and Saturday. “In order to protect the lives and property of Chinese citizens in Sudan, the Chinese military has been ordered to evacuate Chinese personnel in Sudan,” said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei.

☆ Sudan conflict: First US government-organized convoy evacuates private American citizens
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The first US-led effort to evacuate private American citizens from the conflict Sudan was completed Saturday, with a convoy organized by the US government reaching Port Sudan after a long journey from Khartoum. “A U.S. government-organized convoy carrying U.S citizens, locally employed staff, and nationals from allied and partner countries arrived at Port Sudan on April 29,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. The deadly violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group that broke out earlier month has left hundreds dead, including two Americans, and thousands wounded. The country remains at risk of humanitarian disaster, as those still trapped in their homes face shortages of food, water, medicine and electricity. Despite a number of nations evacuating their citizens, the US government had maintained for more than a week that the conditions were not conducive to a civilian evacuation.

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