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☆ Chinese defence minister under investigation for corrupt procurement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Eight senior officials from the Chinese military's procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation, according to two of the people in direct contact with the military. Reuters' detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defence leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics. The Financial Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials, that the U.S. government believes Li has been placed under investigation. Chinese officials initially said Qin's absence was also due to health reasons.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, U.S . State Department didn't, Japan Rahm Emanuel, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Lloyd Austin, Katerina Ang, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Reuters, Foreign Ministry, State Council, Defence Ministry, Financial Times, U.S, U.S . State Department, Beijing, Qin, Liberation, Rocket Force, Support Force, U.S . Defence, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Russia, Belarus, Vietnam, Hanoi, China, United States, Singapore

[1/2] Admiral John C. Aquilino, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command speaks at the IISS Special Lecture in Singapore March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Caroline Chia/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The United States may seek access to more military bases in the Philippines under a joint defence agreement between the two countries, the chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific command said on Thursday. Admiral John Aquilino said he and the Philippines' military chief, Romeo Brawner, had discussed further expanding the number of bases U.S. forces could access under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The United States says it intends to bolster an already strong alliance and improve the defence capability of the Philippines. Aquilino also said the two countries were seeking to complete an agreement on boosting their intelligence sharing.

Persons: John C, Aquilino, Caroline Chia, Admiral John Aquilino, Romeo Brawner, Brawner, there's, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Martin Petty, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Pacific Command, REUTERS, Rights, Enhanced, Thomson Locations: United States, Singapore, Rights MANILA, States, Philippines, U.S, China, Washington, Taiwan

☆ UK foreign minister to warn of Iran threat on visit to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On the visit that begins on Monday, Cleverly will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh. He will hold talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and attend a demonstration of Israel's "Iron Dome" missile defence system. During a visit to the Palestinian territories, Cleverly will visit the Jalazone refugee camp in the West Bank to see Palestinian refugees. Violence in the West Bank has worsened over the past year with frequent Israeli raids and Palestinian street attacks. The Palestinians have limited self-rule in the West Bank and remain split between a Western-backed administration and armed Hamas Islamists who reject coexistence with Israel.

Persons: James, Peter Nicholls, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed Shtayyeh, Eli Cohen, Andrew MacAskill, Edmund Blair Organizations: British, REUTERS, Israeli, Palestinian, Iran, West Bank, West, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Israel, Iran, West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Israel's

Along with ramping up its domestic arms production, Moscow is turning to an old ally with a vast arsenal — North Korea. That would be a remarkable reversal from the 1950-53 Korean War, when the Soviet Union provided the communist North with weapons and ammunition. Shoigu became the first Russian defense chief to visit North Korea since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. “Russia is hoping that North Korea could swiftly establish support channels to provide it with war materials like ammunition, bombs and other supplies,” Hong said. U.S. officials have cast Moscow’s reach for North Korean weapons as a reflection of Russian military problems.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, Kim Jong Un, ”, Alexander Gabuev, Shoigu, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, ” Kim, Hong Min, Hong, Wagner, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, embolden Kim, Dmitry Medvedev, “, Emma Burrows, Kim Tong Organizations: United, North, Soviet Union, Russian Defense, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Kremlin, Moscow, Korean People’s Army, Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification, House, Washington, Strategic, International Studies, Ukrainian, Russian, Royal United Services Institute, Russia’s Security, Associated Press Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, North Korea, United States, Soviet, Soviet Union, Pyongyang, Korea, Russian, Hong, U.S, United Nations, ” Washington, Iran, Ukrainian, Tallinn, Estonia, Seoul

☆ UK Foreign Minister to Warn of Iran Threat on Visit to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: James, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed Shtayyeh, Eli Cohen, Andrew MacAskill, Edmund Blair Organizations: Israeli, Palestinian, Iran, West Bank, West Locations: Israel, Iran, West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Israel's

☆ The US is making 'irreversible' progress with a former Russian partner in a tense corner of Europe, but not everyone in NATO will be happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For Cyprus, it's a move away from its longtime partner in Russia, but Turkey isn't happy about it. Cyprus has made "important strides" in its military and security cooperation with the US, Michalis Giorgallas, Cyprus' minister of defense, told Insider in response to written questions. Giorgallas told Insider. "This trajectory will continue," Giorgallas told Insider, adding that after the National Guard partnership, "our defense cooperation with the US has become irreversible and we look forward to what's to come." Giorgallas told Insider that the area is historically an unstable one and that the instability has become more visible in more domains, such as at sea and in the air over the region.

Persons: it's, Michalis Giorgallas, aren't, ROY ISSA, Panteleyev, Yiannis Kourtoglou, Giorgallas, John Yountz, —, IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU, Christopher Cavoli, BIROL BEBEK, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, NATO, UN, Getty, Cypriot, Russian Navy, Airbus, US Army, Staff, Military Education, Training, Cypriot National Guard, New Jersey National Guard, National Guard, US European Command, Turkish, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus, Russia, Turkey, Wall, Silicon, Europe, East, North Africa, Moscow, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ankara, Washington, Crimea, Ukraine, Limassol, AFP, US, Nicosia, Larnaca, John Yountz Cypriot, Cypriot, Greece, Tartus, Northern Cyprus

☆ 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

☆ 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

CNN —Yevgeny Prigozhin turned the Wagner Group from a shadowy band of mercenaries into a feared military powerhouse operating across multiple countries on three continents. The kind of clear chain of command that is common in traditional military does not exist in Wagner, which makes Prigozhin’s demise a potentially existential problem for the group. Members of Wagner group sit atop of a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. A Russian military delegation went to the Libyan city of Benghazi this week to meet with Haftar, who has been supported by Wagner for several years. He said the cracks in the foundations of West African and Central African countries that have leaned on the Wagner Group for support could begin to emerge now.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Natasha Lindstaedt, “ It’s, ” Lindstaedt, – Wagner, Dmitriy Utkin, Valeriy Chekalov –, “ Wagner, Russia ” Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Wagner, Huseyn Aliyev, –, ” Aliyev, Aliyev, Lindstaedt, Putin, Stringer, Yevgeny Progozhin, Khalifa, Haftar, Yevkurov, ” Oluwole, there’s, ” Prigozhin, Christopher O, Ogunmodede, couldn’t, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: CNN, Wagner, University of Essex, Russia, University of Glasgow, Kremlin, Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin's Press Service, Russian Ministry of Defense, Kommersant, UK Ministry of Defense, Getty Images Security, Russian, Central African, Forces, Reuters, Libyan, Central Africa, Institute for Security Studies, Central, Wagner Group, Politics, Russia’s Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russia’s, Russian, United States, Ukraine, Africa, Middle, Bakhmut, Rostov, AFP, Syria, St . Petersburg, Mali, Crimea, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Libya, Libyan, Benghazi, West African, “, Mali …

☆ Yuka Hayashi — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Yuka Hayashi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yuka HayashiYuka Hayashi covers trade and international economy from The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau. Previously, she wrote about financial regulation and elder protection. Before her move to Washington in 2015, she was a Journal correspondent in Japan covering regional security, economy and culture. She has also worked for Dow Jones Newswires and Reuters in New York and Tokyo. Follow her on Twitter @tokyowoods

Persons: Yuka Hayashi Yuka Hayashi, Dow Jones Newswires Organizations: Dow, Reuters, Twitter Locations: Washington, Japan, New York, Tokyo

☆ North Korea launches space rocket months after failed satellite attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A smartphone screen shows J-Alert warning messages regarding North Korea appearing to have fired a missile and that residents of Okinawa prefecture should take cover indoors, in Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023. Two days ago North Korea said it would launch a satellite between Aug. 24-31. But the North's May 31 bid to launch a "Chollima-1" satellite rocket went wrong, with the booster and payload plunging into the sea. It was not immediately clear if North Korea had used the Chollima-1 again, or a new system. The secretive North considers its space and military rocket programmes a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons.

Persons: Issei Kato, Hirokazu Matsuno, We've, Elaine Lies, Chang, Ran Kim, Josh Smith, Joyce Lee, Hyunsu Yim, Phil Stewart, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Thomson Locations: Korea, Okinawa, Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, Rights SEOUL, TOKYO, North Korea, Tokyo, Pyongyang, U.S, Seoul, Washington

☆ Saudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign minister as relations thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Footage of the meeting on Iranian state media showed MbS and Amirabdollahian smiling as they spoke, while Prince Faisal and the Iranian delegation looked on. Saudi state news agency SPA said they discussed international and regional developments. [1/3]Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia August 18, 2023. Prince Faisal visited Tehran in June and said he hoped Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit the kingdom at the "appropriate time". Saudi Arabia had meanwhile lost confidence in U.S. commitment to shared regional security concerns and wanted to bolster ties with China, which has retained good relations with Iran.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Faisal, Saudi Crown Prince, Hossein Amir, Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, General Antony Blinken, Angus McDowall, Mark Potter, Conor Humphries Organizations: Saudi Arabian Crown, Saudi, MbS, Saudi Crown, Iranian, Iran's Foreign, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Iran's, U.S, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Saudi, Jeddah, United States, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Abdollahian, Saudi Arabia, China, Tehran, Iran, Ukraine, Beijing, East

☆ Biden, Kishida, Yoon at historic Camp David summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden holds a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during the trilateral summit at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland, U.S., August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Jim Bourg Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - After meeting at Camp David on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke to reporters from all three countries for about an hour, delivering prepared remarks and answering questions. This is a new era of partnership between Japan and the Republic of Korea and the United States." JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA"This has been a precious opportunity for myself to further deepen the relationship of trust and confidence." Speaking of Camp David: "It is a huge honor to have printed a fresh page in its history with this meeting."

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Camp David, Jim Bourg, JOE BIDEN, Peter the Great, David, YOON SUK, Trevor Hunnicutt, Hyonhee Shin, Eric Beech, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Japanese, South, REUTERS, Camp, South China, ASEAN, Pacific, SOUTH, IAEA, Thomson Locations: Camp, Thurmont , Maryland, U.S, Japan, Republic of Korea, United States, Korea, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, East, South, North Korea

☆ The US is quietly warning its Middle East partners about the cost of stocking up on Chinese-made weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese arms sales in the Middle East have increased by 80% over the past decade, a result of Beijing's expanding relationships there and its willingness to deliver arms faster and with fewer stipulations than Washington. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty ImagesMiddle Eastern countries, led by the Arab Gulf states, have for decades been major buyers of US-made weapons. Chinese arms sales to the region are "substantial and expected to continue to increase," said Ahmed Aboudouh, an associate fellow at Chatham House. "But it's just one factor among many, including varying threat perceptions of Iran among the Arab Gulf states as well as varying levels of trust between the Arab Gulf governments themselves." Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: Michael Kurilla, Kurilla, Loong, KARIM SAHIB, Colin Kahl, Biden, Kahl, We're, FAYEZ NURELDINE, Ahmed Aboudouh, Aboudouh, James Hodgman, Russia's, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Emily Hawthorne, RANE, that's, Hawthorne, Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, Xi, ANDY WONG, Kahl's, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, US Central Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, Dubai Airshow, Getty, Chatham House, Pentagon, Getty Images, United Arab Emirates, Patriot, Al Udeid, Base, US Air Force, Tech, Air Defense, Turkey, NATO, East, Khalifa, UAE, US, Abu Dhabi Crown, Gulf Cooperation Council Locations: China, Washington, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, AFP, British, Saudi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, East, North Africa, Qatar, Russia, Europe, Gulf, UAE, Yemen, Ankara, Turkey, Prince, Xinhua, Khalifa, Abu, Arab Gulf, Iran

CNN —At least 26 people have been killed in an explosion in the town of Finote Selam in northwestern Ethiopia, amid heavy fighting between government forces and a local militia group. Tenaw told CNN that people reported hearing only one explosion, the cause of which is unclear. The Ethiopian government declared a six-month state of emergency in the Amhara region on August 4 after days of clashes. The United Nations “called on all sides to respect human rights and take steps to deescalate the situation,” noting that “previous states of emergency have been accompanied by violations of human rights” in a statement Friday. CNN has reached out to the federal government, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and the Amhara regional government for comment.

Persons: Manaye Tenaw, Tenaw, EHRC, ” “ EHRC, Finote Selam, ”, United Nations “, Antony Blinken, “, I’ve, ” Blinken Organizations: CNN, Human Rights, Ethiopian, Dar, United Nations, Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Amhara, Eritrean Defense Forces, Front, State Locations: Finote, Ethiopia, Fano, Amhara, Debre Birhan, Gondar, Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, America, Tigray

A partial view of the Lalibela town in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia, January 25, 2022. In that war, federal forces faced battle-hardened fighters loyal to Tigray's ruling party, who at one point advanced hundreds of kilometres towards the capital Addis Ababa. Following the Tigray deal, his government held preliminary talks with rebels in the Oromiya region, Ethiopia's largest, about ending a decades-long insurgency. But anger was building in Amhara, where the Tigray deal deepened existing suspicions of Abiy's government. It said the status of lands claimed by both Amhara and Tigray, which Amhara forces captured during the war, should be resolved "in accordance with the constitution".

Persons: Abiy, Tewodrose Tirfe, Temesgen, Ethiopia's, Fano, Addisu Lashitew, Befekadu Hailu, Aaron Ross, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Tiksa, Fano, Amhara Association of America, Brookings Institution, Protesters, Thomson Locations: Amhara Region, Ethiopia, NAIROBI, Tigray, Amhara, Fano, Africa, Eritrea, Sudan, Addis Ababa, Oromiya

☆ Niger coup leaders blamed insecurity; conflict data paints a different picture
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

In Burkina Faso, where there were two coups last year, deaths rose 80% to more than 4,000 in 2022. Military spokespeople in Mali and Burkina Faso did not respond to requests for comment. Military leaders in Mali and Burkina Faso kicked out French forces after their coups. Niger army operations could falter, he said. "You saw it in Burkina Faso after the second coup.

Persons: Abdourahmane Tiani, Balima, Mohamed Bazoum, Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, Wagner, Leonardo Santos Simao, Tiani, Simao, Bazoum, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Edward McAllister, Michelle Nichols, Alexandra Zavis, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Security, Islamic, Crisis, Wagner Group, Reuters, spokespeople, United Nations, Economic, West, Sunday, Local, Military, Burkina Faso, European Union, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Thomson Locations: Niger, Niamey, DAKAR, U.S, Mali, Burkina Faso, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West Africa's, Brussels, Boko, Nigeria, West Africa, West African States, Burkina, French, France, New York

☆ Kim Jong Un has plastered his walls with bizarre, giant portraits of Putin, images from North Korean state media reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Photos released by North Korean state media show Kim Jong Un's huge portraits of Vladimir Putin. The images show the leader giving Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu a personal tour. The portraits were visible as the North Korean leader gave a personal tour to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In the bizarre images, Kim and Shoigu can be seen walking down a corridor while huge portraits of Putin and Kim loom over them from either side. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a reception for the Russian military delegation hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on July 27, 2023.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Putin, Simon Miles, Miles, Biden Organizations: North, Russian, Service, North Korean, Russian Defense, Central Committee of, Workers ' Party, Daily, Russia's, Reuters, Mail, Korean Central News Agency, Associated Press, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, AP Locations: North Korean, Wall, Silicon, Pyongyang, Vladivostok, Russia, North Korea, Soviet, North Koreans, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian

☆ Australia says it is 'confident' on US nuclear submarines as ministers meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was confident a deal for the U.S. to sell nuclear powered submarines to Australia was on track, ahead of talks between defence and foreign ministers of the two countries on Friday. Twenty-five U.S. Republican lawmakers told President Joe Biden on Thursday the plan to sell three attack submarines to Australia under the so-called AUKUS partnership would "unacceptably weaken" the U.S. fleet without a clear plan to replace them. The United States, Britain and Australia announced the three-way AUKUS defence agreement in 2021 under which Australia is to obtain nuclear submarine technology from the United States. The U.S. is Australia's major security ally and announced with Britain in March that the United States would sell Australia three U.S. Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the early 2030s, before Britain and Australia produce a new submarine class - SSN-AUKUS - the following decade. "Now's the time to be working closely with friends, and Australia has no better friend than the United States of America," Marles said at the start of a meeting with his U.S. counterpart.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Albanese, Richard Marles, Austin, Marles, Kirsty Needham, Alasdair Pal, Praveen Menon Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Republican, U.S, Defence, ., Democrats, NATO, Britain, Australian Defence, Sky, U.S ., Marines, Thomson Locations: Australia, Queensland, United States, Britain, Lithuania, U.S, . Virginia, CHINA, East, South, Japan, United States of America, Darwin, Sydney, Lincoln

☆ Biden to host Japan, South Korea leaders for Aug. 18 summit -White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, the White House said on Friday. "The three leaders will discuss expanding trilateral cooperation across the Indo-Pacific and beyond – including to address the continued threat posed by (North Korea) and to strengthen ties with ASEAN and the Pacific Islands," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Washington is keen to encourage closer cooperation with its two main allies in Asia amid shared concerns about China's growing might and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Japan and South Korea have been moving to mend strained bilateral ties following years of feuds over historical issues which undercut cooperation. Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Eric BeechOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Karine Jean, Pierre, Washington, Jean, Rami Ayyub, Eric Beech Organizations: South, Camp David, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: Camp, Maryland, North Korea, Asia, Japan, South Korea

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia's Shoigu meets North Korea's Kim Jong Un; one killed, port infrastructure damaged in Russian missile attack on Odesa
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss military issues and regional security, state media reported Thursday. During the meeting, Kim also showcased to Shoigu North Korea's collection of banned ballistic missiles, the Korean Central News Agency said. In Ukraine, one security guard was killed and port infrastructure damaged after an overnight missile attack struck the Odesa region, according to the region's governor. A cargo terminal was also damaged in the attack as Russia has stepped up its attacks on Odesa's ports following Moscow's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal last week. NATO said Wednesday it would increase patrols around the Black Sea to counter Russian threats to ports and ships after its withdrawal from the U.N.-brokered grain deal.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Joe Biden Organizations: Russian, North, Korean Central News Agency, NATO, International Criminal Court, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Hague

☆ Senior US Treasury official to raise Russia grain deal in visit to Kenya, Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - A top U.S. Treasury official will highlight Washington's efforts to facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer exports during a visit to Kenya and Somalia and stress that Moscow's exit from the Black Sea grain deal will hurt African states, a spokesperson said on Monday. This week's visit by Brian Nelson, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to host African leaders in St. Petersburg on Thursday and Friday and promises them free Russian grain "to replace Ukrainian grain." BLACK SEA GRAIN DEALRussia quit the deal allowing Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain last week, saying that demands to improve its own food and fertilizer exports had not been met, and that not enough Ukraine grain had reached the poorest countries under the Black Sea deal. Since Russia quit the deal and began attacking Ukrainian food-exporting ports on the Black Sea and Danube river, global wheat and corn futures prices have risen sharply. The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey a year ago to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Brian Nelson, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Nelson, Russia's, Daphne Psaledakis, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman, Sonali Paul Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Reuters, Biden, Islamic, Black, Thomson Locations: Kenya, Somalia, St . Petersburg, Nelson's, Africa, East Africa, U.S, Nairobi, Somalia's, Mogadishu, Islamic State, al Shabaab, Sudan, Russia, Ukrainian, Turkey, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ COP28 in Dubai: Inside the push to greenwash the next climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The country has embarked on a major PR campaign to boost its green credentials ahead of the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai later this year, prompting heavy criticism from climate groups and some politicians. The controversial road to COPThe climate summit takes place at a different location each year, with responsibility for hosting rotating among five regional groups. But the UAE stands out because of the way it chose to intertwine the summit with its oil business. In January, the UAE announced Sultan Al Jaber would be the summit president, to the horror of many climate groups. The country is “ideally suited to host” the summit, a spokesperson for the COP28 presidency told CNN.

Persons: ”, Jennie King, Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, CNN Al Jaber “, Al Jaber’s, John Kerry, Frans Timmermans, “, ” Al Jaber, It’s, it’s, Al, ADNOC, Marc Owen Jones, Hamad, Jones, King, Cop28, Kat Ainger, ” King Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, Centre, Climate, Guardian, Institute for Strategic, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, US, Associated Press, EU, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Twitter, UAE COP28, UAE Ministry of, Environment, UAE, US Justice Department, Corporate Locations: United Arab, Dubai, UAE, Katowice, Glasgow, Abu Dhabi, Al Jaber, Qatar, Paris, China, India, ”

☆ The US military's most advanced fighter jets and a warship are going to work in the Middle East to stop Iran from seizing commercial ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US military is deploying fighter jets and a warship to the Middle East to deter Iran's forces. Iranian boats have repeatedly harassed and tried to seize commercial ships transiting the region. AP Photo/Petros KaradjiasCENTCOM's area of responsibility encompasses several million square miles of land across or 21 countries in the Middle East and Central and South Asia. Tehran's naval ships tried to capture two oil tankers on July 5 as they were transiting through international waters and even opened fire on one of them. The US and Iran have maintained a contentious relationship throughout the Biden administration, and Washington has repeatedly accused Tehran of threatening regional security in the Middle East and even harming American service members.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Thomas Hudner, Sabrina Singh, Singh, Elizabeth, Petros Karadjias, Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Defense, US, AP, US Navy, US Air Force Locations: Wall, Silicon, Strait, Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Petros Karadjias CENTCOM's, East, Central, South Asia, Iran, Iranian, US, Washington, Tehran, Syria, State, Yemen

☆ China, Solomon Islands sign policing pact in upgrade of ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Flags of Solomon Islands and China flutter near the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China July 11, 2023. "In just four years, the relationship between China and the Solomon Islands has developed rapidly, and we can now say that it is very fruitful," Li told Sogavare. The official added that the U.S. was committed to a strong relationship with the region and strengthening longstanding bonds with the people of Solomon Islands. Xi told Sogavare China supports more of its firms investing in the Solomon Islands and will continue to provide economic and technical assistance "without political strings attached". Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is already building a cellular network in the Solomon Islands, financed by a $66 million Chinese EXIM bank loan.

Persons: Florence Lo, Xi, Manasseh Sogavare, Premier Li Qiang, Sogavare, Solomon, Li, Washington, China's, Xi Jinping, Ethan Wang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Kirsty Needham, David Brunnstrom, Himani Sarkar, Robert Birsel, Mark Heinrich, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Solomon Islands, Beijing, BEIJING, Premier, U.S . National Security Council, China's, Xinhua, Huawei, Pacific Games, Thomson Locations: of Solomon Islands, China, Beijing, Florence, Taiwan, Solomon Islands, Pacific, United States, Australia, U.S, Solomon, Japan, Britain, Honiara, Sydney, Washington

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