Odey’s Shorts on UK Stocks All But Vanished From Watchdog List
A reduced short bet on Metro Bank Holdings Plc is all that remains of the bearish wagers by
2023-06-19 22:18
Moldovan court bans pro-Russian party Sor
Moldova's president welcomed the decision, saying the party posed a 'threat to the constitutional order'.
2023-06-19 21:53
Britain to keep Russian assets frozen until Ukraine is compensated
By Kylie MacLellan and Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) -The British government announced plans to tighten its sanctions policy against Russia
2023-06-19 21:19
Blinken and Xi agree on need to stabilise bilateral relationship at climax of high-stakes China visit
The US secretary of state Antony Blinken met with China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday as the two nations try to salvage a diplomatic relationship and ensure that it does not spiral towards conflict. Beijing has described ties between the two nations as being at a low point thanks to America’s “wrong perception” of the country. Mr Xi said he hopes Mr Blinken will make "more positive contributions" to stabilising China-US relations. "State-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity," Mr Xi said. "I hope that, through this visit, Mr Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilising China-US relations." Mr Blinken told the Chinese president that Joe Biden believes that the US and China have an obligation to manage our relationship and that “the US is committed to doing that”. Mr Blinken said the US and China agreed on the need to stabilise their bilateral relationship, adding that America is clear-eyed about the challenges that China poses. Mr Blinken also said US expected additional visits by senior US officials to China over the coming week. Hours of talks across two days have seemingly done little to bridge the two sides' differences on issues ranging from the status of Taiwan to trade, human rights or their approach to the war in Ukraine. However, the fact that the discussions are so extensive on the first visit to China by a US secretary of state in five years will only be seen as a positive by Washington. Mr Blinken’s meeting with Mr Xi was roughly 30 minutes long and could help facilitate a summit between Mr Biden and the Chinese president later in the year, it was reported. According to a video posted online by Chinese state television, Mr Xi said that “the two sides agreed to follow through with the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali. The two sides have also made progress and reached the agreement on some specific issues. This is very good”. Mr Xi said China “hopes to see a sound and steady China-US relationship” and believes that the two countries “can overcome various difficulties”, according to Xinhua. Ahead of the meeting with Mr Xi, Mr Blinken met China’s top diplomat Wang Yi who warned that the US that the two nations “must take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, and reverse the downward spiral of US-China relations.” According to the nation’s state media, he also said “it is necessary for the US to reflect deeply and work with China to manage differences and avoid strategic surprises”. Mr Wang spoke with Mr Blinken for more than three hours and told the US secretary of state that Washington must choose between “cooperation or conflict”. “The Secretary of State’s trip to Beijing this time comes at a critical juncture in China-US relations,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “It is necessary to make a choice between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict. We must reverse the downward spiral of China-US relations, push for a return to a healthy and stable track, and work together to find a correct way for China and the United States to get along,” Mr Wang added. He also reportedly asked the US to stop speculating on the “China threat theory” and lift “illegal unilateral sanctions” against China. On Sunday, Mr Blinken met with the Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang for seven and a half hours hoping to ease the tensions between the two sides. Mr Blinken invited the Chinese foreign minister to visit Washington and the invitation was accepted, according to US state department spokesperson Matt Miller. He called the talks with Mr Qin “candid, substantive and constructive”. “The Secretary invited foreign minister Qin to Washington to continue discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time,” Mr Miller said. He added that Mr Blinken had emphasised the “importance of diplomacy and maintaining channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation”. Mr Blinken stressed “the need to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation” in his talks with Mr Qin on Sunday. China took a strong stand on Taiwan with reports suggesting that Mr Wang told the US secretary of state that China has no room for compromise and concessions on the Taiwan issue. “On this issue, China has no room to compromise or concede,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken, according to CCTV. “The United States must truly adhere to the One China principle confirmed in the three joint US-China communiques, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’.” “Despite very low expectations for any breakthroughs made during Blinken’s visit to China, there is still hope that both sides can maintain their ‘bottom line’ in the relationship,” state-run Global Times said in an editorial on Monday. “This is going to be a process of sustained diplomacy,” one senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters. The Taiwan premier Chen Chien-jen told the media: “For this high-level interaction between China and the United States, Taiwan closely grasps the relevant details.” “Qin Gang pointed out that the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests, the most important issue in Sino-US relations, and the most prominent risk,” Chinese state media quoted Mr Qin as having told the US diplomat. Read More Blinken opens second day of talks in Beijing on mission to ease soaring US-China tensions Blinken seeks to warm up frosty US-China relations in high-stakes Beijing trip Watch: Antony Blinken visits China for high-stakes meeting after ‘spy balloon’ Watch: Antony Blinken visits China for high-stakes meeting after ‘spy balloon’ Blinken seeks to warm up frosty US-China relations in high-stakes Beijing trip Taiwan handbook teaches civilians how to spot ‘enemy’ Chinese soldiers
2023-06-19 19:57
Uttar Pradesh: Row over claims of heatwave deaths in India state
Almost 70 deaths were reported in four days from just one district in Uttar Pradesh state.
2023-06-19 19:51
French Government Aims to Save $11 Billion to Cut Budget Gap
The French government said it has identified at least €10 billion ($10.9 billion) of savings as part of
2023-06-19 19:46
Russian spy chief flags 'suspicious' Ukrainian nuclear activity
One of Russia's top spymasters said on Monday he hoped that the U.N. nuclear watchdog and the European
2023-06-19 18:55
Kremlin says it declined U.N. help in flood zone over 'security concerns'
MOSCOW The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia's decision to decline U.N. help in areas of Russian-held Ukraine
2023-06-19 18:49
Swedish defence must adapt to match 'long-term' Russian threat -lawmakers
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -A special Swedish parliamentary defence committee said on Monday the country's defence must focus on the threat posed
2023-06-19 18:46
Ukraine says eight villages retaken from Russian forces in two weeks
By Tom Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Monday it had driven Russian forces from an eighth
2023-06-19 18:45
Russia's Navalny defends himself in court against new extremism charges
MELEKHOVO, Russia (Reuters) -Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny appeared before a Russian court on Monday to defend himself against new
2023-06-19 18:27
Houston rapper Big Pokey dies after collapsing during performance
He was best known as a member of the Screwed Up Click, an influential group of Houston-based artists
2023-06-19 17:50