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REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on five Turkish companies and a Turkish national, accusing them of helping Russia evade sanctions and supporting Moscow in its war against Ukraine. The move is part of a bigger package of measures hitting Russia with sanctions on more than 150 targets, including the country's largest carmaker. The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Denkar Ship Construction for providing ship repair services to previously designated vessels of a company connected to the Russian Defense Ministry. The U.S. also imposed sanctions on a major local copper producer - Russian Copper Company. The Treasury slapped sanctions on Finland-based logistics firms Siberica Oy and Luminor Oy, accusing them of sending a wide variety of electronics into Russia.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Jonathan Ernst, reconvenes, Wally Adeyemo, we've, Sanayi, Denkar, Ilker Dogruyol, Dogruyol, Tayyip Erdogan, Humeyra Pamuk, Daphne Psaledakis, Polina Devitt, Gleb Stolyarov, Don Durfee, Alexandra Hudson, William Maclean, Paul Simao Organizations: Cancer, White, REUTERS, Rights, Turkish, Ukraine, Reuters, NATO, Treasury, . Treasury Department, U.S . State Department, Denkar, Russian Defense Ministry, State Department, ID Ship Agency, GAZ Group, Russian Copper Company, Siberica, Luminor, U.S, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, United, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Russia, Moscow, Turkey, Washington, Ankara, Sweden, United States, Ukraine, Sea, Turkish, U.S, Finland, Kyiv, Hungary, London

But for rights advocates, Biden's travels were a disappointment, given his administration's vow to prioritize human rights when taking office in 2021. The White House also unveiled a Vietnam Airlines purchase of 50 Boeing 737 Max jets worth $7.8 billion. Rights advocates fear a lack of focus on human rights, while not unexpected, will not only fail to improve conditions in Vietnam and India, but risk worsening them elsewhere. Reporters asked Biden in Vietnam if he was putting U.S. strategic interests above rights and replied: "I’ve raised it (human rights) with every person I met with." "As such, the Biden administration has tended to downplay or avoid human rights discussions," he said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden's, Biden, Carolyn Nash, Narendra Modi's, HRW, Nash, John Sifton, Sifton, Modi, Vietnam's, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Murray Hiebert, Vietnamese Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong, Lam, Derek Grossman, David Brunnstrom, Humeyra Pamuk, Don Durfee, Josie Kao Organizations: Vietnam Airlines, Boeing, Max, Amnesty International, Rights, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, Rights Watch, Vietnam, Communist Party, U.S, Biden, U.S ., Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Vietnamese Communist Party Chief, RAND Corp, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, India, Washington, Hanoi, U.S, Asia, Pacific, China, Saudi Arabia

☆ Musk says he refused Kyiv request for use of Starlink in attack on Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said he refused a Ukrainian request to activate his Starlink satellite network in Crimea's port city of Sevastopol last year to aid an attack on Russia's fleet there, saying he feared complicity in a "major" act of war. "The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor," Musk wrote. The Russian fleet fires cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets, and Kyiv has launched attacks on Russian ships using maritime drones. The Pentagon said in June that SpaceX's Starlink had a Department of Defense contract to buy satellite services for Ukraine.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tingshu Wang, Musk, Walter Isaacson's, Simon & Schuster, SpaceX's Starlink, David Brunnstrom, Jonathan Landay, Phil Stewart, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, CNN, Twitter, Russian, SpaceX, Ukrainian, Pentagon, Department of Defense, Department, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Sevastopol, Crimean, Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Novorossiysk

He will have at least one advantage: Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be at the meetings. "But the question ... is whether the United States will be able to step up." FAST GROWTH, HIGH DEBTChinese Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the G20 as its leaders cope with sagging growth and a possible property debt crisis. For his part, Xi is also finding new ways to engage the developing world, hosting a gathering of Central Asian leaders and discussing development in May. Xi is also expected to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November, where he may meet with Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Leah Millis, Biden, Xi Jinping, Zack Cooper, Li Qiang, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Jake Sullivan, Donald Trump's, Sullivan, White, Khulu Mbatha, Cyril Ramaphosa, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Michael Martina, Carien du, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association, White, REUTERS, Rights, World Bank, Bank, U.S, Partnership for Global Infrastructure, Investment, American Enterprise Institute, IMF, Global, White House, Trump, Republican, South, Central Asian, United, United Arab Emirates, Economic Cooperation, Biden, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, India, United States, Africa, Latin America, Asia, Washington, China, Russian, East, Central Asia, Saharan Africa, People's Republic, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, Beijing, Moscow, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, United Arab, San Francisco, Carien du Plessis, Johannesburg

Last month, Biden asked Congress to approve $40 billion in additional spending, including $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs and $16 billion in disaster relief, testing the country's willingness to keep supporting Ukraine during its counteroffensive against Russian invaders. The Republican-majority House is divided, with many Republicans backing the aid but some of the party's farthest-right members calling for an end to the Ukraine assistance. Citing Republican sources, CNN and other news outlets reported that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is considering legislation including the disaster aid but leaving out the Ukraine funding. The White House issued a statement urging McCarthy to back the supplemental spending request and contrasting him with Senate Republicans. "Like Senate Republicans, Speaker McCarthy should keep his word about government funding," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

Persons: Julia Nikhinson, Joe Biden's, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Putin, Chuck Schumer, Vladimir, Mitch McConnell, Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, McCarthy, Andrew Bates, Patricia Zengerle, Jeff Mason, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Capitol Police, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Congress, Ukraine, Republican, Republicans, CNN, Democratic, ., National, White, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv

☆ Exclusive: US to send depleted-uranium munitions to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects. While depleted uranium is radioactive, it is considerably less so than naturally occurring uranium, although particles can linger for a considerable time. The Wall Street Journal reported in mid-June the U.S. was considering sending depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine. Recent weapons aid packages for Ukraine have included artillery, air defense missiles and ground vehicles as Ukraine's counteroffensive grinds on.

Persons: Abrams, Kacper, Biden, Mike Stone, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Abrams, International Coalition, NATO, International Atomic Energy Agency, Street, Presidential, Authority, Thomson Locations: Drawsko, Pomorskie, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington

☆ Biden boosts spending request to help pay for disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Acquire Licensing RightsSept 1 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Friday added $4 billion to a supplemental funding request to Congress to help pay for relief efforts following a string of disasters that have ravaged large swathes of the U.S. in recent weeks. U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress in early August to approve about $40 billion in additional spending, including $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs and $12 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) now needs $16 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), an OMB spokesperson said, citing disasters in Hawaii, Louisiana and Florida. If no action is taken before the next fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, a range of government functions would shut down. Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; Editing by Don Durfee and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hurricane, Jonathan Ernst, Biden, Jarrett Renshaw, Don Durfee, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management, White, Office of Management, Budget, Disaster Relief Fund, Thomson Locations: Florida, Washington , U.S, Ukraine, Hawaii , Louisiana, Philadelphia

Waters had also served as the head of the Office of China Coordination - informally known as 'China House' - a unit the department created late last year to meld China policies across regions and issues. Whether Lambert will assume the China House coordinator title is still being discussed, sources said. It was unclear when the State Department will formally announce the appointment. The State Department pushed back on criticism about China House, saying it was one if its highest-functioning teams. Senior officials have acknowledged morale and staffing problems at China House, but denied they were linked to how the State department carries out China policy.

Persons: Mark Lambert, Lambert, Rick Waters, Waters, Joe Biden's, “, Biden, Xi Jinping, Daniel Kritenbrink, Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Martina, Don Durfee Organizations: U.S . State Department, of China Coordination, State Department, of, Washington, U.S, Pacific Affairs, Reuters, Republicans, Department, Thomson Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, East Asia, of China, U.S, People’s Republic of China, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, State, Lincoln

[1/4] A damaged vehicle is pictured in the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, U.S., August 15, 2023. Joseph Schilling, 66, enjoyed hunting for bullet shells and was known by his loved ones for making delicious sugar toast. Both died last week in the wildfires that scorched Maui and were among the first victims identified by authorities and family members in the heart-wrenching days afterward. As names of the dead are shared, an early pattern has emerged: Many who perished were over the age of 65. The other victims identified so far by officials are Melva Benjamin, 71; Robert Dyckman, 74; Buddy Jantoc, 79; Alfredo Galinato, 79; and Virginia Dofa, 90.

Persons: Mike Blake, Donna Gomes, Joseph Schilling, Schilling, Joe, Akiva Bluh, Bluh, Gomes, Tehani Kuhaulua, Benjamin, Robert Dyckman, Buddy Jantoc, Alfredo Galinato, Virginia Dofa, Galinato, KITV, Joshua Galinato, He's, Daniel Trotta, Brendan O'Brien, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Fire Administration, Research, National Institute of Standards, Technology, Fire Administration, ABC, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Virginia

☆ US warns space companies about foreign spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We anticipate growing threats to this burgeoning sector of the U.S. economy," a U.S. counterintelligence official told Reuters, adding that "China and Russia are among the leading foreign intelligence threats to the U.S. space industry." The document warned companies to be on guard for facility visit requests, and attempts to gather confidential information at conferences. U.S. authorities have for years said Chinese hackers are targeting U.S. space know-how, including having accessed computers at the NASA Goddard Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as numerous companies involved in aviation, space and satellite technology. China says its space program is for peaceful purposes, but U.S. military officials say Beijing sees space as crucial to its military strategy. The U.S. warned this year that China seeks to match or surpass it as a leader in space by 2045.

Persons: Tom Brenner, Tao Li, Michael Martina, Don Durfee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Federal Bureau of, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Counterintelligence and Security, Air Force Office, Special Investigations, NASA Goddard Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, China, Russia, Washington, Beijing

"What we have seen over the last couple of months is a breathtaking kind of diplomacy, that has been led by courageous leaders in both Japan and South Korea," said Kurt Campbell, Biden's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs. CHINA VIEWS SUMMIT WARILYNo specific action by the trio in Camp David is expected to sharply increase tensions with China, though Beijing has warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with South Korea and Japan could "increase tension and confrontation in the region." While South Korea, Japan and the United States want to avoid provoking Beijing, China believes Washington is trying to isolate it diplomatically and encircle it militarily. South Korea has legislative elections next year and Japan must hold one before October 2025, and what analysts see as a still fragile rapprochement between the two nations remains controversial among the countries' voters. The White House, conscious of the electoral clock, wants to make the progress between South Korea and Japan hard to reverse, including by establishing routine cooperation on military exercises, ballistic missile defense, the economy, and scientific and technological research.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Jonathan Ernst, David, Joe Biden's, Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Camp David, Donald Trump, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Andrea Shalal, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Japan’s, Grand Prince Hotel, REUTERS, U.S, South, Biden, Republican, Thomson Locations: Hiroshima, Japan, HAGERSTOWN , Maryland, United States, South Korea, U.S, Seoul, Tokyo, Korean, CHINA, China, Beijing, Washington, North Korea, Russia, South China, Philippines, Philippine, Hagerstown , Maryland

☆ US, Japan and South Korea condemn 'dangerous and aggressive actions' by China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] U.S. President Joe Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attend a trilateral summit at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland, U.S., August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Acquire Licensing RightsCAMP DAVID, Maryland, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The United States prevailed on Japan and South Korea on Friday to use their strongest language yet in a joint statement to condemn China's "dangerous and aggressive actions" in the South China Sea. The statement said the three would launch a supply-chain early warning system pilot project to expand information-sharing and fight economic coercion together. "Regarding the dangerous and aggressive actions we recently witnessed by the People's Republic of China in support of its illegal maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea, we ... strongly oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters," the statement said. Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Don Durfee and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Antony Blinken, Camp David, Evelyn Hockstein, Hyonhee Shin, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Don Durfee, Alistair Bell Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS, David, Reuters, Korean, Moscow, Thomson Locations: South, Camp, Thurmont , Maryland, U.S, Maryland, United, Japan, South Korea, South China, North Korea, Ukraine, Kiev, China, Beijing, Korea, People's Republic of China

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 29, 2023. That requested date would place the trial after the November 2024 U.S. election, in which Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination. "The public interest lies in justice and fair trial, not a rush to judgment," Trump's attorneys wrote on Thursday. U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith, whose office is prosecuting the federal 2020 election case against Trump, last Thursday asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to schedule a trial to start on Jan. 2, 2024. That date is two weeks before the first votes are cast in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Persons: Donald Trump, Lindsay DeDario, Democrat Joe Biden, Trump, Jack Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Smith, Jasper Ward, Dan Whitcomb, Jacqueline Thomsen, Don Durfee, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Democrat, Thomson Locations: Erie , Pennsylvania, U.S, Washington

U.S. President Joe Biden hopes to cement those ties with a summit at Camp David, the storied presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, this Friday. To be sure, previous efforts to build closer ties between South Korea and Japan have stumbled. China blasted the move, seizing on a chance to embarrass Tokyo ahead of the Camp David summit. No specific action by the trio in Camp David is expected to sharply escalate rhetoric with Beijing. Just last month, Kim hosted Russia's defense minister and a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member in Pyongyang for an event celebrating the end of the 1950-1953 war between North and South Korea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Yoon Suk, didn't, Yoon, Biden, Camp David, Dennis Wilder, George W, Bush, Kishida, Kim Tae, hyo, David, Donald Trump, Kurt Campbell, East Asia Mira Rapp, Hooper, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Tim Kelly, Sakura Murakami, Don Durfee, Alistair Bell Organizations: White, REUTERS, South, Camp, Georgetown University, Republican, East Asia, NATO, Chinese Communist Party Politburo, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, South Korean, North Korea, Seoul, Tokyo, East Asia, Taiwan, U.S, Camp, Maryland's Catoctin, South Korea, Korean, China, Korea, Washington, Pacific, Beijing, Russia, Pyongyang, North

The online Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted nationwide, collecting responses from 1,005 adults, including 443 Democrats and 346 Republicans. TikTok said in a statement that more than 150 million Americans, including 5 million U.S. businesses, actively use TikTok to earn a living, engage in the classroom, and find community. Efforts to give the Biden administration new powers to ban TikTok have stalled in Congress. Still, the issue could become a focus for Republicans in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, with some candidates backing a TikTok ban. Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has said he favors some form of national ban on the app.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Christopher Wray, William Burns, TikTok, We've, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Michael Martina, David Shephardson, Jason Lange, Don Durfee, Sharon Singleton, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, CIA, Biden, Thomson Locations: China, United States, Florida

☆ Explainer: US special counsels work with independence and a spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike other federal prosecutors, special counsels work without day-to-day control by the Justice Department. Unlike with other cases, the attorney general must notify Congress if he or she overrules one of the special counsel's decisions. And the special counsel must submit a report laying out the reasons for charging people or declining to do so. Those lawyers worked with an even greater degree of independence than special counsels. When statute creating independent counsels expired in 1999 it was replaced by existing Department of Justice rules for appointing special counsels.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, David Weiss, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Bonnie Cash, Joe Biden's, Hunter, Weiss, Garland, Jack Smith, Donald Trump's, Smith, Robert Mueller, Trump, Biden, Robert Hur, Brad Heath, Don Durfee Organizations: U.S, Justice Department, REUTERS, FBI, of Justice, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Florida, Russia, U.S, Delaware, Maryland, Kosovo

☆ Kansas newspaper says co-owner, 98, dies from stress after police search
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aug 13 (Reuters) - A Kansas newspaper that was searched by police said its 98-year-old co-owner died on Saturday from stress related to the incident, which free press advocates condemned as a possible violation of the Marion County Record's First Amendment rights. "Stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief after illegal police raids on her home and the Marion County Record newspaper office Friday, 98-year-old newspaper co-owner Joan Meyer, otherwise in good health for her age, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home," the paper reported. Marion County Police also searched the newspaper office on Friday, seizing personal cell phones, computers and the newspaper server, among other equipment, the Record said. On Saturday, he issued a statement justifying the search of the newspaper. The Kansas Press Association described the search as "unprecedented" and "an assault on the very foundation of democracy."

Persons: Kari Newell, Newell, Phyllis Zorn, Joan Meyer, Meyer, Gideon Cody, Cody, Don Durfee, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Marion County, Marion, Court, Reuters, Marion Country, Marion County Record, Medical, Marion County Police, Marion Police, U.S . Constitution, The Kansas Press Association, Freedom, Press, Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Kansas, Marion, Marion County, U.S ., Washington

☆ Explainer: How Hunter Biden, Trump special counsels work independently
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike other federal prosecutors, special counsels work without day-to-day control by the Justice Department. Unlike with other cases, the attorney general must notify Congress if he or she overrules one of the special counsel's decisions. And the special counsel must submit a report laying out the reasons for charging people or declining to do so. When statute creating independent counsels expired in 1999 it was replaced by existing Department of Justice rules for appointing special counsels. The special counsel's investigation could weigh on Biden's 2024 reelection campaign, some Democrats say, because it has the potential to broaden to other issues.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, David Weiss, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Bonnie Cash, Joe Biden's, Hunter, Weiss, Garland, Jack Smith, Donald Trump's, Smith, Robert Mueller, WEISS, HUR, SMITH, Trump, Biden, Robert Hur, HUNTER BIDEN, Brad Heath, Don Durfee, Heather Timmons Organizations: U.S, Justice Department, REUTERS, WHO CAN, FBI, of Justice, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Florida, Russia, U.S, Delaware, Maryland, Kosovo

"Our drone base in Niger is extremely important in countering terrorism in the region," one of the U.S. officials said. FOREIGN ASSISTANCEThe Biden administration has not formally labeled the military takeover in Niger a coup, a designation that would limit what security assistance Washington can provide the country. The U.S. drone base has grown in importance due to a lack of Western security partners in the region. The drone base, known as airbase 201, was built near Agadez in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Wagner's chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has welcomed the coup in Niger and said his forces were available to restore order.

Persons: Abdourahmane Tiani, Balima, Mohamed Bazoum, Russia's Wagner, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nusrat al, Cameron Hudson, Hudson, Terence McCulley, WAGNER, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Don Durfee, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Nigerien, Islamic State, Al, West African, Center for Strategic, International Studies, United States Institute of Peace, Wagner Group, ., U.S, Thomson Locations: Niger, Niamey, United States, Sahel, Al Qaeda, France, Africa, insurgencies, Russia, China, Washington, U.S, Mali, Burkina Faso, Agadez, State, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Niger's, Nigerien

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The United States should extend electric vehicle tax credit benefits to Vietnam if it wants to encourage a landmark investment from the country in U.S.-based manufacturing, the head of the main U.S. business lobby for Southeast Asia said. Rules included in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on Chinese EV battery supply chains currently only benefit countries that have free trade agreements with Washington - a list that excludes Vietnam. VinFast responded to President Joe Biden's call for electric vehicles to be manufactured in the United States, Osius told Reuters in an interview on Thursday, "Now they will have some asks. They will want to be part of the EV supply chain and they won't want to be discriminated against in favor of other EV producers." The United States signed a deal in March with Japan on critical minerals that ensures Japanese cars will benefit from the tax credit.

Persons: Mike Blake, Ted Osius, VinFast, Joe Biden's, Osius, EVs, Biden, Donald Trump, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, David Shepardson, Don Durfee, Diane Craft Organizations: Los Angeles Auto, REUTERS, EV, Washington, VinFast, U.S, U.S ., ASEAN Business Council, Reuters, United, EU, Economic, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, North Carolina, Japan, Britain, New Delhi, China, Washington, Indonesia, Asia, Pacific

As an active-duty soldier he might appear to qualify as a POW, given that the United States and North Korea technically remain at war. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on King's POW status, but said the defense department's priority was to bring him home and it was working to achieve that through all available channels. Washington has conveyed that message in private communications to Pyongyang, the U.S. officials said, adding that those communications have not invoked POW status. PROTECTIONS FOR CAPTIVESPrisoners of war are protected by the Third Geneva Convention, to which North Korea and the U.S. are signatories. After serving time in detention in South Korea, King had been due to face military disciplinary action on his return to Fort Bliss, Texas.

Persons: Travis T, Sarah Leslie, Handout, Travis King, King, Rachel VanLandingham, Geoffrey Corn, we'd, Corn, Fort, Christopher Stone, Andrew Ramirez, Steven Gonzales, Robert Goodman, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Josh Smith, Simon Lewis, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Security Area, REUTERS, United, Reuters, Geneva Convention, U.S, Pentagon, POW, Department, Third Geneva Convention, North, Southwestern Law School, Texas Tech University School of Law, U.S . Army, Cavalry, Korean, Force, NATO, Thomson Locations: Panmunjom, South Korea, REUTERS WASHINGTON, United States, Geneva, North, North Korea, Washington, Pyongyang, U.S, Fort Bliss , Texas, Yugoslavia, Lebanon, Syria

[1/2] The BlackRock logo is pictured outside their headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., May 25, 2021. BlackRock has said all of its investments in China and around the world comply with U.S. law, and that it will continue engaging with the select committee on the issues it raised. Republicans formed the select committee when they took control of the House in January, part of an effort to raise awareness about issues behind growing tensions with China. A hard line toward China is one of the few policies with bipartisan support in the deeply divided U.S. Congress. The committee does not write legislation, but makes policy recommendations and can subpoena executives and officials.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, BlackRock, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, MSCI, Raja Krishnamoorthi, They're, Krishnamoorthi, Michael Martina, Patricia Zengerle, Don Durfee Organizations: REUTERS, BlackRock, Reuters, Republican, PLA, People's Liberation Army, Republicans, Congress, FBI, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, China, MSCI, Dysart , Iowa, Washington, Iowa

☆ BlackRock, MSCI draw scrutiny from US House Committee on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo License this content on Reuters ConnectAug 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional committee on China said asset management giant BlackRock (BLK.N) and index provider MSCI (MSCI.N) were facilitating investments into blacklisted Chinese companies. The firms have facilitated American capital flow into the companies the U.S. government had found guilty of fueling China's military advancement or human rights abuses, the House of Representatives' Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said on Monday. "With all investments in China and markets around the world, BlackRock complies with all applicable U.S. government laws. We will continue engaging with the Select Committee directly on the issues raised," BlackRock said. Republicans formed the Select Committee when they took control of the House in January, as part of an effort to convince Americans why they should care about competing with China.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, BlackRock, MSCI, Mike Gallagher, Niket Nishant, Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat, Michael Martina, Don Durfee, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Shinjini Ganguli, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, BlackRock, Republicans, China, Congress, Republican, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, China, Taiwan, Ukraine

☆ Former US President Trump has spent $40 million on legal fees, Washington Post reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's political action committee is expected to report on Monday that it has spent about $40 million in legal fees in the first half of 2023 to defend Trump and his advisers, among others, the Washington Post reported. The New York Times separately reported that the PAC has sought the return of $60 million it made to another group supporting Trump, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Post said the PAC's spending on legal costs has drawn scrutiny from prosecutors about potential conflicts of interest between Trump and witnesses. Trump's Save America PAC is expected to disclose about $40.2 million in legal spending in a filing on Monday, the Post said, citing people who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump faces dozens of federal charges in Florida over the retention of sensitive government records at his home in the state.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump's, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Steven Cheung, Patricia Zengerle, Ted Hesson, Don Durfee, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Former U.S, Trump, Washington Post, The New York Times, PAC, Post, Trump's Save America PAC, New York Times, Save America PAC, Times, weaponized Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Former, Florida, New York

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