Israel has recalled its diplomats from Turkey While Israel and the Palestinians have accused each other over the disaster, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined many Arab countries in blaming Israel, straining diplomatic relations. ______________________________________________ An Israeli airstrike has killed and wounded several people who were sheltering at a church in Gaza. The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza city was sheltering hundreds of Palestinians when it was targeted by Israeli warplanes on Thursday night, reports media ______________________________________ The Taliban administration wants to formally the Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and will send a technical team to China for talks, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister said on Thursday. Beijing... ________________________________ Kabul sent a delegation to the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, which wrapped up on Wednesday. Afghanistan was among the 35 countries that signed an agreement on the digital economy and green development on the sidelines of the summit.
“We requested China to allow us to be a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative, __________________________ US President Joe Biden said he will send Congress “an urgent budget request” on Friday to fund America's national security needs to support its “critical partners,” including Israel and Ukraine.
"The security package I'm sending to Congress is an unprecedented commitment to Israel's security that will sharpen Israel's qualitative military edge,” he added.
Biden is expected to request approximately $100 billion in emergency funding that would include defense assistance for Israel and Ukraine. _________________________________________ Canada has pulled 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to strip them of diplomatic immunity “tomorrow,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced. ______________________________________________ Jakarta. The conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas was high on the agenda during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent bilateral talks with Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. “Indonesia strongly condemns the Israeli attack over the Al Ahly Hospital in Gaza that has killed hundreds of civilians,” Jokowi also told Mohammed.
Prior to the meeting, Jokowi already issued a recorded statement over the deadly blast at the hospital. He had also appointed his top diplomat Retno Marsudi to leave Beijing early to attend an emergency meeting between her counterparts at the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.
“Indonesia will not stand still to the rising civilian casualties. Indonesia will not stand still to the ongoing injustice against the Palestinians,” Jokowi said in the recorded statement.
Jokowi is currently in Riyadh to attend the meeting between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- a political and economic alliance that brings together the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Jokowi flew to Riyadh right after concluding his working visit in Beijing. _____________________________________ A $40 million super yacht owned by Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer ran aground off the coast of Singapore’s upmarket Sentosa Island. ____________________________________- Malaysian budget carrier MYAirline has abruptly suspended operations, citing financial pressures less than 11 months after it took to the skies. The cancellation of the airline's 40 flights stranded thousands of passengers
Workers from Gaza who had Israeli working permits have been kicked out from their job with no wages, beaten up & had their money and phones stolen & left stranded at the military checkpoints, hundreds made it to Ramallah where they are being taken care by the residents.
Thousands of Palestinian workers from the Gaza Strip have been trapped in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of Israel's new war on Gaza after 7 October. The workers were forced by Israeli authorities to leave the 1948 territories to the occupied West Bank shortly after Hamas's unprecedented surprise attack that day. Iraqi militias allied with Tehran announced on Wednesday, 19 October, the end of a year-long ceasefire with the US forces by launching suicide drone strikes on two US bases, Ain al-Asad and Harir, in the western and northern regions of the country. This is a significant escalation of hostilities between Iraqi militias and US forces after the US expressed its full support for Israel's war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A U.S. Navy warship traveling near Yemen intercepted multiple projectiles, a U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday.
Three "land-attack cruise missiles and several drones" were intercepted by a destroyer, a spokesman told reporters, according to AFP. The attack had been conducted from Yemen and "potentially toward targets in Israel." and: U.S. military forces in Iraq were targeted on Wednesday in two separate drone attacks, with one causing minor injuries to a small number of troops even though the U.S. military managed to intercept the armed drone. The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, and 900 more in neighbouring Syria, on a mission to advise and assist local forces in combating Islamic State, which in 2014 seized swathes of territory in both countries. Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, on Tuesday voted in favor of withdrawing the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month suggested that Russia revoke ratification of the treaty because the United States, alongside other powers, had never ratified it.
In total, 187 states have signed the treaty and 178 have ratified it legally in their parliaments. Of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons, the United Kingdom, France and Russia have signed and ratified.
The United States, Israel and China have signed the document, but not ratified it. Meanwhile, India, Pakistan and North Korea have neither signed nor ratified the treaty.
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and invited global investment in the Northern Sea route which he said could deepen trade between east and west.
Speaking on his second known trip outside the former Soviet Union since the Ukraine war, Putin thanked the Chinese leader for his invitation and said Russia could play a key role in China's modern day revival of the ancient Silk Road.
Putin called Xi his "dear friend" and heaped praise on the Belt and Road Initiative for bringing the world together. A billion-dollar Chinese-funded airport began operations in Cambodia Monday, with local officials hoping it will revive the vital tourism sector.
Cambodian ministers welcomed the first commercial flight from Bangkok at the 3,600-meter (11,800-foot) runway at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) on Monday.
The US$1.1 billion hub, built on 700 hectares of land, will handle up to 12 million passengers annually from 2040.
"This achievement will be a key factor in boosting the recovery of tourism in Cambodia," Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth said during a ceremony at the new facility. Cambodia will allow Chinese tourists to pay for tourism services in yuan, instead of the Cambodian Riel or U.S. dollar as part of its policy to boost tourism recovery.
All hotels and restaurants, as well as all tourism services, will be able to accept payment in Chinese yuan, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced a plan to offer shelter to the people of Gaza during an address at his party's annual conference on Tuesday, amid fierce and indiscriminate strikes which have killed over 3,450 people and wounded 12,000 in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Yousaf said that, wherever possible, injured children, women and men should be treated.
"There are currently one million people displaced within Gaza. So therefore, I’m calling today on the international community to commit to a worldwide refugee programme," he said.
All religious teachings are quite mad, there is not even the slightest chance of a one god a one creator. No chance what so ever; ourselves are the creators of our tomorrows as well as, our tomorrows created by collective energy. As you sow so shall we reap, quite simple actually negative energy has negative outcomes, positive energy positive out come. Our true nature is energy not something else. Our physical shit doesn't get stored in a non existent heaven, nor our bones, nor wealth, it is just utter rubbish to think or propose, that people constantly engaged in violence in the name of some god or prick like Netanyahu, Biden, Albanese or any other lunatic who feeds the cycle of sufferings by actively promoting violence, violence can only leads to more violence. Uncontrolled self cherishing minds e.g. big egos, will of course ague other, while the same self cherishing minds are to lazy to check up, always propose they know better. The cycles of suffering energies have been built on since beginnings time and is without end. Positive energy produce positive out comes.
The UK government has announced plans to deploy a Royal Navy (RN) task force and surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to step up co-operation with Israel and help reinforce regional stability.
The move comes after several days of fighting that has claimed more than 1,000 lives following the surprise attack by Hamas militants on 7 October and subsequent Israeli retaliation.
In a 12 October announcement, the Prime Minister's Office
Jokowi-Xi Jinping Talks: Indonesia Wants Stronger Investment Ties
Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo recently met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and as expected, Jakarta tried to pursue stronger investment ties with Beijing, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) battery and petrochemicals sectors.
The two leaders had a bilateral meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
“I conveyed the efforts to bolster investment partnership, particularly on EV batteries and automotive, spare parts factories, petrochemical refineries, steel production," Jokowi posted on social media platform X on Tuesday night, commenting on his talks with Xi.
Indonesia has been trying to develop its domestic EV battery industry, among others, by luring foreign investors into the country. Chinese battery giant CATL has committed to invest $6 billion in a battery ecosystem project.
Indonesia aims to become the largest petrochemical producer in Asia. News outlet Reuters reported in April that East China-based Tongkun Group and Xingfeming Group were seeking Beijing's nod to construct a refinery and petrochemical complex in North Kalimantan. The investment is set to be worth approximately $10 billion.
Jokowi also talked of the so-called "Two Countries, Twin Parks" economic corridor.
The "Two Countries, Twin Parks" combines two visions: Jokowi’s dream of turning Indonesia into a "global maritime fulcrum" and Xi's brainchild "Belt and Road Initiative". The latter sees China investing in infrastructure development projects across hundreds of countries.
"I call for a follow-up cooperation in developing the 'Two Countries, Twin Parks' economic corridor," Jokowi said.
Government data showed Indonesia-China trade grew from almost $110 billion in 2021 to $133.6 billion the following year. Indonesian exports to China rose from $53.8 billion to $65.8 billion over the same period. Indonesia saw a $1.9 billion deficit in its trade with China last year.
Chinese investments in Indonesia totaled $8.2 billion in 2022. This puts China as Indonesia’s second-largest foreign investor, ranking just behind Singapore ($13.3 billion).
Indonesia Condemns Deadly Israeli Attack on Gaza Hospital ???????
Wounded Palestinians sit in al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, after arriving from al-Ahli hospital following an explosion there, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike caused the explosion that killed hundreds at al-Ahli, but the Israeli military says it was a misfired Palestinian rocket.
Jakarta. Indonesia on Wednesday expressed outrage over the deadly Israeli attack on a hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“Indonesia strongly condemns the Israeli attack on Al Ahly Al Arabi Hospital in Gaza which has killed hundreds of civilians,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry posted on the social media platform X.
Jakarta said that the attack clearly violated international humanitarian law. Indonesia also calls for immediate safe corridors for humanitarian access.
“Indonesia urges the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to immediately take concrete steps to stop attacks and acts of violence in Gaza, which have resulted in many civilian casualties. Injustice against the Palestinian people has been going on for a very long time and is still happening today,” the ministry said.
The Russian task force has been responding to the new situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the arrival of a US Navy carrier task force in the region. AGI vessel Kildin is keeping track of the carrier movements. At the same time, both corvettes departed Tartus, support by the Amur class repair vessel PM-82. Both corvettes most likely form a counterbalance to the US Navy presence and project power is support of local allies though the projected combat power falls far short of the deployed US maritime power in this region.
Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar has been steadily heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar, escorted by rescue tug Sergey Balk. Both vessels will most likely transit on October 14th during the night to prevent visual observation.
Xi stresses cooperation, development on new journey toward another 'golden decade' for BRI
Representatives from over 140 countries and 30-plus international organizations have confirmed their attendance at the forum. More than 4,000 delegates have registered for participation.
Trade and investment have prospered among BRI countries. From 2013 to 2022, the cumulative value of imports and exports between China and BRI partner countries amounted to 19.1 trillion U.S. dollars, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4 percent. Cumulative two-way investment between China and partner countries came in at 380 billion U.S. dollars during the period, including some 240 billion U.S. dollars from China.
Over 3,000 BRI cooperation projects have been launched in the past decade, involving close to 1 trillion U.S. dollars of investment. Many of these projects, such as railways, bridges, and pipelines, have helped build an infrastructure network that connects subregions in Asia as well as the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The NEWARAB News reports: Iran warned on Monday of a possible "pre-emptive action" against Israel "in the coming hours", as Israel readies for a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Tehran has repeatedly warned that a ground invasion of the long-blockaded Gaza would be met with a response from other fronts - prompting fears of a wider conflict that could draw in other countries. As Israel's new war on Gaza enters its eleventh day, concerns are growing over the potential involvement of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, with the risk of further regional escalation and destabilisation.
Israel has launched relentless air strikes against the Gaza Strip in response to a surprise attack by Hamas fighters on 7 October.
The situation is compounded by the deployment of nearly 2,000 US Marines and sailors to the coast of Israel, CNN reported on Monday, 16 October.
Last week, Iran-backed Iraqi militias warned that if Israel attacks Lebanon's Hezbollah and the US is directly involved in the war, they will open a northern front against Israel from Lebanon and target US interests and bases in Iraq.
On Monday, three Iranian officials from the Quds Force held meetings with heads of the Iraqi armed factions before departing for Syria, sources close to Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic sister language.
One of the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Iranian officials met with three factions of PMF, including Akram al-Kaebi, head of the Al-Nujaba, and Qais Khazali, head of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Hadi al-Amiri, head of Badr Organisation. As Israel bombards the Gaza Strip for the eleventh straight day, over 500 people have been killed as Israel struck the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. This would make it the single most deadly strike by Israel on Gaza in history and marks a severe escalation in Israel's use of force, with over 3000 Palestinians dead.
Jordan cancels summit with US President Biden and Egyptian, Palestinian leaders in Amman
Jordan has canceled a summit it was to host in Amman on Wednesday with US President Joe Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza, says the country’s foreign minister Ayman Safad.
Lebanon's Hezbollah announces "day of unprecedented anger" against Israel, Biden's visit
Erdogan urges stop to 'unprecedented brutality in Gaza' after hospital hit
Saudi Arabia strongly condemns 'heinous crime' committed by Israel at Gaza hospital
Abbas snubbing Biden and calling for "common and unified position" with other Arab leaders, following Israeli attack on Gaza hospital Abbas cancels Biden meeting in wake of Gaza hospital attack by Israel
Jordan's King Abdullah says Gaza hospital bombing a "shame on humanity"
Médecins Sans Frontières condemn "massacre" of Palestinians at Ahli hospital by Israel
Attacking civilian infrastructure in Gaza outside 'international law': EU chief
Israeli embassy in Jordan in flames as protesters storm it following deadly Gaza hospital attack
Egypt condemns deadly Israeli attack on Gaza hospital Residents fled the town of the Lebanese-border town of Dhayrah on Tuesday, 17 October, after hours of Israeli shelling, which included the use of white phosphorus, a munition described as "unlawfully indiscriminate" by rights groups.
Aid convoys stationed in Egypt's Sinai headed towards the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday morning, according to relief workers, amid hopes supplies will be allowed into the besieged enclave.
Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including Israel’s continuous bombardment of Gaza on the 11th day of the conflict, rejection of Russia’s cease-fire resolution at UN’s Security Council, and US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel.
Heads of Muslim states' parliaments call for 'united front' against rights violations in Gaza Speakers/presidents of parliaments from Türkiye, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Malaysia, Iran, Kuwait, Syria, UAE, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Guyana attend virtual emergency meeting
Colombian foreign minister asks Israeli ambassador to leave country in row over Gaza Alvaro Leyva demanded respect for President Pero and accused Israeli Ambassador Gali Dagan of being 'rude'
A day after Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatened to suspend relations with Israel due to their decision to halt security material exports to Colombia in response to his Middle East crisis stance, Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva asked Israeli Ambassador Gali Dagan to "apologize and leave".
Using his X account, Leyva demanded respect for the president and accused Dagan of being "rude."
Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday flew to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as Jakarta pursues stronger economic ties.
Jokowi has a quite packed schedule during his time in Beijing. The president will attend the Belt and Road Forum. The event celebrates the 10th anniversary of Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative which sees China investing in infrastructure projects across over 150 countries. An example of China’s Belt and Road projects in Indonesia is the $7.3 billion Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.
Total trade between Indonesia and China rose from almost $110 billion in 2021 to $133.6 billion the following year. Indonesian exports to China grew from $53.8 billion to $65.8 billion over the same period. Jakarta, however, posted a $1.9 billion deficit with China in 2022.
Chinese investments in Indonesia totaled $8.2 billion in 2022. This puts China as Indonesia’s second-largest foreign investor, ranking just behind Singapore ($13.3 billion).
Jokowi will immediately head to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on Wednesday following his Beijing trip. He is set to co-chair the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit.
The GCC is a political and economic alliance made of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Jokowi will also be meeting the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The government reported that Indonesia-Saudi Arabia trade was on the rise. Indonesia posted $7.5 billion in bilateral trade with Saudi Arabia last year, up from $5.6 billion recorded in 2021. However, Jakarta’s trade deficit with Riyadh also widened from $2.4 billion (2021) to $3.5 billion (2022). Data showed foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia stood at $1.7 million throughout last year. Whate is Hamas: The group was founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian refugee living in Gaza, during the first intifada, or uprising, which was marked by widespread protests against Israel’s occupation.
Hamas is the Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, and a recognition of the group’s roots and early ties to one of the Sunni world’s most prominent groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in the 1920s.
Putin expects Russian-Chinese trade to reach $200B by year's end "In the previous period, we had 32% growth in trade, which is very good. There is every reason to believe that we will reach the $200 billion mark by the end of the year," Putin said in an interview with the China Media Group.
The Russian president praised Russian-Chinese relations, saying they "have been shaped for 20 years in a careful, phased-out manner."
"At each step, the Russian and Chinese sides have both guided themselves by their own national interests as they understood them. While encouraging the other side to take the next step, both have always taken into account each other’s opinions and interests. We have always tried to reach a compromise, even on complicated issues inherited from the old days," he said. Putin also noted that Russian-Chinese relations "are a fundamental factor" in maintaining global stability.
Belt Road Initiative
Putin called China's flagship Belt Road Initiative (BRI) project a "success," noting that it involves 147 countries and two-thirds of the world's population in its implementation.
"So I think this is already a success, this is a good, correct, and technologically organized initiative that is developing," he emphasized.
According to him, the Eurasian Economic Union and Central Asian economic bloc, which include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, received $24 billion in investments as a result of the cooperation within the BRI.
"So we welcome this initiative by President Xi Jinping, we are working together, we are ready and we will continue to work together," he said. Spain's acting social rights minister suggested taking Israel to the International Criminal Court for "war crimes," local media reported.
Ione Belarra shared a video accusing the European Union and the US of "being complicit in Israel's war crimes," the Spanish daily El Mundo said on Sunday.
She called for actions to denounce Israel before the ICC and deplored the ongoing "planned genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
Ten days into the conflict with Palestinian group Hamas, Israeli bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip has continued, with over 1 million people – almost half the total population of Gaza – having been displaced.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the Belt and Road Forum in China on October 17, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi announced.
"Tomorrow, President Putin will participate in the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping," Wang said during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"We are confident that President Putin’s participation will add a lot to the forum’s success and will also contribute to promoting our strategic interaction," Wang added.
He pointed out that the Russian leader had praised cooperation between the two countries and joint work within the Belt and Road initiative at the recent session of the Valdai Discussion Club. From 1947 to 2023: Retracing the complex, tragic Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was reignited once again on October 7 after a surprise offensive launched by Hamas against Israel. In retaliation, Israel ordered air strikes and a "complete siege" of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave. This is a new deadly episode in a conflict that has its roots deep in the mid-20th century. FRANCE 24 traces its history.
Israeli forces were Sunday readying for a looming ground invasion of Gaza, amid a brutal eight-day bombing campaign of the densely populated enclave that has killed over 2,450 people, including hundreds of children.
Entire Gaza city blocks lie in ruins and hospitals are overflowing with thousands of wounded in the besieged territory, but there were fears of worse to come. Venezuela, has demanded that Israel immediately halt the occupation of Palestine, and Bolivia, which said it was following developments with concern and accused the international community of inaction.
On Monday, the Mexican leader reiterated his position of "not taking sides" in the Israel-Gaza after the Israeli ambassador to Mexico criticised his response.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric also released a statement condemning the attacks and called for an end to the Israeli occupation.
Other countries including Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay condemned the attack on Israel through statements issued by their foreign ministries. China and Saudi Arabia launched a joint naval exercise on Monday
Infantry Patrol Competition in the Falklands' capital Stanley Starting on Saturday, 14 October 2023, until 22nd October, the British Army Roulement Infantry Company currently stationed at Mount Pleasant Complex will be running a patrol competition mainly through the capital Stanley. Khunjerab in Pakistan is a high-altitude desert, a region that is both dry and cold. Surrounded by towering mountains, pristine glaciers and alpine meadows, this rocky landscape is home to some of the world's highest peaks.
Snaking through it is a highly strategic road that connects China to Gwadar port on Pakistan's south-west coast.
The Silk Road route has been used for trade and travel for centuries, and in the last 10 years, it has become central to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Described as "one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived", President Xi Jinping's vision to rebuild the ancient route heralded the construction of transport links across South Asia, in the process developing poorer countries and helping Beijing win allies abroad.
The West has long been wary of Beijing's moves - concerned these investments would actually help China develop a string of ports through the South China Sea, Arabian Sea and on to Africa to be used by its navy. China has denied this.
To date, more than 145 countries, accounting for almost 75% of the world's population and more than half of global GDP have signed up for the BRI.
The largest project so far is the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - $60bn (£49bn) was initially pledged to build a network of roads, railways and pipelines through this remote and rugged part of Pakistan.
The eventual plan was to connect to oil and gas pipelines from central Asia and the Middle East directly into western China, cutting out lengthy sea routes around South and South East Asia.
Developing this region of Pakistan made a lot of sense for China. It could act as a counterweight to long-time rival India, it offered a gateway to Afghanistan and the rare earths potentially buried there, and an opportunity to secure the porous border with its own restive Xinjiang region.
RT round up: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered an additional aircraft carrier to deploy to the Eastern Mediterranean, seeking to put pressure on Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other pro-Palestinian forces to stay out of the Israel-Gaza war.
The Pentagon chief announced on Saturday night that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrying nine aircraft squadrons, as well as two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser, will soon join the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group in the region to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas's attack on Israel.”
The leader of Pakistan’s largest religious political party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF), pledged its financial support to Hamas and vowed to join the Palestinian militant group “on the frontlines” in the fight against Israel during a massive rally in the city of Peshawar on Saturday, local media reported.
The Middle East is on the verge of a major war, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has warned, commenting on the recent flare-up of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The diplomat also condemned the “terrifying” level of violence witnessed in the region of late and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Speaking to the media following a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Nebenzia said that the “region is on the brink of a full-fledged war and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” He noted that Russia “unequivocally condemns” the killings of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. “What happened on Israeli territory on October 7 is unacceptable,” the official stressed. Last updated: 13 Oct. 2023 16:39
NATO will launch its long-planned annual nuclear exercise “Steadfast Noon” on Monday (16 October 2023) with up to 60 aircraft taking part in training flights over southern Europe.
The exercise is a routine training activity that has been conducted annually for over a decade. The manoeuvres will involve 13 Allied countries and a mix of aircraft types, including advanced fighter jets and U.S. B-52 bombers that will fly in from the United States. Conventional jets and surveillance and refuelling aircraft also take part. A different NATO Ally hosts Steadfast Noon each year. Training flights will take place over Italy, Croatia and the Mediterranean Sea.
this is not a thread for debate, it is for recording qualified thread related information, your not welcome here Ken, When someone asks a question of another person who posted information in this thread it cannot attract abuse by the likes of you and fargo on sight are going to removed.
If your interested Ken then by all means check out what is actually going on with out bulldust from non members states, The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a unique forum where the governments of 37 democracies with market-based economies collaborate to develop policy standards to promote sustainable economic growth.
Australia has been an active member of OECD since 1971 and continues to work with the OECD and OECD members to find solutions to common problems through independent analysis and information sharing.
China's trade surplus in September 2023 narrowed to USD 77.71 billion from USD 82.67 billion in the same period the previous year, but it exceeded market forecasts of USD 70 billion, as both exports and imports declined at the same rate, reflecting persistent weak demand both domestically and internationally. Exports fell by 6.2% year-on-year, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline, which was better than the market consensus of a 7.6% drop. Meanwhile, imports declined by 6.2%, which was broadly in line with the expected 6% drop and marked the seventh consecutive month of decrease. The trade surplus with the United States widened to $33.2 billion in September from $33.1 billion in August. source: General Administration of Customs
China Economic Roundup – August 2023 China’s economic data for August 2023 indicates an encouraging trend towards stabilizing growth and suggests improving conditions. Surpassing expectations, industrial output and retail sales have exhibited robust growth, instilling renewed confidence in the Chinese economy’s ability to achieve its annual growth target. Nevertheless, challenges persist in sectors such as real estate and trade.
Please don't post video in this thread Ken, I'm not downloading that sort of crap into my computer. The less China sells to the USA the US debit will increase, just depends who is reporting what matters, National US Debt currently creater than US$33,55,110 600,900 trillion that's the figure you should be watching
A CNN journalist who reported live that the office of Benjamin Netanyahu could confirm that babies were beheaded has apologised for reporting the claims, saying she had been mislead. Claims that children were beheaded at the Kfar Aza kibbutz first circulated following a live broadcast by Israeli news channel i24News.
Its reporter stated that "babies, their heads cut off" were among those found following the Israeli army's recapture of the kibbutz, citing testimonies from Israeli soldiers.
The native referendum scam put up by leader of the preference voting scam Albanese and has rightfully been rejected. It would have set up even more racism here is Australia.Howard's clowns have already transferred all or most all remaining Aboriginal land to 99 year leases...EOE The first peoples of NZ were Moriori not Maori. I was taught at school, that Moriori first inhabited the South Island that they predated Maori by well over 100 years. The Maori on the other hand first landed at or near Whitianga around 1350AD. Maori later visited the South Island and killed all the non violent Moriori, Maori enslaved shagged Moriori women and eventually over many years what that produced would as has been said quite recently became Maori's. Many years later a Lieutenant William Broughton, being commander of the armed tender Chatham, took Maori's from Taranaki to the Chatham Islands and killed the last remaining Moriori. Besides that Moriori were Melanesian with short curly reddish hair. The crap that is been peddled today that Maori were first peoples of NZ is a blatant lie the lie was first created by the founder of the Ratana Jehovah church became a political movement that was founded by Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, you might have noticed Hipkins took over prime minister ship from Ardern at the Ratana Marae, Both PM's Ardren and Hipkins were advisers to Helen Clark when she was PM.
Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is scheduled to attend China's Belt and Road Forum next week, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal.
China will host its third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct. 17-18. The event marks one decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, in which China invests in the infrastructure development program across the globe. This colossal program has now stretched across over 150 countries, including Indonesia. Projects under this initiative include the recently launched $7.3 billion Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway or Whoosh.
“President is confirmed to attend [the Belt and Road Forum],” Lalu told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.
“To Indonesia, this forum is related to our domestic infrastructure development. We want to build the best possible infrastructure in the country, but that would not be possible without partnering with other stakeholders, be it at home or abroad,” Lalu said.
Paris: France will deploy 7,000 soldiers after a Chechen-origin man fatally stabbed a teacher and severely wounded three other adults at a school in the northeastern town of Arras, the Elysee presidential palace said Saturday. The attack on Friday was denounced by President Emmanuel Macron as an act of "Islamist terror" in Arras, which has large Jewish and Muslim populations.
The deployment of the soldiers will be completed by Monday evening.
International airports in the Syrian capital of Damascus, and the western city of Aleppo, have been hit in “simultaneous” missile strikes by Israel, the state SANA news agency reported on Thursday, citing a source within the Syrian military. The incident comes amid a major flareup of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The airports were struck at around 2pm local time, a source told SANA, adding that an attack on each of the two airports involved several missiles that damaged their landing strips and forced both facilities to close.
Jordan's King Abdullah II said on Wednesday that peace without a Palestinian state would not be possible after pro-Palestine protests rocked the Jordanian capital of Amman a day earlier. He told Jordan's parliament that a two-state solution with a sovereign Palestinian state established on land that Israel had captured in 1967 and since occupied was the only option.
"Our region will never be secure nor stable without achieving just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution," he said in a speech at the opening of a new parliamentary session.
"A Palestinian independent and sovereign state should be on June 4th, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and so that the cycles of killing, whose ultimate victims are innocent civilians, end." Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman separately on Wednesday. China calls for ‘immediate’ cease-fire between Israel, Palestine
Expressing “deep concern” over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Palestine, China has called for an "immediate" cease-fire between the warring parties.
“The most pressing task is to cease fire immediately and protect civilians,” said Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy on the Middle East.
Zhai was speaking to Amal Jadou, Deputy Foreign Minister of Palestine, late Wednesday when the two discussed the latest Palestine-Israel situation, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“China is deeply saddened by many innocent civilian casualties caused by the current escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict,” Zhai said. ‘Netanyahu let us down’: Trump criticizes Israeli premier, intelligence Israel needs to ‘straighten it out because they're fighting potentially a very big force, they're fighting potentially Iran,’ says former US president
Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence in a speech in Florida.
“You talk about the intelligence, or you talk about some of the things that went wrong over the last week, they’ve got to straighten it out because they’re fighting potentially a very big force. They’re fighting potentially, Iran,” Trump said, referring to the latest developments in the Middle East.?
?Accusing the Israeli leader of not helping the US assassinate top Iran commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Trump said: “So, we were disappointed by that, very disappointed, but we did the job ourselves. And it was absolute precision, magnificent, beautiful job, and then Bibi tried to take credit for it. That didn't make me feel too good. But that's all right.”
?“I'll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down,” the former US president said.
The former president also slammed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, saying: “They have a national defense minister or somebody saying, ‘I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack us from the north.’ So, the following morning, they attacked. If you listen to this jerk, you would attack from the north because he said, ‘That’s our weak spot.’”
Hezbollah is a militant Shia Muslim group and a major political party based in Lebanon.
It was formed in 1982 amid the Lebanese civil war when Israel invaded Lebanon, and backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The group remains backed by Iran and has significant sway over the Lebanese state.
Its military power grew after deploying to Syria in 2012 to help President Bashar al-Assad fight mostly Sunni rebels.
In 2021, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group had 100,000 militants.
While Hezbollah has its roots in the Shia sect of Islam, which is predominant in Iran, Hamas is a mainly Sunni Muslim group. China saves billions of dollars from record sanctioned oil imports
China has reaped savings this year of nearly $10 billion through record purchases of oil from countries under Western sanctions, according to Reuters' calculations based on data from traders and shiptrackers.
An unintended consequence of sanctions imposed by the United States and others on Russia, Iran and Venezuela has been to lower the oil import costs for refiners in top economic rival China, which often criticises such "unilateral" penalties.
China shipped in a record 2.765 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude by sea from Iran, Russia and Venezuela in the first nine months of 2023, according to an average of data provided by tanker trackers Vortexa and Kpler.
The three countries accounted for a quarter of China's imports between January and September, up from about 21% in 2022 and double the 12% share in 2020, Reuters' analysis found, displacing alternatives from the Middle East, West Africa and South America.
From January to September, total Russian shipments grew by over 400,000 bpd from a year earlier, led by Urals, according to Vortexa, as sanctions triggered by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine sparked a massive diversion of its oil flows from Europe to India and China.
China has this year saved $4.34 billion by importing Russian oil, based on Reuters' comparison of the monthly price differentials between ESPO and Tupi crude from Brazil, and Urals versus Oman, using price information provided by traders.
For imports of Venezuelan oil, mostly heavy grade Merey, China saved an average of $10 a barrel versus comparable Colombian Castilla crude, the calculations based on the trader data showed. The country saved roughly $15 a barrel buying Iranian crude versus Oman oil.
China has saved roughly $4.2 billion by importing a record 1 million bpd during the same period from Iran, 60% above pre-sanction peaks recorded by Chinese customs in 2017 at 623,000 bpd, as Tehran raised output to near-maximum levels and offered discounts as steep as $17 a barrel versus Brent.
China's Belt and Road generated over $2 trillion in contracts: Beijing
China is hailing this month the 10th anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has seen Beijing pour a trillion dollars into projects around the world in a defining geopolitical project for President Xi Jinping. "the actual turnover of Chinese contractors reached $1.3 trillion," it said.
It also said the balance of loans for BRI projects from Eximbank -- a key BRI creditor -- now totalled 2.2 trillion yuan ($307.4 billion).
That total covers "130-plus participating countries and driving more than $400 billion of investment and more than $2 trillion of trade," the white paper said, suggesting an average of $2.4 billion in debts per country.
China spreads its wings Despite Western attempts to hold its economy back, the Asian giant is improving its balance of trade in an important economic zone In the first four months of 2023 alone, China’s trade turnover with these five post-Soviet countries increased by 37% compared to the same period last year and amounted to over $25 billion, China’s General Administration of Customs reports. This is even more striking when we consider that by the end of 2022, trade turnover with the summit participants has already exceeded $70 billion. Moreover, comparing the export statistics for the end of 2021 with those for mid-2023, we see that Chinese exports to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have almost doubled. Regarding Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, the exports increased by more than half in the same period.
The robust expansion of Chinese trade has impacted not just the Central Asian countries. China’s exports to Georgia and Belarus have more than doubled, while exports to Armenia have grown by over 60%. In this respect, only the Baltic states and Ukraine stand apart from other post-Soviet nations. These countries turned out to be in the opposing camp, where the US and EU are increasing their export flow.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assured Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas that the country will "stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace," a report said. The leader said he was working to prevent "an expansion" of war that broke out after the Hamas attack.
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One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger
Israel has recalled its diplomats from TurkeyWhile Israel and the Palestinians have accused each other over the disaster, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined many Arab countries in blaming Israel, straining diplomatic relations.
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An Israeli airstrike has killed and wounded several people who were sheltering at a church in Gaza.
The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church
Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza city was sheltering hundreds of Palestinians when it was targeted by Israeli warplanes on Thursday night, reports media
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The Taliban administration wants to formally the Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and will send a technical team to China for talks, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister said on Thursday. Beijing...
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Kabul sent a delegation to the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, which wrapped up on Wednesday. Afghanistan was among the 35 countries that signed an agreement on the digital economy and green development on the sidelines of the summit.
“We requested China to allow us to be a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative,
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US President Joe Biden said he will send Congress “an urgent budget request” on Friday to fund America's national security needs to support its “critical partners,” including Israel and Ukraine.
"The security package I'm sending to Congress is an unprecedented commitment to Israel's security that will sharpen Israel's qualitative military edge,” he added.
Biden is expected to request approximately $100 billion in emergency funding that would include defense assistance for Israel and Ukraine.
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Canada has pulled 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to strip them of diplomatic immunity “tomorrow,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced.
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Jakarta. The conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas was high on the agenda during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent bilateral talks with Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
“Indonesia strongly condemns the Israeli attack over the Al Ahly Hospital in Gaza that has killed hundreds of civilians,” Jokowi also told Mohammed.
Prior to the meeting, Jokowi already issued a recorded statement over the deadly blast at the hospital. He had also appointed his top diplomat Retno Marsudi to leave Beijing early to attend an emergency meeting between her counterparts at the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.
“Indonesia will not stand still to the rising civilian casualties. Indonesia will not stand still to the ongoing injustice against the Palestinians,” Jokowi said in the recorded statement.
Jokowi is currently in Riyadh to attend the meeting between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- a political and economic alliance that brings together the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Jokowi flew to Riyadh right after concluding his working visit in Beijing.
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A $40 million super yacht owned by Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer ran aground off the coast of Singapore’s upmarket Sentosa Island.
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Malaysian budget carrier MYAirline has abruptly suspended operations, citing financial pressures less than 11 months after it took to the skies. The cancellation of the airline's 40 flights stranded thousands of passengers