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An investor looks at an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Shanghai, China July 6, 2018. A monthly report from the Institute of International Finance showed non-residents funneled $14.9 billion out of China stocks, the largest monthly outflow on records back to 2015, while Chinese debt saw $5.1 billion in outflows. The broad MSCI stock and currency emerging market indexes posted in August their largest monthly drops since February. Equities fell across all geographical regions while debt posted inflows in Asia, Latam and emerging Europe. Year-to-date numbers through August show a $13.1 billion outflow from China while emerging markets ex-China has seen $139.5 billion in non-resident portfolio inflows.

Persons: Aly, Jonathan Fortun, Fortun, Rodrigo Campos, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, China, EMs, Institute of International Finance, China's, Reuters Graphics Equity, Emerging, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, outflows, Emerging Asia, Latin, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Europe

☆ UK government under pressure to take tougher line on China amid spying allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss called for the government to formally designate China as a threat to the UK. Florence Lo/APUnder the radarBut back to the question at hand: should the events of the past few days affect the UK’s official policy? Despite the arrests, observers believe it is unlikely there will be a sea-change in the UK government’s policy on China. The allegations that China is spying on the UK, in the very heart of Britain’s democracy, is of course a very real concern. But it will not be a surprise to the government, which has baked it into British foreign policy.

Persons: Tom Tugendhat, Tugendhat, Rishi Sunak, Premier Li Qiang, ”, Sunak’s, Liz Truss, Iain Duncan Smith, UK’s, Oliver Dowden, James, Han Zheng, Florence Lo, —, Peter Ricketts, “, doesn’t, ” Ricketts, Christopher Furlong Organizations: London CNN, Sunday Times, Conservative, CNN, Premier, Embassy, Metropolitan Police, Conservative Party, of, People, parliament’s Intelligence, Security, British National Security, Getty, Russia, Diplomats Locations: China, Beijing, New Delhi, London, gossiping, Europe, Hong Kong, South China, Taiwan, Westminster

☆ Opinion | A Hidden Reason Cities Fall Apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Thomas B. Edsall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

And this has been a self-perpetuating process in which the fortunate metros have gained the most while many places are left behind. This used to happen all the time in Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, the Twin Cities, etc.”These locally based firms. Atkinson continued, “played an important role of helping the various municipalities in a region work more closely together. The only way to grow their banks or electric utilities was to grow the community where they were based. Their job is to sit on local boards and dabble in community relations, but they don’t really call the shots anymore.

Persons: Mark Muro, Muro, Robert D, Atkinson, Louis, “, ” Aaron M, Renn, Frank A Organizations: Brookings, ’, metros, Information Technology, Innovation Foundation, Twin, American, “ Civic, Baltimore News American, Maryland Locations: Detroit , Cleveland, St, Twin Cities, Banks, Dallas

☆ US Says Hanoi Ties Upgrade Is Not a 'Cold War' Move Against China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HANOI (Reuters) - The United States' move to upgrade relation with Hanoi is not a Cold War move against China, a U.S. National Security Council official said on Wednesday. Vietnam and the United States on Sunday upgraded their relationship to the highest diplomatic status during a visit to Hanoi by U.S. President Joe Biden. On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called on the U.S. to "abandon hegemony and Cold War thinking," in her response to the Vietnam-U.S. relation upgrade. "We demand that the United States, when dealing with relations with Asian countries, must respect the common aspiration of regional countries for stability, cooperation, and development, abide by the basic norms of international relations," Ning said. Vietnam and China have for years been embroiled in a dispute over the potentially energy-rich stretch of water, called the East Sea by Vietnam.

Persons: Mira Rapp, Hooper, Joe Biden, Mao Ning, Ning, Rapp, Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio, Lincoln Organizations: United, U.S . National Security, National Security, Sunday Locations: HANOI, United States, Hanoi, China, U.S, Vietnam, Sea

The plan to restrict records has prompted an outcry from press groups, transparency advocates, Democrats and some conservatives who said it undermines the state’s 1967 law that protects the public’s access to government records. Opponents have also questioned the need for quickly pushing for the legislation in a special session. The bill would close off access to records that are at the center of a lawsuit an attorney and blogger has filed against the Arkansas State Police. David Couch, an attorney who has authored successful ballot initiatives on medical marijuana and the minimum wage, said earlier Monday he was working on a referendum effort on the FOI changes if they become law. A Senate committee on Monday endorsed the tax cut legislation, which calls for cutting the top individual and corporate income tax rates by .3%.

Persons: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sanders, “ We've, Bart Hester, Hester, “, ”, Joey McCutchen, she's, Donald Trump's, “ We’re, Matt Campbell, David Couch, I've, Couch Organizations: —, Senate, Fort, State Police, Republicans, Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists, Republican Party, Prosperity Locations: — Arkansas, Fort Smith, Arkansas

NEW YORK (AP) — Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has a book coming out next spring in which she will reflect on her years in government, offer advice for future leaders and recall lessons she learned while often being “the only conservative in the room.”Truss, whose 45 days as Prime Minister was the shortest term in British history, is calling her book “Ten Years to Save the West.” The conservative Regnery Publishing announced Sunday that the release date will be April 16. According to Regnery, Truss will recall being asked by Queen Elizabeth II to form a government just two days before the monarch's death a year ago. She also will describe encounters with such foreign officials as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “After more than 10 years as a British government minister, I’ve seen up close the threats posed to global democracy,” she said in a statement. Truss, who had replaced fellow Conservative Party member Boris Johnson as prime minister early in September 2022, resigned Oct. 20.

Persons: —, Liz Truss, Queen Elizabeth II, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, I’ve, ”, “, Boris Johnson Organizations: British, Regnery Publishing, Regnery, Federal English Bank, Conservative

Hanoi, Vietnam CNN —President Joe Biden will arrive at Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s doorstep on Sunday with a deal in hand to draw yet another one of China’s neighbors closer to the United States. “It’s not going to be easy for Vietnam, because they’re under enormous pressure from China,” the official went on. In Vietnam, it’s not only China whose influence Biden is competing with. On Monday, Biden plans to announce steps to help Vietnam diversify away from an over-reliance on Russian arms, a senior administration official said. “I think that’s a deliberate design by the Biden administration,” said Yun Sun, the China program director at the Stimson Center.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping’s, Biden, ”, It’s, playbook, Xi Jinping, Evelyn Hockstein, ” Biden, Modi, Xi, States ’, it’s, ratchets, aggressions, Didier Marti, “ We’re, “, Biden’s, Mao Ning, Vietnam’s, Antony J, Blinken, Trung, Patricia Kim, Le Hoai, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, ” –, General Secreatary Nguyen, Trong, Yun Sun, ’ Organizations: Vietnam CNN, White House, Korean, Getty, Saturday, Communist Party, Xinhua, China’s, Monday, Communist Party of Vietnam's, Department of State . US Department of State, Biden, Brookings Institution, Communist, NATO, Wing, Stimson Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, United States, Philippines, China, Beijing, New Delhi, AFP, Asia, States, Russia, Moscow, India, Brazil, South Africa, –, That’s, South China, Washington, South Korea, Helsinki, Japan, Korea, Australia, United Kingdom

President Biden cemented a new strategic relationship with Vietnam on Sunday, bringing two historical foes closer than they have ever been and putting the ghosts of the past behind them out of shared worry over China’s mounting ambitions in the region. During a landmark visit to Hanoi by the American president, Vietnam’s Communist Party leadership formally raised the country’s ties to the United States to the highest level in Hanoi’s diplomatic hierarchy, equivalent to those it has with Russia and China. Mr. Biden said the breakthrough was “the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation” a half-century after American troops withdrew. “Today, we can trace a 50-year arc of progress in the relationship between our nations, from conflict to normalization,” Mr. Biden said at a news conference after a meeting with Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In recent months, he has expanded cooperation with Australia, India and the Philippines and brought the leaders of Japan and South Korea together at Camp David to seal a three-way alliance that has eluded Washington in the past.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Nguyen Phu Trong, Trong, David Organizations: Vietnam’s Communist Party, “, Communist Party of Vietnam, Washington Locations: Vietnam, Hanoi, United States, Russia, China, Beijing, Australia, India, Philippines, Japan, South Korea

☆ 5 takeaways from Joe Biden’s trip to the G20 and Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

New Delhi CNN —President Joe Biden is nearing the end of a whirlwind trip to India and Vietnam for a series of high-profile meetings aimed at countering China’s influence in the developing world. That’s what this trip is all about, having India cooperate much more with United States, be closer to the United States, Vietnam being closer with the United States. “I think we have an enormous opportunity,” he said, adding: “Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time. Here are five takeaways from the president’s trip to New Delhi and Hanoi. Biden tries to pull Vietnam closer to USBiden’s trip to Hanoi was his latest attempt to pull another one of China’s neighbors closer to the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, “, It’s, Nguyễn Phú, ”, I’m, ” “ I’m, Biden’s, Narendra Modi, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Oleg Nikolenko, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, they’re, Kurt Campbell, Modi, – Biden, Campbell, it’s, ratchets, aggressions, Vietnam’s, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Li Qiang, presser Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Communist Party of Vietnam, Sunday, Diplomats, Indian, Foreign, Facebook, “, United, United Arab Emirates, World Bank, White, White House, Korean, Communist, Communist Party, Biden, CNN Locations: New Delhi, India, Vietnam, Hanoi, Asia, Beijing, China, United States, Ukraine, ” Russia, Russia, Ukrainian, East, Europe, United Kingdom, Japan, United Arab, Bali, Philippines, South China

☆ 18 months after Putin invaded Ukraine, Russia's sanctioned oligarchs are still rich and even less likely to stand up to him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russia's oligarchs are even less likely to turn on Vladimir Putin 18 months after the invasion. In the 18 months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the lives of Russian oligarchs such as Melnichenko have changed immeasurably in the face of Western sanctions. Sanctions were unleashed on Russia's billionaires as part of a wider set of economic restrictions that some hoped would inspire a revolt within the country. Russia's oligarchs have Putin to thank for their ongoing success. Revolt is possible but unlikelyIt now appears Russia's oligarchs have adapted to a new status quo where they lack political influence but still have a reliable stream of cash.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Andrey Melnichenko, Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Melnichenko, Forbes, hasn't, Putin —, Roman Abramovich, Alisher, Alisher Usmanov, Alexei Druzhinin, Ivan Fomin, Fomin, That's, Peter Rutland, Vladimir Potanin, Potanin, Rosbank, they've, there'd, Rutland, they're, Abramovich, Michael Regan Abramovich, He's, We'll, Arkady Volozh, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin oligarch, Wagner Organizations: Putin, Service, Financial Times, United Arab, Russia's, Soviet Union, Union, Kremlin, Center for, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Forbes, Wesleyan University, Bloomberg, New York Times, London, Chelsea FC, Getty, Guardian, Street, EU Locations: Wall, Silicon, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, EU, Russian, Rutland, France, Thailand, Turkey

Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plan to announce the project as part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment. The rail and shipping corridor would enable greater trade among the countries, including energy products. He said first that the corridor would increase prosperity among the countries involved by increasing the flow of energy and digital communications. Second, the project would help to address the lack of infrastructure needed for growth in lower- and middle-income nations. And third, Finer said it could help “turn the temperature down” on “turbulence and insecurity” coming out of the Middle East.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jon, Biden, Narendra Modi, ” Biden, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin Organizations: DELHI, Group, United Arab Emirates, European Union, Indian, Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, World Bank Locations: India, Europe, United States, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, Russia

☆ Vietnam Chases Secret Russian Arms Deal, Even as It Deepens U.S. Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Hannah Beech | More About Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When President Biden is greeted by Vietnamese officials in Hanoi on Sunday, he will be celebrating the prospect of adding another friend in Asia to a coalition that his administration hopes will side with American interests rather than China’s and Russia’s. During Mr. Biden’s visit, the two nations will underscore their commitment to “increase peace, prosperity, and stability in the region,” a White House press statement said. Nguyen Phu Trong, the top Vietnamese leader, is expected to confer upon the United States an upgrade of strategic ties. The Biden administration has reciprocated early, glossing over the Communist Party of Vietnam’s intensifying human rights crackdown. Signed by a Vietnamese deputy finance minister, the document notes that Vietnam is negotiating a new arms deal with Russia that would “strengthen strategic trust” at a time when “Russia is being embargoed by Western countries in all aspects.”

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, Phu Trong, glossing Organizations: White, Communist Party of, Finance Locations: Hanoi, Asia, United States, Vietnam, Russia, Siberia

☆ Opinion | The Subtlety of J.R.R. Tolkien
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The devil appears to some people as Lucifer the light-bringer, yes — but his darker visage finds worshipers as well. Ours is no longer the world in which Tolkien grew up, nor even the one in which he spent his last years. Tolkien himself was very careful to note that the Shire is not self-sustaining, dependent as it is on outsiders for security. I obviously endorse this point, but I think the last line undersells how much Tolkien subjected his own pastoral nostalgia to critique. Because Tolkien is a reactionary, the solution to that sickness is the return of a king of ancient lineage.

Persons: Tolkien, Soviet Union didn’t, Adolf Hitler’s, Joseph Stalin, Hitler, Lucifer, unrealism —, Tolkien’s, Philip Larkin, “, King Charles III’s, Niall Gooch, Hobbitism, Bilbo, It’s, Gondor, Anárion, that’s Organizations: Gorgoroth, Jackson Locations: Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, England, Tolkien’s, Isengard, Shire, Britain

“I think there's great concern about the state of our democracy at this time,” said Mark Updegrove, CEO of the LBJ Foundation, which supports the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. Those organizations all support presidential libraries created under the Presidential Library Act of 1955, along with the Eisenhower Foundation. The push for the joint statement was spearheaded by Daniel Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute. “America is experiencing a decline in trust, social cohesion, and personal interaction.”Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama who is now CEO of the Obama Foundation, said the former president supported the statement. “This is a moment where we could all come together and show that democracy is not about partisan politics,” she said.

Persons: Herbert Hoover, ”, Mark Updegrove, Updegrove, Lyndon Johnson, John F, Richard Nixon, Gerald R, Ronald Reagan, George, Barbara Bush, George W, Daniel Kramer, Kramer, “, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Kramer, ” Melissa Giller, ” Giller, ” Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama, ” Jarrett, Obama Organizations: WASHINGTON, LBJ Foundation, LBJ Presidential, Hoover Presidential Foundation, Roosevelt Institute, Truman Library Institute, Kennedy Library Foundation, Richard, Richard Nixon Foundation, Ford Presidential Foundation, Carter Center, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Barbara, Barbara Bush Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Bush Presidential Center, Obama, Center, Eisenhower Foundation, The Eisenhower Foundation, Associated Press, Bush, Bush Institute, Ronald, Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute, Obama Foundation Locations: Austin , Texas, loggerheads, Maricopa County, Phoenix, The, Washington ,, Chicago

☆ Africa Climate Summit: Billions pledged to green projects but leaders warn of need ‘to act with urgency’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The inaugural Africa Climate Summit drew to a close on Wednesday, with the host, Kenya’s president William Ruto, saying that a total of $23 billion had been pledged to green projects by governments, investors, development banks and philanthropists. Among the most eye-catching finance announcements, the United Arab Emirates pledged $4.5 billion to clean energy initiatives in Africa. “It is our ambition that this will launch a new transformative partnership to jumpstart a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects in this important continent,” Al-Jaber said, adding that the investment could lead to the generation of 15 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030. At the Africa Climate Summit, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres noted that the continent was responsible for less than four per cent of global carbon emissions. LUIS TATO/AFP/AFP via Getty ImagesGermany announced 450 million euros (about $481 million) of climate finance pledges, and and the US pledged $30 million to support climate resilient food security efforts across Africa.

Persons: William Ruto, Sultan Al, Jaber, ” Al, Yemi Osinbajo, ”, General Antonio Guterres, LUIS TATO, “, Osinbajo, greening Organizations: CNN, Africa Climate Summit, United Arab Emirates, COP28, Global Energy Alliance for People, UN, Getty Images Locations: Africa, Nairobi, Dubai, “, jumpstart, Nigeria, AFP, Copenhagen

Colombian-born Kugler, whose research has focused on labor markets, is the first Latina to join the Fed Board in its 109-year history. The vote was 53-45, with a few Republicans supporting a nomination that was championed by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez. The Senate on Wednesday also confirmed Fed Governor Philip Jefferson as Fed vice chair and Fed Governor Lisa Cook to a second term. Jefferson's success as vice chair will hinge on his ability to help Powell manage that process. Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Paul Simao and Timothy GardnerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Adriana Kugler, Jonathan Ernst, Kugler, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Philip Jefferson, Lisa Cook, Cook, Jerome Powell, Powell, Michael Feroli, Jefferson, she'll, Derek Tang, Tang, Ann Saphir, Paul Simao, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Federal Reserve, of Governors, Capitol, REUTERS, U.S, Senate, Bank, Fed Board, Democratic, Wednesday, Jefferson, JPMorgan, Fed, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Cuban, United States, U.S

☆ Australia to Host ASEAN Leaders in Melbourne Next March
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lewis JacksonSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will host leaders from Southeast Asia's ASEAN bloc in Melbourne next March for a special summit to commemorate 50 years of relations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday as he announced a new investment strategy for the region. Albanese told reporters in Jakarta he had written to all the bloc's leaders inviting them to the "significant event", set to run from 4 March to 6 March. Albanese has travelled to Jakarta for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit at a time when Australia is strengthening relations across Asia in a bid to build economic and diplomatic alternatives to China. ASEAN was vital to Australia's future, Albanese said in a speech to the summit. The strategy comes with 75 recommendations including using government agencies to help underwrite infrastructure investment in the region.

Persons: Lewis Jackson SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Kamala Harris, Li Qiang, Lewis Jackson, Christopher Cushing Organizations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S Locations: Australia, Southeast, Melbourne, Jakarta, Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, India

☆ Myanmar won't be allowed to lead Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026, in blow to generals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An official ASEAN statement issued Tuesday night confirmed the decision to hand the chair to the Philippines in 2026 and affirmed the group's commitment to a five-point plan for restoring peace and stability in Myanmar. The ASEAN leaders' statement on Myanmar stressed the desire to work with the generals to end the country's crisis, especially in the context of the five-point plan which Myanmar accepted in 2021 but has largely failed to implement. "All of us are aware of the magnitude of the world's challenges today, where the main key to facing them is the unity and centrality of ASEAN," Widodo told fellow leaders. "ASEAN leaders must ensure that this ship is able to keep going, able to keep sailing," Widodo said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said before flying to Jakarta that he plans to offer assurances of the safety of the ongoing release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos, Lee Hsien Loong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun, Pham Minh Chinh, Joko Widodo, Sonexay Siphandone, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Hun Manet, Anwar Ibrahim, Xanana Gusmao, Adi Weda, Aung, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Retno Marsudi, —, Marsudi, bloc's, Widodo, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Li Qiang, Sergey Lavrov, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Singapore's, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam's, Cambodia's, Malaysia's, East Timor's, ASEAN Summit, Afp, Getty, United, Aung San Suu, ASEAN, Indonesia, Associated Press, European Union, Myanmar Armed Forces, Foreign Ministry, ASEAN Chair, Indonesian, Assistance Association for Political, U.S ., U.S, Russian, Japanese Locations: Laos, East, Jakarta, Myanmar, United States, Aung San, Philippines, Philippine, ASEAN, Naypyidaw, South China, U.S, China

LONDON (AP) — Books about the perilous state of our world, our food and our relationship with technology are in the running for Britain’s leading nonfiction book award, the Baillie Gifford Prize. Best-selling American author David Grann is nominated for the stirring seafaring yarn “The Wager,” while physician-writer Siddhartha Mukherjee is in the running with “The Song of the Cell.”British journalist Hannah Barnes is on the list for “Time to Think,” which charts the demise of Britain’s controversial Tavistock gender clinic for children. Founded in 1999, the prize recognizes English-language books from any country in current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. It has been credited with bringing an eclectic slate of fact-based books to a wider audience. Last year’s winner was Katherine Rundell’s poet biography “Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne.”

Persons: Britain’s, Baillie Gifford, longlist, John Vaillant’s, Chris van, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, David Grann, ”, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Hannah Barnes, Tania Branigan’s, Katja Hoyer’s, Katherine Rundell’s, “, John Donne Organizations: Prosperity, “ Locations: British, Tavistock, East Germany

☆ Tunisia to reopen Bardo national museum shut in 2021 power seizure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TUNIS, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Tunisia will soon reopen its Bardo national museum, the Culture Ministry said on Tuesday, two years after it was closed when President Kais Saied shuttered the parliament, which shares the same building. The new parliament started work this year but there had been no firm information about reopening the national museum - one of the capital's main attractions in a country economically dependent on tourism. Enormous mosaics with rich details and vivid colours are displayed throughout the museum including ones showing the Roman sea god Neptune, hunting scenes and spectacular arrays of sea life. The Bardo mosaics, along with others in the museums at Sousse and by the amphitheatre at El-Djem, are taken from the luxurious villas built during the Roman era and into late antiquity. Reporting by Tarek Amara, writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kais Saied, Saied, Bardo, Tarek Amara, Angus McDowall, Josie Kao Organizations: Culture Ministry, Thomson Locations: TUNIS, Tunisia, Bardo, Carthage, Sousse, El

☆ Hun Sen's son aims to make Cambodia high-income country by 2050
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet attends an event to meet with garment workers on his first public appearance since taking office, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, August 29, 2023. The 45-year-old last month took over power from his father Hun Sen after a lopsided general election that all opposition parties were barred from contesting. In a country once riven by decades of war, Cambodia has now evolved to a lower-middle income nation with economic growth rates of 7%, he said. Cambodia's parliament approved Hun Manet as prime minister in August. Hun Sen, one of the world's longest ruling leaders, has said he expects his son to continue his leadership style and will himself remain in politics.

Persons: Hun Manet, Cindy Liu, Monday, Hun Sen, Kate Lamb, Kanupriya Kapoor, Nick Macfie Organizations: Cambodia’s, REUTERS, Rights, Cambodian, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Rights JAKARTA, Cambodia's

☆ Dutch government presses ahead with Schiphol flight cap as airlines protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Flights will be capped at 452,500 per year, Harbers said, 9.5% below 2019 levels and lower than a previous proposal of 460,000. Airlines that use Schiphol including Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) have sued to try to prevent the cap at one of Europe's busiest airports. The decision is "arbitrary, ill-thought out and undercuts procedures normally used," said Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of industry group Airlines For Europe (A4E). Airlines opposed to the ban are appealing to the Dutch Supreme Court after losing an appeal in July. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which supports the airlines' case, on Thursday told the Dutch caretaker government not to proceed ahead of a national election in November.

Persons: Yves Herman, Mark Harbers, Harbers, Ourania Georgoutsakou, Mark Rutte, Toby Sterling, Mark Potter Organizations: KLM, REUTERS, Rights, Aviation, European Commission, Airlines, Air France, Europe, Dutch, International Air Transport Association, U.S . Department of Transport, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Schiphol

☆ US approves first-ever military aid to Taiwan through program typically used for sovereign nations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Biden administration has approved funding for the first-ever transfer of US military equipment to Taiwan under a program typically saved for sovereign nations, according to a notification sent to Congress on Tuesday. The package – which is part of the State Department’s foreign military financing (FMF) program – totals $80 million and will be paid for by US taxpayers. The US has sold weapons to Taiwan in the past through a separate program called Foreign Military Sales (FMS). The FMF program will provide grant assistance, paid for by US taxpayers, to Taiwan in order to make those purchases. “I am glad the administration is further implementing our bipartisan Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act by finally providing FMF to Taiwan.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, Michael McCaul, ” McCaul Organizations: CNN, State, State Department, Taiwan Relations Act, US, Pentagon, Foreign, Taiwan Enhanced Locations: Taiwan, China, United States, Taiwan Strait

☆ Taiwan warns of surge in tensions as Chinese planes cross median line
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Airplane is seen in front of Chinese and Taiwanese flags in this illustration, August 6, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry warned on Tuesday of a possible "sharp increase" in military tensions after reporting renewed Chinese military activity including fighter jets crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait. The ministry said that on Tuesday morning, it spotted 12 Chinese military aircraft in its air defence identification zone, of which seven crossed the median line - six J-10 fighters and a single drone. The median line had for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, until China's air force began regularly crossing it a year ago. Taipei city councillors for Taiwan's governing Democratic Progressive Party issued a joint statement saying Chiang should "speak for the Taiwanese people" and demand an end to China's military activities.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chiang Wan, Chiang, Ben Blanchard, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Simon Cameron, Moore, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Communist, Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, Thomson Locations: Rights TAIPEI, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taipei, Shanghai

☆ Taiwan warns of 'sharp increase' in tensions as Chinese planes cross median line
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Airplane is seen in front of Chinese and Taiwanese flags in this illustration, August 6, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry warned on Tuesday of a possible "sharp increase" in military tensions after reporting renewed Chinese military activity including fighter jets crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait. The ministry said that on Tuesday morning it spotted 12 Chinese military aircraft in its air defence identification zone, of which seven crossed the median line - six J-10 fighters and a single drone. The median line had for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, until China's air force began regularly crossing it a year ago. Taipei city councillors for Taiwan's governing Democratic Progressive Party issued a joint statement saying Chiang should "speak for the Taiwanese people" and demand an end to China's military activities.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chiang Wan, Chiang, Ben Blanchard, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Communist, Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, Thomson Locations: Rights TAIPEI, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taipei, Shanghai

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