DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Main Afghan-Pakistani border crossing closed, residents report gunfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KABUL/PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan was closed on Monday, officials from the two sides said, and residents in the area reported the sound of gunfire near the normally bustling border transit point. It was not immediately clear if Afghan or Pakistani authorities closed the Torkham border crossing, near the Khyber Pass, but it comes after relations between Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply. Media reported that the border was closed on Sunday evening but did not give a reason. Clashes between Afghan and Pakistani security forces have also at times closed the second most important crossing between the two countries, at Chaman to the south. A Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson said later Pakistan should raise issues in private and not at public forums.

☆ China warns of consequences if U.S. escalates balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Feb 19 (Reuters) - China warned the United States on Sunday it would "bear all the consequences" if it escalated the controversy over a Chinese balloon that the U.S. military shot down this month. Beijing will "follow through to the end" in the event "the U.S. insists on taking advantage of the issue", the foreign ministry said in a statement. A U.S. military jet on Feb. 4 shot down what Washington calls a Chinese spy balloon after it had crossed North America. China's statement followed a meeting between top diplomat Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China warns U.S. to suffer 'consequences' if it escalates balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Top Israeli diplomat ejected from African Union summit as row escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A senior Israeli diplomat was on Saturday removed from the African Union's annual summit in Ethiopia, as a dispute over Israel's accreditation to the bloc escalated. Images posted online showed AU security personnel confronting the diplomat during the opening ceremony of the summit, before she left the auditorium. But Israel blamed the incident on South Africa and Algeria, two key nations in the 55-nation bloc, saying they were holding the AU hostage, and were driven by "hate". South Africa rejected the claim, saying Israel's application for observer status at the AU has not been decided upon by the bloc. "So, it's not about South Africa or Algeria, it's an issue of principle."

☆ India tax officers search BBC offices weeks after critical Modi documentary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A police officer (L) stands near the reception desk of the building where Indian tax authorities raided BBC's office in New Delhi on Feb. 14, 2023. The BBC has stood by its reporting for the documentary and said it was cooperating with Indian tax officials. "The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. A survey conducted by the Income Tax Department allows officials to collect any information which it deems useful. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Indian institutions worked independently and the tax department was "within the law in looking into tax compliance."

[1/5] Police officers stand outside a building having BBC offices, where income tax officials are conducting a search, in New Delhi, India, February 14, 2023. The government last month dismissed the documentary, "India: The Modi Question", as propaganda and blocked its streaming and sharing on social media. The BBC has stood by its reporting for the documentary and said it was cooperating with Indian tax officials. The tax survey relates to transfer pricing rules and alleged diversion of profits. India's Income Tax Department has so far declined to comment on the reason for the search.

That window has been scrapped, with the ships now authorized to dock between Feb. 26 and March 3, the Brazil's foreign ministry said. A Brazilian military source confirmed that the federal government, via the foreign ministry, had shifted the dates and blocked the Iranian ships from docking. "The Iranian ships could not come during this period." A spokesperson for Brazil's foreign ministry said it was a "wrong assumption" to say Washington had pressured Brazil. Lula recoiled at U.S. sanctions on Iran and has declined to choose sides in the Russia-Ukraine war, saying Brazil is neutral and wants dialogue to reach peace.

☆ South Korea court orders first compensation for Vietnam war victim
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Feb 7 (Reuters) - A South Korean court ordered the government on Tuesday to compensate a Vietnamese victim of atrocities during the Vietnam War in the 1970s, when about 300,000 South Korean troops fought alongside U.S. forces. The ruling marked the first legal acknowledgement of South Korea's liability for atrocities during the war and could potentially pave the way for other victims to seek compensation. The Seoul Central District Court ordered the government to provide around 30 million won ($23,800) in compensation and additional funds for delay to Nguyen Thi Thanh, a survivor of killings of civilians by South Korean troops. A court official confirmed the decision but said the full verdict was not immediately available for release. Hanoi's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Mexico opposes restart of U.S. 'Remain in Mexico' immigration policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kylie Madry | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The Mexican government said on Monday it is opposed to a possible restart of the U.S. immigration policy known as "Remain in Mexico" which required asylum seekers to wait for U.S. hearings in Mexico. President Joe Biden has sought to end the program, which had been introduced by the Trump administration and is currently suspended. Activists argue the policy, officially called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), leaves migrants in dangerous border cities where they face threats of kidnapping and extortion. Some 74,000 migrants went through Mexico under the program when former President Donald Trump was in power, the foreign ministry said. Marsha Espinosa, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement to Reuters on Monday that the Biden Administration will keep trying to terminate MPP through the courts.

☆ Beijing's response to the US shooting down its balloon has been muted. It might be China's way of preparing for a future in which the roles are reversed, says international law expert.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China has to consider what it will do if the US sends balloons into Chinese airspace, a legal expert said. If Beijing pushes too hard on its response, its own rhetoric may backfire later, Julian Ku told NYT. In a statement on Sunday, China condemned the Department of Defense for destroying the balloon, saying the Pentagon "obviously overreacted" and "seriously violated international practices." "Moreover, they need to think about their own rights in case the US starts sending balloons or drones into China," Ku told the outlet. "We treat our enemies with fine wine, but for our enemies we got shotguns," China's ambassador to Sweden infamously said on radio in 2019.

☆ A close read of Beijing's official statement shows it doesn't think the US violated international law by shooting down its balloon, says a legal expert who studies China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China didn't accuse the US of violating international law when the Pentagon shot down its balloon. China has aggressively accused the US of breaking international law many times in the past. In the past, Beijing has accused the US of breaking international law even for actions like imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials. "It contravenes international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs. In July, Wang similarly said that Hague Tribunal rulings in support of Philippine claims over the South China Sea "seriously" violated international law.

☆ U.S.-China relations just got more fragile
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indefinitely postponed his visit to Beijing due to a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the United States. Brown | AFP | Getty ImagesBEIJING — U.S.-China relations look increasingly fragile, analysts say, after a now-downed Chinese balloon forced U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to indefinitely postpone his trip to Beijing. "A key question is why the Biden administration decided to publicize this balloon but not previous [reported] ones," Wildau said. While discussion of the balloon — including memes — circulated on Chinese social media, China's official Chinese-language mouthpieces have been more muted so far. "That alone would mean the Chinese leadership would be more restrained and would not want to let this balloon situation blow out of proportion."

☆ Pakistan's Musharraf, military ruler who allied with the U.S. and promoted moderate Islam
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/8] Pakistan's former President, Pervez Musharraf, addresses his supporters after his arrival from Dubai at Jinnah International airport in Karachi March 24, 2013. Musharraf, 79, died in hospital after a long illness after spending years in self-imposed exile, Pakistan media reported on Sunday. His father served in the foreign ministry, while his mother was a teacher and the family subscribed to a moderate, tolerant brand of Islam. Musharraf also successfully lobbied then-President George W. Bush to pour money into the Pakistani military. In 2006, Musharraf ordered military action that killed a tribal head from the province Balochistan, laying the foundations of an armed insurgency that rages to this day.

☆ China says political trust with Russia has deepened after envoy's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 4 (Reuters) - China said on Saturday that mutual political trust with Russia has continued to deepen after Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu visited the country this week and met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. China is willing to work with Russia to implement their strategic partnership and promote further progress in their relationship, the foreign ministry also said in its statement. Ma also met with Russia's Deputy Foreign Ministers Andrey Rudenko and Sergey Vershinin during his Feb. 2-3 visit, the statement said. The statement comes on the heels of heightened tension between China and the United States after the flight of a Chinese balloon over U.S. airspace. The foreign ministry statement about Ma's visit did not mention Ukraine, where Russia has waged a military operation for nearly a year.

☆ Fact Check-HBAL617 balloon tracked online is from U.S. company Aerostar, not China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Despite claims on social media, the balloon that flew over Memphis in fact belongs to U.S. company Aerostar. HBAL617 was the third most-tracked flight on Flightradar24 on Feb. 3, with over 3,400 users tracking the balloon (here). However, HBAL617 in fact belongs to Aerostar, an aerospace company based in South Dakota, according to Anastasia Quanbeck, Aerostar’s Culture and Communications Manager. Flightradar24 also confirmed the HBAL617 balloon tracked on its site does not belong to China. HBAL617 belongs to U.S. company Aerostar.

BEIJING—China said a balloon that the U.S. military identified as a spy vehicle is in fact a civilian craft designed primarily for meteorological study which blew off course. “China regrets that the airship strayed into the United States due to force majeure,” said a statement from the Foreign Ministry late Friday in Beijing, referring to natural causes out of its hands. “China will continue to maintain communication with the U.S. to properly handle the unexpected situation caused by force majeure.”

☆ China's suspected spy balloon prompts Blinken to postpone Beijing trip as Congress seeks answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken attends the Freedom of Expression Roundtable, in New York, U.S., September 19, 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week following a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana. Chinese authorities said Friday that the balloon operating over U.S. airspace was a civilian weather balloon intended for scientific research. But the State Department said that was immaterial. "It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Rubio tweeted on Friday.

☆ Israel, Sudan announce deal to normalise relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KHARTOUM, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Israel and Sudan have finalised a deal to normalise relations, with a signing ceremony expected following a transfer of power from the military to a civilian government in Khartoum, the Israeli foreign ministry said on Thursday. Sudan's foreign ministry earlier said the deal was agreed during a visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to "move forward towards normalising relations between the two countries". "During the visit, which was made with the consent of the United States, the parties finalised the text of the agreement," an Israeli foreign ministry statement said. As intelligence minister that same year, Cohen made a ground-breaking visit to Sudan, a majority Muslim country. "Yes to negotiations between Israel and Sudan, yes to recognition of Israel and yes to peace between the states and between the peoples."

☆ China, Japan discuss concerns over disputed East China Sea islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed disputed islands in the East China Sea on Thursday, with both expressing concerns and Qin hoping Japan could stop "right-wing" provocations. The disputed East China Sea islets claimed by both China and Japan have long been a sticking point in bilateral relations. China calls the islands Diaoyu, while Japan calls them Senkaku. Hayashi said bilateral relations face "many challenges and concerns," adding that Japanese public opinion toward China is "extremely severe," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Hayashi also expressed "serious concerns" about the East China Sea, including China's activities around the islands, as well as its "increasingly active military activities near Japan".

☆ Afghan women prosecutors once seen as symbols of democracy find asylum in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Afghan prosecutor S.M., who left her 4 years old daughter with her grandmother in Afghanistan while escaping to Peshawar, looks down in Islamabad, Pakistan, September 22, 2022. "Most Afghan women and girls that remain in Afghanistan don't have the right to study, to have a social life or even go to a beauty salon," Sharar said. due to fears over her safety and who specialised in gender violence and violence against children said, "I was the only female prosecutor in the province... The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was not in a position to comment on specific cases. "The Government of Pakistan has not agreed to recognise newly arriving Afghans as refugees," UNHCR said in a statement.

[1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea January 29, 2023. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via ReutersSEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea on Monday to increase military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia's invasion. Speaking at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, he thanked South Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but urged it to do more, adding there is an "urgent need" for ammunition. "I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up on the specific issue of military support," he said. Last year South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO, vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas.

☆ China contacts Prague over Czech president-elect speaking to Taiwan president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday it was in touch with Prague over President-elect Petr Pavel's scheduled call with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen. China claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a province and most countries' leaders avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy. In Beijing's first response to what could become a full-blown diplomatic row with Prague, the Chinese foreign ministry said Pavel had previously said during his election campaign that the One-China Principle should be respected, according to a statement sent to Reuters. "The Chinese side...is currently seeking verification with the Czech side, (we) hope the Czech side strictly upholds the One-China Principle," the foreign ministry said. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Azerbaijan to evacuate embassy in Iran on Sunday after fatal shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAKU, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan will evacuate embassy staff and family members from Iran on Sunday, the foreign ministry said, two days after a gunman shot dead a security guard and wounded two other people in an attack Baku branded an "act of terrorism". After the attack, the Azeri foreign ministry said it summoned Iran's ambassador in Baku to demand justice and would evacuate embassy staff from Tehran. Earlier, the ministry said the shooting was the result of Tehran failing to heed its calls for better security. CCTV footage obtained by Reuters showed the attacker forcing his way into the embassy building and shooting at two men before a third embassy employee grapples him away. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called for "a comprehensive investigation" of the incident and sent his condolences to Azerbaijan and the dead man's family, state media said.

☆ Sweden tells citizens to avoid crowds in Turkey after Koran burning
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Sweden's foreign ministry on Saturday warned Swedes in Turkey to avoid crowds and demonstrations following protests there over the burning of the Koran by a far-right politician in Stockholm last week. Paludan's actions have led to demonstrations in a number of Muslim countries as well as in Turkey. "Swedes in Turkey are asked to stay updated on the development of events and to avoid large gatherings and demonstrations," the foreign ministry said on its advice page for Swedes abroad. "Continued demonstrations can be expected outside the embassy in Ankara and the consulate general in Istanbul in the coming days." Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act," Kristersson said on Twitter.

☆ Peru recalls ambassador to Honduras for 'unacceptable interference' as diplomatic spat deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Peru's President Dina Boluarte speaks as she meets with foreign press, in Lima, Peru January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Angela PonceJan 26 (Reuters) - Peru withdrew its ambassador to Honduras, Jorge Raffo, due to Honduras' "unacceptable interference" in the internal affairs of Peru, the South American nation's foreign ministry said on Thursday. The step is part of a deepening showdown between Peru President Dina Boluarte and her regional peers, including the leftist leaders of Mexico, Bolivia and Honduras. "As a consequence of the position adopted by Honduras, bilateral relations with said country will be maintained, indefinitely, at the level of chargé d'affaires," the foreign ministry said on Twitter. Boluarte became president in December after Castillo attempted to illegally dissolve Congress, was ousted and detained.

Search resuls for: "The Foreign Ministry"

25 mentions found