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by Elias HUUHTANEN Agence France-Presse HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — Porsches, Bentleys and other luxury cars with Russian license plates are filling up the parking garage at Helsinki’s airport as Finland becomes an important transit country for Russian tourists flying to Europe. The European Union shut its airspace to Russian planes after Moscow invaded Ukraine, forcing anyone who wants to travel to Europe to drive across the border or take a circuitous route using non-Western airlines. […]
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A United States governor met Taiwan’s president Monday, days after Washington announced trade talks with Taipei in a show of support following China’s military threats toward the self-ruled island. Eric Holcomb, the Republican governor of the US state of Indiana, landed in Taiwan on Sunday for an “economic development trip”. US-China tensions have risen since Beijing staged huge military drills in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan […]
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday rejected Seoul’s offer of economic assistance in return for denuclearisation steps, calling it the “height of absurdity”. The statement follows South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol this week putting forward an “audacious” aid plan that would include food, energy and infrastructure help in return for the North abandoning its nuclear weapons programme. Analysts previously said the chances of Pyongyang […]
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will attend the upcoming Group of 20 summit, the leader of host nation Indonesia said in an interview published Friday. The pair’s attendance would set the stage for showdown talks with US President Joe Biden at a time when Washington is at odds with both of the rival powers, particularly over crises in Ukraine and Taiwan. It has been unclear […]
Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Turkey said on Wednesday that its decision to restore diplomatic relations with Israel after a decade of tensions did not mean that it would abandon its support for Palestinians. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s comments came moments after Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced the resumption of full diplomatic relations that included the reappointment of ambassadors. Cavusoglu said the decision will allow mostly Muslim, but officially secular Turkey to lobby for […]
Jerusalem | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Wednesday his government will restore full diplomatic ties with Turkey, following years of strained relations between the Mediterranean nations. “It was decided to once again upgrade the level of the relations between the two countries to that of full diplomatic ties and to return ambassadors and consuls general from the two countries,” said a statement from Lapid’s office. The prime minister hailed the diplomatic breakthrough […]
Baturaja, Indonesia | AFP | Thousands of troops from Indonesia, the United States and allies held a live-fire drill Friday as part of what a top US general said was Washington’s efforts to prevent a regional conflict after China’s “destabilising actions” around Taiwan. The United States and its Asian allies have expressed growing concern about China’s increasing assertiveness in the Pacific, but Washington said the drills were not aimed at any nation even though they […]
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday arrived in Bangkok after his visa ran out following a month-long stint in Singapore where he had taken refuge from protesters at home. The deposed leader landed on a private jet at Don Mueang International Airport around 8pm local time (1200 GMT), a senior Thai official said. He left the airport’s VIP section around 40 minutes later with his wife and got […]
by Jing Xuan Teng Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Wednesday vowed zero tolerance for “separatist activities” in Taiwan and reaffirmed that it would take the self-ruled island by force if necessary. The warning from Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory, came after days of unprecedented Chinese military drills around the island sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip. Pelosi last week became the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in decades […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed US ratification of bids by Finland and Sweden to enter NATO, taking expansion of the Western alliance in response to Russia’s Ukraine invasion one step closer. Biden said the two northern European countries would become “strong, reliable highly capable new allies” by making the “sacred commitment” to mutual defense in the US-led transatlantic alliance. Earlier this month, the Senate voted 95-1 in favor of […]
by Poornima Weerasekara, with Catherine Lai in Taipei Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan were drawing to a close on Sunday following a controversial visit last week to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi — the highest-ranking elected US official to visit Taiwan in decades — ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Friday said it was cancelling several defence meetings and suspending key climate talks with the United States after a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan this week. Beijing will “suspend the China-US climate change talks” and nix plans for a call between military leaders as well as two security meetings, the foreign ministry said, citing Pelosi’s “disregard of China’s strong opposition and stern representations” on […]
