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☆ Problems in China have US intelligence worried the rising military power may become 'even more aggressive and unpredictable'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China may act "even more" aggressively and unpredictably thanks to its domestic problems, US intel said. China's demographic issues, as well as economic challenges, put its leadership and military in difficult positions. US intel suggested China's global leadership and military ambitions are meeting resistance. AdvertisementAs China grapples with mounting domestic challenges, its already concerning behavior on the world stage may become even more aggressive and unpredictable, according to US intelligence. "China's serious demographic and economic challenges may make it an even more aggressive and unpredictable global actor," the threat assessment said.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Yang Jie, That's Organizations: intel, Service, US Intelligence Community, National Intelligence, Pentagon, People's Liberation Army Navy, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party's, East China, East China Seas, Liberation Army, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Force Locations: China, United States, China's, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, Xinhua, Taiwan, Beijing, South, East, East China Seas, Philippine, PRC, People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui province, COVID

☆ Australian rugby league player banned for eight matches after being found guilty of using racial slur towards Indigenous rival
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu has been given an eight-match suspension after being found guilty of using a racial slur towards an Indigenous Australian rugby league player during a match. The National Rugby League (NRL) announced on Monday that a judiciary panel had found that Leniu had referred to Brisbane Broncos’ Ezra Mam as a “monkey” in a game in Las Vegas earlier this month. Leniu was charged with contrary conduct after the two teams faced off in the US and following a complaint from Mam. While giving evidence, Leniu said that he had wanted to travel to apologize to Mam – a Torres Strait Islander – in person, but the Broncos’ five-eighth rejected his approach. In no way did he mean to direct this term to Ezra in a racial way.

Persons: Spencer Leniu, Leniu, Ezra Mam, Mam, “, Ezra, ”, Mam –, ” Mam, David Becker, Joe Kelly, Spencer, “ Spencer, He’s, ” Kelly, CNN’s Ben Church Organizations: CNN — Sydney Roosters, Indigenous Australian rugby, National Rugby League, Brisbane Broncos, Broncos, Nine News, Roosters, Aboriginal, CNN Locations: Las Vegas, Torres

President Joe Biden's State of the Union address as prepared for delivery:Good evening. A former American president actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader. And it’s because of you that tonight we can proudly say the State of our Union is strong and getting stronger. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else. I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Franklin Roosevelt, “, Hitler, Roosevelt’s, Lincoln, Putin, Ronald Reagan, thundered, Mr, Gorbachev, we’ve, Insurrectionists, ., Jan, I’ve, Latorya Beasley, Roe, Wade, Harris, Kate Cox, Kate, – that's, won’t, Hope, Shawn Fain, Dawn Simms, Dawn, That’s, Jill, I’m, Keenan Jones –, Sen, Bob Casey’s, It’s, It’d, Edmund Pettus, John Lewis, Betty May Fikes, ”, Banning, Jasmine, Jackie, we’re, Evan, Paul, Israel, –, We’ve, aren’t, They’ve, We’re, King, Bobby Kennedy, you’ve, Let’s Organizations: Madame, Union, Overseas, Republican, NATO, Alliance, National Security, America, That's, Act, Infrastructure Law, UAW, Big Pharma, Medicare, Affordable, White, Initiative, Women’s Health Research, Grants, Child, Big Oil, Social Security, Border Patrol Union, Dreamers, Peace Corps, Ameri Corps, Corps, American, House, NRA, Hamas, United, U.S, ARPA, Star Locations: Joe Biden's State, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, American, Russian, America, Finland, Sweden, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, Alabama, Dallas, Texas, COVID, That's America, Belvidere , Illinois, Belvidere, it’s, Shawn, HBCUs, Minnesota, Ireland, Selma , Alabama, Selma, Uvalde , Texas, Uvalde, Iowa, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Red, China, Taiwan Strait, I’ve, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Claymont , Delaware, United States of America

☆ Russia's hardliners are furious over its latest loss at sea, saying commanders would rather cover up mistakes than learn
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine has achieved a series of astonishing victories over Russia in the Black Sea. Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday that it had scored another success in its campaign against Russia's much bigger Russian Black Sea fleet. The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said Russian military bloggers, who are often ultranationalists with close military links, are "decrying the Russian military command's lack of response to the incident and mounting a wider critique against the bureaucratic inertia of the Russian military apparatus." Military blogger Two majors said that commanders often try to place the blame elsewhere to cover up their mistakes. Ukraine has used ingenuity and improvisation to offset its disadvantages in the Black Sea, which Russia's navy has historically dominated.

Persons: —, Sergei Kotov, Dva Maiyora Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Telegram, Foreign Policy Research Institute Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Kerch, US, Rybar, Sevastopol, Crimea

☆ Ukraine’s drones sink another Russian warship, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brad Lendon | Svitlana Vlasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ukraine’s military on Tuesday claimed another successful attack on a Russian warship, marking the latest in a string of naval defeats for Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet that Kyiv says has reduced its numbers by more than a third since the start of the war. “As a result of the strike by Magura V5 maritime drones, the Russian ship Project 22160 ‘Sergei Kotov’ sustained damage to the stern, starboard and port sides,” sparking a fire aboard the vessel, a statement said. In mid-February, the Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov was attacked with the same drones used against the Sergei Kotov. The drones punctured “critical holes” on the Russian ship’s left side before sinking it, Ukrainian military intelligence agency said on Telegram. The Sergei Kotov was one of Russia newest ships in the Black Sea Fleet.

Persons: CNN —, Moscow’s, Sergei Kotov, Sergei Kotov ’, Andriy Yusov, Caesar Kunikov Organizations: CNN, The Defense Intelligence, Magura, Russian, Ukrainian Navy, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital, Defense Intelligence, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Fleet, TASS Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kerch, Crimea, Russia, Radio Free Europe

☆ Ukraine said it sank a $65 million warship that Russia planned to use for an antiaircraft missile system
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine said it destroyed another Russian ship in the Black Sea using sea drones. The Sergei Kotov patrol vessel, part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, cost $65 million, Ukraine said. AdvertisementUkrainian military intelligence said a $65 million Russian warship was the latest to be sunk in the Black Sea. It added that a Ukrainian special unit attacked the Black Sea Fleet vessel in cooperation with Ukraine's navy and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. In December, the UK's defense minister said that "over the past 4 months 20% of Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been destroyed."

Persons: Sergei Kotov, —, Andrii, Russian Sergey Kotov, 3KPMpgxXD8, 4LGiEYQaEY — Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Digital, Kyiv, Radio Free, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Ukraine, Kyiv Independent Locations: Ukraine, Russia's, Russia, Ukrainian, Kerch, Radio Free Europe, Russian, Sevastopol, Crimea

☆ Taylor Swift is making Singapore a mountain of money, and some of the country's neighbors are salty about it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Edwin Tong, Singapore's culture minister, told local outlet Mothership on February 28 that the amount of grant given "is not what is being speculated online." As Tong, the Singapore culture minister, told Mothership, the city-state is looking "beyond just the economic impact" of Swiftonimics. Economists estimate that Swift's concerts in Singapore could contribute up to 500 million Singapore dollars, or $372 million, in tourist receipts. AdvertisementIt's a different story for spending on experiences — and it's heightened because Singapore is Swift's only stop in Southeast Asia. Mann said the people who have money to pay for flight tickets, Swift's concert tickets, and a hotel are likely to keep spending at other tourist spots.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Srettha, Edwin Tong, Swift, it's, Yun Liu, Tong, Kevin Cheong, David Mann, Mann, Coldplay, Si Ying Toh, Cheong, Joey Salceda, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno Organizations: Service, Business, HSBC, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, Nomura, Philippine Star, Bloomberg, Vegas Locations: Singapore, Southeast Asia, British, Thailand, Bangkok, Indonesia, Sands

☆ Russia's Black Sea warships are 'hiding' says Ukraine navy, as sea drones spread fear
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukraine navy spokesperson said they were "fleeing to their hiding spots." AdvertisementRussian warships have been exercising cautious behavior and making unexpected U-turns, hiding from Ukraine's naval drones, said a Ukraine Navy spokesman. Recently, a group of Russian vessels approached the Bosporus Strait, only to abruptly reverse course instead of proceeding to Russian-held Crimea. Dmytro Pletenchuk, the Ukraine Navy spokesman, suggested that the ships may have been responding to perceived threats, signaling a fear of a Ukrainian attack, per Newsweek. AdvertisementRecent observations by OSINT analysts have highlighted similar maneuvers involving Russian vessels, including those subject to US sanctions.

Persons: —, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Pletenchuk, Yörük, Ukraine's, Ivan Lukashevych, Kunikov Organizations: Russia's, Service, Ukraine Navy, Newsweek, @USTreasury, SC South, Business, Pravda, Ukrainian Armed Forces Center, Strategic Communications, Ukraine's, UK's Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Bosphorus, Sparta, Russia

Boat tours around Kinmen are still operating, though under a closer watch by Taiwan’s coast guard. Officers visit each boat before they set sail and warn captains not to stray into Chinese waters. “In the past, whenever a mainland ship crossed the median line (into Taiwan’s waters), our cannons would fire toward it without warning,” Hung said. On Monday, five Chinese coast guard ships entered prohibited or restricted waters around Kinmen, but left shortly after being warned away by Taiwan’s coast guard, according to a Taiwan minister. Last week, Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taiwanese tour boat for inspection, an unprecedented move that startled passengers on board.

Persons: ”, Hung Ho, cheng, Hung, Mao Zedong’s, Chiang Kai, John Mees, Kinmen, ” Hung, Sam Yeh, Kuan, ” Kuan, Chang, Wu Chia, chiang Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Residents, Mao Zedong’s Communist, Nationalist, CNN, Mao’s Communist, Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, Tourism Association Locations: Kinmen, Taiwan, China, China’s, Beijing, It’s, Staten Island, “, Taipei, Xiamen, AFP, Taiwanese, China's Xiamen

☆ The dangerous parallels between Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine and Xi’s claims on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Will Ripley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

What is happening is to a certain extent, an element of a civil war,” Putin claimed. The island remained a Japanese colony for half a century until the end of World War II, when it came under the control of China’s ruling Nationalist government. Today Xi is expanding China’s military at a pace the world hasn’t seen in a century – since before World War Two. Long-time China analyst Steve Tsang, author of “If China Attacks Taiwan,” once told me that Xi’s military build-up is, by comparison, larger than Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan combined. Many here in Taiwan fear it’s only a matter of time before Xi, like Putin, puts his words into action.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Kolas Yotaka, Tucker, Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, Xi, ”, Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Yotaka, –, Jens Stoltenberg, “, ” Stoltenberg, it’s, ” China’s, Russia –, Carlson, ” Putin, Critics, Chiang Kai, shek, ” Xi, He’s, Tsai Ing, Steve Tsang Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Taiwan Presidential, Taiwan –, NATO, Munich Security, Communist Party, Russia, Observers, Nationalist, Communists, Taiwan’s National Chengchi, Democratic Progressive Party, Taipei, Xi, Navy, Global China, Atlantic Council, Taiwan Relations Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Ukraine, Beijing, China, Russia, Soviet, Ukrainian, Soviet Union, Japan, Republic of China, Taiwan Strait, United States, Hong Kong, Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Washington

☆ The Risk of a China War Over Taiwan Is Rising - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Ben Lewis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2020, the balance of military power in the Taiwan Strait began a gradual but profound shift in China’s favor. That August, then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar became the highest-ranking U.S. cabinet official to visit Taiwan in more than four decades. responded by carrying out large-scale military exercises around the self-governing island, sending aircraft over the median line of the Taiwan Strait for only the third time in more than 20 years. Alarm bells should be ringing, but neither Taiwan nor the United States have taken meaningful action to deter China, and Taiwan’s response has been inconsistent and lacks transparency, which may further embolden Beijing. A more robust approach is needed to deter China from escalating the situation.

Persons: Alex Azar Organizations: Health, Human, Liberation Army Locations: Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, China, Taipei, Washington, United States, Beijing

☆ U.S. and British strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen answer militants’ surge in Red Sea attacks on ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Red Sea, officials said. President Joe Biden and other senior leaders have repeatedly warned that the U.S. won't tolerate the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping. During normal operations, about 400 commercial vessels transit the southern Red Sea at any given time. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was attacked while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported Tuesday that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.

Persons: Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Joe Biden, haven't, We've, Sabrina Singh, we've, Mason, Abdul Malik al, Hope Organizations: US Coast Guard, US Central Command, U.S, Eisenhower, Defense, Yemeni Armed Forces, RAF, Islander, Hamas, Houthi, Aden , U.S . Central Command, Central Command, Khorfakkan, United, Command, Associated Press, Planet Labs PBC Locations: Iran, Yemen, Tampa , Florida, United States, U.S, Gulf of Aden, British, Red, Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Gaza, Aden , U.S, Asia, Europe, Africa, Suez, Mandeb, Gulf, Aden, Palau, Belize, Lebanese, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates

☆ US Army soldiers are working closer than ever with allies in the Pacific to counter China's 'aggressive, insidious' ways, top general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementU.S. Army Gen. Charles Flynn, Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, speaks with soldiers from the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 24-02 at Donnelly Training Area, Alaska, Feb. 15, 2024. This month, US Army Pacific conducted its JPMRC training rotation in Alaska, where thousands of troops are trained to wage war in frigid, Arctic conditions. The Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center also does a training rotation in Hawaii, where troops conduct exercises in the jungle. That training is also conducted with a host of US allies and partners in the Pacific.

Persons: —, Army Pacific's, IPACC, Gideon Battis Gen, Charles A, Flynn, he's, Charles Flynn, Mike Godinez, Martinez, USARPAC, Joseph A, Ryan Organizations: Service, US Army, Pacific Multinational Readiness, Army, Business, Pentagon, Department of Defense, People's Liberation Army, Navy, Rocket Force, East China Seas, Combat, US Army Pacific, U.S . Army Pacific, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Airborne, Donnelly Training, U.S, Talisman, Talisman Sabre, Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Locations: China, Pacific, Australia, Alaska, Hawaii, People's Republic of China, United States, Philippines, Taiwan Strait, East, South Korea, Japan, Thailand

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —American support for Taiwan will continue no matter who wins the upcoming US election, House Rep. Mike Gallagher told an audience in the democratic island on Thursday, as tensions simmer between Taipei and Beijing. “I’m confident regardless of how the presidential election goes, we will maintain our support not only for Taiwan but also a posture of internationalism and engagement,” Gallagher told reporters in the capital Taipei. Gallagher said American efforts to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion were also critical to deterring Beijing from using force against Taiwan. American lawmakers regularly visit Taiwan and have supported legislation to bolster US support for the island and its defensive capabilities. 07:53 - Source: CNNTroubled watersThe delegation’s visit comes during a period of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, sparked by the drowning of two Chinese fishermen near Taiwan’s Kinmen Island last week.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, “, ” Gallagher, Gallagher, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Tsai, ” Tsai, China, ”, ” “, …, ” Zhu Fenglian, Chen Chien Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Communist Party, Taiwan, NATO, Democratic, Washington, CNN, Taipei, Republican, Wisconsin, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Taiwan Affairs Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, China, Ukraine, Europe, Raja, United States, Taiwanese, ”

☆ Opinion | What It Means to Choose Between Ukraine and Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the weekend Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio went to the Munich Security Conference to play an unpopular part — a spokesman, at a gathering of the Western foreign policy establishment, for the populist critique of American support for Ukraine’s war effort. In my Sunday column I wrote about the tensions in the hawkish case for U.S. spending on Ukraine, the tendency for the argument to veer from boosterism (“We’ve got Putin on the ropes!”) to doomsaying (“Putin’s getting stronger every day!”) while describing the same strategic landscape. The case Vance pressed in Munich is more consistent, and its premises — not isolationist but Asia-first, more concerned about the Taiwan Strait than the Donbas — have supplied the common ground for Republican critics of our Ukraine policy since early in the war. But consistency is not the same as correctness, and it’s worth looking for a moment at why this kind of argument makes Ukraine hawks so frustrated.

Persons: J.D, Vance of Ohio, Vance, “ We’ve, Putin Organizations: Munich Security Conference Locations: Ukraine, East Asia, Europe, Munich, Asia, Taiwan

☆ China’s coast guard has triggered ‘panic’ in Taiwan. That’s only part of Beijing’s plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It’s super scary,” a passenger told Taiwan’s United Daily News in a video upon returning to shore under the escort of a Taiwanese coast guard ship on Monday. “(The Chinese coast guard) chose a tourist vessel because it’s high profile – you would expect lots of people on the boat with cameras and phones,” he said. The stakes are high, as the increased presence and closer proximity of Chinese and Taiwanese coast guard vessels raise the specter of miscalculations that could potentially spiral into open conflict. Speaking to reporters about the inspection by the Chinese coast guard, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-kcheng highlighted such risks, saying the defense ministry is “very concerned” about potential miscalculations. Taiwan's coast guard inspects a vessel that capsized during a chase off the coast of Kinmen on February 14, 2024.

Persons: King Xia, ” Kuan, Taiwan’s, Ian Chong, Chong, ”, “ They’re, Chiu Kuo, Lai Ching, China’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, Tian Feilong, It’s, Tian, “, Lai Organizations: Taipei CNN, Taiwan’s United Daily News, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, Democratic Progressive Party, National University of Singapore, South China, Taiwan’s, Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, Taiwanese, Kinmen, China’s, Beijing, Taiwan, Xiamen, China, East, South, Taiwan's, Nauru, Taiwan Strait

☆ A Trident missile test-fired by a UK submarine failed. That's a lot of money down the drain.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe British navy suffered an embarrassing flop after a failed test launch of a Trident nuclear missile was revealed. AdvertisementIt's the second time in a row that a test launch of a Trident missile by the Royal Navy has had an unhappy ending. These failures have a high price tag, given that each missile costs tens of millions of dollars. AdvertisementThat involves manufacturing costs, missile extension programs, replacement warheads, in-service costs, and personnel salaries. Building the Trident system in the 1980s cost about £21 billion ($26.5 billion) in today's money, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Persons: —, Grant Shapps, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Service, British, Trident, Sun, Business, Defense, Royal Navy, US Navy, US, Lockheed, Vanguard, Ministry of Defense, Nuclear Disarmament, Department of Defense, Congressional, Office Locations: Florida, Africa, Ohio, Red Sea, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait

☆ Taiwan minister says China coast guard triggers panic by boarding Taiwan tourist boat
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The boarding of a Taiwanese tourist boat by China's coast guard triggered panic among Taiwanese people, a Taiwan minister said on Tuesday, as tensions rise across the sensitive Taiwan Strait. This comes after China announced on Sunday that its coast guard would begin regular patrols and set up law enforcement activity around the Taiwan-controlled islands of Kinmen. The boarding of a Taiwanese tourist boat by China's coast guard triggered panic among Taiwanese people, a Taiwan minister said on Tuesday, as tensions rise across the sensitive Taiwan Strait. Six Chinese coast guard officers on Monday boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat carrying 11 crew members and 23 passengers to check its route plan, certificate and crew licenses, leaving around half an hour later, Taiwan's coast guard said. Kuan said it was common for Chinese and Taiwanese tourist boats to accidentally entered the other side's waters.

Persons: Kuan Organizations: Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council Locations: Taiwan, China, Kinmen, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's, Taipei

☆ U.S. crude hovers near three-month high as Middle East conflict rages on
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. crude oil futures hovered near three-month highs Tuesday as the conflict in the Middle East rages on. U.S. crude gained 3% last week to settle Friday at its highest price, $79.19 a barrel, since Nov. 6. The global benchmark rose 1.5% for the week to settle at its highest price since Jan. 26. Houthi militants on Monday attacked another cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel. The attack highlights the ongoing threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which has forced shipping giants such as Maersk to divert cargo around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

Persons: Brent, Tamas Varga, PVM Organizations: The West Texas Intermediate, International Energy Agency, Monday Locations: Suez, Ismailia, Egypt, East, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Rafah, U.S, Iran, Red, Hope, Africa, Aden

☆ Gold at one-week high as soft dollar, Middle East turmoil lift demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices rose to a nearly one-week high on Monday as a slight pullback in the U.S. dollar and escalating tensions in the Middle East lifted bullion's safe-haven appeal. Gold prices rose to a nearly one-week high on Monday as a slight pullback in the U.S. dollar and escalating tensions in the Middle East lifted bullion's safe-haven appeal. Spot gold was up 0.3% at $2,019.99 per ounce, as of 0530 GMT, hitting its highest since Feb. 13. U.S. gold futures rose 0.4% to $2,031.50 per ounce. Spot platinum dipped 0.3% to $903.04, palladium rose 0.7% to $956.66, while silver fell 1.2% to $23.12 per ounce.

Persons: Yeap Jun Rong, Wang Tao, Jun Rong, Raphael Bostic Organizations: U.S ., Maritime Trade Operations, Market, Fed Bank of Atlanta, CME Locations: Mandab, Yemen, China

☆ Houthis claim 'catastrophic' attack in Red Sea that prompted crew to abandon ship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Iran-backed Houthi militant group on Sunday damaged a ship offshore Yemen, prompting its crew to abandon the vessel in the latest escalation of maritime tensions that have disrupted key trade routes in the Red Sea. Houthi militants later claimed the attack, with spokesperson Yahya Sare'e identifying the vessel as general cargo ship Rubymar and describing it as British. "The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt," Houthi Spokesperson Sare'e said. The hostilities have also prompted armed exchanges between Houthis and British and American forces, which have previously struck at Yemeni targets in a bid to improve maritime security. Sare'e said that the Houthis on Sunday also shot down a U.S. drone in Hodeidah.

Persons: Yahya Sare'e, Sare'e, Ice Brent, Nymex WTI Organizations: Maritime Trade Operations, CNBC, Global, Djiboutian Navy, Hamas, Maersk, Ice, U.S . Central Command, U.S . Navy, Ambrey Analytics Locations: Iran, Yemen, Red, Belize, British, U.S, Saudi, Khair, Varna, Bulgaria, Gulf, Aden, London, Gaza, Danish, Good Hope, Houthis, ., Houthi, Greece, Yemen's

☆ China ramps up patrols near Taiwan’s outlying islands following death of Chinese fishermen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is increasing patrols in waters near a group of frontline islands controlled by Taiwan, as tensions rise after two Chinese fishermen drowned during a pursuit by Taiwan’s coast guard who accused them of trespassing. The patrols are likely to put Chinese coast guard vessels in closer proximity to their Taiwanese counterparts, potentially raising the risk of miscalculation and conflict. Two survived after being rescued by Taiwan’s coast guard, while the other two were found unconscious and confirmed dead after being taken to the hospital in Kinmen. Taiwan's coast guard inspects a vessel that capsized during a chase off the coast of the Kinmen islands on February 14, 2024. Over the past three years, 20 people from mainland China have been rescued by Taiwan’s coast guard, according to Kuan.

Persons: Gan Yu, Taiwan’s, “, ” Kuan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sunday, Democratic Progressive Party, China’s Taiwan Affairs, Taiwan Coast Guard Administration, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, “ Fishermen, Mainland Affairs, Ocean Affairs Council, Kuomintang Locations: Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Fujian, Xiamen, Taiwan’s, Kinmen, Beijing, Taiwan's, “, Kuan, Taipei

☆ China's Wang Yi tells Blinken U.S. should lift sanctions on Chinese firms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet at the 60th Munich Security Conference on Feb. 16, 2024. Washington should lift sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals, and that attempts to de-couple from China would only hurt the United States, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The United States should lift the sanctions and not harm China's legitimate development rights, Wang told Blinken on Friday on the sidelines of a Munich security conference, according to a statement from China's foreign ministry. Washington has imposed sanctions on various Chinese companies that it accuses of working with China's military despite denials from the firms. The United States does, however, maintain unofficial relations with the democratically governed island and remains its most important backer and arms supplier.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Wang, Blinken, Biden, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Foreign, China's, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Treasury Locations: Munich, Washington, China, United States, Xinjiang, U.S, de, Ukraine, Taiwan, Asia, Beijing

☆ China Says No Banned Areas Around Taiwanese Islands After Two Killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - There are no off limits or restricted areas for fishing around a group of Taiwanese islands close to China's coast and Beijing reserves the right to take further measures after two Chinese nationals died near the islands, the government said. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained in recent years about Chinese fishing boats and other vessels operating in Taiwan-controlled waters, especially around the Kinmen and Matsu islands which sit a short distance from China's coast. Late on Saturday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which has already condemned Taipei for the incident near Kinmen's Beiding islet, said the deaths had caused "strong indignation" in China. China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the government had goodwill towards Taiwan's people, but will never tolerate Taiwan's disregard for the safety of Chinese fishermen. "The mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and Taiwan shall bear all the consequences," it added, without elaborating.

Persons: Kinmen, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan, Xu Hao, Ben Blanchard Organizations: China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Fishermen, Taiwan Affairs Office, Taiwan Affairs Office's, Beijing Locations: BEIJING, China's, Beijing, Taiwan, China, Taipei, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Shanghai, Taipei Mayor, Taiwan Affairs Office's Shanghai

☆ Yemen's Houthis say they targeted oil tanker Pollux
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Saturday that they had fired missiles at oil tanker Pollux, which U.S. officials said the previous day had been hit by a missile. The U.S. State Department said on Friday that the Pollux, a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil bound for India, was hit by a missile on its port side. "The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against a British oil ship (Pollux) in the Red Sea with a large number of appropriate naval missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct", the Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement. The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel wages war on Hamas.

Persons: Houthis, Yahya Sarea Organizations: U.S . State Department, Yemeni Armed Forces Locations: Iran, Panamanian, India, Mandab, Israel

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