Author: Miritos

The Chinese military has ignored outreach from the admiral in charge of the Indo-Pacific Command, rebuffing yet another effort by the US to resume defense ties that have been suspended for months Admiral John Aquilino said Tuesday that all of his attempts to contact his Chinese counterparts have been disregarded or declined, including a recent invitation to attend the annual chiefs of defense conference in Fiji next month. “We have invited, but we have not heard,” Aquilino said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. The refusal by Chinese authorities to speak with US military leaders is a worrisome gap…

Civil servants in Brazil will not have to worry about being late for work because of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which gets underway on Thursday. This came after a government minister announced a change to office hours to let them catch the action in Australia and New Zealand. Brazil’s group-stage matches in Australia will be broadcast in the early hours of the morning back home. Minister of Management, Esther Dweck, has now told civil servants they can report for duty up to two hours after the final whistle. “On days when the games are held at 7:30 a.m.,…

The slew of defense deals and jet engine development offers with India before and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US was possibly meant to secure direct Indian participation in an anti-China alliance. This is reflected in US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Near East Asian Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink’s expectation of greater Indian participation in the South China Sea (SCS). However, India’s choice will also decide the outcome in eastern Ladakh, where China might harden its position and lessen any chances of disengagement in the three-year-old standoff. Apart from the fact that the US or…

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Argentina has made its latest payment of $2.7 billion on its $44 billion loan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by utilizing its stock of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and Chinese yuan, as confirmed by the Economy Ministry. SDRs are IMF assets designed to supplement countries’ official reserves. Government spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti stated that the payment was made without tapping into the Central Bank’s US dollar reserves. Cerruti emphasized at a press conference, “This way, we comply with what we agreed upon with the Fund and, at the same time, we don’t use (international) reserves, nor do we…

The recent ‘Qatargate’ scandal in the European Parliament, which has seen MEPs & at least one former former MEP languishing in Belgian jail cells, has re-opened another serious issue – one that is institutionalised in Brussels – that of the “fake NGO”. The fake NGO is becoming a major problem in Brussels. Typically, such a body would purport to represent human rights interests: it is always going to be difficult for a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), for example, to say “no” to an approach by a human rights NGO – but easy for NGO to use the cover…

INDIANAPOLIS — With 4:20 left in its Hoosier Hoopfest boys basketball matchup with Peru at Gainbridge Fieldhosue, Lewis Cass was in trouble. The Kings’ leading scorer all season in Luke Chambers had already fouled out and they found themselves down 12 with Peru fully in control thanks to a 22-7 run since halftime. That’s when things turned dramatically. Cass used a furious rally in the last 4:20 of regulation and dominated the overtime period to pull off a stunning 54-47 win over the Class 3A No. 5-ranked Bengal Tigers. “Resiliency really is a great word for it,” said Cass coach…

Ahead of July’s EU summit with Latin American and Caribbean leaders in July, the first since 2015, the European Commission has unveiled a trade-oriented strategy to renew ties with a region that has been somewhat sidelined by the bloc in a chaotic few years in global politics. Though the European Union and the 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries have “common history and shared values … this partnership has been taken for granted or even neglected,” EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday. Trade relations remained strong, but political cooperation has fallen by the wayside, he acknowledged.…

The Peruvian government was more likely to use lethal violence in marginalised areas of the country as part of its crackdown on recent anti-government protests, a report by rights group Amnesty International has found. Thursday’s report, “Lethal racism”, alleges the government’s actions may constitute extrajudicial executions in some cases. Amnesty calls for the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office to investigate the use of excessive force in response to the protests. “Using lethal firearms against protesters shows a blatant disregard for human life,” Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary general, said in a press release. “Despite the government’s efforts to paint them as terrorists or criminals, those killed…

The Australian government is looking to speed up the purchase of a new generation of sea mines to protect its ports amid growing concern over China’s military build-up and expanding influence in the Pacific. The Department of Defence said in a statement Monday the “smart” sea mines would be able to discriminate between military targets and other shipping vessels and be “a significant deterrent to potential aggressors.” The news was first reported by Australia’s Nine newspapers on Monday, which said the cost could be as much as A$1 billion ($700 million) although the final total was still considered confidential. The…

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A trade delegation on a tour of Latin America held a discussion forum with potential business partners in Peru, reports said Saturday (March 25). The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Bureau of Foreign Trade and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) started their tour on March 12 in Mexico, before heading to diplomatic ally Guatemala and to Ecuador, per CNA. The Peruvian capital of Lima was the final stage of the mission, with 180 local companies inquiring after business opportunities with Taiwanese partners. As the Latin American country is a member of the Asia Pacific Economic…