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☆ Luong Cuong: Vietnam appoints army general as new president after months of turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hanoi, Vietnam AP —Vietnam elected Luong Cuong, a military general, as its new president on Monday, the fourth official to fill the largely ceremonial role in 18 months. The role of the general secretary is the most powerful position in Vietnam while the presidency is mostly ceremonial and involves meeting foreign dignitaries. Vietnam's Luong Cuong takes his oath as Vietnam's President during the autumn opening session at the National Assembly in Hanoi on October 21, 2024. When he became the new general secretary, he promised to maintain the anti-corruption fight. “The installation of Luong Cuong as president is yet another example of the expansion of Vietnam’s police state,” he said.

Persons: Luong Cuong, Lam, ” Cuong, Nguyen Phu Trong, Trong, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Thuong, Vuong Dinh, Dang Anh, Cuong, Nguyen Khac Giang, – Yusof, Luong, ”, Critics, Ben Swanton Organizations: Vietnam AP, National Assembly, Communist Party, Getty, Vietnam Studies, Institute, Communist Party Congress Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, Vuong, AFP, Lam

☆ German Greens leadership quits after series of election blows
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

25 September 2024, Berlin: The German Green Party leaders Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang resign. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa (Photo by Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images)The joint leaders of the German Greens, Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang said they would step aside, making way for a new leadership to be elected at the next party congress. The decision comes after a series of heavy election defeats for the party, which serves in Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition.

Persons: Omid Nouripour, Ricarda Lang, Fabian Sommer, Omid, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Organizations: German Green Party, Getty, German Greens, Social Locations: Berlin

☆ Wargames show the US could burn through its ammo in 'as few as 3 to 4 weeks' in a war with China, commission warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA new high-profile report on US national defense acknowledged that the Pentagon could deplete its munitions within "three to four weeks" in a protracted war with China. Some important munitions, such as anti-ship missiles, could last only a few days, the commission warned. As an example, they cited a 2022 report from the Royal United Services Institute about the war in Ukraine. Defense industry 'grossly inadequate' even in peacetimeThe US commission warned that defense production as a whole is in bad shape, saying the wider industry doesn't have the capacity to meet national needs even in peacetime.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, Army, Democratic, Center for National American Security, Royal United Services Institute, Defense, Department Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Donbas, Iran, North Korea

☆ China third plenum: Communist Party meets to set direction for troubled economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the meeting, which takes place every five years and is known as China’s third plenum. It has historically been a platform for the party’s leadership to announce key economic reforms and policy directives. China’s gross domestic product expanded by 4.7% in the April to June months, compared to the previous year. But observers of China’s opaque political machine don’t believe there will be fundamental economic reforms this time around. Uncompleted residential buildings at a real estate project on the outskirts of Shenyang in China's Liaoning province earlier this year.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Xi, , Xi’s, Andrea Verdelli, They’ll, ”, Neil Thomas, Jing Qian, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Li Yuchao, Xu Zhongbo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, West, Reuters, party’s Central, US, Congress, Bloomberg, Getty, Observers, ” Asia Society Center, China, Tech, EU, Central Committee, Foreign, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Europe, party’s, Shenyang, China's Liaoning, China's Shandong

☆ China sets mid-July for highly anticipated ‘Third Plenum’ meeting to discuss 'deepening reform'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

NINGBO, China — China's top leaders will gather from July 15 to 18 for a highly anticipated meeting known as the Third Plenum, state media said Thursday. He said his analysis of an annual government meeting in December found the readout had twice as many mentions of policy implementation than the prior year, highlighting its importance. The Communist Party of China selected a new group of leaders in October 2022 at its 20th National Party Congress. Its third plenary session will run from July 15 to July 18, state media said. The plenum will discuss "further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization," English-language state media said.

Persons: Pang Ming Organizations: Communist Party of, National Party Congress Locations: NINGBO, China, Communist Party of China

☆ Former German Spy Chief Founds New Right-Wing Party
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Thomas Escritt and Sarah MarshBERLIN (Reuters) - A former German spy chief who was sacked after being accused of averting his eyes to the threat posed by the far-right founded a new right-wing party on Saturday, holding an inaugural party congress on a boat near Germany's old capital Bonn. The Werteunion, or Values Union, is headed by Hans-Georg Maassen, who was dismissed as head of Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in 2018. A former member of the opposition Christian Democrats, Maassen is himself now being monitored by the security agency he ran, he said last month. Maassen said on social media platform X, posting a photo of himself and colleagues in front of a German flag on the boat. Earlier this year, leftist politician Sahra Wagenknecht founded a new left populist party.

Persons: Thomas Escritt, Sarah Marsh BERLIN, Hans, Georg Maassen, Maassen, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, Sahra Wagenknecht, Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Values, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats Locations: Bonn, Germany, Chemnitz

☆ Boris Nadezhdin: Anti-war presidential candidate ignites Russian anger
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Dozens, if not hundreds of people lining up in freezing conditions to try to ensure an anti-war presidential candidate has enough signatures to get on the ballot for the vote in March. Key endorsements from other Russian opposition figures, including associates of jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny have helped. The candidate is Boris Nadezhdin, on the surface an unlikely opponent for Vladimir Putin. People give their signatures in support of Boris Nadezhdin, who plans to run for Russian president in the March 2024 election, outside his campaign office in Moscow on January 23. Evgenia Novozhenina/ReutersHe went on to become an adviser to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, assassinated within view of the Kremlin in 2015.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Boris Nadezhdin, Vladimir Putin, He’s, oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Evgenia Novozhenina, Boris Nemtsov, “, Putin, ”, Russia’s, I’m, Nadezhdin, Elizaveta, Yulia Morozova, Ivan, Elena, Anna Chernova Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Kremlin, Civil Initiative Locations: Russia, London, Paris, Georgia’s, Tbilisi, Moscow, Ukraine, Bryansk, “, Russian

☆ China could take inspiration from Vladimir Putin as it seeks to conquer Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Gregor Schwung | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewOn the beach of the Taiwanese island of Kinmen, pointed metal rods protrude from the ground and point towards the sea. To test Western resolve, China could first grab one of the offshore islands - just as Putin initially seized Crimea. After all, the only previous hostilities between Taiwan and China took place here - Beijing tried to conquer Kinmen in 1960 and 1970. To take Taiwan, China does not need Kinmen or the other offshore islands as a springboard. Due to its proximity to the mainland, Chinese military activities and any preparations for an invasion can be easily observed from here.

Persons: —, Gregor Schwung, Xi Jinping, Putin, Xi, Sun Tzu, Li Wen, Jing, Li, Vladimir Putin, Yao, Yuan Yeh Organizations: Service, Business, Congress, Kinmen, dicey coastguard, People's Liberation Army, Institute for National Defence and Security Research, Ministry of Defence, WELT, New, Security, Beijing, Communist Party, St Thomas University, Policy Locations: Kinmen, China, Xiamen, Taiwan, Taipei, Pratas, People's Republic, Crimea, Washington, Beijing, Ukraine, Taiwan's, Houston

☆ Malaysia to allow visa-free entry to Chinese, Indian nationals from Dec. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Malaysia will grant visa-free entry to citizens of China and India for stays of up to 30 days starting on Dec. 1, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to government data, Malaysia recorded 9.16 million tourist arrivals between January and June this year, with 498,540 from China and 283,885 from India. That compared to 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India in the same period of 2019, prior to the pandemic. The move follows similar measures implemented by neighbouring Thailand to boost its vital tourism sector and stimulate its sluggish economy, with Chinese and Indian nationals among those exempted this year. Currently, Chinese and Indian nationals must apply for visas to enter Malaysia.

Persons: Lai Seng, Anwar Ibrahim, Anwar, Danial Azhar, Martin Petty Organizations: Kuala, Kuala Lumpur International, REUTERS, People's Justice Party, Malaysia, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore, Sepang, KUALA LUMPUR, China, India, Thailand

MEXICO (AP) — The company run by Mexican TV, retail and banking magnate Ricardo Salinas Pliego said Tuesday it had failed to reach agreement with bondholders in the United States who are owed tens of millions of dollars in past-due payments. Salinas Pliego's TV Azteca company issued a statement Tuesday saying it needed a restructuring of bonds that come due in 2024 because business was so bad. According to the company statement, the bondholders wanted $105 million paid when a deal was reached, in exchange for a restructuring that would grant a six-year extension to 2030 on full repayment. TV Azteca offered a $45 million initial payment and a mix of six- and eight-year extensions on the bonds’ due dates. Salinas Pliego, who describes himself as "Bitcoin holder, businessman, Libertarian,” has developed a following on social media for his incendiary attacks on political and public figures.

Persons: Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Salinas Pliego, Pliego, ” Organizations: Salinas, TV Azteca Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, United States, U.S, Salinas, New York City, Mexico

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu attends a swearing-in ceremony as he is accompanied by Ozgur Ozel at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Sunday elected Ozgur Ozel as its new leader, ending a 13-year term for incumbent Kemal Kilicdaroglu, as the country gears up for local elections next March. Ozel, 49, has been serving as the CHP's deputy parliamentary group chairman since 2015 and has been a lawmaker since 2011. Ozel, a pharmacist by trade, received 812 of 1,366 possible votes at a tense, hours-long party congress in Ankara that took two rounds. Imamoglu supported Ozel in a push for change at the CHP that has long been bogged down by in-fighting.

Persons: Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Ozgur Ozel, Umit, Tayyip Erdogan, Ozel, Kilicdaroglu, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Imamoglu, Erdogan, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ozer Sencar, pollster Metropoll, Sencar, Daniel Wallis, Hugh Lawson, David Evans Organizations: Republican People's Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Istanbul Mayor, CHP, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Ozel, Istanbul, Black Sea, Rize, Turkey's

☆ Li Keqiang: China’s former Premier dead at 68 according to state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Steven Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, once seen as a reform-minded contender to the country’s top leadership role, died of a sudden heart attack early Friday in Shanghai, state media reported. 2 leader until late last year, served as the country’s premier – traditionally in charge of the economy – for a decade from 2013 to March this year under strongman leader Xi Jinping. Under Hu, Li was named to the party’s top central leadership body the Politburo Standing Committee in 2007. Then 67, Li was one year short of the unofficial retirement age for senior Chinese Communist Party leaders. He was succeeded as premier earlier this year by former Shanghai party chief and Xi loyalist Li Qiang.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Li Keqiang, Li, Xi Jinping, ” Li, “, Xi, Xi’s, Hu Jintao, Hu, nodded, Mao Zedong, China’s princelings, Li Qiang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — Former, Peking University, Communist Party’s Youth League, Communist Party Congress, Dongling, Brigade, Communist Youth League Central Committee, Communist Party, party’s, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, United States, China, Liaoning, Henan, Anhui

☆ Turkey's Erdogan tells supporters he does not 'recognise' LGBT
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech at the Extraordinary Congress of his ruling AK Party in Ankara, Turkey October 7, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he did not "recognise LGBT" and vowed to combat "perverse" trends which he said aimed to destroy the institution of family in the country. Turkey's government, led by Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party, has toughened its stance on LGBTQ freedoms in recent months, particularly while campaigning for this year's elections in May. We are members of a structure that holds the institution of family solid, that strongly embraces the family institution," he said. "We will dry the roots of sneaky acts aiming to destroy our family institution by supporting perverse political, social and individual trends," he told tens of thousands of flag-waving and chanting supporters.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Jan Harvey Organizations: AK Party, Turkish Presidential Press, REUTERS, Rights, AK, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, New York

☆ Opinion: It doesn’t take an Agatha Christie detective to work out something’s up in Xi’s China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The latest to vanish from view is China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu. But anti-corruption campaigns are an ideal vehicle for political crackdowns, and in the opaque world of China’s regime, with no official explanation, there’s much that doesn’t meet the eye. (Rahm Emanuel, dripping with sarcasm, joked that the unemployment rate among Xi’s ministers might exceed that of China’s young people.) But China, of course, still promotes its system as a superior alternative to western-style democracy; tries to pretend that it’s not a dictatorship.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Li Shangfu, “ I’m, Nobody, Rahm Emanuel, ”, Xi’s, Agatha Christie’s, Li, China’s, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Qi, Xi, Mao Zedong, didn’t, Joe Biden, “, Hu Jintao, Hu, chastened, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, China’s Defense, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Twitter, Qin, Street Journal, PLA’s, Force, United Nations General Assembly, Communist Party Congress Locations: China, Japan, Denmark, Vietnam, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Germany

But part of Xi's drive to improve his fighting force has been to stamp out corruption that has long plagued China's military and other state institutions. A leader China's space and cyber warfare development and then head of military procurement, Li, 65, was elevated to defence minister in March. He also has a more public role than others on the Central Military Commission, China's top defence body, commanded by Xi. Li's term at the Central Military Commission highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. A bigger question is what priority Beijing will continue to place on China's military diplomacy amid ongoing regional tensions.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, Lloyd Austin, James Char, Russian Su, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, John Geddie, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Central Military Commission, West, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Strategic Support Force, Equipment Development Department of, Communist Party Congress, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Russia, Washington, U.S, Singapore, China, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian, Hong Kong

☆ The Public Face of China's Military Under Corruption Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: Greg Torode, Laurie Chen BEIJING, Li Shangfu, Li, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, Lloyd Austin, James Char, Russian Su, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Laurie Chen, John Geddie, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Central Military Commission, West, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Strategic Support Force, Equipment Development Department of, Communist Party Congress Locations: United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Russia, Washington, U.S, Singapore, China, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian, Hong Kong

☆ How could Russia help North Korea build a satellite?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The unprecedented visit comes as North Korea seeks to put its first spy satellite into orbit, an effort that has seen two failed attempts this year. Here's what we know about North Korea's race for space, why it's so controversial, and how Russia might help:WHY DOES NORTH KOREA WANT A SATELLITE? Seoul said the satellite had little military value, though analysts said any working satellite in space would provide North Korea with better intelligence on its enemies. At the time of the 2016 space launch, North Korea had yet to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). "Any form of satellite technology transfers or coordination between Russia and North Korea could be against international sanctions," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Mikhail Metzel, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Pyongyang’s, Brian Weeden, Putin's, Lee Choon Geun, Lee, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North Korean, TASS, Secure, Foundation, United Nations, North, Vostochny, Korea's Science, Technology Policy Institute, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Kremlin, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Korea, North, North Korea, South Korea, Seoul, U.S, United States

☆ Finland's ex-PM Marin to join Blair think tank, leave parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO-Finland's Social Democrats Party Chair, former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin waves from the stage before her resignation speech at the Party Congress of the Socialdemocrats of Finland in Jyvaskyla, Finland, September 1, 2023. Based on her new position, Marin is formally asking permission to resign from parliament, her centre-left Social Democrats party said. The London-based policy think tank is led by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "I feel that this assignment is such that it will benefit the whole of Finland as well," Marin told reporters. Marin was the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019 aged 34, attracting attention around the globe and helping lift Finland's profile at a turbulent time.

Persons: Marin, Ulander, Sanna Marin, Tony Blair, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik, Frances Kerry Organizations: Finland's Social, Chair, Party Congress, REUTERS, Rights, Tony, Tony Blair Institute for Global, Social, British, NATO, Thomson Locations: Finland, Jyvaskyla, London, COVID, Ukraine

☆ Finland's Marin, once the world's youngest premier, steps down as party leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Finland's Social Democrats Party Chair, former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin waves from the stage before her resignation speech at the Party Congress of the Socialdemocrats of Finland in Jyvaskyla, Finland, September 1, 2023. Marin, who had announced her intention to quit soon after the election loss, was the world's youngest prime minister when she took the post in 2019 aged 34, attracting attention around the globe and helping lift Finland's profile. After her election loss, Marin said she looked forward to a quieter life and later also announced a divorce from her husband. Entering the stage on Friday to the beat of Aretha Franklin's "Respect", Marin thanked her party for its support. She was due to formally hand over the reins later on Friday after the Social Democrats elect a new leader.

Persons: Marin, Ulander, Sanna Marin, succesfully, Aretha Franklin's, Essi, Terje Solsvik, Frances Kerry Organizations: Finland's Social, Chair, Party Congress, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Social Democrats, NATO, Vogue, Time, National Coalition, Finns, Thomson Locations: Finland, Jyvaskyla, COVID, Ukraine, Russia, U.S

☆ Explainer: Why North Korea's satellite launches are so controversial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A still photograph shows what appears to be North Korea's new Chollima-1 rocket being launched in Cholsan County, North Korea, May 31, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. A May 31 attempt - North Korea's first such launch since 2016 - ended in fiery failure when its new Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the sea. DUAL-USE TECHNOLOGYThe United States and its allies called North Korea's latest tests of satellite systems clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit any development of technology applicable to North Korea's ballistic missile programs. At the time of the 2016 space launch, North Korea had yet to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The satellite launch was condemned by governments in the United States and South Korea as a disguised test of missile technology capable of striking the continental United States.

Persons: Kim Jong, Pyongyang’s, Ankit, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: Cholsan County, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, South Korea, Korea, Seoul, United States, U.S

☆ North Korea's space launch program and long-range missile projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives field guidance at the Seohae satellite launch site, in North Korea, in this photo released on March 11, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Dec. 12, 2012: North Korea successfully launches the Kwangmyongsong-3, putting an object in orbit. April 2013: North Korea establishes the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) which purports to pursue space exploration for peaceful purposes. Aug 29, 2017: North Korea fires an intermediate range missile over northern Japan, prompting warnings to residents to take cover. March 16, 2023: North Korea test launches the Hwasong-17 ICBM, its biggest missile, which some analysts believe incorporates technology for space launch vehicles.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim Jong Il, Hyon, ”, Kim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Japan's Coast Guard, ., North Korea, National Aerospace Development Administration, United, International, Japan, International Maritime Organization, Pacific, Thomson Locations: North Korea, North, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Korea, Pyongyang, Japan, U.S, East China

☆ Why North Korea's satellite launches are so controversial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A still photograph shows what appears to be North Korea's new Chollima-1 rocket being launched in Cholsan County, North Korea, May 31, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. A May 31 attempt - North Korea's first such launch since 2016 - ended in fiery failure when its new Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the sea. A senior official at North Korea's space agency said after the launch that it planned to put more advanced satellites into orbit by 2020 and eventually "plant the flag of (North Korea) on the moon". DUAL-USE TECHNOLOGYThe United States and its allies called North Korea's latest tests of satellite systems clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit any development of technology applicable to North Korea's ballistic missile programs. At the time of the 2016 space launch, North Korea had yet to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

☆ Finns Party mastermind defends long-term goal to leave the EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Opinion polls show the hardline former party leader is unlikely to win the presidency, but his views are influential within the Finns Party, which is part of the right-wing government that took office in June. Delegates at the weekend conference discussed the party's EU stance in light of the Ukraine war and its governing alliance with pro-EU allies. The Finns Party backed the country joining NATO this year. The Finns Party congress also rejected the EU's proposed Nature Restoration Law, with Tavio calling it "a sad example of the acceleration of the EU's dictatorial policy under the guise of climate change". The Finns Party has suffered two setbacks in recent weeks.

Persons: Jussi Halla, Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, Party's Jussi Halla, aho, Halla, Ville Tavio, Vilhelm Junnila, Riikka Purra, Anne Kauranen, Justyna Pawlak, Hugh Lawson, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Saturday ., Finns Party, EU, Reuters, NATO, Foreign Trade, Restoration, Thomson Locations: Helsinki, Finland, Ukraine, EU, Western Europe, Europe, Halla

☆ Inspired by Ukraine war, Taiwan launches drone blitz to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

These drones range from jet-powered, long range surveillance aircraft to small quadcopters deployed by ground troops. Taiwan should accelerate mass production of a range of military drones to boost self-reliance in the struggle with Beijing, it concluded. U.S. drones range in size from two-kilogram, hand-launched drones to 14,500-kilogram long range surveillance drones. Unlike Taiwan, China began mass-producing unmanned aircraft long before the Ukraine conflict. Hundreds of technology experts, including specialists in AI, were recruited to the military, according to UCSD analyst Cheung.

Persons: Tsai Ing, ”, Tsai “, Max Lo, “, Hawk Yang, Yang, Tsai, Joe Biden, ’, Lo, Tai Ming Cheung, ” Cheung, Nancy Pelosi, ” Tsai, Chang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Cheung, ” Elsa Kania Organizations: Reuters, People’s Liberation Army, Thunder Tiger Group, “, Communist Party, Taiwan, Taiwan Affairs Office, U.S . Department of Defense, White, Pentagon ., Teal, University of California, PLA, U.S . House, Airborne, Washington -, Strategic & International Studies ., Royal United Services Institute, 20th Party Congress, UCSD, Center, New, New American Security, China's Ministry of Defense, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Taipei, Taiwan, China, Asia, United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, America, Republic of China, “ China, Kinmen, Beijing, Washington, Pentagon . U.S, U.S, University of California San Diego, Chiayi, Strategic & International Studies . Ukraine, London, Chang Kong, Today, New American

☆ 3 Takeaways From Janet Yellen’s Trip to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Keith Bradsher | More About Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Yellen used softer language for America’s economic strategy toward China, disavowing a term that had caught on in Washington but offended Beijing. Yet even though more talks are a likely outcome of Ms. Yellen’s trip to China, neither she nor Chinese officials retreated from their policy positions. She forged ties with China’s economic leaders. The officials — including Ms. Yellen’s counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng — generally have less international experience than their predecessors and are less familiar to policymakers in the West. One of Ms. Yellen’s top goals was to meet China’s new team.

Persons: Janet L, Yellen, Xi Jinping, Lifeng Organizations: China’s Communist Party Locations: United States, China, Beijing, Washington, West . China

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