Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
International News (6893)
May
Moscow says opening Ukraine ports would need review of sanctions on Russia - Interfax
Written by Nur Yasmin
Moscow said on Thursday that sanctions on Russia would have to be reviewed if it were to heed a U.N. appeal to open access to Ukraine's Black Sea ports so that grain could be exported, according to an Interfax news agency report.
Ukraine, one of the world's biggest grain producers, used to export most of its goods through its seaports, but since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, it has been forced to export by train or via its small Danube River ports.
U.N. food chief David Beasley appealed on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying: "If you have any heart at all, please open these ports."
Beasley's World Food Programme feeds some 125 million people and buys 50% of its grain from Ukraine.
Interfax quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying: "You have to not only appeal to the Russian Federation but also look deeply at the whole complex of reasons that caused the current food crisis and, in the first instance, these are the sanctions that have been imposed against Russia by the U.S. and the EU that interfere with normal free trade, encompassing food products including wheat, fertilisers and others."
Russia's decision to send its troops into Ukraine almost three months ago has prevented Ukraine from using its main ports on the Black and Azov seas, and cut its grain exports this month by more than half compared to a year ago.
Russia and Ukraine together account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies. Ukraine is also a major exporter of corn, barley, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil, while Russia and Belarus - which has backed Moscow in its intervention in Ukraine and is also under sanctions - account for more than 40% of global exports of the crop nutrient potash.(Reuters)
May
U.S.-Taliban deal biggest factor in collapse of Afghan forces, watchdog says
Written by Nur Yasmin
The biggest factor that led to the collapse of the Afghan military in August last year was the U.S. decision to withdraw forces and contractors from Afghanistan through an agreement with the Taliban signed by the Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, a U.S. watchdog report concluded.
The withdrawal "destroyed" the morale of the Afghan military as it was dependent on U.S. military support, according to an assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which was made public late Tuesday.
"SIGAR found that the single most important factor in the ANDSF's (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces) collapse in August 2021 was the U.S. decision to withdraw military forces and contractors from Afghanistan through signing the U.S.-Taliban agreement in February 2020 under the Trump administration, followed by President Biden’s withdrawal announcement in April 2021," the report said.
Under U.S. President Joe Biden's Republican predecessor Donald Trump, the United States made a deal with the Islamist Taliban to withdraw all American forces. read more
After the signing of the deal, the U.S. military support to Afghan forces came down, which also included a drop in air strikes in 2020 after a record high level in the previous year, the report added.
"Limiting airstrikes after the signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement the following year left the ANDSF without a key advantage in keeping the Taliban at bay," John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, said.
The Taliban overran Afghanistan in August as the former Western-backed government collapsed with surprising speed and the last U.S. troops withdrew.
Biden had argued the war in Afghanistan needed to be brought to a close after 20 years of fighting that had cost American lives, drained resources and distracted from greater strategic priorities.
The U.S. Congress created the office of SIGAR to provide an oversight of reconstruction projects and activities during the war in Afghanistan.
"Many Afghans thought the U.S.-Taliban agreement was an act of bad faith and a signal that the U.S. was handing over Afghanistan to the enemy as it rushed to exit the country," Sopko said. (Reuters)
May
Russia's expulsion of Italian diplomats "hostile act" - PM Draghi
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russia's decision to expel Italian diplomats is an "hostile act", Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Wednesday, warning diplomatic channels with Moscow must not be interrupted.
Russia will expel 24 Italian diplomats in a retaliatory move, news agency RIA cited the foreign ministry as saying - the latest in a series of tit-for-tat responses to European countries that have ordered out Russian staff.
"This absolutely must not lead to an interruption of diplomatic channels because it is through those channels that, if we succeed, peace will be achieved and that is certainly what we want," Draghi said. (Reuters)
May
Afghanistan's Taliban mediate ceasefire between Pakistan, local militants
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Taliban in Afghanistan have mediated a temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and a local Pakistani Taliban militant group following talks between the two sides in Kabul, an official said on Wednesday.
The Pakistani Taliban - known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - has carried out some of the bloodiest attacks inside Pakistan since 2007. It is not directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban, but pledges allegiance to them.
"During the talks, in addition to significant progress on related issues, a temporary ceasefire was also agreed upon," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter, confirming the talks in Kabul.
Pakistan carried out a number of operations against the TTP, but, despite reducing the militant group's footprint, it has not been able to fully stop attacks, which, in recent months, have begun to rise again along its western border.
A TTP statement on Wednesday also confirmed that talks were underway in Kabul and that a ceasefire has been put in place will May 30.
It was not clear who was representing Pakistan's government in the talks. Pakistan's foreign office spokesman did not reply to Reuters' request for comment.
Islamabad says the TTP have been able to find safe haven in Afghanistan over the years - a charge both the Taliban and the previous U.S.-backed governments have denied.
Last year, the two sides had agreed to a ceasefire but talks failed. The talks, also held inside Afghanistan, broke down due to a disagreement over the release of TTP prisoners held by Pakistan, according to local media.
Pakistan is also currently dealing with a surge of attacks by separatist insurgents in its southwestern province of Balochistan, which also borders Afghanistan. (Reuters)
May
Italy strongly backs Finland, Sweden bids to join NATO - PM
Written by Nur Yasmin
Rome strongly supports Finland's and Sweden's application to join NATO and is willing to speed up any internal procedures for the two countries to join the alliance as soon as possible, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Wednesday.
"The application for NATO membership is a clear response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threat it poses to peace in Europe, to our collective security," Draghi told reporters after a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Rome.
Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance on Wednesday, a decision spurred by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. The two states' accession process faces objections from Turkey. read more
Marin told reporters a fast ratification of membership would be the "best security guarantee for Finland and for Sweden at this stage".
With the applications now formally submitted, the Nordic countries and their backers face uncertain months where any resistance to their bids needs to be overcome, with all 30 of NATO's members needing to approve the enlargement.
Italy also pledged to support Finland during the time required for it to effectively become a member of the alliance.
"Like many other NATO and EU countries, we will be involved in helping to ensure Finland's security in the transition period, what this entails we will see on the spot," Draghi said, adding Europe must build a defence system complementary to NATO's.
"This is the moment of choices and we want the European Union to choose to be a protagonist". (Reuters)
May
'Huge' pressure for Shanghai to stay COVID-free as lockdown end nears
Written by Nur Yasmin
Health authorities in Shanghai faced "huge" pressure to keep China's most populous city free of COVID-19 as residents were counting down the days until June 1 when their lockdown is set to end after almost two months of isolation.
The commercial hub of 25 million achieved a fourth consecutive day without any new infections in the community, holding on to its prized "zero COVID" status and keeping alive hopes for an imminent end to lockdown misery.
Despite no new cases, authorities are not lifting the lockdown immediately, instead gradually easing restrictions until the start of next month, with some shops allowed to open this week and public transport expected to partly resume over the weekend.
Residents at housing compounds across Shanghai have been given passes that allow one person from each household to go out for a few hours at a time. Some can go out only twice a week and only within a few streets of their home.
To get into a supermarket, they also need a pass from the shop.
"The risk of finding positive infections among risk groups still exists and the pressure of ... preventing a rebound remains huge," Zhao Dandan of the municipal health commission told reporters on Wednesday.
The government of Shanghai's Xuhui district posted pictures on its social media account of workers planting flowers alongside largely deserted streets to ensure a "clean and beautiful" environment for the "resumption of work and production in the city".
But piles of trash spilled onto the roads in the central Changning district, and photos posted online showed weeds blanketing steps outside Apple and Versace stores in a once-busy shopping district, signs of how the city has struggled to maintain services during the lockdown.
Reuters could not immediately verify the photos.
As part of the gradual reopening, Shanghai authorities issued a list of 864 financial institutions that can resume work, three people with knowledge of the matter said. read more
Social media posts have shown long queues of people, mostly migrant workers, outside one of the city's main railway stations, looking to return home after getting permission to go outside.
Some have been photographed hauling suitcases on rented bikes or making long walks from distant corners of the city.
The United States, Europe and other regions have lifted restrictions to "live with the virus" and get their economies going even as infections spread, betting that high vaccination rates will keep their populations protected.
But China has chosen a radically different path, ruthlessly restricting movement and isolating people to end any outbreak, no matter the economic cost.
Defeating the highly transmissible Omicron variant has proven an uphill battle, as the struggle in the capital, Beijing, over the past month has shown.
Overall, Shanghai reported fewer than 1,000 new cases for May 17, none from outside quarantined areas. Beijing reported 69 cases, up from 52.
The capital has been discovering dozens of new cases almost every day since April 22.
While most Beijing residents are working from home, they can at least wander about outside, albeit with few places to go, as many shops, gyms and other businesses have closed.
"I'm happy that we are not confined at home like in Shanghai but still pretty frustrated at what's happening, as most of the countries have already moved on from COVID," said Lin Cong, 27, who lives in Beijing's Chaoyang district.
LOSING INCOME AND CONFIDENCE
China's uncompromising strategy to fight COVID has placed hundreds of millions of people in dozens of cities under restrictions of some kind and disrupted a global rebound in production of everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles.
Companies from Apple (AAPL.O) to Tesla (TSLA.O) have taken a hit.
E-commerce giant JD.com (9618.HK) said on Tuesday it was cautious about its outlook, because consumers were losing income and confidence and logistics have been disrupted. read more
This week, data showed Chinese consumption and factory output falling in April at a pace unseen since early 2020, as COVID, first detected in Wuhan city in late 2019, was beginning its global spread.
Meanwhile, new-home prices fell last month for the first time since December.
Goldman Sachs on Wednesday cut its 2022 economic growth forecast for China to 4% from 4.5%, well below the government's official target of around 5.5%, and warned it could slip further.
"This lower growth projection embeds the assumption that COVID is mostly under control going forward, the property market improves from here, and the government provides substantial policy offset" the bank's analysts said in a note.
"While risks to our central forecast are two-sided, the tail may be fatter on the downside."
Chinese shares (.CSI300), (.SSEC) dipped and the yuan softened as bonds faced continued capital outflows. (Reuters)
May
Russia expels 27 Spanish diplomats in tit-for-tat move
Written by Nur Yasmin
Twenty-seven Spanish diplomats must leave Russia within a week, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Spain said in April it would expel some 25 Russian diplomats and embassy staff from Madrid, joining other European Union countries that have ordered Russian officials to leave. (Reuters)
May
Russia expels 34 French diplomats in retaliatory move
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it was expelling 34 French diplomats in a retaliatory move.
France in April kicked out 35 Russians with diplomatic status as part of a broader wave of expulsions that saw more than 300 Russians sent home from European capitals.
Later that month France's foreign ministry declared six Russian agents posing as diplomats as "persona non grata" after an investigation by the domestic intelligence services concluded they were working against French national interests. (Reuters)
May
Hindu groups file fresh petitions to stop Muslims from entering historic Indian mosque
Written by Nur Yasmin
Members of hardline Hindu groups filed petitions in a court in northern India to stop Muslims from entering a historic mosque, until the court decides on an earlier plea seeking approval to look for any Hindu relics which may be on the site, lawyers said on Wednesday.
Judges of a local court in Mathura, a Hindu religious town in Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, allowed the new petitions but have yet start hearings in the 2020 case aimed at securing permission to film and survey inside the 17th century Shahi Eidgah mosque.
"We suspect that Hindu symbols could be removed inside Shahi Eidgah mosque so we want the court to suspend entry of Muslims," said Mahendra Pratap, a lawyer involved in the case.
This month, another local court in the state allowed a team to inspect and film inside one of the most prominent mosques in Varanasi, an ancient town, also the political constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Tuesday, the country's top court overturned a ruling imposed by a Varanasi court to limit large Muslim prayer gatherings in the Gyanvapi mosque, but allowed the local court to continue proceedings. read more
Members of hardline Hindu groups tied to Modi's party believe that Islamic invaders destroyed Hindu temples during their 200-year rule.
"We believe that idols of Hindu gods were lying inside the mosque built after a temple was destroyed by Muslim rulers to prove supremacy," said Ranjana Agnihotri, a lawyer appearing on behalf of Hindu groups questioning the legitimacy of the Shahi Eidgah mosque in Mathura. read more
Surveyors involved in the Varanasi case said they found a large relic of the Hindu god Shiva inside the Gyanvapi mosque, but Muslim groups said that a fountainhead was being misrepresented to stir religious tension.
Reports of idols found inside the mosque have further emboldened Hindu groups in western and southern states to demand searches in other mosques.
Police in Aurangabad city said they had intensified security around the grave of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb after members of MNS, a regional political party, threatened to destroy the tomb, which they believe was anti-Hindu.
The same party recently succeeded in forcing the Maharashtra government to ensure the decibel levels of the Muslim prayer calls were lowered after its leaders threatened to chant Hindu prayers outside mosques. read more
Leaders of Muslim political and religious groups said they will fight legal battles against Hindu groups disrupting the sanctity of mosques and tombs.
"We (Muslims) will not let Hindus insult our faith and our mosques," said Asaduddin Owaisi, a federal lawmaker and leader of a regional Islamic political party. (Reuters)
May
Philippines' Marcos set for supermajority as 'Uniteam' dominates Congress
Written by Nur Yasmin
Philippines president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr is all but certain to command a supermajority in Congress, a proclamation of winners showed on Wednesday, boosting chances of advancing his legislative agenda when he takes power next month.
All but two of the 12 candidates declared winners of Senate seats by the election commission were allied with Marcos's "Uniteam" political juggernaut, adding to a new lower house revealed last week that was dominated by parties that sided with the presumptive president.
Marcos, the son and namesake of the disgraced dictator driven from power in a 1986 uprising, has yet to reveal a policy agenda, but many analysts expect him to continue from where outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte left off. read more
"It will be easy for the incoming administration, given the support they have from the local government and political families, to get their way in terms of legislative agenda," said Ranjit Rye, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines.
Marcos, 64, who won last week's election in a landslide, inherits an economy on a stronger footing but will need to raise revenue for infrastructure and addressing big debts from Duterte's pandemic borrowing.
A legislative majority was expected and Marcos's opponents have expressed fear he will use it push through constitutional changes to entrench his family's rule for decades to come.
Marcos Jr's crucial alliance with running mate and incoming vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio - the president's daughter - could ensure support in Congress and co-opt politicians loyal to her father, who also enjoyed majority legislative support.
The new senators join 12 incumbents who were elected in mid-term polls in 2019, most of those Duterte supporters.
Widely expected to become Senate president is Cynthia Villar, wife of a billionaire, whose son also won a Senate seat having campaigned under Marcos's "Uniteam".
Marcos's cousin, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, is likely to become lower house speaker, according to political analysts, having received pledges of support from the overwhelming majority of the 300 newly lower house lawmakers, among them Marcos's eldest son.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of rights group, Karapatan, said the backing Marcos will have does not bode well for checks and balances.
"It is worrisome that Marcos and Duterte allies will have supermajority," Palabay said.
"His priorities and agenda can be anything that is consistent with his father's policies and politics, and to Duterte's." (Reuters)