World

Yemen’s Houthis unilaterally release 113 detainees: ICRC

Published

3 weeks ago

27/05/2024

SANAA, May 26 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi group unilaterally released 113 detainees in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

“We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones, especially with the approach of the Eid al-Adha celebrations in a few weeks,” said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen.

“We hope this paves the way for further releases,” Maret said.

The ICRC said it had conducted private pre-departure interviews with the detainees to confirm their identities, and “listen to any concerns they may have about the release process, ensure they have been in contact with their families, and gather the necessary information to follow up on their condition if needed,” said Alessia Bertelli, protection coordinator of the ICRC in Yemen.

The ICRC said the latest release, as well as previous ones in 2023 and 2020, is a positive step towards reviving negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.

In April 2023, nearly 900 prisoners were released following UN-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group. High-profile figures, including Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and Mahmoud Al Subeihi, the country’s former defense minister, were among those who were freed.

The UN has been making efforts to release all detainees, mostly political opponents, human rights activists and journalists, and reach a political settlement between the Yemeni warring parties.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed internationally-recognized government out of Sanaa.

Source(s): Xinhua

World

Russia-Ukraine conflict: China urges U.S. to stop ‘unacceptable’ smears

Published

2 days ago

15/06/2024

China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations on Friday urged the United States to stop using the Ukraine issue as an excuse to smear China.

Geng Shuang said the U.S. side has spread the lie that China has supported Russia in its war efforts. “This is unacceptable,” he told a UN Security Council briefing on arms supplies to Ukraine.

China is neither the creator of the crisis in Ukraine, nor a party to it, he said, adding that China has always been pushing for a political settlement and for peace talks.

China has not provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict, and has always strictly controlled dual-use items, Geng stressed.

He said that economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia complies with WTO and market rules, is not targeted against any third party and does not run counter to international law.

“As a matter of fact, since the outbreak of the war, the trade between the U.S. and Russia has also never stopped,” said Geng.

“This is nothing but hyping up,” he said. “It is an attempt to divert people’s attention on the conflict and creating differences.”

China urges the U.S. to stop using the Ukraine issue as an excuse to smear China and to impose unilateral sanctions and unreasonable suppression on Chinese companies, he said.

Geng also urged the U.S. to make real and positive efforts to end the war and restore peace.

Source(s): CGTN

World

Li: China’s economic upgrade to bring new opportunities for global development

Published

3 days ago

14/06/2024

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Friday that the upgrading of China’s economic structure will bring new opportunities for global development.

Li made the remarks when meeting with representatives from industrial and commercial circles in Auckland, New Zealand. The Chinese premier is paying an official visit to the country.

China is pursuing modernization through high-quality development and various upgrades will bring new opportunities for global development, he noted.

He said consumption upgrading will unleash new market demands, and there will be an increasing need for high-quality goods such as dairy and health products as well as beef and lamb from New Zealand.

Industrial upgrading will open up new areas of cooperation, and more business opportunities will emerge in new energy, information technology, biomedicine and other emerging industries, he noted.

Trade upgrading will create new space for growth, and the potential of cooperation in service trade and cross-border e-commerce will be released at a faster pace, he added.

The Chinese premier hopes New Zealand entrepreneurs will make the most of the momentum, seize the opportunities and make greater results.

China will always be open to enterprises from New Zealand and other countries, Li said.

He promised that Beijing would further expand market access, create a market-oriented and internationalized business environment that is first-class and based on the rule of law, and provide more support and facilitation for foreign-funded enterprises to invest and operate in China.

Li also expressed his hope that more New Zealand entrepreneurs will become “Rewi Alley” in economic and trade exchanges between China and New Zealand in the new era, and play a greater role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two sides to better contribute to the sound development of bilateral ties and bring more benefits for the peoples of the two countries.

Rewi Alley was a dedicated New Zealander who spent six decades living and working in China until his passing in Beijing in 1987.

World

G7 summit opens amid protests

Published

3 days ago

14/06/2024

The three-day 2024 Group of Seven (G7) summit kicked off Thursday in Borgo Egnazia, a faux medieval town constructed as a luxury resort on the heel of Italy’s boot.

Though the summit venues have been located far from population centers since police clashed with protesters at the 2001 G8 summit in the northern port city of Genoa, protests against the G7 summit still take place near the venue.

On the opening day, in Brindisi, a city 60 kilometers away from the venue, protesters held Palestinian flags and displayed banners with slogans such as “Boycott the G7,” “Stop Destroying the Planet” and “No More War.” They criticized the G7 for failing to play a positive role in environmental protection, social justice and maintaining peace.

Lukas Hufert, an art student from Germany, traveled to participate in the protest. He told Xinhua that the G7’s handling of international affairs is “full of hypocrisy,” likening it to a Trojan horse that appears grand but is filled with selfish schemes inside, “offering no help to the world’s vulnerable groups.”

Addressing Ukraine crisis

The Ukraine crisis, Gaza conflicts and the relations with the Global South top the agenda of the summit. The management of artificial intelligence (AI), issues facing Africa and climate change are also included in the key sessions.

Italy is holding the G7 rotating presidency this year. In addition to the G7 leaders, heads of state from over 10 other countries and international organizations were invited to attend the conference, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who attended the meeting for a second successive year.

He signed a new, long-term security accord with U.S. President Joe Biden after signing a 10-year security accord with Japan, with Tokyo promising to provide Kyiv with $4.5 billion this year.

In addition to that, during the first day of their meeting, the G7 nations agreed on a deal to provide $50 billion of loans for Ukraine backed by interest from frozen Russian assets. They hailed the accord as a powerful signal of Western resolve.

Although many technical details still need to be worked out, G7 members, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Britain, and the European Union (EU) are expected to contribute to the loan, with cash to reach Kyiv by the end of the year.

Russia regards attempts by the West to take income from its frozen assets as criminal, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, adding that the G7’s plans will not benefit the West and may result in a new economic crisis.

Multiple challenges

Many of the G7 leaders are struggling at home but look to project confidence on the world stage as they confront an array of problems, including lagging economic performance, the surging of AI and turmoil in the Middle East.

The leaders expressed their concerns about the situation in Gaza, calling on Israel to refrain from a full-scale offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, “in line with their obligations under international law.”

They’re also expected to address China’s industrial capacity. On Tuesday, the EU announced it would impose extra duties of up to 38.1 percent on imported Chinese electric vehicles (EV) from July. China has expressed strong opposition to the plan, saying that the EU is politicizing economic and trade issues and that it will take measures to safeguard its interests.

A spokesperson of the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Thursday that the EU’s move damages the legitimate rights and interests of China’s EV industry, disrupts China-Europe cooperation in NEVs, and distorts the global automobile industry chain and supply chain. It urged the EU to properly handle economic and trade frictions and have healthy competition with China.

The G7 may have a very different complexion next year.

Biden faces an uphill battle to win re-election in November, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reported to lose power in a national election next month, while French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved his country’s parliament on Sunday after his party was trounced in the European vote.

Source(s): CGTN