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☆ Taiwan Sees US Support Unchanged No Matter Who Wins Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Thursday it believes U.S. support will remain unchanged no matter who wins the presidential election, but it will stay on guard for Taiwan-China issues being "manipulated" as the campaign heats up. In a report to lawmakers, Taiwan's foreign ministry noted that even though the U.S. election's outcome was not certain, there was cross-party support for the island. Taiwan will continue to have balanced exchanges with both parties, but needs to be on guard for how Taiwan-China issues may feature in the election, the ministry added. Meeting Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Thursday, U.S. "This includes a strong Taiwan maritime strategy and how we can work together on shared goals to counter China on their increasingly aggressive actions in the region."

Persons: Trump, Joe Biden, Tsai Ing, Jack Bergman, Bergman, Donald Norcross, Jimmy Panetta, Taiwan's, Ben Blanchard, Fabian Hamacher Organizations: Taiwan, Republican, House Armed Services, Democratic Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, U.S, Taipei, United States

☆ More Chinese Women Choosing Singledom as Economy Stutters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang also vowed to "work towards a birth-friendly society" and boost childcare services in this year's government work report. In Shanghai, this figure reached 30.6 for men and 29.2 for women last year, according to city statistics. Long-term single lifestyles are gradually becoming more widespread in China, giving rise to online communities of mostly single women who seek solidarity from like-minded people. Decades of the one-child policy have led to 32.3 million more men than women in 2022, according to official data. "Well-educated women in search of supportive life partners find fewer suitable men who also endorse women's rights."

Persons: Laurie Chen XIAN, Chai Wanrou, didn't, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, stigmatised, influencers, China's Instagram, Liao Yueyi, I've, Xiaoling Shu, Davis, Shu, Laurie Chen, Farah Master, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Communist Party, Communist Youth League, University of California Locations: China, Xian, Shanghai, United States, Xiaohongshu, Nanning, Hong Kong

☆ Analysis-Myanmar Junta's Conscription Plan Lays Bare Toll of Fighting Rebels
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

A junta spokesman did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment. The current size of the anti-junta resistance is now likely higher with the emergence of more resistance groups as the conflict drags on, analysts said. The Tatmadaw, as the military is known, has not publicly declared the size of its fighting force in recent years. A dozen people eligible to serve also told Reuters that they would rather leave the country than join the military. "They couldn't send backup troops in Rakhine battles," AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters via phone.

Persons: Richard Horsey, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Ye Myo Hein, Generals, Anthony Davis, Miemie Winn Byrd, Htet Myat, Min Aung Hlaing, Andrew Selth, Selth, Khine Thu Kha, Devjyot, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, United States Institute of Peace, British, U.S ., Griffith Asia Institute, Arakan Army, Reuters Staff Locations: China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Suu, U.S, Rakhine

☆ Indonesian K-Pop Fans Rally for Presidential Candidate Anies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Tommy Ardiansyah and Ajeng Dinar UlfianaJAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan's young supporters are borrowing elements from their favourite music genre K-pop to boost his popularity, swapping photocards and light sticks decorated with his face before the Feb. 14 poll. "It all started with a TikTok live that Anies did one day," said Hera Putri Haris, a 22-year-old Anies supporter who was carrying plastic cups and fans plastered with his image. K-pop inspired political rallies have become more common as the South Korean music genre sweeps the globe. K-pop fans rallied in Thailand's anti-government movement in 2020, while K-pop fans in the United States raised funds for the Black Lives Matter movement. Anies' campaign team did not respond to a request for comment but event organiser Muhammad Rasyid Al Kautsar said he believes the cultural phenomenon can help rally supporters.

Persons: Tommy Ardiansyah, Anies, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, Hera Putri Haris, Muhammad Rasyid Al Kautsar, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Miral Organizations: Ulfiana, Defence, Central Java Locations: Ulfiana JAKARTA, Korean, Thailand's, United States

☆ California Ammunition Background Check Law Can Remain in Effect, Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Circuit Judge Consuelo Callahan, another Bush appointee, dissented, saying the state had not shown a likelihood of success on appeal. Plaintiffs challenging the law in court included Kim Rhode, who has won three Olympic gold medals in shooting events, and the California Rifle & Pistol Association. California voters had in 2016 approved a ballot measure requiring gun owners to undergo initial background checks to buy ammunition, and pay $50 for a four-year ammunition permit. Legislators amended the measure to require background checks for each ammunition purchase, starting in 2019. Benitez in his decision rejected California's reliance on dozens of laws dating back to 1789 as "historical analogues" for ammunition checks and said the law had "no historical pedigree."

Persons: Richard Clifton, Nate Raymond, Roger Benitez, Benitez, George W, Bush, Holly Thomas, Joe Biden, Consuelo Callahan, Rob Bonta, Kim Rhode, Chuck Michel, Benitez's Jan, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Circuit, U.S, District, Democratic, Republican, Democrat, Plaintiffs, California, New York Locations: California, San Diego, New, Boston

☆ Philippines Ready to Use 'Forces' to Quell Any Secession Attempt Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution. National security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement any attempt to secede "will be met by the government with resolute force", citing "recent calls to separate Mindanao" but without specifically naming Duterte. "The national government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic," Ano said. Ano said calls for secession could reverse the gains of government's peace deal with former separatist groups. Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner told soldiers on Saturday "to remain united and loyal to the constitution and the chain of command".

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Duterte, Eduardo Ano, Ano, Ahod Ebrahim, Carlito Galvez Jr, Romeo Brawner, Mikhail Flores, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Moro Islamic Liberation Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Mindanao, Philippines, Moro Islamic

☆ Thailand Deports Dissident Russian Rock Band to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Human rights activists had warned that the seven members of the self-exiled rock band Bi-2 would face harsh punishment if they were sent to Russia. Several band members, however, hold both Russian and Israeli citizenship, and the group had been based in Israel in the 1990s. Earlier this week, Thai immigration officials said the band could choose to be deported to another destination if they felt unsafe to return to Russia. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, welcomed the decision to send the band to Israel. "Human rights concerns won out in Thailand's to let all the Bi-2 band members travel to the safety of Israel," he said(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; editing by Miral Fahmy)

Persons: Surachate Hakparn, Surachate, Igor Bortnick, Vladimir Putin, Phil Robertson, Panu, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Thai, Deputy Police, Reuters, Tel Aviv ., Russia's, Human Rights Locations: BANGKOK, Russian, Ukraine, Thailand, Israel, Moscow, Phuket, Russia, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Asia, Thailand's

☆ Philippines' Marcos Says No Rift With the Vice President
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said there was no rift between him and his Vice President Sara Duterte after both her brother and father strongly criticised him. On Sunday, Duterte's brother, who is the mayor of Davao city, urged Marcos to resign over his supposed failings to address crime and a foreign policy that "endangers the lives of innocent Filipinos", while her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, called the incumbent president a "drug addict". Speaking to reporters while on a state visit to Vietnam, Marcos said his relationship with the vice president is "exactly the same", adding his "Uniteam" with Duterte was intact. Marcos and Duterte ran under the "Uniteam" ticket in the 2022 election, both winning a landslide victory. It's the unification of all political, hopefully all political forces in the Philippines to come together for the good country," Marcos said late on Tuesday.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Sara Duterte, Duterte's, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, Duterte, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Miral Fahmy Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Davao, Vietnam, Philippines

☆ Costs, Crackdown Put a Damper on Pakistan's Election Campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Ariba ShahidKARACHI (Reuters) - Higher living costs and political uncertainty have muted Pakistan's once boisterous election campaigns, with both candidates and those who supply them with materials bemoaning the need to do more with much less. Syed Arsalan Haider, a Karachi printer, said the cost of a square foot of banner was up by 130% since the last election. Khan, whose party won the last election, says the military wants to keep him from power, which the military denies. Meherbano Qureshi, a PTI candidate and daughter of the party's jailed vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said people were scared to show their support and hang campaign material. (Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Editing by YP Rajesh and Miral Fahmy)

Persons: Shahid, Imran Khan, Jawad Jiwani, Syed Arsalan Haider, Abdul Aziz, Taj Haider, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Faisal Subzwari, Khan, Meherbano Qureshi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khurram Sher Zaman, They're, Ariba Shahid, Mubasher Bukhari, YP Rajesh, Miral Organizations: Monetary Fund, Pakistan People's Party, PTI, Mubasher, YP Locations: Shahid KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi, festooned, Lahore

☆ China, in Comic Strip, Warns of 'Overseas' Threats to Its Rare Earths
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Liz LeeBEIJING (Reuters) - China's chief intelligence agency posted on social media a comic strip featuring foreign-looking characters secretly extracting rare earths, in a story portraying the country's strategic metals under threat from covetous "overseas organisations". No foreign government or agencies were named in the comic strip, and the ministry did not specify any measures to counter foreign "interest" in China's rare earths. It also banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, in addition a ban on technology to extract and separate rare earths. The restrictions have fanned fears that the supply of rare earths might ignite tensions with the West, particularly the United States, which accuses China of using economic coercion to influence other countries. The newspaper said the United States, Japan and the European Union, among others, have for a long time "coveted China's rare earth mineral resources".

Persons: Liz Lee BEIJING, Li Baiyang, Liz Lee, Miral Fahmy Organizations: State Security, United, Mining, Times, European Union, Global Times, Nanjing University Locations: China, United States, Beijing, U.S, Japan

☆ New Zealand to Send Defence Team to Support Red Sea Security
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand will deploy a six-member defence team to the Middle East as part of an international coalition to uphold maritime security in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Tuesday. "Houthi attacks against commercial and naval shipping are illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilising," Luxon said during a media briefing. "This deployment ... is a continuation of New Zealand's long history of defending freedom of navigation both in the Middle East and closer to home." They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. "Any suggestion our ongoing support for maritime security in the Middle East is connected to recent developments in Israel and the Gaza Strip, is wrong," Peters said.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, Luxon, Winston Peters, Peters, Renju Jose, Miral Fahmy Organizations: SYDNEY, Pentagon, Foreign Locations: New Zealand, Red, United States, Britain, Iranian, Yemen, Gaza, Israel, Zealand, . New Zealand, Sydney

☆ Indian Devotees Splurge on Jets, Gold Idols as Hindu Temple Opens
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. Officials estimate 100 private jets will descend on Jan. 22 on Ayodhya airport, filling it to capacity. Mehra did not disclose the price of the charters, but private jet booking website JetSetGo lists the price of a Mumbai-Gorakhpur flight on a Falcon 2000 jet with nine passengers on board at about $74,000. There is a waiting period of two weeks," said Baldev Singh, a manager at HS Jewellers in Lucknow city. "People are betting on economic prosperity but there's also emotional attachment to be part of the Ayodhya story."

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Tanvi Mehta, Narendra Modi, Mukesh Ambani, Lord Ram, Modi, It's, Rajan Mehra, Mehra, Baldev Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhinandan, Abhinandan Lodha, Aditya Kalra Organizations: Indian, Ram, Bharatiya Janata Party, Dassault, Reuters Locations: Tanvi Mehta AYODHYA, India, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Mumbai, Thailand, Lucknow city

☆ US Says Houthis Launched Missiles at Tanker Ship but No Damage Caused
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Kanishka Singh and Costas PitasWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Houthi militia launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned tanker ship late on Thursday that hit the water near the vessel but caused no injuries or damage, the U.S. military said. The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, earlier on Thursday claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they targeted the ship Chem Ranger with naval missiles that caused "direct hits". The Houthis say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza. Since last week, the United States has launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, and this week returned the militia to a list of "terrorist" groups. President Joe Biden told reporters on Thursday that air strikes would continue even if they may not be halting the Houthi attacks.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Costas Pitas WASHINGTON, TankerTrackers.com, Joe Biden, Eric Beech, Ahmed Tolba, Costas Pitas, Dan Whitcomb, Miral Organizations: U.S, U.S . Central Command, AIS Locations: Iran, U.S, Yemen, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, Gaza, United States, Washington, Cairo, Los Angeles

☆ NZ's Maori to Discuss Govt Plans to Row Back on Pro-Indigenous Policies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Critics say these vows are the most significant step backward for Maori rights in decades, and some have taken legal action. The government of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says its plans address voters' concerns, and are aimed at giving all New Zealanders equal rights. Ngira Simmonds, the king's chief of staff, said in a statement that the gathering will discuss how the Maori translation of the Treaty of Waitangi can be upheld. Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and former Governor General Sylvia Cartwright are both set to speak. The prime minister met the Maori King earlier this week and said he was supportive of the meeting.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Christopher Luxon, Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Queen Te Atairangikaahu, Ngira Simmonds, Jenny Shipley, General Sylvia Cartwright, Lucy Craymer, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, New Zealand Maori, Former Locations: New, Ngaruawahia, Auckland, Waitangi

☆ Malaysia to Review Migrant Labour Deals to Stamp Out Exploitation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will review bilateral agreements with 15 nations from which it sources labourers in a bid to address exploitative practices and manpower imbalances that have left thousands of migrant workers stranded without jobs, officials said. The plight of the migrants coincided with concerns over workplace abuses in Malaysia, with several companies facing U.S. bans over the use of forced labour in recent years. They said Malaysia still had a shortage of workers in the agriculture and plantations sector, while quotas have been exceeded in other industries. Workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal account for over 70% of Malaysia's migrant labour, with the remainder coming from countries including India, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Thailand. Sim said 751 Bangladesh migrant workers had filed cases with the labour department to claim unpaid wages, involving a total of 2.2 million ringgit ($467,687).

Persons: Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Steven Sim, Sim, Rozanna, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Workers, Human Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand

☆ North Korea's Kim Calls for South to Be Seen as 'Primary Foe', Warns of War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kim said the constitution should be amended to educate North Koreans that South Korea is a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy" and define the North's territory as separate from the South. "We don't want war but we have no intention of avoiding it," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, at a cabinet meeting, said Pyongyang was being "anti-national" for calling the South a hostile country. Analysts have said North Korea's foreign ministry could take over relations with Seoul, and potentially help justify the use of nuclear weapons against the South in a future war. Ruediger Frank, professor of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna, said Kim's new policies "will trigger a cascade of changes across inter-Korean relations and regional dynamics".

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Yoon Suk, Ruediger Frank, Frank, Josh Smith, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Supreme, Assembly, North, East Asian, Society, University of Vienna, U.S Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, Korea, North, Seoul, North Koreans, South Korea, KCNA . North Korea, South, Pyongyang

☆ Anhui Jianghuai Automobile says Nio unit, state-owned firm win bid for assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Super chargers of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio are placed at a delivery center of the company, in Nanxiang, Shanghai, China March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI/BEIJING, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (600418.SS) (JAC) said on Tuesday that electric vehicle maker Nio's (9866.HK) Anhui unit and a state-owned company of China's Hefei government won a bid for its assets worth a combined 4.58 billion yuan ($641.2 million). In October, JAC put up for sale the assets at the two plants, known as F1 plant and F2 plant where Nio has been producing its EVs. Regulators allowed Nio to produce and sell EVs in China via the collaboration with JAC in 2018 through which Nio paid JAC commission fees on each car it produced. Nio ranked ninth in terms of sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids in the first 10 months in China with 126,067 units, according to data from China Passenger Car Association.

Persons: Nio, Aly, JAC, Hengchuang, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile, Technology, Regulators, China Passenger Car Association, Thomson Locations: Nanxiang, Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, BEIJING, Anhui, HK, Hefei, Beijing

A padlock is seen in front of the word 'spyware' and binary code in this illustration taken May 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Lobby group Japan Association of New Economy has joined U.S. Big Tech to warn against proposed EU cybersecurity labelling rules that they said could hamper their access to the bloc's markets, according to a letter sent to the EU industry chief. A requirement that Amazon (AMZN.O), Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google, Microsoft (MSFT.O) and other non-EU cloud providers set up a joint venture with an EU-based company to qualify for the EU cybersecurity label has triggered criticism from some EU countries and foreign vendors. The Japan Association of New Economy also slammed these requirements. The Japan Association of New Economy is a business lobby group focused on e-business and developing new industries.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hiroshi Mikitani, Thierry Breton, Mikitani, Foo Yun Chee, Dave Dolan, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan Association of New, U.S, Big Tech, European Union, Google, Microsoft, EU, Reuters, Japan Digital Partnership, Thomson Locations: EU, Japan, Japanese, Brussels, Tokyo

☆ Trump: I Won't Be a Dictator if I Become U.S. President Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Other than day one," Trump said when asked to deny he would become a "dictator" if he wins the November election. Trump, seeking a second White House term in a likely election re-match with Democratic President Joe Biden, has frequently promised "retribution" on political opponents if he gains power again. Trump was U.S. president between 2017 and 2021, and has refused to concede that he lost to Biden in the 2020 election. Trump will skip the event, as he has done for the three previous Republican debates. Biden has repeatedly warned that Trump is a threat to democracy, and that a second Trump term could usher in an unprecedented and dangerous age of American autocracy.

Persons: Tim Reid, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, he's, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Liz Cheney, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Republicans, America, Republican, Democratic, Department of Justice, Trump, Fox, U.S, Biden, Capitol, University of Alabama, Former U.S Locations: Iowa, Mexico, Davenport , Iowa, Trump's, Florida, Former

☆ Qatar emir calls on U.N. to force Israel into talks to end Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Buildings lie in ruin in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, December 4, 2023. Qatar, where several political leaders of Hamas are based, has been leading negotiations between the Palestinian militant group and Israel. Those talks led to a truce that ultimately lasted for seven days before hostilities resumed on Friday. During the truce, Hamas released dozens of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and Israel allowed humanitarian aid to flow into the coastal strip. Sheikh Tamim said Qatar was working with both sides to repair the deal.

Persons: Athit, Israel, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Thani, Sheikh Tamim, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Nayera Abdallah, Andrew Mills, Alex Richardson, Miral Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights DOHA, . Security Council, Qatari, Doha, UN, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Qatar

☆ Papua New Guinea to recruit Australia police in security deal - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape will travel to Canberra on Thursday to sign the security agreement, his office said. "The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests," Marape said in a statement on Tuesday. The Australian Federal Police and the defence minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security agreement. "Its a big issue and Australia can help us out considerably," said Tkatchenko, who began negotiations with Australia on the deal last year. They will be contracted officers reporting directly to the police commissioner of Papua New Guinea and they will be under all the laws of PNG.

Persons: James Marape, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Marape, Justin Tkatchenko, Tkatchenko, Kirsty Needham, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Guinea's, APEC, APEC Business, Economic Cooperation, Rights, Papua New Guinea, Australia, U.S, Reuters, Defence, Australian Federal Police, PNG Royal Constabulary, CID, Australian, Thomson Locations: Papua, Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, biosecurity, Papua New, Canberra, United States, China, Solomon Islands, Australia, France

☆ China says visa-free travel policy has boosted tourism
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Dec 5 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday its visa-free travel policy has produced a clear effect, making things easier for travellers. "Going forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to adjust visa policies to create more favourable conditions and further facilitate cross-border travel," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing when asked for an update on tourism after China announced the policy, which covers several European countries and Malaysia. Travellers walk past an installation in the shape of five stars, at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. Germany's ambassador to China had expressed hope that China would extend the measures to all European Union members. Reporting by Andrew Hayley; Writing by Liz Lee and Bernard Orr; Editing by Tom Hogue and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Wenbin, Tingshu Wang, Wang, Andrew Hayley, Liz Lee, Bernard Orr, Tom Hogue Organizations: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China, Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, European Union, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Malaysia, Beijing, China, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain

The Global Cooling Pledge would mark the world's first collective focus on energy emissions from the cooling sector. That would equal one-tenth of expected global emissions, the report said, and would strain electric grids. Organizers hope to see at least 80 countries supporting the cooling pledge, given the urgent need to slash climate-warming emissions and keep people safe from dangerous heatwaves. Nearly three-quarters of the potential for reducing cooling emissions by mid-century can be found in G20 countries, the UNEP report said. UNEP estimates that global efforts to tackle cooling emissions could avoid the release of up to 78 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Brian Dean, Gloria Dickie, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Katy Daigle Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, United Nations Environment Programme, Reuters, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy, UNEP, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, United States, U.S, Kenya, India

☆ Activists protest against fossil fuel industry at COP28 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Climate activists protest against fossil fuel emitters, demanding action and more contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 5, 2023. Chiponda argued that language calling for the phase-out of "unabated" fossil fuels was merely a distraction that would allow for their continued use. Governments at COP26 agreed to phase down the use of unabated coal, the most polluting of fossil fuels. This year, countries remain split over what role fossil fuels should play in the future. Jaber has made a point of including the fossil fuel industry at the summit, insisting that oil and gas companies should be part of discussions on tackling climate change.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Lorraine Chiponda, Chiponda, Sultan Al Jaber, Jaber, Thomas Joseph, Jainno Congon, Alexander Cornwell, Katy Daigle Organizations: Damage, United Nations, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, United, COP26, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, COP28, Glasgow, Paris, United Arab Emirates, UAE, California

☆ Five killed as southern India braces for Cyclone Michaung
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jatindra Dash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People move in a boat past partially submerged vehicles in a residential area following heavy rains ahead of Cyclone Michaung in Chennai, India, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBHUBANESHWAR, India, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Heavy rains submerged roads and shut down a major airport in southern India on Tuesday, where at least five people, including a child, were killed in the flooding and the havoc hours before a severe cyclone was due to make landfall. The rains and winds also snapped power lines and uprooted trees, officials said. Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW) and Pegatron (4938.TW) halted Apple (AAPL.O) iPhone production at their facilities near Chennai due to heavy rains, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. In December 2015, floods in Tamil Nadu killed at least 290 people and caused widespread damage.

Persons: Stringer, Michaung, Taiwan's Foxconn, Jatindra Dash, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Miral Organizations: Cyclone, REUTERS, Apple, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Chennai, India, Andhra Pradesh, Tirupati district, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu's

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