LONDON, April 22 (Reuters) – Military planners from more than 30 countries will hold two-day talks in London from Wednesday to advance a mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and draw up detailed plans, the British government said. More than a dozen countries said last week they were willing to join an international mission,…
PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) – Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday his government was not seeking confrontation with Iran-backed Hezbollah, but it would not allow itself to be intimidated as it continues direct talks with Israel to end the conflict. Speaking at a news conference alongside France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Salam said he…
Chinese stocks are likely to continue the resilience they have shown since the war in the Middle East began, thanks to haven demand for yuan-linked assets, the green shoots of the property market and the inclusion of tech start-ups in key equity gauges, according to fund managers and investment banks. Optimism about Chinese equities was…
BEIJING, April 21 (Reuters) – China is willing to work with African countries to address the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while meeting with Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo in Beijing, state media reported. “The spillover effects of the Middle East conflict are affecting African countries, and China…
GENEVA, April 21 (Reuters) – The 10th United Nations secretary-general will be elected this year for a five-year term starting on January 1, 2027. Here are the candidates so far running to take over from outgoing U.N. chief Antonio Guterres. Rafael Grossi, a 65-year-old career diplomat from Argentina, has been an omnipresent, hyperactive director general…
BEIJING, April 21 (Reuters) – China on Tuesday implied energy assistance for the Philippines could be tied to Manila holding military drills with the U.S. and other allies, as its top newspaper showed Beijing’s readiness to leverage its reserves in diplomatic disputes. In an editorial headlined “The Philippines should create conditions for deepening cooperation,” the ruling…
By David Brunnstrom, Emma Farge and Olivia Le Poidevin April 21 (Reuters) – The four candidates vying to become the next United Nations secretary-general face live hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday on their bids to lead the troubled global organization from next year. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s…
ANKARA, April 20 (Reuters) – Turkey will tighten gun-ownership rules and increase penalties for owners whose children find the firearms, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday after last week’s rare, deadly school shootings. The second of the two separate attacks by students last week killed eight pupils and a teacher in a southeastern province of…
The US-Israeli war on Iran has unleashed sharp swings across global energy and financial markets, fuelling demand for safe-haven assets, with Hong Kong emerging as a potential beneficiary across gold, property and capital markets. In the third of a three-part series, we look at Hong Kong’s position as a stable base where demand for property…
BEIJING, April 20 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping called for normal passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz to be maintained, in a phone call on Monday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held as Beijing steps up efforts to help end the Iran war. China is concerned over renewed instability…