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☆ Solomon Islands leader visits security partner China with focus on infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 9 (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare arrives in China on Sunday for his first visit since striking a security deal, pledging to "remain neutral" amid rising China-U.S. competition and prioritise his nation's development needs. Western analysts said Sogavare would be feted after signing the security pact that alarmed Washington and some Pacific Islands neighbours including Australia last year. China's foreign ministry said China and the Solomon Islands had "contributed to peace, stability and development in the region", and the two countries leaders would discuss international and regional issues. China has constructed the stadium, is advising on security, and will train 80 Solomon Islands athletes arriving in China this week. Solomon Islands has one of the closest relationships with China in the region, said Meg Keen, director of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands program.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Sogavare, Graeme Smith, Meg Keen, Lowy, Kirsty Needham, Kim Coghill Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Papua New, Huawei, Pacific Games, Solomon, Australian National University, Thomson Locations: Solomon, China, U.S, Washington, Australia, Papua, Papua New Guinea, Britain, Honiara, Chinese, Honiara's, Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, India, Gulf, Taiwan, Pacific, Japan

☆ Japan protests to S.Korea over military drill on disputed islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 7 (Reuters) - Japan lodged a protest with South Korea over military drills it conducted on disputed islands, saying it was "extremely regrettable", the foreign ministry said in a statement issued on Friday. "Takeshima is indisputably an inherent territory of Japan, in light of historical facts and based on international law," the ministry said in the statement. "The drills by the South Korean military are unacceptable and extremely regrettable." "The East Sea territory defence exercise was carried out to conduct our mission to protect our territory, people and property," a South Korean military official said. The South Korean military has conducted the military drill routinely every year, the official added.

Persons: Kaori Kaneko, Hyunsu Yim, Kim Coghill Organizations: South, South Korea, East, Korean, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, South Korea, South Korean, Tokyo, Seoul, Dokdo, Korea

RBI has not yet outlined its plan to supervisors at the European Central Bank (ECB), two people with knowledge of its dealings with the central bank said, making a spin-off unlikely by September. Furthermore, the approval of Russia's central bank, finance ministry and, in the event of a sale, even Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be needed before RBI acts. The ECB urged RBI not to pay a dividend this year because of its concerns over Russia, one of the people said. Austria's central bank and the ECB declined to comment. Another source said he has urged the U.S. not to pressure RBI.

Persons: Raiffeisen, Vladimir Putin, UniCredit, month's Wagner, Robert Holzmann, Christine Lagarde, Magnus Brunner, Brian Nelson, Francesco Canepa, John O'Donnell, Alexander Smith Organizations: Raiffeisen, Reuters, Austrian, European Central Bank, ECB, Treasury, Foreign Assets, OFAC, U.S, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Russia, Austria, Moscow, U.S, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Vienna, Soviet, Austrian, United States, Frankfurt

☆ Hague court rejects India's objections over water treaty arbitration
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMSTERDAM/NEW DELHI, July 6 (Reuters) - The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague rejected on Thursday India's objections to a Pakistan-initiated procedure over water use in the Indus River basin, reopening a procedure that had been blocked for many years. India called the arbitration proceeding illegal as a neutral expert was also looking at the issue and the World Bank-brokered treaty prohibits parallel proceedings. India has boycotted The Hague court proceedings and questioned the competence of the court. A spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, Arindam Bagchi, said India's "consistent and principled position has been that the constitution of this so-called court of arbitration is in contravention of the clear letter and spirit of the Indus Water Treaty". Pakistan's Foreign Office said that it remained fully committed to the implementation of the Indus Water Treaty and its settlement mechanism, which it termed a "foundational agreement" between the two countries.

Persons: Hague, Arindam Bagchi, Bagchi, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Krishn Kaushik, Gibran Peshimam, Richard Chang, Kim Coghill Organizations: AMSTERDAM, World Bank, Ratle Hydro, GV De, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Pakistan, India, Hague, Pakistan's, Amsterdam, New Delhi, Karachi

☆ Neutral Switzerland wants to take part in Sky Shield defence project
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ZURICH, July 4 (Reuters) - Switzerland wants to participate in the European Sky Shield air defence umbrella, the government said on Tuesday, a move which critics say is incompatible with the country's long-standing tradition of neutrality. European Sky Shield is a common air defence scheme set up by Germany in 2022 to boost European air defence, an issue which has come into sharper focus since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Switzerland wishes to participate in the European Sky Shield Initiative and a declaration of intent is due to be signed in Bern," the Defence Ministry told Reuters, confirming an earlier report by broadcaster SRF. Some 17 European countries have so far signed up to the Sky Shield project including Germany, Britain, Finland and Sweden. The Sky Shield move has provoked concerns from Switzerland's neutrality lobby.

Persons: Viola Amherd, Werner Gartenmann, John Revill, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sky, Swiss, Sky Shield, Defence Ministry, Reuters, SRF, Patriot, Pro Schweiz, NATO, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine, Austria, Bern, Britain, Finland, Sweden, Swiss, Denmark

☆ Japan to get crucial U.N. verdict for Fukushima water release
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan has not specified a date for the water release, pending the IAEA's final review and official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body for Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) (9501.T). Through its embassy in Japan, Beijing on Tuesday repeated the protest, saying the IAEA's report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and calling for the plan's suspension. Japan plans to release 1.3 million tonnes of water used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific Ocean. Nuclear power plants around the world regularly release waste water containing tritium above the concentration of TEPCO's treated water.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Sakura Murakami, Martin Pollard, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power, Local, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Beijing, South, Tokyo

☆ UAE to set up investment ministry, PM says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, July 3 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will set up a new federal ministry of investment to develop the Gulf state's investment strategy both globally and domestically as it contends with growing economic competition from neighbours. The Gulf states, largely dependent on hydrocarbons for revenue, all have plans underway to diversify their economies and sources of income. The ministry's aims would include stimulating the investment environment in the UAE and to make the UAE's legislation and procedures more competitive to attract global investment, Sheikh Mohammed said. The UAE will also set up a Financial Stability Council to monitor risks, and deal with financial crises to further its objectives of becoming a major global financial centre. Foreign direct investment into Saudi Arabia was about 30 billion riyals ($8 billion), based on data from the Saudi investment ministry.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al, Mohammed Hassan Al Suwaidi, Sheikh Mohammed said, Sheikh Mohammed, Rachna Uppal, Nayera Abdallah, David Goodman, Jane Merriman Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Twitter, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, UAE, Maktoum, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

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

☆ South Korea shoppers buy up salt before Japan's Fukushima water dump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Hyun Young Yi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Lee Young-Min and her children pose for photographs during an interview with Reuters in Seongnam, South Korea, June 28, 2023. The release of the water from huge storage tanks into the Pacific is expected soon though no date has been set. The rush to stock up contributed to a nearly 27% rise in the price of salt in South Korea in June from two months ago, though officials say the weather and lower production were also to blame. South Korean fisheries authorities say they will keep a close eye on salt farms for any rise in radioactivity. South Korea has banned seafood from the waters near Fukushima, on Japan's east coast.

Persons: Lee Young, Min, Kim SEOUL, Song Sang, keun, Japan's, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim Myung, Hyun Young Yi, Jack Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Fisheries, ., Thomson Locations: Seongnam, South Korea, Japan, Tokyo, Seoul, Korea, Fukushima, Japan's, China

☆ Japan, S.Korea to discuss FX swap deal in first finance talks since 2016
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The swap deal expired in 2015 amid worsening relations over issues related to Japan's wartime occupation of the Korean Peninsula, and its restoration would symbolise the improvement in relations, analysts say. "We must strongly raise the momentum for historic improvement of Japan-South Korea relations. The ministers will also discuss global economic developments, infrastructure investment in developing countries, and the role both countries could play in multilateral financial cooperation. The bilateral finance talks, the eighth of their kind, were last held in 2016. Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Leika Kihara, Simon Cameron-Moore and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon, Issei Kato TOKYO, Shunichi Suzuki, Choo Kyungho, Masato Kanda, Suzuki, Choo, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Leika Kihara, Simon Cameron, Moore, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Tokyo International, REUTERS, Japanese Finance, Korean, Thomson Locations: Korean, Tokyo, Japan, South Korea, China, North Korea, Ukraine

At its peak in 2011, the swap deal was worth $70 billion. With both sides sitting on ample foreign exchange reserves, the swap deal is unlikely to be put into action anytime soon, he added. Masato Kanda, Japan's vice finance minister for international affairs also said the currency swap deal would promote co-operation. The bilateral finance talks were to have taken place every year under a 2006 agreement, but were last held in 2016. With China and North Korea growing concerns, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in May, the third between the two this year, marking a thaw in years of icy relations between the Asian neighbours.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon, Issei Kato, Shunichi Suzuki, Choo, Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Kanda, Fumio Kishida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Jihoon Lee, Edwina Gibbs, Clarence Fernandez, Kim Coghill Organizations: Tokyo International, REUTERS, Japanese Finance, Korean, Japanese, South Korea, Thomson Locations: Korean, Tokyo, Japan, Seoul TOKYO, SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, China, North Korea, South

☆ Pakistan summons US deputy mission chief over US-India statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LeT is the Islamist group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which more than 160 people were killed, while Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a 2019 bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops. Relations between India and Pakistan have been fraught for years. India says Pakistan has helped Islamist militants who have battled Indian security forces in its part of Kashmir since the late 1980s. Pakistan denies the accusation and says it only provides diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris seeking self-determination. Additional reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Matt Miller, Washington, Mohammad, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Charlotte Greenfield, Alex Richardson Organizations: U.S, Indian, White, . State, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, U.S, Pakistan, United States, India, Mumbai, Kashmir, Britain, Washington

☆ Pakistan army says two civilians killed by Indian forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISLAMABAD, June 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan's army claimed on Saturday that two civilians were killed by Indian forces in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, the first such conflict since a ceasefire in 2021 between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours. "The Indian Army, in a display of its usual inhumane approach towards innocent Kashmiris, opened indiscriminate fire onto a group of shepherds in Sattwal Sector," the statement said. The Indian army did not respond to a request for comment. Both India and Pakistan lay claim over the disputed territory, but each control half of it. Condemning the killings and ceasefire violation, the Pakistani foreign office summoned the Indian envoy to register a protest, the statement said.

Persons: Asif Shahzad, Diane Craft Organizations: Indian Army, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Kashmir, Sattwal, India, Pakistan, New Delhi

☆ U.S. to slap new sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Thai reports, published on Tuesday, said Washington would announce new sanctions on Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank as early as Wednesday. A spokesman for Myanmar's military junta said it was not worried about any new sanctions. Zaw Min Tun told the state media channel MWD on Tuesday evening that the country has experienced sanctions before and they will not face losses if there are new sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks. He said the United States was "just doing this to cause difficulties in economics and politics". One of the Thai media reports, by Bangkok Business News, cited Thai sources as saying the sanctions would impact Thailand and other countries in the region financially because of connections with local banks.

Persons: Washington, Aung, Kyi, Min Tun, Critics, Prayuth Chan, Panu, Poppy McPherson, Kay Johnson, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: United, Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank, Myanmar Investment, Commercial Bank, Reuters, Embassy, Bangkok Business, Thai, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, United States, U.S, Thailand, States, Myanmar, Bangkok, Pattaya, ASEAN

JAKARTA, June 21 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian neighbours of conflict-riven Myanmar must consider imposing measures to hold its military rulers accountable, a United Nations expert said on Wednesday, adding the bloc is "deadlocked" over how to resolve the ongoing crisis. "It is time to consider alternative options to break what has become a deadly stalemate," he said at a press conference in Jakarta. "ASEAN must consider measures to impose accountability on the junta for its grave human rights violations and blatant disregard for implementation of the Five-Point Consensus." In November, an ASEAN leaders' summit issued a warning to Myanmar's junta and concluded a need for "concrete, practical and measurable indicators with a specific timeline." Andrews said the meeting in Thailand "can have the dangerous effect of legitimising the junta and undermining ASEAN unity".

Persons: Thomas Andrews, Andrews, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Lincoln Organizations: United, United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Myanmar, United Nations, Jakarta, U.S, Indonesia, Thailand

BRUSSELS, June 21 (Reuters) - European Union governments agreed on Wednesday to an 11th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at stopping other countries and companies from circumventing existing measures. The new package, tweeted by Sweden as EU president, forbids transit via Russia of an expanded list of goods and technology which might aid Russia's military or security sector. Names of such countries can be added to an annex of the EU sanctions regulation with unanimous agreement of all 27 members. The EU package extends the suspension of EU broadcasting licences of five Russian state-controlled media. Overnight, Ukraine removed the five Greek shipping firms from its list, securing the backing of Athens for the package.

Persons: Julia Payne, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski, Brenda Goh, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Union, Russia, United Arab, EU, Peace Facility, European Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Sweden, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Moscow, GREECE, HUNGARY, Hungary, Greece, Athens, Beijing, Hong Kong, Russian, Shanghai

It felt like it was a bomb, an attack," said Oliur, 27, still shaken by the explosion that he said miraculously left him unscathed. Across the street, local bar L'Oree du Bois had become a rallying point for local residents in search of a place to stay for the night, as they were not hopeful they could return to their homes immediately. Some were speculating about the origin of the blast, suspecting a gas leak, like 75-year-old Monique Mosser. "We're being told it's gas, as they keep digging holes in every street of Paris ...," she said, referring to local work that was being done in the street. Quentin Huet, 20, a student at the nearby Ecole des Mines graduate school, told Reuters it was not just the sound that scared him.

Persons: Rahman Oliur, Jacques, du Bois, Monique Mosser, We're, Mosser, Quentin Huet, Juliette Jabkhiro, Michel Rose, Sandra Maler Organizations: Saint, Firefighters, Ecole des Mines, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, Ecole

☆ U.S. urges China military dialogue despite rebuff to Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We remain willing and able at all levels to meet and call on China to respond appropriately to that." Blinken told a press conference in London that he had made those concerns clear to his Chinese counterparts. China cited U.S. sanctions as an obstacle to military dialogue which Blinken said he had repeatedly raised with his hosts and would continue to push for. China's defence minister Li earlier this month declined an invitation to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at an international security summit. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Blinken, Antony Blinken's, Sarah Beran, Beran, we've, Li Shangfu, East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, Joe Biden, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, China's, Li, Lloyd Austin, Humeyra Pamuk, Andrew Cawthorne, Alistair Bell Organizations: White, National Security Council, Taiwan Affairs, Wall Street Journal, Chinese Defence, Washington, U.S, U.S . State Department's, East Asia, U.S ., Ukraine, Defense, Thomson Locations: Beijing, U.S, China, BEIJING, United States, Cuba, Taiwan, London, U.S .

☆ Israel says hoped-for direct Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia won't happen now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, June 19 (Reuters) - Israel said on Monday that hoped-for direct flights to Saudi Arabia for the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage would not happen this year, and played down any prospects of an imminent U.S.-mediated normalisation of relations with Riyadh. Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia gave its quiet assent to Gulf neighbours United Arab Emirates and Bahrain forging ties with Israel in 2020. "Perhaps for the next Hajj we will be in a position to help in this matter, and (direct) flights will depart from here," National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told Kan radio. "Since we thought a Saudi-U.S. agreement was the precursor for any (Israeli) peace deal with Riyadh, we assessed that ... it would not have a high chance of being realised," Hanegbi told Israel Hayom. Visiting Saudi Arabia on June 8, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration would continue working on normalisation "in the days, weeks and months ahead".

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Tzachi Hanegbi, Kan, Biden, normalisation, Hanegbi, Israel Hayom, Antony Blinken, Eli Cohen, Dan Williams, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Riyadh ., Saudi, United, Israel, Transport Ministry, Channel, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, U.S, Riyadh, Riyadh . Regional, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Hajj, Saudi, Iran, Washington, Israel, United States

At the same time, the property price surge and demand for the ultra-high-end segment is stirring memories of old excesses. In 2008, the global financial crisis hit Dubai hard, leading to a flight of capital and people, a crash in property prices and highly leveraged flagship companies known as government-related entities (GREs) struggling to repay debts. Dubai set up a Debt Management Office in 2022, has repaid or restructured some outstanding debt, and announced plans to list government stakes in 10 companies to raise capital and deepen financial markets. 'GLOBAL SAFE HAVEN'The United Arab Emirates' commercial centre, Dubai has shovelled resources into social and business reforms and sectors like digital technology. Average property prices rose 12.8% in Q1, with villa prices up almost 15%, according to property research firm CBRE.

Persons: Knight Frank, Nasser Al Shaikh, GREs, Shaikh, Justin Alexander, Betterhomes, Richard Waind, Philippe Zuber, Beyonce, Rachna Uppal, Yousef Saba, Lisa Barrington, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters, Khalij, GlobalSource Partners, Dubai Media Office, Management, HAVEN, United Arab Emirates, Villa, Dubai Inc, Emirates, Kerzner, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, DUBAI, Dubai, glitzy, Property, Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Gulf, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE

☆ Thais host Myanmar junta official for talks; key ASEAN members stay away
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Myanmar's junta-appointed foreign minister, Than Swe, is due to join the talks, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters. But some ASEAN members have declined to attend and others are only sending junior officials. ASEAN FRUSTRATIONThe military took over in Myanmar in 1962, isolating it for decades until a tentative opening up began in 2011. Malaysia's foreign minister has also declined to attend the Thai talks, saying it remained supportive of the efforts being undertaken by Indonesia. Cambodia on Monday said Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who last year served as an ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar, would be represented by his deputy.

Persons: Aung, Athit, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Retno Marsudi, Suu Kyi, Prak Sokhonn, Panu, Ananda, Kanupriya Kapoor, Kay Johnson, Robert Birsel Organizations: Protesters, Embassy, REUTERS, Monday, Association of Southeast Nations, ASEAN, Myanmar's, Reuters, Thai PBS, Indonesian, Peace, Myanmar, ASEAN Chair, Malaysian, Cambodian, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK, ASEAN, Indonesia, Suu, Cambodia, Ananda Teresia, Jakarta, Rozanna, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Ukraine meets 2 of 7 conditions to launch EU membership talks -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But the EU set seven conditions - including on judicial reform and curbing endemic corruption - to launch accession negotiations. Two senior EU officials who were briefed on the report, which has not been made public, said Ukraine has met two of the criteria by now. The 27 member countries have the final say on whether and when to open membership talks with Kyiv. To qualify, Ukraine would have to align its laws with many extensive EU standards ranging from climate to labour. In practice, Ukraine's road to membership is bound to take years, and few believe the country can join while at war with Russia.

Persons: Gabriela Baczynska, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: EU, Ukraine, Kyiv's, Kyiv, Constitutional, Corruption, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv's Soviet, Brussels, Stockholm, Poland, Baltic, France, Germany, Netherlands

And it has also helped to placate Tuareg-led rebels in northern Mali who halted their separatist uprising with the 2015 Algiers Accord. Mali, Russia and Wagner deny wrongdoing in Moura or targeting civilians anywhere in Mali. RESTRICTIONSMINUSMA launched in 2013 after the separatist rebels and al Qaeda-linked insurgents occupied northern Mali. Bamako and the Kremlin say Russian troops, not Wagner mercenaries, are present in Mali but only to train the army and supply equipment. As a result, MINUSMA has struggled to counter a tide of anti-U.N. posts online, losing the battle for public opinion in Mali.

Persons: Wagner, Ahmedou Ould, Abdallah, MINUSMA, General Antonio Guterres, Abdoulaye Diop, U.N, Fatoumata Sinkoun Kaba, Souleymane Dembelé, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Ould Mohamed Ramdane, Ramdane, Yvan Guichaoua, Friedrich, Ebert, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Tiemoko Diallo, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Wagner Group, Islamic, CMA, Malian Foreign, Security, Reuters, El, Kremlin, French, Department of Peace, UN, U.S, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, NAIROBI, Russian, West Africa, Gao, Timbuktu, Mali, Algiers, Bamako, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Mauritanian, Sahel, Moura, Russia, U.N, Burkina Faso, Niger, Central African Republic, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, Egypt, Brussels, U.S, Dakar, Nairobi

☆ Blinken in China for rare trip amid frosty ties and dim hopes for progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Having postponed a February trip after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over U.S. airspace, Blinken is the highest-ranking U.S. government official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. The two made small talk as they walked in, Qin asking Blinken in English about his long trip from Washington. After heading into a meeting room, neither Blinken nor Qin made comments in front of reporters who were briefly allowed in. During his stay through Monday, Blinken is also expected to meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping. [1/8] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, June 18, 2023.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Qin Gang, Blinken, Qin, Hua Chunying, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping, Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Xi, Biden, I'm, Leah Millis, Pool, We're, Humeya Pamuk, Dominique Patton, Mike Stone, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Foreign, House, China's Foreign, REUTERS, Pool Biden, State Department, Washington, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, American, China, U.S, Beijing's Diaoyutai, Washington, Bali, Xi Jinping ., Diaoyutai, Indonesian, Taiwan, North Korea, United States, Tokyo

Two sources with knowledge of Sunday's meeting told Reuters that Myanmar's junta-appointed foreign minister had been invited. Myanmar's military spokesman did not respond to phone calls on Friday night. ASEAN chair Indonesia has declined to attend the proposed meeting, according to three sources. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said the Thai foreign minister had shown "arrogance" by inviting his junta counterpart who other regional neighbours have shunned. Indonesia last month cited progress in its own behind-the-scenes efforts to engage multiple parties in Myanmar's conflict in a bid to advance a peace process agreed by ASEAN leaders and Myanmar's military in April 2021.

Persons: Don Pramudwinai, Nobel, Aung, hasn't, Myanmar's, Prayuth Chan, ocha, Don's, Don, Phil Robertson, Ananda Teresia, Devjyot Ghoshal, Kay Johnson, Stanley Widianto, Martin Petty, Devjyot, Angus MacSwan Organizations: ASEAN, of Southeast Asian Nations, Thailand's Foreign, Reuters, Myanmar's, Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, Party, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Thailand BANGKOK, Suu, Jakarta, Asia, Bangkok, Shoon

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