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☆ Mexico seeks diplomatic arrangements to return LatAm migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Agents from Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INM) carry out an operation on the banks of the Rio Bravo river, the border between Mexico and the United States, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Mexico's national migration institute (INM) on Friday said it has asked the foreign ministry to make diplomatic arrangements with Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela for the countries to accept migrant return flights. In the last three weeks, more than 27,000 migrants have been "persuaded to get down from trains," INM said in a statement. INM said it sought help from the ministry so that Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela would accept "assisted returns via air." INM also said it had hired charter planes and buses to transport migrants within Mexico, as well as to their home countries.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, INM, Diego Ore, Brendan O'Boyle, Beth Solomon, Isabel Woodford Organizations: Mexico's National Institute of Migration, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Thomson Locations: Rio Bravo, Mexico, United States, Ciudad Juarez, MEXICO, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, U.S

☆ India says Afghan embassy still open despite suspension
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People are seen outside the Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi, India, September 29, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's embassy in New Delhi continues to function, India's foreign ministry said on Thursday, days after the embassy announced that it was suspending operations. Rejecting the claims, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "I don't think they are factually correct". “Our understanding is that the embassy in New Delhi is functioning," Bagchi told reporters. He added that the foreign ministry had been informed of the embassy's decision to halt operations and was in touch with Afghan diplomats at the embassy and consulates in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Persons: Anushree, Ashraf Ghani, Arindam Bagchi, Bagchi, ” Bagchi, Krishn Kaushik, Blassy, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, New Delhi, India, DELHI, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, “

☆ Kenya President Reshuffles Cabinet, Swaps Foreign Affairs Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto on Wednesday reshuffled eight members of his cabinet, and folded the foreign affairs ministry into the office of the chief minister. The changes were necessary, Ruto said, to "optimise performance and enhance delivery as set out in the administration's manifesto". Ruto has faced a series of nationwide protests over the high cost of living and tax hikes since he took power in August 2022. Foreign minister Alfred Mutua was transferred to the ministry of tourism and wildlife, while trade minister Moses Kiarie Kuria was moved to the ministry of public service. The foreign ministry was brought under the portfolio of the prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Alfred Mutua, Moses Kiarie Kuria, Musalia Mudavadi, Mutua, Hereward Holland Organizations: United Nations Locations: NAIROBI, Haiti, Caribbean

☆ Kenya President reshuffles cabinet, swaps foreign affairs minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kenya's President William Ruto attends the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto on Wednesday reshuffled eight members of his cabinet, and folded the foreign affairs ministry into the office of the chief minister. The changes were necessary, Ruto said, to "optimise performance and enhance delivery as set out in the administration's manifesto". Foreign minister Alfred Mutua was transferred to the ministry of tourism and wildlife, while trade minister Moses Kiarie Kuria was moved to the ministry of public service. The foreign ministry was brought under the portfolio of the prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Persons: William Ruto, Caitlin Ochs, Ruto, Alfred Mutua, Moses Kiarie Kuria, Musalia Mudavadi, Mutua, Hereward Organizations: Sustainable, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Rights NAIROBI, Haiti, Caribbean

☆ Ukraine lures Western weapons makers to transform defence industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Ukraine is in such a phase of the defence marathon when it is very important, critical to go forward without retreating. Results from the frontline are needed daily," Zelenskiy told executives representing more than 250 Western weapons producers. Executives from weapons producers from over 30 countries attended the forum. Ukrainian officials see the development of domestic defence production as a boost to the economy, which has shrunk by about a third last year due to the war. Several leading Western producers like Germany's weapon production giant Rheinmetall and Britain-based BAE Systems have already announced plans to team up with Ukrainian producers.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Olena Harmash, William Maclean Organizations: Puma, Rheinmetall, REUTERS, Rights, BAE Systems, Foreign Ministry, U.S, Thomson Locations: Unterluess, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Britain, Czech, Turkish

☆ How surging trade with China is boosting Russia’s war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Mikhail Tereshchenko | Afp | Getty ImagesThe defense ministries of China and Russia did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on the trade flows. Trade of 'dual-use' goods spikesTotal bilateral trade between Russia and China hit a record high of $190 billion in 2022, up 30% from 2021. Semiconductor sales to Russia from China and Hong Kong more than doubled in 2022 as Western sanctions took hold. Meantime, construction equipment has played an "underappreciated" but significant role in China's contribution to Russia's war efforts, having helped bolster its defenses against Ukraine's counteroffensive, Joseph Webster, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said. The findings add to the growing list of Chinese goods and companies reported to be supplying Russia's military, including state-owned enterprises.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Mark Cancian, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Wang Yi, China's, Putin, Li Shangfu, —, Qilai Shen, Antonia Hmaidi, Cancian, they've, Hong Kong Retekess, Legittelecom, It's, Silva, Hmaidi, Joseph Webster, Webster, that's, Ramzan Kadyrov, Russia's Organizations: CNBC, for Strategic, International Studies, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bank of Finland's Institute, Emerging, Semiconductor, CNBC CNBC, Federal, Service, SZ DJI Technology, Robotics, Iflight, SZ, Technology, Bloomberg, Rostov, R Technology, Beijing KRnatural International Trade Co, Mercator Institute for China Studies Defense, Industry, Hong, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Moscow, ImportGenius, Ukraine's, Atlantic Council, Atlantic, U.S, China Taly Aviation Technologies, China Poly Technologies, EU, Beijing, National Security Council Locations: Ukraine, China, Washington, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Beijing, U.S, Kyiv, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, DJI, Liaoning, Shanghai, Berlin, Buryatia, Hubei, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia's, Amur, Chechen Republic, Qianwan, Qingdao Port, Shandong Province, deniability

☆ Israel says US to announce it has joined Visa Waiver Program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Greece, July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it expects the United States to announce this week that it will be admitted to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow Israeli citizens visa-free entry to America as of November. "Israel joining the Visa Waiver Program is a diplomatic achievement and good news for all Israeli citizens," said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. In Israel's case, that would mean free passage for Palestinian Americans at its airports and when travelling into and out of the occupied Palestinian territories. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated.

Persons: Eli Cohen, Giorgos Gerapetritis, Louiza, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, Henriette Chacar, Simon Lewis, Caitlin Webber, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich, Sonali Paul Organizations: Israel, Greek Foreign, Foreign Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Visa, Israeli, U.S . State Department, Homeland Security, State, Palestinian, West Bank, U.S, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, United States, America, Israel, U.S, Washington, Palestinian, Croatia

☆ China willing to work with South Korea ahead of summit with Japan, Xi Jinping says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sept. 26, the first summit led by their senior officials in four years. Xi told Han that he welcomes the summit at an opportune time and he will seriously consider the matter of visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported on Saturday. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Han Duck, Xi, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, William Mallard, Mike Harrison Organizations: Rights, South Korean, Asian Games, China Central Television, South, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, China, South Korea, Russia, United States, North Korea, Hangzhou, Japan, Seoul

☆ China Willing to Work With South Korea Ahead of Summit With Japan - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sept. 26, the first summit led by their senior officials in four years. Xi told Han that he welcomes the summit at an opportune time and he will seriously consider the matter of visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported on Saturday. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation. Tensions between the two East Asian countries rose after North Korea's Kim Jong Un's weeklong visit to Russia earlier this month, which angered the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Han Duck, Xi, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, William Mallard, Mike Harrison Organizations: South Korean, Asian Games, China Central Television, South Locations: BEIJING, China, South Korea, Russia, United States, North Korea, Hangzhou, Japan, Seoul

☆ Even 1.4 billion people 'probably can't fill' all of China's vacant homes, ex-official admits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Big-name developers such as Country Garden Holdings continue to teeter close to default even to this day, keeping home-buyer sentiment depressed. As of the end of August, the combined floor area of unsold homes stood at 648 million square meters (7 billion square feet), the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show. That would be equal to 7.2 million homes, according to Reuters calculations, based on the average home size of 90 square meters (970 square feet). “How many vacant homes are there now? Each expert gives a very different number, with the most extreme believing the current number of vacant homes are enough for 3 billion people,” said He Keng, 81, a former deputy head of the statistics bureau.

Persons: ”, Keng Organizations: China Evergrande, Garden Holdings, National Bureau of Statistics, China News Service Locations: China, Dongguan

☆ Even China's 1.4 billion population can't fill all its vacant homes, former official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As of the end of August, the combined floor area of unsold homes stood at 648 million square metres (7 billion square feet), the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show. That would be equal to 7.2 million homes, according to Reuters calculations, based on the average home size of 90 square metres. "How many vacant homes are there now? Each expert gives a very different number, with the most extreme believing the current number of vacant homes are enough for 3 billion people," said He Keng, 81, a former deputy head of the statistics bureau. "All sorts of comments predicting the collapse of China's economy keep surfacing every now and then, but what has collapsed is such rhetoric, not China's economy," a spokesperson at the foreign ministry said at a recent news conference.

Persons: Keng, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Jan Harvey Organizations: China Evergrande, HK, Garden Holdings, National Bureau of Statistics, China News Service, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Dongguan

☆ China's Xi seriously considering South Korea visit, Yonhap reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/SEOUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday said he will seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported, as part of efforts to support peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Xi, who has not visited South Korea since 2014, held talks with Han in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday. Xi told Han he would welcome such a summit at an opportune time and would seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, according to CCTV, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation. Tensions between the two countries rose after North Korea's Kim Jong Un made a week-long visit to Russia earlier this month, which angered the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi, Han Duck, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong Un, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Joyce Lee, Mike Harrison, David Holmes Organizations: Rights, China Central Television, South Korean, Asian Games, South, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, SEOUL, South Korea, China, Hangzhou, Seoul, Japan, North Korea, Russia, United States, Beijing

☆ South China Sea: Philippines accuses Chinese maritime militia of destroying coral reefs near Palawan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Philippine Coast Guard/FacebookTarriela said between August 9 and September 11, the coast guard monitored 33 Chinese vessels within the vicinity of Rozul Reef and around 15 Chinese ships near Escoda Shoal. The UP Marine Science Institute found vibrant corals in the Rozul (Iroquios) Reef in the South China Sea in May 2021. At least two foreign ambassadors in Manila have expressed alarm over reports of destruction of marine resources in the South China Sea. The grounded Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre, which Manila uses to stake its territorial claims at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, as pictured on April 23, 2023. Under current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the country’s National Security Team began to publicize its findings about what was actually happening in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea more regularly, Powell said.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, ” Tarriela, Facebook Tarriela, Tarriela, Mao Ning, “, ”, Gerry Arances, Arances, Ray Powell, SeaLight, Powell, Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Rodrigo Duterte, Shoal, Ted Aljibe, Thomas Shoal, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia, Facebook, Philippine, Spratly Islands, Philippine coastguard, University of, Philippines Marine Science Institute, country’s National Security Council, Scientific, UP Marine Science Institute, Marine Science, CNN Philippines, Center for Energy, coastguard, National Security, Stanford University, The, United, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Asia, Transparency Initiative, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, National Security Team, West Philippine, South China Locations: South, Philippines, China, Sabina, South China, Palawan, Beijing, Philippine, Rozul, Escoda Shoal, ” Beijing, China’s, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, The Hague, West Philippine, United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Manila, Sierra, Spratly, AFP, BRP Sierra, Sierra Madre, West

☆ Opinion: It doesn’t take an Agatha Christie detective to work out something’s up in Xi’s China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The latest to vanish from view is China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu. But anti-corruption campaigns are an ideal vehicle for political crackdowns, and in the opaque world of China’s regime, with no official explanation, there’s much that doesn’t meet the eye. (Rahm Emanuel, dripping with sarcasm, joked that the unemployment rate among Xi’s ministers might exceed that of China’s young people.) But China, of course, still promotes its system as a superior alternative to western-style democracy; tries to pretend that it’s not a dictatorship.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Li Shangfu, “ I’m, Nobody, Rahm Emanuel, ”, Xi’s, Agatha Christie’s, Li, China’s, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Qi, Xi, Mao Zedong, didn’t, Joe Biden, “, Hu Jintao, Hu, chastened, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, China’s Defense, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Twitter, Qin, Street Journal, PLA’s, Force, United Nations General Assembly, Communist Party Congress Locations: China, Japan, Denmark, Vietnam, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Germany

☆ Poland No Longer Arming Ukraine, Says PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is no longer arming Ukraine as it is focusing on building up its own stocks of weapons, the prime minister said on Wednesday, as Warsaw's stance towards Kyiv shifts just weeks before an election. "We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons," Mateusz Morawiecki told Polsat News. Morawiecki's words came after Poland summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to the foreign ministry to protest against comments made by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy following Poland's decision to extend the grain ban. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced curbs on grain imports from Ukraine on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend a ban on sales into five EU states, including Romania and Bulgaria. Ukraine's foreign ministry called for calm in the dispute on Wednesday, with a foreign ministry spokesman urging the Poles to "put aside their emotions".

Persons: Ukraine's, Mateusz Morawiecki, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Alan Charlish, Pawel, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Polsat, United Nations General Assembly Kyiv, European Commission, Law and Justice Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Warsaw, Ukrainian, Moscow, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

☆ Poland no longer arming Ukraine, says PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Poland is no longer arming Ukraine as it is focusing on building up its own stocks of weapons, the prime minister said on Wednesday, as Warsaw's stance towards Kyiv shifts just weeks before an election. "We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons," Mateusz Morawiecki told Polsat News. Morawiecki's words came after Poland summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to the foreign ministry to protest against comments made by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy following Poland's decision to extend the grain ban. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced curbs on grain imports from Ukraine on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend a ban on sales into five EU states, including Romania and Bulgaria. Ukraine's foreign ministry called for calm in the dispute on Wednesday, with a foreign ministry spokesman urging the Poles to "put aside their emotions".

Persons: Ukraine's, Mateusz Morawiecki, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Alan Charlish, Pawel, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Polsat, United Nations General Assembly Kyiv, European Commission, Law and Justice, Thomson Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Warsaw, Ukrainian, Moscow, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

☆ Poland says it will stop arming Ukraine. How did we get here – and what does it mean for the war?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Poland’s decision was both sudden and predictable, coming after months of tensions over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports to a number of European Union countries. “We no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a blunt social media statement on Wednesday. But three nations – Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – said they intended to defy the change and keep the restrictions in place. They are particularly suffering in their stronghold rural regions in eastern Poland, where agriculture is an important economic pillar. The urgency of the war to Poland has also slipped over the course of year.

Persons: Mateusz Morawiecki, Morawiecki, Piotr Muller, CNN Muller, Slovakia –, Alexander Ermochenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Mateusz, Beata Zawrzel, PiS, Vladimir Putin Organizations: London CNN, European Union, NATO, Ukrainian, CNN, EU, European Commission, Reuters, UN, Assembly, Ukraine, Law, Justice, Confederation, Kyiv Locations: Kyiv, Russia, Poland’s, Poland, Ukraine, Polish, United States, Soviet, Warsaw, Slovakia, Hungary, Europe, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, New York, Moscow, Ukrainian, Germany, Ukraine’s

☆ Why More Countries Are Adopting Feminist Foreign Policies - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Lyric Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When Margot Wallstrom, then Sweden’s foreign minister, announced back in 2014 that her country would pursue a feminist foreign policy, the idea was greeted with skepticism. Ms. Wallstrom was criticized by the foreign policy establishment globally for both her openly activist approach and the perception that she was naïve to the realities of realpolitik. Less than a decade later, 16 governments have formally adopted feminist foreign policies. It took five years for the first four governments — Sweden, Luxembourg, France and Canada — to adopt feminist foreign policies. What feminist foreign policy looks like in practice varies from country to country.

Persons: Margot Wallstrom, Wallstrom, ’, Ms, Canada — Organizations: — Locations: Sweden, — Sweden, Luxembourg, France, Canada, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Netherlands

☆ Philippines Weighs Legal Options Against China Over Coral Reef 'Destruction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Neil Jerome MoralesMANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines is exploring legal options against China accusing it of destruction of coral reefs within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, an allegation rejected by Beijing as an attempt to "create political drama". The Philippines is studying the possibility of filing a second legal case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague, Guevarra said on Friday. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea. China, which has refused to recognise the 2016 ruling and has chafed at repeated mention of the case by Western powers, denied the latest claims of destruction of coral reefs. Coral in the South China Sea has been used for limestone and construction materials, traditional medicines and even souvenirs and jewellery.

Persons: Neil Jerome Morales MANILA, General Menardo Guevarra, Guevarra, China's, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mao Ning, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China, Reuters, South China, West, Department of Foreign Affairs, Reed Bank Locations: Philippines, South China, Beijing, Spratly, Hague, West Philippine, Manila, South, China, Vietnam, Malaysia

☆ One of Ukraine's strongest allies says it will no longer supply Kyiv with weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Kacper Pempel | ReutersPoland has said it will no longer supply its neighbor Ukraine with weapons, as a rift over agricultural exports deepens. Jonathan Ernst | ReutersWarsaw has been one of Kyiv's staunchest allies since mutual foe Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Poland has donated a wide range of weaponry to Kyiv, from modern Leopard 2 tanks to Soviet-era fighter jets, as well as delivering military training to Ukraine's armed forces. A Polish farmer during an April 12, 2022 protest against Ukrainian grain imports, which have lowered prices for crops in Poland. In happier times: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki embrace during a joint news briefing on a day of the first anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 24, 2023.

Persons: Kacper Pempel, Mateusz Morawiecki, Morawiecki, Kamala Harris, Jonathan Ernst, Kyiv's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pawel Jablonski, Attila Husejnow, Yulia Svyridenko, Svyridenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Viacheslav Ratynskyi Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Google, Polska Agencja, Poland's, U.S, White, Washington , D.C, World Trade Organization, United Nations, General Assembly, Kyiv, UN, Assembly, CNBC, EU, Solidarity, European Commission, Slovakia —, WTO, Warsaw, Polish Locations: Europe, France, U.S, Poland, Piskie, Orzysz, Reuters Poland, Ukraine, Kyiv, Warsaw, Washington ,, Reuters Warsaw, Russia, Soviet, Moscow, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Polish, Bratislava, Budapest, Ukrainian

☆ China says opposes discriminatory U.S. practices against firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Sept 20 (Reuters) - China opposes discriminatory practices by the United States against Chinese companies, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after the U.S. commerce department said an advanced phone chip made by Huawei may violate trade restrictions. Smartphone manufacturer Huawei recently started selling its Mate 60 Pro phone containing a chip that analysts believe was made with a technology breakthrough by Chinese chip foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) (0981.HK). In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China "opposed the U.S. generalising the concept of national security". "Such discriminatory and unfair practices against Chinese companies undermine the principles of free trade and international economic and trade rules, and disrupt the stability of the global production and supply chain," she added. China and the United States are locked in an ongoing battle over semiconductor technology.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Mao Ning, Liz Lee, Ethan Wang, Bernard Orr, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, HK, The Commerce Department, . Commerce, U.S, Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, U.S, Washington

☆ Poland summons Ukrainian ambassador over Zelenskiy comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Alan Charlish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWARSAW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Poland summoned Kyiv's envoy to the foreign ministry on Wednesday, after comments by Ukraine's president on a ban on grain imports angered the government in Warsaw, which is toughening its stance ahead of October elections. It said Jablonski also told Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych that "putting pressure on Poland in multilateral forums or sending complaints to international tribunals are not appropriate methods of resolving disputes between our countries". He did not name the countries although Kyiv has previously said the complaint targeted Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus told state-run news agency PAP that he took Kachka's comments as a way of "calming down a certain atmosphere that had been building for two or three days". Reporting by Alan Charlish and Pawel Florkiewicz; editing by Christina Fincher, Tomasz Janowski and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Viacheslav, Kyiv's, Ukraine's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Pawel Jablonski, V, Zelenskiy, Jablonski, Vasyl Zvarych, Florin Barbu, Mateusz Morawiecki, Morawiecki, Facebook Morawiecki, Taras Kachka, Robert Telus, Alan Charlish, Christina Fincher, Tomasz Janowski, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations General Assembly Kyiv, General, European Commission, Romanian, Trade Organization, Poland's, Polsat, Facebook, Trade, RMF, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Velykomykhailivka, Dnipropetrovsk region, Poland, Warsaw, Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, Moscow, Romania, Bulgaria, Kyiv, Republic of Poland

CNN —Poland said Wednesday it will stop providing weapons to Ukraine amid a growing dispute between the two countries over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports. “We no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on social media. The ban on Ukrainian grain was initially put in place earlier this year by several European Union nations, to protect the livelihood of local farmers worried about being undercut by low prices of Ukrainian grain. But three nations – Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – said they intended to defy the change and keep the restrictions in place. Polish President Andrzej Duda also urged greater unity and action on Wednesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.

Persons: CNN —, Mateusz Morawiecki, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Slovakia –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gleb Garanich, ” Zelensky’s, Pawel Jablonski, Morawiecki, ” Morawiecki, “, Andrzej Duda, ”, ” Duda Organizations: CNN, Eastern, European Union, EU, UN, Assembly, NATO, Ukrainian, United Nations, Kiel, UN Security Council Locations: Ukraine, Poland, Polish, Kyiv, Warsaw, Hungary, Slovakia, Europe, Bilohiria, Moscow, Ukrainian, United States, Soviet, Russia

☆ India-Canada tensions hit crisis point after assassination allegations: Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A security personnel stands guard outside the Canadian High-Commision in New Delhi, India, September 19, 2023. In retaliation, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after summoning Canada's High Commissioner to the country, the foreign ministry said. This came just hours after Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that Ottawa had expelled a top Indian diplomat. Adnan Abidi | ReutersPrior to the Group of 20 nations' leaders' summit two weekends ago, Ottawa had paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party government. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hand with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, Hardeep Singh, Justin Trudeau, Canada's, Melanie Joly, Trudeau, Moninder Singh, Nanak, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Chris Helgren, Joly, it's, Narendra Modi's, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indira Gandhi, Narendra Modi, Evan Vucci Organizations: Canadian, Reuters, Canadian Government, Ottawa, Indian, Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party government, India, of, India's, Canada's, Afp, Getty Locations: New Delhi, India, Reuters India, Canadian, Canada, British Columbia, Ottawa, Indian, Sikh, Surrey, Australia, United Kingdom, China, Brampton, of Canada

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday declined to address a report its former foreign minister Qin Gang was ousted from his position over an alleged extramarital affair. When asked about the report during a regular press briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said she was “not aware” of the information. “As for the appointment and removal of the Chinese Foreign Minister, the Chinese side has released information before,” spokesperson Mao Ning said in an apparent reference to the July announcement of his replacement. Qin served as Chinese Ambassador to the US from July 2021 until early 2023 when he assumed his short-lived role as foreign minister. According to a biographical information page on China’s Foreign Ministry website, Qin is married with a son.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Li Shangfu, “, Mao Ning, Wang Yi, –, Xi, Antony Blinken Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Wall Street Journal, Communist Party, Rocket Force, China’s Defense, Foreign Ministry, Communist, Wall Street, CNN, China’s, Information Office, China’s Foreign Ministry, Foreign Locations: Hong Kong, Washington, Beijing, China’s, China, United States

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