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☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy lands in Jeddah to attend Arab League - al-Hadath TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in Jeddah on Friday to attend an Arab League summit, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, heavily-backed by Russia in his country's civil war, will also be present now that his regional isolation ended. He is also due to attend the G7 leaders' summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima this weekend. Last year Prince Mohammed won a diplomatic triumph when he secured the release of 10 foreigners captured by Russia in Ukraine. The kingdom faced heavy criticism from the United States over an OPEC+ decision to cut oil production, seen as helping Russia to refill its coffers by boosting prices. Even though the October decision initially drew heavy criticism from the United States and other Western countries, market dynamics since then have shown the cuts to be prudent.

☆ CNN's town hall with President Trump: He's set to face questions from New Hampshire GOP primary voters as legal clouds hang over his 2024 bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, will take questions from New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters in a CNN town hall Wednesday as myriad legal issues loom over his 2024 White House bid. New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation GOP primary, is also home to many swing voters. That’s a view many GOP voters share, according to recent surveys. Ron DeSantis, has not yet officially launched a bid – Trump has maintained a healthy lead in early GOP primary polling. Wednesday’s live town hall audience will be made up of Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the GOP primary.

☆ Japan will keep calling for China to act responsibly, Kishida says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Yukiko Toyoda | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, April 20 (Reuters) - Japan will keep calling for China to act responsibly on the world stage, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday, a sign of Tokyo's deepening concern about stability in the Taiwan Strait following Beijing's recent military drills. The comments from Kishida, after China conducted drills in the waters off Taiwan earlier this month, highlight Tokyo's growing alarm about the possibility of an attack on nearby Taiwan. Japan would "continue to call on China to take the responsibility it should be taking as a major country on the world stage," Kishida said during a roundtable interview with members of the foreign media. Japan has joined the United States in putting export restrictions on chip-making tools but in doing so avoided mentioning China so as not to antagonise its neighbour. Kishida also said Japan was calling on China to allow for the return of a Japanese executive detained there.

☆ Leaked Pentagon documents appeared on a 'Minecraft' Discord server weeks before officials knew about a breach: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Leaked Pentagon documents appeared on Discord servers weeks before the received official attention. At least 10 documents appeared on the server "Minecraft Earth Map" on March 4, Bellingcat reported. At least 10 such documents were posted in March on a Discord server dedicated to the "Minecraft " video game, Bellingcat investigator Aric Toler reported. Wow_Mao told The New York Times he does not spend much time managing his Discord server but admits he could have moderated it better. The analyst cited conversations with several members of the Discord server, who sent him images of the documents.

☆ Macron criticised for saying Europe should take independent stance on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 10 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has caused a stir by saying Europe has no interest in accelerating the conflict in Taiwan and should become a "third pole" independent of both Washington and Beijing. Political actors on both sides of the Atlantic criticised the president's position as being too accommodating of China, just as it carries out military drills around Taiwan. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. He added that the French president was "increasingly isolating himself in Europe." If Europe doesn't "pick sides between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, then maybe we shouldn't be picking sides either [on Ukraine]," the Republican senator said.

☆ Macron says Europe should not follow U.S. or Chinese policy over Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 9 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said in comments published on Sunday that Europe had no interest in an acceleration of the crisis over Taiwan and should pursue a strategy independent of both Washington and Beijing. Macron has just returned from a three-day state visit to China, where he received a warm welcome from President Xi Jinping. "The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction," Politico quoted him as saying. On Friday, an adviser to Macron told reporters in Guangzhou that Xi and Macron had a "dense and frank" discussion on the issue of Taiwan during their meetings. Macron travelled to China with a 50-strong business delegation including Airbus and nuclear energy producer EDF, which signed deals during the visit.

☆ Virgin Orbit bankruptcy casts shadow over Japan's space dreams
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Eimi Yamamitsu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Oita prefecture, home to Japan's largest number of hot springs, partnered with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to create its first Asian spaceport at Oita Airport using a Boeing (BA.N) 747 for horizontal rocket launches. Two Japanese companies, ANA Holdings (9202.T) unit All Nippon Airways Trading Co and little-known Japanese satellite development start-up iQPS Inc emerged among the top six creditors when Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. ANA said it was hopeful Virgin Orbit, which has said it is seeking a buyer, would be able to restructure and resume business. "We pray that Virgin Orbit will resume their business for the development of the global space industry." "It is possible that some other company will buy Virgin Orbit.

☆ Political Uncertainty in Taiwan Adds to U.S.-China Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI—Political tides have begun to turn in Taiwan, threatening to alter the island democracy’s relationships with both Washington and Beijing and reshape tensions between the world’s two superpowers. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing -wen departed Taipei Wednesday on a trip that includes planned stops in New York and Los Angeles, part of an effort to push forward with her Democratic Progressive Party’s strategy of cultivating closer ties with the U.S.

On Tuesday, Boeing announced orders for 78 Dreamliners, split between state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) and new national airline Riyadh Air. The $37 billion sale, which Boeing called its fifth-largest commercial order by value, followed a deal with United Airlines (UAL.O) in December for 100 Dreamliners and a purchase by Air India that included 20 787s. Planemakers are also grappling with the after-effects of the pandemic, which forced waves of layoffs and retirements of skilled workers. While Airbus outsold Boeing in the Air India deal, landing orders for 40 A350 widebodys, the U.S. planemaker swept both the United Airlines and Saudi orders. “Saudi Airlines is a government-owned airline, and so there are politics involved with this,” analyst Stallard said.

☆ Republicans went after BlackRock and sustainable investing in 2022. Meet 12 officials crusading against 'woke capitalism.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

A group of vocal conservative officials are criticizing aspects of ESG investing. Players in the ESG ecosystem, like S&P Global and BlackRock, the world's largest money manager and an influential proponent of ESG investing, are often the subject of their critiques. Instead, officials often paint large financial firms' ESG strategies as functions of left-leaning agendas. Here are key GOP players who are taking aim at ESG investing. Abbott, who is seeking reelection in November, was early to denouncing ESG investing.

☆ Meet 12 Republican officials crusading against BlackRock and ESG investing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

☆ Kamala Harris’ visit to the Philippines sends China a message of US intent
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, the Philippines occupies nine features in the Spratly chain while China occupies seven. In 2016, a tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a maritime dispute, concluding China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. “Philippine President Marcos appears open to the idea of pursuing pragmatic cooperation in the South China Sea, while not surrendering its long-standing position when it comes to the territorial issues in the South China Sea,” Banlaoi said. During her trip to the Philippines, Harris is expected to make a number of other announcements including tighter US cooperation with Manila on clean energy, cybersecurity, communication and agriculture. The deals show US intent in the Pacific region, but one South China Sea expert said Harris’ trip to the military base risks aggravating Beijing to the potential detriment of the Philippines.

☆ Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan stable after shooting; party to hold protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan is in a stable condition after being shot and wounded during a protest march, a senior leader from his party said Friday. One of Khan’s supporters was killed and 13 others, including two lawmakers, were wounded in the attack. He provided no further details, but Khan’s party in a brief statement urged supporters to hold nationwide rallies to condemn the shooting. Asad Umar, a senior figure from Khan’s party, blamed the shooting on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the country’s interior minister, and an army general without offering any evidence. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said some political elements from Khan’s party were trying to create chaos in the country following the attack.

☆ Russian fighter jet 'released a missile' near unarmed British surveillance plane, U.K. defense secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Henry Austin | Henry Austin Is A London-Based Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — A Russian fighter jet “released a missile” in the vicinity of an unarmed British surveillance plane, the U.K.’s defense minister said Thursday. He added that Russia’s Ministry of Defense had replied “that they had conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and stated it was a technical malfunction of the SU-27 fighter.”NBC News has reached out the Russian defense ministry for comment. Wallace also urged Iran to “desist” from supplying Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles dubbed “kamikaze” drones, which Moscow has been using to attack Ukraine. Iran has denied supplying Russia with drones. Both Washington and Kyiv have accused Tehran of supplying the drones to Moscow to be used in Ukraine, accusations Iran has denied.

☆ U.S. says it's raised concerns with Saudis over detention of U.S. citizen
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department confirmed that a Saudi-American citizen has been detained in Saudi Arabia, and said that Washington has repeatedly raised its concerns. Saudi Arabia in early October handed a 16-year prison sentence to Saudi-American Saad Ibrahim Almadi, the Washington Post reported late on Monday, over his tweets critical of the Saudi government. Almadi was charged with "harboring a terrorist ideology, trying to destabilise the Kingdom, as well as supporting and funding terrorism," the Post reported. The news come at a time when the Biden administration is looking to reevaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia, after OPEC+ oil producers announced oil production cuts over U.S. objections. Washington had not previously disclosed Almadi's detention, even though the Post reported that he was first detained last November when he was visiting Riyadh.

☆ PHOTOS: Russian and US troops shook hands and took pictures together when their patrols met in Syria, actions in deep contrast with Ukraine tensions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Photos show US and Russian troops shaking hands and taking pictures together in Syria. The photos, published by AFP, were taken as both forces patrolled territory near the Turkish border. But instead of a hostile interaction between two nuclear powers, the result this time was smiles, handshakes, and group photos. Today, several hundred US troops remain in northeastern Syria, with both Washington and Moscow conducting patrols to discourage any further encroachment by Turkey, a member of NATO as well as a Russian partner. DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty ImagesAccording to AFP, the most recent encounter took place on October 8 near the town of al-Qahtaniyah.

☆ Analysis: Saudi prince's Ukraine mediation signals 'useful' Russia ties - analysts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With Prince Mohammed's mediation, Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreigners it had captured in Ukraine, including five Britons and two Americans. He denied the Crown Prince had become involved to rehabilitate his reputation. U.S. citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama, are expected to leave Saudi Arabia within days, officials said. But Saudi Arabia has shown little readiness to join the effort to isolate Russia. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Prime Minister Liz Truss thanked the Saudi crown prince for his role.

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