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June
EU to send more than 200 firefighters to Greece for the summer season
Written by Nur Yasmin
More than 200 firefighters and equipment from Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Romania and Norway will be stationed in Greece to provide immediate support in the event of major wildfires during the summer, the European Commission said on Thursday.
A spate of wildfires scorched about 300,000 acres of forest and bushland in different parts of Greece last summer, amid the country's worst heatwave in 30 years.
Following sharp criticism of its response to the fires, the Greek government set up a new civil protection ministry and promised to boost firefighting capacities as part of its battle to tackle global warming. read more
"In August 2021, Greece witnessed about 65 simultaneous forest fires per day with average temperatures often exceeding 40℃ ", the EU's Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said in a statement.
"Together with the Greek authorities we have therefore agreed the stand-by presence of more than 200 highly skilled firefighters from across our continent to support national first responders when fires break out," he added.
The assistance, financed and coordinated under the EU's civil protection mechanism, will come on top of firefighting aircraft available to European Union countries under the bloc's reserve of resources.
June
Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia region to nationalise Ukraine's assets - RIA
Written by Nur Yasmin
The administration in the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine plans to take over state assets, including strategic firms, land and natural resources, the RIA news agency quoted the administration as saying on Thursday.
Russia claimed full control of the Kherson region in March and holds parts of the Zaporizhzhia region to the northeast. (Reuters)
June
Yemen warring parties agree to extend truce for two months -U.N.
Written by Nur Yasmin
Yemen's warring parties agreed to extend a U.N.-brokered truce for two months under the same terms as the original deal that was due to expire on Thursday, the U.N. envoy to Yemen said.
Delegations from the Saudi-backed government and the movement are expected to return to the Jordanian capital Amman to continued talks, Yemeni official said.
The truce had seen a halt to major military operations in Yemen and cross-border attacks in the seven-year war between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi group, and helped to ease a humanitarian crisis that has left millions hungry.
"For the past two months, Yemenis have experienced the tangible benefits of the truce," United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a statement.
The truce is the most significant step in years towards ending the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and added tensions to an already strained relationship between Riyadh and Washington.
U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the truce's extension and said it would not have been possible without regional diplomacy.
"Saudi Arabia demonstrated courageous leadership by taking initiatives early on to endorse and implement terms of the U.N.-led truce," Biden said in a statement. Oman, Egypt and Jordan also played roles in enabling the truce process, he added.
The renewed agreement will allow for fuel ships to continue to dock into Houthi-held Hodeidah port and some commercial flights from the airport in the capital Sanaa, which is controlled by the group.
There had been intense efforts to salvage the deal which was threatened by stalled talks on reopening roads in disputed Taiz, where Houthi troops have imposed a siege for years.
The United Nations is also seeking to start broader political discussions including on shoring up Yemen's devastated economy, government revenues and public sector salaries.
Riyadh wants to exit a costly war that had been in military stalemate for years with the Houthis controlling most big urban centres. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the Houthis after they ousted the internationally recognised government from the capital Sanaa. (Reuters)
June
Tunisian judges' association calls president's move to sack judges a "massacre"
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Tunisian Judges Association on Thursday called the president's decision to sack dozens of judges as a "massacre" and called on members to oppose it.
President Kais Saied on Wednesday dismissed 57 judges, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists in a purge of the judiciary - his latest step to tighten his grip on power in the North African country.
The Judges Association said the move aims to allow him to influence the judiciary and create vacancies to appoint his loyalists. (Reuters)
May
Russian lawmaker suggests kidnapping NATO defence minister in Ukraine
Written by Nur Yasmin
A senior Russian lawmaker has suggested kidnapping a NATO defence minister in Ukraine and bringing them to Moscow for questioning about what "orders" the West has been giving to Kyiv.
Oleg Morozov, first elected to the Russian parliament in 1993 and a member of the dominant United Russia party, said the supply of Western arms to Ukraine posed a direct threat to Russia and might require Moscow to review its military aims.
"You know, perhaps it is a fantastical plot that I have brewing ... that in the near future, at some stage, a war minister of some NATO country will go by train to Kyiv to talk with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy," Morozov told the "60 Minutes" talk show on Rossiya-1 state TV late on Monday.
"But he would not get there. And would wake up somewhere in Moscow," Morozov said.
"You mean we abduct them?" TV host Olga Skabeyeva, one of the most pro-Kremlin journalists on television, asked with a smile.
"Yes. And then we would sort out who gave which order for what, who is responsible for what exactly," Morozov said. "It is not such a mythical picture ... There are new rules in the world now. Let all those war ministers gathering in Kyiv think a little about what it would be like to wake up in Moscow."
Neither Morozov nor Skabeyeva could be reached for comment.
A succession of Western politicians have visited Kyiv to show solidarity with Ukraine - including U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who travelled there in April with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
President Vladimir Putin casts the 97-day-old war as a "special military operation" to disarm Ukraine and halt what he sees as the persecution of Russian-speakers by Ukrainian ultra-nationalists. He also accuses the United States of using Ukraine to threaten Russia through NATO enlargement.
Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia is waging an unprovoked war against a sovereign state which is fighting for its existence.
Russia has repeatedly warned the West that the supply of advanced arms to Ukraine risks escalating the war. Ukraine has called for the West to send more long-range weapons. (Reuters)
May
Thai economy improves in May on easing COVID curbs - c.bank
Written by Nur Yasmin
Thailand's economic activity in May showed gradual improvement as concerns about the pandemic receded and restrictions eased, the central bank said on Tuesday.
Issues to be monitored, however, include an increase in costs and prices, shortages of production parts and a recovery in the vital tourism sector, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) said.
The Southeast Asian country has relaxed most of its restrictions as COVID infections decline and will lift curbs on nightlife from June to try to revive tourism. read more
Getting tourists back is an important factor that would drive the economy, senior director Chayawadee Chai-Anant told a news conference.
In March, the BOT forecast 2022 economic growth of 3.2% with 5.6 million foreign arrivals. It will review those projections at its next monetary policy meeting on June 8. read more
In 2019, there were nearly 40 million foreign visitors.
A weak baht is moving in line with regional currencies and is likely to remain volatile due to global uncertainty, Chayawadee said.
In April, the economy improved from the previous month with increased private consumption and investment, the BOT said.
Thailand's current account deficit of $3.4 billion in April was the biggest in nine years due to a smaller trade surplus and higher remittance of profits and dividends by foreign businesses.
Exports rose 6.6% in April from a year earlier, with imports up 19.1% year-on-year and a trade surplus of $1.1 billion for the month. (Reuters)
May
Philippines complains of Chinese fishing ban and 'harassment' at sea
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Philippines on Tuesday said it had filed a diplomatic protest with China for unilaterally declaring a South China Sea fishing ban, and complained also of harassment and violations of its jurisdiction by Beijing's coast guard.
The foreign ministry in a statement accused the Chinese vessels of disrupting a joint marine scientific research mission as well as energy exploration activities at two sites in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In another statement, it denounced China's imposition of a fishing moratorium aimed at regenerating fish stocks, an annual ban that includes waters inside the EEZs of Vietnam and the Philippines.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Philippine statements, which referred to developments in March and April.
The foreign ministry said the coast guard's actions were "not consistent with innocent passage and are clear violations of the Philippine maritime jurisdiction."
It did not say why it waited more than a month to comment on the incidents.
The protest demonstrates the challenges ahead for President-elect Ferdinand Marcos, who will have a delicate balancing act in pursuing stronger economic ties with China while not appearing to capitulate over what the military sees as Beijing's unlawful provocations at sea.
Marcos, whose May 9 election win analysts see as more favourable to Beijing than Washington, last week said he would defend sovereign territory and stand up to Chinese encroachment, in his strongest comments yet on foreign policy. read more
That followed a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which he said he would elevate bilateral ties to a new level. read more
The Philippines and China have historically had a rocky relationship over Beijing's vast territorial claims and conduct of its coast guard and fishing fleet in the South China Sea, through which at least $2.4 million of sea-borne trade passes each year. (Reuters)
May
China's foreign minister visits Tonga after Pacific islands delay regional pact
Written by Nur Yasmin
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday signed agreements in Tonga for police equipment and fisheries cooperation on a tour through the Pacific islands region where Beijing's ambitions for wider security ties has caused concern among U.S. allies.
Pacific island nations were unable to reach consensus in a meeting with Wang a day earlier over a sweeping regional trade and security pact China has proposed.
In Tonga, Wang signed several bilateral agreements with Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and also visited King Tupou VI at the Royal Palace, Tonga's government said in a statement.
"Both meetings focused on mutual respect and the common interest of the people of China and Tonga," it said.
Agreements between the two countries' disaster management agencies and for China to provide a police laboratory and customs inspection equipment as well as a memorandum on the "blue economy" would assist Tonga's long-term development, it said.
Sovaleni "conveyed Tonga’s gratitude to China with the relief assistances offered after the volcanic eruption ... and tsunami".
Tonga, which was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami in January, owes two-thirds of its external debt of $195 million to China's Export-Import Bank, its budget shows.
Australia and New Zealand are its biggest donor nations, highlighting the squeeze some Pacific islands face as geopolitical tensions between China and U.S. allies ratchet up.
In the aftermath of the eruption, Australia and New Zealand coordinated allies in a relief operation involving defence flights and naval vessels. China also sent aid and equipment on commercial and naval vessels in a highly publicised relief effort.
Tonga appointed the first Australian as police commissioner this month, and has declined to comment on whether it supports a regional policing pact with China.
On Monday, a virtual meeting hosted by Wang in Fiji with counterparts from 10 island nations deferred consideration of a sweeping agreement spanning policing, security, fisheries, data and a free trade zone, proposed by China. read more
A draft communique and five-year action plan was leaked ahead of the meeting, amid criticism the deal would bind the nations closely to China, and raise geopolitical tensions with the United States. read more
Despite their small populations and economies, each Pacific state represents a vote at international forums such as the United Nations. They also control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean and access to a region with strategic military significance.
Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa was among the island nation leaders who called for a delay, and wants major decisions on the region to go through the Pacific Islands Forum group, Samoan media reported on Tuesday.
"We have not made a decision as we did not have enough time to look at it," Samoan news service Talamua quoted Fiame as saying, in a speech also released by her office on social media. (Reuters)
May
Ukraine's president welcomes new sanctions but criticises "unacceptable" delay
Written by Nur Yasmin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday welcomed a sixth package of European Union sanctions against Russia but criticised what he called an "unacceptable" delay in the bloc agreeing the latest measures.
"When over 50 days have passed between the 5th and 6th sanction packages, the situation is not acceptable for us," Zelenskiy said, speaking alongside Slovakia's President Zuzana Caputova in Kyiv. (Reuters)
May
New Zealand PM meets Biden to discuss U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the White House, where their first face-to-face talks were expected to include Washington's efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting took on greater importance as New Zealand in recent weeks has raised concerns about China's presence in the region following news that Beijing had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands.
Joining Ardern in the Oval Office, Biden said Washington has no desire to dictate to the region but to partner with them. "We have more work to do in those Pacific Islands," he said.
China has made a concerted push to increase its influence and the country's foreign minister is currently in Tonga as part of a region-wide tour. read more
New Zealand joined Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), an economic bloc that excludes China and was designed to counter that country, during Biden's first trip to Asia as president last week. read more
Speaking to reporters at the start of the White House meeting, Ardern said the pact "presents a significant opportunity to build economic resilience in our region."
But New Zealand and several other countries in the region think the agreement does not go far enough, asking Biden to join trade pacts that could unlock U.S. consumer markets. Biden has been reluctant to do so because of domestic fears that such deals could cost jobs.
At the White House, Ardern referenced the multicountry trans-Pacific trade deal that Washington withdrew from in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump, but which New Zealand has stuck with and China hopes to join.
The two leaders were also expected to discuss their strategy for thwarting Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well as gun control in the aftermath of several U.S. mass shootings, including one in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 children and teachers dead.
After the Christchurch massacre in 2019, in which a gunman killed 51 Muslims, Ardern delivered a ban on semiautomatic firearms and other gun curbs, a stark contrast to the United States, where lawmakers and activists have struggled to address gun violence. Ardern offered her condolences on the recent shootings.
Ardern said she expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell.
"It's not about new initiatives," she told reporters at a briefing before heading to the White House. "It is actually about that relationship."
Ardern has been in the United States as part of a trade delegation promoting business with New Zealand.
The two countries are close friends but the meeting with Biden had been uncertain after Ardern tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, given strict White House pandemic protocols.
Three members of Ardern's delegation have now also tested positive for COVID. (Reuters)