Sept 23 - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Wednesday that Russia would consider the invitation extended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for President Vladimir Putin to attend a G20 meeting later this year in the United States."We saw the reports in the media and the statements by the secretary of state. We are grateful and appreciative for this invitation," Russian news agencies quoted Peskov as saying.Rubio, speaking after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said he hoped Putin would accept the invitation, adding that the occasion would serve as an opportunity for Putin to speak to US President Donald Trump.
Read briefing WASHINGTON, Sept 23 - President Donald Trump is expected to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping to free two US citizens held by China, but it is not clear whether other human-rights issues will get similar attention during this week's summit.In a preview of Xi's visit last Friday, a US official said Trump is likely to bring up cases of people wrongfully detained in China with Xi. However, the White House has not said whether Trump will directly raise broader rights issues related to Tibet, the Uyghur Muslim minority group, and the country's new "ethnic unity" law.Trump has made winning freedom for Americans held overseas a priority, including in China, advocates say.But the Republican leader has largely avoided talking about China's rights record, and has not publicly brought up rights issues when meeting other world leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Trump will ask Xi to free Youlin Chen, a Chinese-born expert on North Korean nuclear tests who has been imprisoned since late 2024, and Min Zin, a scholar arrested in June, according to Chen's wife, Yufang Rong. Both are US citizens. Trump raised Chen's case when he met Xi in Beijing in May but nothing has happened since then, she said."We hope to see Dr. Chen and Zin come home after this meeting," said Elizabeth Richards, research director of the James Foley Foundation, a hostage advocacy group.Human rights groups and Democratic lawmakers say Trump must also press Xi on China's treatment of Tibetans and Uyghurs and speak up for Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters.Democrats in Congress say Trump is soft-pedaling human rights concerns and taking a transactional approach to international affairs."We cannot abandon human rights in our foreign policy," Democratic Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said on Wednesday. "China's record is beyond debate and it is atrocious."Beijing has signaled that the topic will be off limits. The country's ambassador to the US warned on Wednesday that democracy and human rights are "red lines" that cannot be crossed.Human rights groups say China has detained Uyghurs on the pretext of countering extremism and confined them in re-education camps. US secretaries of state from both parties have labeled the treatment of Uyghurs as genocide."Xi's visit to Washington is a strategic moment to move beyond words of condemnation on the Uyghur genocide," World Uyghur Congress President Turgunjan Alawdun said.China's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Beijing says it has established "vocational training centers" to curb extremism and denies abuse allegations.Rights groups and exiles also routinely describe China's rule in Tibet as "oppressive," an accusation that Beijing rejects. China has exerted greater control over the region since Xi became chief of the Communist Party in 2012.Beijing says Washington should stop using "Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs."The International Campaign for Tibet called on Trump to ask Xi "to resume substantive dialogue without preconditions" with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The State Department reiterated calls for such dialogue when a Tibetan American died after setting himself on fire in July.China passed a law this year to create a shared national identity among the country's 55 ethnic minority groups, which includes penalties for people outside the country for "inciting ethnic separatism."The State Department calls the law problematic. Katie LaRoque, director for policy and advocacy at Freedom House, urged Trump to condemn the legislation himself."President Trump must make clear that Beijing’s domestic law has no jurisdiction over those exercising their fundamental freedoms on US soil," she said. REUTERS
Read briefing UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 - Ethiopia has "exercised immense restraint" and achieved notable progress with its neighbors in spite of "reckless external actors," Ethiopian President Taye Atske-Selassie Amde told world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.He spoke to the 193-member world body hours after renewed fighting between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government shattered a four-year-old peace deal.The new hostilities follow months of growing animosity between the two sides threatening a wider regional conflict."Despite continued interference in our internal affairs by adversarial elements, we have exercised immense restraint," Selassie Amde said."Our message to forces of destruction and mayhem is loud and clear. We urge them to respect the sacred right of the people of the Horn of Africa to live in peace and prosperity."Forces from the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray launched a major offensive against the federal government on Wednesday. Tigray's leaders said they had entered a defensive war to counter aggression by the federal government. REUTERS
Read briefing Sept 23 - Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev is heading to the US on Wednesday, where he will meet with Trump administration representatives Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and others, two sources familiar with preparations for the talks told Reuters.The sources said Dmitriev's visit to the US, which was agreed upon with Russian President Vladimir Putin, will take place in New York during the UN General Assembly and will follow up on a meeting between Putin and US representatives at the Kremlin earlier this month.One source said that the aim of the visit is to keep the Russia-US dialogue and the peacemaking effort going.The source added that economic cooperation between Russia and the US, as well as energy issues, and a peaceful settlement in Ukraine will be on the agenda of Dmitriev's talks in New York.After meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire involving grain and energy and that he hoped Putin would accept an invitation to attend the G20 summit in the US.Putin met the US representatives alongside his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, and Dmitriev, who also had a three-hour talk over lunch with Witkoff and Kushner prior to the meeting on September 5.Dmitriev, a US-educated investment banker who worked at Goldman Sachs and consulting firm McKinsey, is viewed in Russia as the most US-friendly negotiator.During his previous contacts with Witkoff and Kushner, Dmitriev negotiated a sanctions waiver for seaborne Russian oil aimed at stabilizing the global energy markets as well as several prisoner exchanges between Russia and the US. REUTERS
Read briefing Pfizer chief Albert Bourla will be among the lineup of corporate titans at the Sept 24 event.NEW YORK - Pfizer chief executive officer Albert Bourla plans to join a lineup of corporate titans on Sept 24 at US President Donald Trump’s state dinner at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping, a source familiar with the matter said on Sept 22.Trump will welcome the Chinese leader at the White House this week for their second meeting this year, as the two leaders seek stability in a relationship under pressure over issues ranging from trade to Taiwan and Iran, as well as global worries about artificial intelligence.Bourla will share the room with some of the biggest names in American business and technology.Guests are expected to include Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Apple’s Tim Cook, Tesla’s Elon Musk, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Dell Technologies’ Michael Dell.JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser are also expected to attend.Bloomberg News, citing a person familiar with the planning, reported on Sept 22 that Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also set to attend the dinner. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. REUTERS
Read briefing UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 - France's President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday dismissed US President Donald Trump's claims of having secured peace in Gaza, saying not a single humanitarian corridor had been reopened in the enclave despite the proclaimed peace.In his final address to the United Nations before leaving office next year, Macron said the world was witnessing a spectacle that should shame everyone, rebuking Trump's portrayal of his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph.He spoke at the United Nations General Assembly hours after Trump had from the same rostrum hailed his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph."A year ago, here in this very hall, about a dozen states had recognized Palestine. I hear the cynicism of some people: 'Recognition is just a piece of paper, look at the reality,'" Macron said, banging his fist on the podium in his last speech at the United Nations before stepping down next May."But what credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza? Some boast of a supposed peace. But that peace has not reopened humanitarian access for a single second. Are we simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?""One year ago, when I addressed the great leaders in this hall, the war in Gaza was still raging brutally," Trump said in his earlier speech. "A few weeks later, we ended the war in Gaza, saving untold thousands of lives."Macron has faced criticism among some politicians and activists in France that he has done little since recognising a Palestinian state last September.Despite the criticism, Paris has toughened its stance on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, imposing some national sanctions and launching a process to ban products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank."Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name? Hamas has never operated in the West Bank," Macron said."What is happening there is building, day by day, the impossibility of a project that should be based on respect for the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to exist."France's ties with Israel have been particularly strained over the last year. Macron said those who believed that violating the sovereignty of all of Israel's neighbors would ensure its security were mistaken.Seven months from France's next presidential election, Macron was making his last appearance after first taking to the rostrum in 2017.Often showing a keen eye for the trappings of diplomacy — the grand settings, the symbolism, the personal connections — he has at the same time failed to translate this into lasting strategic gains, analysts say.However, he has always been a staunch defender of the multilateral system and the United Nations.Macron warned against a global "return to the law of the jungle", saying countries faced a choice between a world governed by power and coercion and a "civilized international society.""Our duty, more than ever, is to stand alongside the United Nations. We cannot accept the new order of impunity that some would like to build," he said.
Read briefing A 29-year-old man carrying a shotgun fired at police officers on Sept 20 outside a synagogue in Belleville, a city in southeastern Ontario.TORONTO, Canada - A gunman who was shot by Canadian police after firing on officers outside a synagogue during a Jewish holiday over the weekend has died, an official said on Sept 22.A 29-year-old man carrying a shotgun approached a synagogue in Belleville, a city in southeastern Ontario, on the evening of Sept 20 as worshippers gathered to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.He shot at police, prompting officers guarding the Sons of Jacob congregation to return fire.The man was hospitalised after the shooting and died on the night of Sept 21, said Kristy Dennette, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, which probes shootings involving police.Police have not confirmed that Belleville’s Jewish community was the target of the attack, but Dennette told reporters that “common sense” would suggest the gunman was trying to attack the synagogue.Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both condemned the shooting.Like many Western countries, Canada has seen a rise in reported incidents of anti-Semitism over the last three years amid criticism of Israel’s response to the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. AFP
Read briefing People wearing smart glasses can take photos, film videos, listen to music, make phone calls, translate text or interact with an AI assistant.PARIS - Paris prosecutors said on Sept 22 they had opened several probes after receiving complaints concerning women filmed on the street without their consent using smart glasses.Anyone wearing smart glasses can take photos, film videos, listen to music, make phone calls, translate text or interact with an AI assistant.Meta’s smart spectacles, developed in partnership with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, have become a commercial success.Other companies, including Google and Snap, are also preparing to roll out AI-powered glasses.Calls have grown in Europe for action against what campaigners call “pervert” smart glasses after secretly filmed footage of girls and women has appeared online, with a petition in Britain demanding a ban on their sale.In France, the e-Enfance association, which operates the national hotline for victims of online abuse, earlier this month sounded the alarm about videos recorded with camera-equipped glasses and shared online.The Paris public prosecutor’s office said on Sept 22 it had received “complaints relating to violations of privacy linked to the use of smart glasses”.Prosecutors pointed to a “growing trend on social media involving women being filmed on the street with smart glasses without their consent and the videos being published online”.Under French law, such an offence is punishable by up to two years in prison and a €45,000 (S$65,000) fine.Prosecutors said that in some cases investigations had also been opened for sexual assault when “the acts are accompanied by non-consensual sexual contact”.The Paris prosecutor’s office said its cybercrime division “tested smart glasses in September in order to identify the commission of other cybercrime-related offences”.Such offences could include the theft of a cryptocurrency wallet’s recovery phrase, enabling criminals to steal the funds.The e-Enfance group said it had received around 20 reports from women as of Sept 8, most involving Meta glasses.“We need to strengthen oversight of these devices from the design stage,” said the association’s Veronique Bechu.“And when creators make a business model out of humiliating strangers, platforms must adopt a zero-tolerance approach and suspend repeat offenders,” she added.According to the association, the cases reported to its hotline tended to follow a recurring pattern: a content creator approaches a young woman or girl in a public place and discreetly films her using smart glasses.The aim is to “provoke a reaction, make her uncomfortable or place her in an embarrassing situation” before sharing the footage on social media, mainly TikTok.Those filmed often become the target of ridicule, misogynistic insults and even threats, the association said, citing the case of a teenage girl filmed in Paris during an annual French street music festival.After approaching her, a man wearing Meta smart glasses filmed her and posted the video on TikTok, Instagram and X, where it went viral. The teenager subsequently received “hateful comments and death threats”.Meta has said it has taken multiple steps to prevent tampering with a blinking LED light on its glasses designed to indicate when recording is taking place. AFP
Read briefing UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 - Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out Britain's position on the Falkland Islands during a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying he would stand firm in the face of any threats.In August, Trump said he was reviewing the United States' neutral position on the remote archipelago in the South Atlantic. Days later Argentine President Javier Milei said he would sanction oil companies drilling in the islands."The clear position is: we will stand firm in the face of any threats. We will defend the right of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination and to remain British," Burnham told reporters."I just wanted the president to know directly from me, that's the clear British position, and he very much understood what I was saying." REUTERS
Read briefing A Pacific Ocean wave washes up near a worker using heavy machinery to protect beachfront homes in Dana Point, California, which were damaged by heavy surf and severe coastal erosion.LOS ANGELES - California’s governor on Sept 21 declared a state of emergency as the US west coast readies for what is expected to be a damaging El Nino.Forecasters say the coming months could bring powerful and damaging storms to the region because of this weather pattern, with the threat of higher-than-usual tides that could trigger coastal flooding.Governor Gavin Newsom said the state needed to get ahead of problems instead of waiting for them to happen.“This action is about giving communities the support they need, giving first responders the tools to do their jobs, and giving families the confidence that their state is ready,” he said.“We are preparing for this El Nino early because every Californian deserves to be safe in their home, connected to their community, and protected when severe weather comes.”The declaration on Sept 21 is procedural and intended to make it easier for state agencies to access resources, and to pre-position flood-fighting supplies like sandbags and pumps.The proclamation also prepares the California National Guard to support flood response, search-and-rescue, engineering, and logistics missions when needed, officials said.El Nino is the warming phase of a natural cycle in the tropical Pacific, known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and comes along every two to seven years.It sets in when east-to-west trade winds ease, allowing warm water which normally collects in the western Pacific Ocean to slide back east and rise to the surface.When those warmer-than-average surface temperatures last for a few months, they cause more storms and clouds over the region, which in turn cause ripple effects through the entire global atmosphere: hotter and drier conditions in some places, cooler and wetter in others.Human-caused climate change increases El Nino’s impacts. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so El Nino-linked rains can turn more extreme. It also dries out soil, deepening drought where El Nino brings it.This year’s El Nino has a 69 per cent chance of becoming the strongest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and is already unleashing extreme weather across the globe even though it is not expected to peak until October-December.California’s coastline has already been battered by storms that have damaged or destroyed homes.Coastal erosion also forced the cancellation of a music festival in Santa Monica that had been set to feature The Killers, Olivia Dean and Jack White. AFP
Read briefing FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 6, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/ File PhotoUNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON, Sept 21 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met US CIA chief John Ratcliffe at Shannon Airport in Ireland, two people familiar with the matter said.The meeting took place on Monday, one of the sources said. The other source said the pair spoke informally while their planes were being refueled without specifying a date. Both sources, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, declined to disclose details of their conversation.The meeting happened as Zelenskiy was traveling to New York to take part in the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. Ratcliffe was on his way back from meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, one source said.Ratcliffe's meeting with Zelenskiy comes less than a month since the CIA chief traveled to Moscow to meet with Russia's top intelligence officials.Neither Ratcliffe nor the CIA have publicly disclosed what was discussed in Moscow. One of the sources, who confirmed the Zelenskiy meeting to Reuters, said Ratcliffe had been in Moscow to discuss Ukraine, but they declined to elaborate.The New York Times reported last month that Ratcliffe used his trip to share his bleak assessment of the state of the Russian war against Ukraine and to urge the Russians to cut a deal before their position weakens. REUTERS
Read briefing Vasile Tofan speaks during his oath-taking ceremony as the country's new Prime Minister, in Chisinau, Moldova, July 22, 2026. REUTERS/Vladislav CuliomzaCHISINAU, Sept 21 - Moldova's pro-European leaders said on Monday that they were asking parliament to declare a state of emergency for energy and water supply in connection with dangerously low levels on the Dniester River it shares with Ukraine.Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, writing on social media after a meeting of Moldova's Security Council, said the government would present the appeal to the chamber on Tuesday to give the administration the powers needed to tackle difficulties.He said giving the government a free hand to act was critical as Moldova secured much of its gas, oil and electricity from outside the country."We can't afford to wait for a crisis to start looking for solutions. This will give the government the necessary tools to step in at the first sign of need—and only where it's truly necessary," Tofan wrote."The government will be ready to provide the economy and citizens with water, electricity, and heat, and vulnerable households with the support they need."President Maia Sandu, who has spearheaded a drive for Moldova to join the European Union by 2030, had earlier chaired the Security Council meeting and said its members had recommended introducing emergency regulations quickly."The share of renewable energy sources has increased, but we still don't have the necessary capacity to cover consumption during peak hours," she told a press conference."However, we need to be ready for any changes and provide solutions, no matter what is going on outside the country."Moldova's government has been concerned with low levels on the Dniester for months.A joint meeting of Moldovan and Ukrainian experts last month reduced flows through the Dniester hydropower station in southern Ukraine to permit irrigation of crops in Moldova.The situation on the Dniester was further complicated last March by a Russian attack on the hydropower plant that triggered an oil spill and polluted water systems in Moldova. REUTERS
Read briefing Planes at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey. All three major New York-area airports faced significant ground stops after a telecom circuit failed.WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration halted traffic on Sept 21 at busy US East Coast airports, snarling more than 1,000 flights after a telecom circuit failed, and a backup fibre cable was accidentally cut.The issue at one point forced a halt to incoming flights at all three major New York-area airports as well as Philadelphia and Boston and two smaller airports in the New York area.The flights were halted on the day that 130 world leaders and dozens of ministers were arriving in New York for the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.The incident demonstrated the fragility of the ageing US air traffic control system, which Congress awarded US$12.5 billion (S$15.9 billion) for upgrades in 2025.FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said a replacement circuit had also failed but said they were resuming traffic to John F. Kennedy Airport and LaGuardia Airport. He said it was not clear when flights might resume at airports in Philadelphia and Newark.A ground stop at Boston, which stopped accepting flights because of spillover volume, was also lifted.The FAA will not restart the system for incoming flights at the affected airports “until we make sure the airspace is safe,” Bedford said.The loss of communications was tied to some frequencies at a Philadelphia air traffic control facility that handles air traffic for the airports, Bedford said. Then authorities discovered that a backup fibre line was accidentally cut by a construction crew in New Jersey.At Newark alone, more than 1,000 flights had been delayed or cancelled. Throughout the US there were nearly 4,000 delayed flights and 500 cancelled.“When it went to flip into the backup, we discovered that the backup fibre had a break, and that fibre break is probably 13 hours to repair. It’s massive, I’m told. Meanwhile, we’ve got the new circuit ready to install now,” Bedford said.FlightAware, a flight-tracking site, said more than 600 flights at Newark and Philadelphia, or more than 20 per cent, had been delayed at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control. Newark is a major United Airlines hub, while Philadelphia is an American Airlines hub.The issue has also forced the diversion of a number of flights to other airports. Flightradar24, a flight-tracking site, said flights were being delayed by an average of 112 minutes at Newark.In May 2025, the facility that guides air traffic in and out of Newark airport suffered a series of significant communications outages.The FAA said in 2025 a telecommunications outage impacted communications and radar displays at Philadelphia TRACON.In 2025, Congress approved US$12.5 billion to address the ageing air traffic control system, and boost controller hiring following decades of complaints over airport congestion and flight delays and a series of technology issues in recent years. REUTERS
Read briefing UNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 - The European Union has no reason to ease sanctions on Belarus, Lithuania's foreign minister said on Monday, arguing that President Alexander Lukashenko's government continues to repress opponents, violate human rights and back Russia's war in Ukraine.US President Donald Trump said earlier in the day that Washington was working on a deal to purchase potash from Belarus, a key sector sanctioned by the EU.The comments came a week after his administration negotiated the release of political prisoners in Belarus in return for some sanctions lifting, the latest in a year of talks between the two sides.The US diplomacy is sensitive because Lukashenko, in charge of the former Soviet state since 1994, has long been shunned by the West for repressing his opponents and supporting Russia's war in Ukraine."Of course we would prefer to coordinate on sanctions policy as it is the most effective way to do this, but EU sanctions policy is a bit different," Kęstutis Budrys told Reuters in an interview at the UN General Assembly. "We do not see any reasons why our position on Belarus should soften as Belarus is not changing its behaviour."The comments underscore a growing transatlantic divergence in approach toward Belarus.While Budrys welcomed the release of prisoners, of which he said there remained about 1,000, and Vilnius would continue to provide assistance when they were freed, he said the EU should continue applying pressure on both the Belarusian and Russian governments, arguing that sanctions remained effective."We see how Lukashenko tries to find ways to get rid of them, and it means that we have to continue," he said."On our side, we have to be very exact and continue what works, and that is the pressure on the regime," he said.The minister, whose country borders Belarus, said Minsk continued to pose a security challenge to the bloc, accusing it of orchestrating hybrid attacks against EU member states.He cited what he described as the weaponisation of migration flows, particularly affecting Lithuania, Poland and Latvia, as well as smuggling operations, balloon incursions and other activities aimed at undermining European security."They are one of the major sources of hybrid activities against the European Union," he said.The EU's current sanctions framework on Belarus remains in force until February 2027. REUTERS
Read briefing People walk past a billboard about the Strait of Hormuz in Tehran. Iran’s economy has long struggled with hyperinflation and devaluation of its currency, caused in large part by economic sanctions.TEHRAN - Iran’s economy contracted by more than 10 per cent during the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli attacks in late February.The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 10.1 per cent year-on-year from late March to late June, a period known in Iran as the first quarter of the Persian calendar, according to the Statistical Center of Iran on Sept 20.Iran has been at war with the United States since late February, when US-Israeli strikes killed the Islamic republic’s supreme leader and senior military officials at the start of a vast offensive.The strikes sparked Tehran’s retaliation in blocking the Strait of Hormuz – causing global oil prices to surge – as the conflict spread in the Middle East.Aside from this, Iran’s economy has long struggled with hyperinflation and devaluation of its currency, caused in large part by economic sanctions. AFP
Read briefing US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (left) said he was looking forward to have ‘focused, fulsome and constructive talks’ with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng ahead of their meeting in New York City.NEW YORK - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng began talks on Sept 20, as they set the stage for possible agreements on trade, AI and other issues before a summit of the countries’ top leaders.The talks, which also include President Donald Trump’s top trade official Jamieson Greer, are expected to last all day at JPMorgan Chase’s headquarters in New York.It is a prelude to a planned White House meeting on Oct 24 of the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies: Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.Both sides will be looking to ease tensions on trade, technology and other strategic concerns. These include the possible extension of a trade truce expiring in November and guardrails for artificial intelligence development.“I’m looking forward to have focused, fulsome and constructive talks today that will set the stage for our leaders’ meeting,” Bessent told reporters as he arrived for the talks of Sept 20.US officials will also be looking to ensure the continued flow of rare earth magnets and critical minerals that are vital for US manufacturers.A source familiar with the discussions told AFP that the talks will focus on AI, trade, rare earths and other topics, building on earlier rounds of bilateral talks.Earlier negotiations saw China pledge purchases of US agriculture goods too, and their fulfilment of the terms could also be an issue under scrutiny.On AI talks, Bessent said in an earlier statement: “We are open to discussions on avoiding shared risks and avoiding bifurcation of our two systems.”Another issue is US economic pressure on Iran, as Washington’s war with Tehran has entered its seventh month.China is a top economic partner of Iran that buys much of its oil output and a key diplomatic backer.“One of the only things we can hope for in the short term is a truce, and that this will likely continue through the remainder of this year,” said former US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell.“I think you will hear the president announce the intention to meet with Xi Jinping two more times,” added Campbell, who is now chairman of The Asia Group consultancy.Trump and Xi are expected to meet in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Shenzhen, China. Trump is also anticipated to invite Xi to the G-20 summit in December at his Doral resort in Miami. AFP
Read briefing A woman casts her ballot on the last day of voting on Sept 20, at a polling station in Podolsk, Moscow, Russia.MOSCOW - Russia vowed Sept 20 to “intensify” its strikes on Kyiv in response to Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, as an exit poll showed the ruling United Russia party on course to win tightly controlled parliamentary elections.Ukraine fired waves of drones at Moscow and the surrounding region on the final day of voting, killing two people and setting an oil refinery ablaze, officials said.Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to “disrupt the democratic will of Russian citizens” and vowed a response.An exit poll published by a state-run pollster showed United Russia on course to win 49.4 per cent of the vote, around the same it achieved in the previous election.“In response to the Kyiv regime’s attacks on civilian targets within Russia, the Russian army will continue and intensify its high-accuracy strikes against military targets in Kyiv,” the Russian defence ministry said.The attack was the largest on Moscow since the Kremlin launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022 and involved some 1,600 drones, 450 of which were aimed directly at the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.Images showed a gaping hole in a multi-storey apartment building on the outskirts of the capital, while another showed black smoke pouring from what appeared to be an oil refinery.A multi-storey apartment building was hit by a drone attack in Kotelniki, a town on the outskirts of Russia’s capital city Moscow on Sept 20.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the attacks, saying: “Our long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night.”“One of Russia’s key oil industry facilities and the aggressor’s logistics facility were hit. These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine,” he said on X.At least two people were killed – a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man – in two separate locations, Moscow regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov said.A fire triggered by a drone crashing into a 21-storey building also led to 400 people being evacuated, Vorobyov added.Ukraine has targeted Russian infrastructure with drones throughout the war, in retaliation for Russian bombardment of its own towns and cities.The parliamentary vote, which decides all 450 seats in Russia’s lower house State Duma, was Russia’s first since launching its Ukraine offensive.An exit poll by the state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) showed United Russia winning 49.4 per cent, with the Communist Party and nationalist LDPR party on 14.2 and 10.7 per cent respectively.Former president Dmitry Medvedev, who chairs United Russia, said his party appeared to have “performed admirably”.“We must now put the President’s decisions into practice,” he was quoted as saying by the state RIA news agency.Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and leader of the ruling party, United Russia, casts his ballot at a polling a station in Moscow on Sept 18.All other parties contesting supported the war and Putin, and the exit poll did not include electronic voting and military ballots.“For that reason I believe United Russia’s result will be higher, whilst that of the opposition parties will be lower,” VCIOM director Valery Fedorov said.Yabloko – a liberal party that had called for an end to the fighting – was barred from running its federal list by Russia’s Supreme Court, although its candidates remained on the ballot in some single-mandate constituencies.Putin had urged Russians to take part, casting the vote as a show of support for Moscow’s troops and an “answer to those who want to weaken Russia”.The Kremlin’s chief political opponents have been driven into exile, while Putin’s main rival, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in 2024.Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya called on anti-war Russians to collectively cast their ballots at noon on Sept 20, a tactic that drew crowds in the 2024 presidential election.In Berlin and London, AFP reporters saw dozens of opposition supporters gathered outside Russian embassy buildings in protest at the vote.The first official results and turnout will be expected on the morning of Sept 20 local time.As voting entered a final day, Russia’s electoral chief said there had been a wave of cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure.Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia’s Central Election Commission, did not say who was responsible.The attacks appeared to have been carried out by “highly professional, well-coordinated groups using artificial intelligence tools,” she said.“Over the past period, more than 1,000 waves of DDoS attacks have been recorded against infrastructure in Russia that is specifically involved in the electoral process,” Pamfilova was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks involve overwhelming a system with internet traffic so that it is unable to function normally.
Read briefing Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump shake hands during their meeting on Jan 22, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 20 that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and the two agreed to meet in New York for talks that “could change a lot” in terms of finding a resolution to the 4½-year-old war with Russia.The two leaders will be in New York in the coming week for the UN General Assembly.“We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” Zelensky wrote on the X social media platform.Zelensky said he thanked Trump for September’s visit to Kyiv by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.“There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues – energy security, food security, and the protection of human life,” he said.“We are working together with the American team and are ready to take really serious steps.”Zelensky again thanked Trump for signing into law the Russian sanctions Bill championed by the late US Senator Lindsey Graham. REUTERS
Read briefing JOHANNESBURG, Sept 20 - South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy has gone missing in Djibouti while on a reporting trip, his family said on Sunday, adding that they have received no information from authorities about his whereabouts since he was last heard from on Saturday.Reddy, the Africa editor for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), arrived in the Horn of Africa nation on Thursday and had been in regular contact with family and colleagues before communication abruptly ceased, his brother Niall Reddy told Reuters on Sunday.The Committee to Protect Journalists watchdog said in a post on X that it was "increasingly alarmed" that over 24 hours had elapsed since anyone had been able to reach Reddy or his fixer, Kooki Mahmoud."CPJ understands their reporting was not focused on Djibouti and urges Djiboutian authorities to establish their whereabouts, credibly confirm their safety, and promptly release them if detained,” Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa Director, said in a statement posted on X.Niall said Micah's last contact with him was around 11 a.m. on Saturday, while his last known communication with colleagues was at about 1 p.m. the same day. Several hours later, messages sent to him via Signal and WhatsApp were no longer being delivered, prompting concern among relatives and colleagues.Micah was staying at the Escale International hotel in Djibouti's capital and was last known to have met Mahmoud in the hotel lobby, according to his family. Relatives said the hotel had provided little information about his movements after he was last seen.Niall said his brother had not reported any threats before the trip and was not investigating the Djiboutian government during his visit.He added that South African and British officials had sought information from Djibouti's government following the journalist's disappearance, but the family had so far received no clarity on his whereabouts and no official comment from authorities.A senior official in the Djibouti presidency, Naguib Ali Taher, said that Micah had not registered for media accreditation in Djibouti."We need to check the tourist visa records to see if he came to Djibouti," he said.A spokesperson for the South African government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. REUTERS
Read briefing The disappearance of 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr in 1993 shocked Prince George’s County in Maryland and prompted a large search by law enforcement.NEW YORK – When 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr hopped on his bike on May 24, 1993, near his Maryland home, it was the last time his family saw him.The disappearance of George, who was also known as Junior, shocked Prince George’s County in Maryland and prompted a large search by law enforcement, including the FBI. Volunteers also joined the search.Now, investigators say they have arrested a 61-year-old man, Joseph Lynch, who has been charged with second-degree murder, rape and other sexual abuse charges in connection with George’s disappearance.Another person, a 47-year-old man, whom Lynch also sexually assaulted, admitted to beating George to death, authorities said.That unidentified man has not been charged, the Prince George’s County Police Department said. The county state attorney’s office would not comment on Sept 18.“We held on to hope for 33 years,” said Virginia Burdynski, George’s sister, at a news conference on Sept 17. “This is not what we prayed for.”Investigators got a break in the case after a witness, the 47-year-old man, stepped forward in June and said he was with George and Lynch at the time of the boy’s disappearance.Lynch physically and sexually assaulted the witness on the day that George disappeared, according to a statement of charges.On that same day, Lynch forced the witness to sexually assault George while Lynch watched, the statement said.The witness told investigators he could not direct his anger toward Lynch and instead targeted George, who was younger and smaller, the statement said.“The witness admitted repeatedly punching and kicking the victim until the victim stopped moving,” the statement said. “The witness recalled observing blood coming from the victim’s head and believed that the victim was dead or had been fatally injured.”Lynch retrieved a knife, tarp and rope and rolled George inside, the statement said.Lynch and the witness carried George’s body to a location in Prince George’s County and disposed of him, the statement said.“Taken together, the suspect’s actions before, during and immediately after the offences establish that he was an active participant in the continuous course of criminal conduct that resulted in the victim’s death,” the statement said. NYTIMES
Read briefing Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that it was unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be made a part of the US-Iran war.ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sept 19 that Saudi Arabia may have military needs due to the ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthis and that Turkey was ready to help under a trilateral defence pact that also includes Pakistan.“We see there are very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty. We have an alliance agreement in our pact. We are in serious solidarity on this point... They may have some military needs, especially on some technical issues. We would have no issues in meeting these,” Fidan told broadcaster NTV.The joint defence agreement, dubbed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement”, signed last month stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all of them.The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been launching attacks on Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, a new front in the wider war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. The attacks have targeted Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and shipping, threatening global oil supplies and the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.US President Donald Trump has rebuffed pleas from the Saudis for military support to fight the Houthis, who agreed a ceasefire with the US last year after Washington bombed the group for two months.Fidan said that it was unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be made a part of the US-Iran war as it had no desire to join the conflict. He added, without elaborating, that proposals have been conveyed to all sides to end the fighting.“There are many initiatives, but the sides need to accept these,” he said. “There are new proposals, I hope they accept them. Otherwise, the crisis was tolerated until a certain point, but the economic reflections have started to exceed the point of being tolerable.”Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia was open to expansion and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.Pakistan has said that there were no discussions about a military reaction from Islamabad under the Mecca agreement in response to the Houthis’ attacks on Saudi Arabia, but added that Pakistan would act when the “time comes”.Earlier on Sept 19, Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked “sensitive” sites in the Saudi capital Riyadh with missiles and drones, hours after flames and a large plume of smoke were seen near the city’s main airport.Turkey has condemned the Houthi attacks and called for them to stop immediately. REUTERS
Read briefing THE HAGUE – Dutch riot police clashed on Sept 19 with around 500 far-right protesters, who pelted them with fireworks and other projectiles after chanting anti-Semitic slogans at a rally in the centre of The Hague.Police used baton charges and specialist dogs to break up the demonstration, according to AFP reporters on the scene, after authorities banned a planned march through the city when the violence erupted.Police said they arrested 24 people and deployed water cannon to disperse the rioters. Further investigations were underway, they said.Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on X that the demonstrators deliberately sought confrontation with the police and chanted “abhorrent” far-right and anti-Semitic slogans.Justice Minister David van Weel also responded on X saying, “it is important that firm action is taken” against the scenes at the demonstration, which included “Hitler salutes, anti-Semitic slogans, violence against the police and throwing fireworks at the riot squad”.Protesters pelted Dutch riot police with fireworks and other projectiles after chanting anti-Semitic slogans at a rally in the centre of The Hague on Sept 19.The “We Are The People” rally was called to protest against government policy, specifically on immigration.The protesters had planned to march through the city but local authorities banned this when violence broke out in the park where they were gathering and ordered the demonstration be broken up.“We’re losing our country. We’re literally losing our country to mass migration,” one protester, 31-year-old mechanic Thijs Jansen, told AFP. AFP
Read briefing Slovak leader Fico said this week that Europe was closer than ever to a large-scale war erupting from the Ukraine war.MOSCOW – Some Western politicians are seeking conflict between NATO and Russia after a “failed” strategy to defeat Moscow in its war with Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Sept 19.Long-time Slovak leader Fico, who has kept up warm relations with Russia and refuses military aid for Ukraine, said this week that Europe was closer than ever to a large-scale war erupting from the Ukraine war.At the same time, some European leaders, such as those in France and Poland, have warned of Russian hybrid attacks.In his video message, Fico said, “We face a mortal danger” while watching the West “pour fuel on the fire” with its support for Ukraine, which he said had been to no avail.“The failure of the strategy to destroy Russia through the war in Ukraine has led some Western politicians to believe that if the goal cannot be achieved through the Ukrainian army and full support for it, then every effort must be made to trigger a conflict between NATO and Russia,” Fico said in the video posted on social media.He said the war in Ukraine was not Slovakia’s nor NATO’s war but said, “Certain war hawks within NATO are trying, at any cost, to turn this war into a conflict between Russia and NATO.”Earlier this week, Fico warned a drone incursion could spark the activation of NATO’s collective defence clause and he wanted to prevent Slovakia - which neighbours Ukraine and is a member of the NATO military alliance - from becoming part of an armed conflict.He said on Sept 19 that creating a pretext to start a war was easy and reiterated Slovakia would not send soldiers to fight under a fabricated pretext.French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sept 18 that Russia was intensifying its campaign of hybrid attacks against Europe, and he cited an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport in August, which the German government concluded Moscow was behind, as evidence of the changing nature of Russian aggression.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sept 17, citing unnamed intelligence agencies, that Russia plans to launch hybrid drone and missile attacks against countries supporting Ukraine. REUTERS
Read briefing Smoke rising from a fuel storage depot near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sept 19.SANAA – Black smoke and flames rose near Riyadh’s international airport on Sept 19, as Yemen’s Houthis announced they had carried out strikes on targets in the Saudi capital and coastal oil facilities.Firefighters extinguished a blaze on a fuel tank with the logo of the Saudi oil giant Aramco at a fuel depot near the airport, an AFP journalist saw. Footage shared online and verified by AFP showed a column of black smoke above airport buildings.In recent weeks, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has staged a lightning offensive, seizing swathes of territory in one of the world’s poorest countries, leaving the internationally-recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, scrambling to respond.Saudi Arabia has responded with scores of air strikes on Houthi-held areas but failed to stop the advance.“In response to the Saudi enemy’s criminal attempts to target the capital Sanaa... the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, in a statement on Telegram.“The first targeted sensitive sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the second targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu.”There was no immediate response from Saudi authorities, which had earlier issued an overnight air raid alert.Hours after the early morning alert, residents told AFP on condition of anonymity that they heard what sounded like a round of explosions echoing through parts of the Saudi capital.Tracking website FlightRadar24 reported “major problems” at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, listing it for a while under its maximum disruption index, before normal traffic began to resume.This is the first time since Yemen’s civil war resumed that strikes have threatened the Saudi capital, piling further pressure on a global economy already rocked by seven months of war between the US and Iran.“The area is under a hostile aerial threat,” according to a message received just before 3:00 am by Riyadh residents, urging them to stay indoors.AFP journalists then heard two explosions, before the Saudi civil defence agency lifted the alert half an hour later.“I heard the alarm, then my windows shook,” a Riyadh resident, 27, living in the city’s north, told AFP. “It was definitely scary. I was not expecting this.”The incident comes days after Riyadh accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca on Sept 16, denouncing it as a “cowardly terrorist attack” on Islam’s holy city, which welcomes millions of pilgrims each year. The Houthis strongly denied the accusation, calling it a “worn-out lie”.The group has reported scores of retaliatory strikes carried out daily by Riyadh since their offensive this month to take over the country’s entire Red Sea coast, giving them control over the vital Bab el-Mandeb strait.Riyadh was targeted with waves of attacks during an earlier period of the war, including a drone strike on the US embassy in the capital’s diplomatic quarter in March.The United States, according to US news platform Axios, last week refused a Saudi request to strike the Houthis.On Thursday, Washington approved a US$24.3-billion (S$31-billion) sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom to help Riyadh “deter current and future threats”, the US State Department said.“My read is that Saudi Arabia is entering into a phase of escalation with the Houthis and will respond, but they know the only way this ends is through negotiations,” Anna Jacobs of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington told AFP.“But both sides have a say in when that can happen and both sides seem locked in the escalation trap at this stage.”The United Nations said the renewed fighting had displaced more than 112,000 people while nearly 3,000 others had fled across the sea to Djibouti.War in Yemen broke out in 2014 when the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa and other regions, triggering a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia in March 2015.The fragile truce reached in 2022 between the warring parties collapsed in July, when the Houthis defied Riyadh’s control of Yemeni airspace by allowing an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen.Their recent takeover of the coastline has sparked global concern, with international maritime trade already impacted by Iran’s imposition of a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.The Houthis insist there is no threat to shipping in the sea lane – except for ships from Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter.The apparent attack came as the Houthis improve their defences in newly conquered territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, with members of the group telling AFP they have been installing radar and digging tunnels.Two Houthi sources told AFP that personnel from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had visited the area in recent days. AFP
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