Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

Germany’s supplies of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine not on agenda — Chancellor Scholz

HIROSHIMA /Japan/ May 21. /TASS/: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the participation of his country in a possible delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is not on the agenda.

"First of all, everyone knows that we don’t even have such planes," Scholz said in an interview with RTL and Ntv television channels speaking on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Japan.

Philippine Troops Killed Five Suspected Rebels In Clashes

MANILA, May 21 (NNN-PNA) – Philippine troops killed five suspected rebels, in a series of clashes, in the central Philippines yesterday, a military spokesperson said.

Lieutenant Colonel Israel Galorio of the Visayas Command said, the first fighting broke out around 5.00 a.m. local time yesterday, followed by two more clashes in Negros Occidental province, resulting in the death of five New People’s Army (NPA) members.

Timor-Leste Holds Fifth Parliamentary Election

JAKARTA, May 21 (NNN-ANTARA) – Citizens of Timor-Leste, the world’s youngest democracy, go to the polls today, for a parliamentary election, the fifth since its independence in 2002.

More than 890,000 voters in the country, and around 11,800 voters abroad, are eligible to cast their ballots, to choose one out of 17 contesting political parties, according to data from the Timor-Leste’s Election Administration Technical Secretariat.

UN chief says it's time to reform Security Council, Bretton Woods

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 21 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that it was time to reform both the Security Council and Bretton Woods to align with the "realities of today's world".

Speaking at a press conference in Hiroshima, Japan, where the Group of Seven summit meeting had been held, Guterres said both institutions reflected the power relations of 1945 and needed to be updated.

China fails Micron's products in security review, bars some purchases

BEIJING, May 21 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator said on Sunday that products made by U.S. memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology (MU.O) had failed its network security review and that it would bar operators of key infrastructure from procuring from the firm.

According to China's broad definition of critical information infrastructure, this could include sectors ranging from transport to finance.

Japan: Biden and McCarthy to meet on Monday as debt talks resume

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy will meet to discuss the debt limit on Monday after a "productive" phone call as the president headed back to Washington, the top House Republican leader said on Sunday.

McCarthy, speaking to reporters following the call, said there were positive discussions on solving the crisis and that staff-level talks were set to resume later on Sunday.

Another confirmed dead after fishing vessel capsizes in Indian Ocean

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- One more person was confirmed dead after a Chinese deep-sea fishing vessel capsized in the central Indian Ocean, China's Ministry of Transport said on Sunday.

The body was recovered from the captain's cabin of the capsized vessel at around 7 p.m. Saturday by divers from a Sri Lankan warship joining the search and rescue work.

The ship, Lupeng Yuanyu 028, has a small part of its bottom part out of the water and is drifting slowly to the southeast.

Japan: G7 urges China to press Russia to end war in Ukraine, respect Taiwan’s status, fair trade rules

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — The Group of Seven wealthy democracies united in urging China to pressure its strategic partner Russia to end its war on Ukraine and resolve territorial disputes peacefully, and China lashed back.

In a joint statement, the G7 leaders emphasized they did not want to harm China and were seeking “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China.”

Japan: G7 ends with Ukraine in focus as Zelenskyy meets world leaders, Russia claims a battlefield victory

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy huddled with some of his biggest backers as the Group of Seven summit closed in Hiroshima on Sunday, building momentum for his country’s war effort even as Russia claimed a symbolic victory on the battlefield.

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