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  • Finland's president wants end of single state veto at UN Security Council

    Finland's President Alexander Stubb has called for expansion of the U.N. Security Council, abolition of its single state veto power, and suspension of any member engaging in an "illegal war" such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stubb, who leads the Nordic nation's foreign policy, said he would add his voice to reform calls at next week's U.N. General Assembly in New York which is to discuss composition of the global body's Security Council. Consisting of five permanent and 10 rotating member states, the council's brief is to keep global peace, but geopolitical rivalries have deadlocked it on issues from Ukraine to Gaza.

  • Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without Palestinian state, says Crown Prince

    DUBAI (Reuters) -Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday said the kingdom would not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state and strongly condemned the "crimes of the Israeli occupation" against the Palestinian people. "The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that," the crown prince, known as MbS, said.

  • Exclusive-Ammunition from India enters Ukraine, raising Russian ire

    Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow, according to eleven Indian and European government and defence industry officials, as well as a Reuters analysis of commercially available customs data. The transfer of munitions to support Ukraine's defence against Russia has occurred for more than a year, according to the sources and the customs data. Indian arms export regulations limit the use of weaponry to the declared purchaser, who risks future sales being terminated if unauthorised transfers occur.

  • NATO must react to Russian incursions into its airspace, Romania says

    NATO must enact a "robust coordinated" response to incidents in which Russian missiles or drones fired at Ukraine enter the alliance's airspace, Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Wednesday. States on NATO's eastern flank, whose defence ministers met in Bucharest on Wednesday, have repeatedly said Russia's activities in the Black Sea region and beyond were a source of deep concern. Earlier this month, NATO states Romania and Latvia saw Russian drones crash after breaching their airspace, prompting official calls for measures to act jointly to counter Russia air incursions.

  • China pushes back on US probe of uranium exports

    The Chinese government on Wednesday pushed back on a U.S. probe of whether China is helping its neighbor Russia dodge a U.S. ban on Russian uranium imports saying Beijing has always opposed "illegal unilateral sanctions". Reuters reported exclusively on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Energy and other relevant agencies are closely tracking the imports from China to "ensure the proper implementation" of the ban on Russian enriched uranium that President Joe Biden signed in May. The U.S. is concerned that China is importing and using Russia's uranium in its own power plants, and then exporting domestically produced uranium to the United States – effectively undermining the U.S. ban that is intended to deprive Moscow of revenue for its invasion of in Ukraine.

  • Egypt won't accept security changes on Gaza border, foreign minister says

    Egypt will not accept any changes to the security arrangements that were in place on its border with Gaza before war broke out between Israel and Hamas last October, the Egyptian foreign minister said on Wednesday. Security on the border, and whether Israel will maintain a troop presence along a 14-km (9-mile) buffer zone known as the Philadelphi Corridor, have become a focal point of months-long talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. Israeli troops entered the buffer zone in May as they pursued an offensive around Rafah.

  • Exclusive-US keeps missile system in Philippines as China tensions rise, tests wartime deployment

    The United States has no immediate plans to withdraw a mid-range missile system deployed in the Philippines, despite Chinese demands, and is testing the feasibility of its use in a regional conflict, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The Typhon system, which can be equipped with cruise missiles capable of striking Chinese targets, was brought in for joint exercises earlier this year, both countries said at the time, but has remained there. The Southeast Asian archipelago, Taiwan's neighbour to the South, is an important part of U.S. strategy in Asia and would be an indispensable staging point for the military to aid Taipei in the event of a Chinese attack.

  • Taiwan security bodies 'paying great attention' to Hezbollah beeper explosions

    TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan's national security team is "paying great attention" to the detonation of thousands of pagers targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, the island's defence minister said, after a Taiwanese firm was linked to the pagers' production. Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said the government was closely watching developments. "After the news came out, my understanding is that at present the relevant national security bodies are paying great attention to this," he said, without elaborating.

  • UN considers resolution demanding Israel end its occupation of Palestinian territories

    UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly is considering a Palestinian resolution Tuesday demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year and calling for sanctions and an arms embargo against the country.

  • Why China is seeking greater presence in Africa – the strategy behind its financial deals

    China’s interests in Africa stretch back decades.

  • China accuses US of shielding Israel, blocking Gaza ceasefire efforts

    The United States has repeatedly "shielded" Israel over its war in Gaza, China said during a series of statements at the United Nations in New York, where it also urged Israel to immediately end its occupation of Palestinian territories. Over two days of meetings, Chinese diplomats accused Washington of blocking ceasefire efforts, adding that Israel ending its "unlawful presence" in Palestine was "not an option" but a "legal obligation". During a UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Monday, Ch

  • Exclusive-Inside the US push to steer Vietnam's subsea cable plans away from China

    The United States is urging Vietnam to avoid Chinese cable-laying firm HMN Technologies and other Chinese companies in its plans to build 10 new undersea cables by 2030, sources with knowledge of the talks said. Vietnam's five major ageing subsea connections that link it to the global internet have suffered repeated failures, making new cables a top government priority. Since January, U.S. officials and companies have held at least a half-dozen meetings with Vietnamese and foreign officials and business executives to discuss the Southeast Asian nation's cable strategy, according to seven people involved in or briefed about the talks.

  • Aukus to Consult on Tech Partnerships With Japan, Canada and NZ

    (Bloomberg) -- Australia, the US and UK are moving closer to expanding advanced technology cooperation with other Indo-Pacific nations under the Aukus security accord, as they seek a strategic edge in competition with China.Most Read from BloombergCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, SubwaysTo Build a Happier City, Design for DensityPip

  • Blinken says surprise escalations threaten to derail talks for a cease-fire in Gaza

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration Wednesday at surprise escalations that threaten to derail efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza, noting that the United States is assessing a deadly attack that caused pagers used by Hezbollah to explode in Lebanon. Blinken spoke to reporters in Cairo, where he traveled for talks on the cease-fire negotiations and U.S.-Egyptian relations. While Israel has not publicly spoken on responsibility in the pager attack, a U.S. official has said Israel briefed the United States after the explosions.

  • Israel Sees ‘New Phase’ in Regional War After Lebanon Blasts

    (Bloomberg) -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared what he called a “new phase” in the war with regional Islamist groups and said troops would be diverted to the Lebanese border, an indication that long-held fears of a wider conflict may soon be realized. Most Read from BloombergAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, SubwaysTo

  • IMF Delays Russia Talks After EU Nations Blasted Move Amid War

    (Bloomberg) -- The International Monetary Fund hit the brakes on its first consultations with Russia since the start of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine after several European Union states slammed the decision as misguided.Most Read from BloombergCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, SubwaysTo Build a Happier City, Design f

  • Russia would support Pakistan's inclusion in BRICS, says Russian deputy PM

    Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said on Thursday that Moscow would support Pakistan's inclusion in BRICS. "We would be supportive of it," Overchuk, who is on a two-day visit to Islamabad told a joint press conference with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, in response to a question about Pakistan's request to become part of the grouping of the world's leading emerging market economies.

  • Netanyahu accuses UK of sending ‘mixed messages’ over support for Israel

    The new Labour administration has taken decisions, including suspending some arms exports, which have caused diplomatic tensions with Israel.

  • Exclusive-South Korea's Yoon confident Czech nuclear plant deal will be completed despite legal concerns

    South Korea is confident it can overcome any obstacles to a multi-billion dollar project to build a nuclear plant in the Czech Republic, despite appeals against the deal launched by EDF and Westinghouse, President Yoon Suk Yeol told Reuters. Yoon, in a written response to questions ahead of his Sept. 19-22 visit to the Czech Republic, said the trip was partly aimed at ensuring the final contract was concluded seamlessly, adding that the project's success was of "paramount importance". The Czech Republic in July picked Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to build two new nuclear power units, and possibly more, in its largest-ever energy investment initiative.

  • AUKUS in talks with Canada, Japan, NZ, say leaders

    AUKUS partners Australia, Britain and the United States said on Wednesday they are in discussions with Canada, Japan and New Zealand about potential collaboration on defence technology projects. The AUKUS defence technology partnership will deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia next decade, and is collaborating on other advanced weapons development they say will boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, amid concern over China's naval build-up. The Australian, British and U.S. leaders said that new partners could contribute to the so-called AUKUS "Pillar Two", which does not involve nuclear submarines.