Clashes near Bakhmut persist despite easing, Ukraine’s military says

(Reuters) -Clashes are continuing around the devastated city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and Moscow is still suffering “significant losses” despite a relative easing of combat operations in recent days, Kyiv’s armed forces said on Sunday. Russia claimed late last month to have captured Bakhmut following what had become the war’s longest and bloodiest battle,…

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Saudi foreign ministry calls on Sudan factions to agree new ceasefire

CAIRO (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry and the United States called on Sudan’s warring factions to agree to a new ceasefire and make efforts to implement it effectively, the Saudi ministry and the U.S. said on Sunday. Saudi Arabia and the United States are keen to continue talks with the two Sudanese negotiating delegations,…

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Germany to send two warships to Indo-Pacific in 2024 amid South China Sea tensions

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will send two warships to the Indo-Pacific in 2024, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday, amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan and over the disputed South China Sea. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s most important security conference, Pistorius said countries needed to stand up for the…

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China seeks dialogue, says clash with US would be ‘unbearable disaster’

By Chen Lin and Kanupriya Kapoor SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu told Asia’s top security summit on Sunday that conflict with the United States would be an “unbearable disaster” but that his country sought dialogue over confrontation. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Li said the world was big enough for…

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Senior U.S. State Department official visits China amid tense ties

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -A senior U.S. State Department official arrived in Beijing on Sunday with meetings planned for the coming week as Washington seeks to boost communication with China at a time of tense relations between the two countries. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink will discuss “key issues in…

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Timeline: China’s Tiananmen Square demonstrations and crackdown

(Reuters) – Sunday is the 34th anniversary of China’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in and around central Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, when Chinese troops opened fire on their own people. The event remains a taboo topic of discussion in mainland China and will not be officially commemorated by the ruling Communist Party or government. Here…

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