Russia's trade with India is booming and bilateral payments are proceeding smoothly without the glitches that have been hampering trade with other countries, Anatoly Popov, deputy CEO of Russia's largest lender, Sberbank, says.

Sberbank handles payments for up to 70% of all Russian exports to India. Russia's trade with India nearly doubled to $65 billion in 2023, with the country becoming a major importer of Russian oil after Western sanctions imposed in 2022 over a conflict in Ukraine.

"In 2022, there was a significant increase in the interest of Russian businesses in the Indian market because this market serves as an alternative," Popov told Reuters in an interview ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum, an economic conference targeting Russia's Asian partners.

Sberbank's branch in India has offices in Delhi and Mumbai, as well as an IT centre in Bangalore. The number of staff in its Indian offices increased by 150% this year, having said in April they wanted to hire 300 IT personnel for the hub in Bangalore.

Sberbank is under Western sanctions and therefore cannot make transactions in U.S. dollars and euros or use the SWIFT system for international transfers. However, Popov said the bank has not experienced any problems in India.

"Sberbank is a full participant in all Indian payment and interbank systems. There are no restrictions on its operations," Popov said. India has not joined any anti-Russian sanctions and maintains friendly relations with Russia, a fellow member of the BRICS group of emerging economies.

Sberbank said transactions in roubles and rupees are proceeding smoothly, with 90% of them taking only a few hours to complete. This is in stark contrast to other trading partners such as China.

Archived version

A Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel maneuvered dangerously and repeatedly rammed a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Saturday, according to the PCG.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.net/412256/pcg-says-ccg-rammed-its-vessel-multiple-times-in-escoda-shoal/#ixzz8kVISnrhW Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

[...]

“China Coast Guard vessel 5205 carried out a dangerous maneuver resulting in its direct running on the port bow of MRP 9701. Obviously, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5205 has ignored collision regulation because of such action,” [Philippine Commodore Jay ] Tarriela said as he showed a video of the collision during a press conference.

“And then what happened next after this, it would turn around and then it will reach the starboard quarter of the vessel. It will also directly and intentionally run MRP 9701 on our starboard quarter. A few minutes after it carried out a dangerous maneuver and rammed the port bow of Teresa Magbanua,” he added.

After this, Tarriela disclosed that the CCG vessel turned around again and rammed against the port beam of the PCG vessel.

According to Tarriela, the PCG vessel was surrounded by Chinese maritime forces.

[...]

On August 22, China used flares against Philippine aircraft from China-occupied Zamora (Subi) Reef.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.net/412256/pcg-says-ccg-rammed-its-vessel-multiple-times-in-escoda-shoal/#ixzz8kVJuZBKp Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/2464567

Archived link

Investigators have identified dozens of Russian soldiers who where captured during Ukraine's incursion in Russia. The soldiers’ parents said they haven’t received any information from the Russian Defense Ministry about their children’s possible whereabouts.

However, the parents have gotten messages from pro-war activists and bloggers — referring to themselves as “volunteer helpers” — who told the parents not to speak out publicly about the deaths, capture, or disappearances of their loved ones to avoid “playing into” Ukraine’s hands and provoking conflict with the Russian authorities.

One of these “helpers” is an activist named Svetlana Zarutskaya, who runs a chat group for a military unit. She has advised parents “not to talk with Ukes” and to contact the Federal Security Service (FSB) if anybody tries to help them find their sons.

In a conversation recorded by the mother of a missing conscript, Zarutskaya said the following:

There were conscripts stationed on our border in 1941, and our conscripts fought in Afghanistan and Chechnya! When they took their oath, they pledged allegiance to the Motherland. […] The Ukes are pushing the narrative that we’re at fault for posting the conscripts [on the border]. There’s been a major propaganda campaign aimed at turning Russian citizens against their government and against their state. But it’s important to understand: it was the Ukes who crossed our border and took the conscripts captive, and even killed some of them. And we, the Russian army, didn’t cross their borders. We haven’t crossed the new Ukrainian border anywhere.

Some of the missing conscripts’ relatives said they’ve reached out to Russian propagandists for help publicizing their situation but that everyone they contacted was afraid to help [...] Among these figures were

• Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent Alexander Kots;
• blogger Semyon Pegov, who runs the popular WarGonzo Telegram channel;
• state media “war correspondent” Yevgeny Poddubny;
• Izvestia correspondent Emil Timashev;
• blogger Yury Podolyak; and reporters for the Yekaterinburg-based state news site Ura.ru.

The Ura.ru employees cited Russia’s law against spreading “disinformation” about the military. Propagandist Anastasia Kashevarova, meanwhile, promised the missing conscripts’ parents that she would help State Duma deputy Shamsail Saraliyev compile a prisoner exchange list, but she then went on to blame the conscripts themselves for allowing Ukrainian troops to cross the border:

Serving at the border in a country at war, they were completely relaxed — wearing civilian clothes and with no weapons. Look at the photos and videos of soldiers captured in the SVO (special military operation) zone: those guys are shell-shocked, dirty, and wounded, and it’s clear that they fought to the end. Compare them with the images of those captured in the Kursk region: some of them are wearing slippers, some are in civilian clothing, all of them look clean. [...] Surrendering without a fight, out of negligence, while drunk — it’s [tantamount to] working for the enemy.

archive.is link

Archived version

The recent violation of Japan's airspace by a Chinese military aircraft has brought attention to the escalating‍ tension ⁤in the East China Sea and⁢ Taiwan Strait. China's stated‌ willingness to invade Taiwan has led some to believe ​that this incursion was intended as a test of‍ Japan's vigilance and surveillance capabilities. In response, Japan plans ‌to collaborate with the United States and other nations to counter any unilateral attempts to change the‍ status quo through force.

A senior Japan Defense Ministry official commented on​ the​ incident, ‌stating⁢ that it was the first ‌time a Chinese military aircraft had violated Japanese airspace.

[...]

Reports indicate that a Chinese‍ military ‌vessel was also present nearby during this incident, potentially observing reactions from ⁣Japan's ⁣Maritime‌ Self-Defense Force. It is widely believed that ⁣China aims to build up its capacity for invading Taiwan by 2027 and considers containing US military involvement ⁤in ⁤such an invasion ‍as its top priority.

[...]

With concerns about potential contingencies involving Taiwan ​in mind Tokyo is accelerating efforts towards ‍shifting focus southwestwardly through establishing camps across Yonaguni Miyako Amami-Oshima Ishigaki islands deploying units operating surface-to-ship ground-to-air missiles ‍among‌ others

The Philippines and Vietnam will sign a defense cooperation agreement on Friday, August 30, the office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, a significant step by two countries that have long opposed China’s actions in the South China Sea.

[...]

Vietnam’s decision to enter into the agreement comes at a time when [...] the Philippines and China are sparring almost every week over the South China Sea, a row that has raged for more than a year.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the strategic waterway.

[...]

Coast guards of the two countries earlier this month held their first-ever joint exercises in Manila, simulating fire-fighting drills and search-and-rescue exercises.

That came after Marcos visited Hanoi in January and signed deals that covered “incident prevention in the South China Sea” and “maritime cooperation”.

cross-posted from: https://biglemmowski.win/post/2226119

Summary

• Israel says Wassem Hazem was the head of Hamas in Jenin
• Hamas confirms the death of three fighters
• Israeli forces keep up large-scale operation in West Bank
• Fighting between Israel and Hamas still rages in Gaza Strip

The WFP team was returning from a mission to Kerem Shalom/ Karam Abu Salem with two WFP armoured vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo routed to Gaza’s central area.

Despite being clearly marked and receiving multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach, the vehicle was directly struck by gunfire as it was moving towards an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) checkpoint. It sustained at least ten bullets: five on the driver’s side, two on the passenger side and three on other parts of the vehicle. None of the employees onboard were physically harmed.

Though this is not the first security incident to occur during the war it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite securing the necessary clearances, as per standard protocol.

[...]

Humanitarians are increasingly coming under fire and face a multitude of challenges to deliver life-saving aid in Gaza. Frequent and ongoing evacuation orders continue to uproot both families and food relief operations intended to support them.

The trip, expected to happen on Tuesday [4 Sep], will be the first time the Russian leader has visited an ICC member nation since the court ordered his arrest in March 2023.

The court alleges Mr Putin is responsible for war crimes, saying he failed to stop the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the conflict began.

[...]

Dr Fadi el-Abdallah, a spokesperson for the ICC, [...] said Mongolia, like other ICC signatories, has the "obligation to cooperate". This includes complying with arrest warrants such as the one the court issued for Mr Putin's arrest in 2023.

[...]

Last year, Mr Putin cancelled a visit to a summit in South Africa following the ICC warrant for his arrest.

Some Russian companies are facing growing delays and rising costs on payments with trading partners in China, leaving transactions worth tens of billions of yuan in limbo, Russian sources with direct knowledge of the issue told Reuters.

Russian companies and officials for a few months have pointed to delays in transactions after Chinese banks tightened compliance following Western threats of secondary sanctions for dealing with Russia. The sources said the problem has intensified this month.

Chinese state banks are shutting down transactions with Russia "en masse" and billions of yuan worth of payments are held up, a source close to the government, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

China is Russia's largest trading partner, accounting for a third of Russia's foreign trade last year and supplying items such as vital industrial equipment and consumer goods that help Russia weather Western sanctions. It also provides a lucrative market for many Russian exports that China relies on, from oil and gas to agricultural products.

An Israeli woman kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7 and held hostage for 245 days before being rescued lashed out on Friday at Israeli media outlets that twisted her words to make it seem as if she was wounded by her captors when in reality she was injured in an attack by the military in which she once served.

Responding to reports in outlets including The Jerusalem Post—which on Thursday ran the headline "Hamas Beat Me All Over"—Noa Argamani said on Instagram that "I can't ignore what happened in the media in the last 24 hours."

"Things were taken out of context," the 26-year-old navy veteran from Be'er Sheva said of her earlier comments to Group of Seven diplomats in Tokyo. "I was not beaten... I was in a building that was bombed by the Air Force."

"I emphasize that I was not beaten, but injured all over my body by the collapse of a building on me," Argamani added. "As a victim of October 7, I refuse to be victimized once again by the media."

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/2345582

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday hinted that Taiwan might join forces with the Philippines to protect navigational freedoms, days after Beijing blocked Philippine supply ships in the South China Sea.

The ministry made the comment when asked whether Taipei would be willing to join forces with the Philippines to protect the latter from increasingly aggressive activities by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard.

Taiwan “is willing to cooperate with any other nation with shared values in areas of common concern, including maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacfic region,” it wrote in a statement.

[Edit typo.]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/2345951

Thailand's Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) has expressed concern over the widening trade deficit between the country and China.

In the first six months of 2024, imports from China increased by 7.12% year-on-year, amounting to US$37.6 billion (roughly 1.33 trillion baht). This resulted in a trade deficit with China of $20 billion (about 720 billion baht), up 15.7% year-on-year.

[...]

"The reason why Thailand and other countries around the world have a trade deficit with China is the mainland can manufacture products at a lower cost than other countries because of low labour costs, the availability of suppliers, a fixed exchange rate controlled by the government, which helps in setting export prices, and subsidies from the Chinese government which lower the average cost," said Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of TPSO.

[...]

In 2023, the top 10 products which Thailand recorded a trade deficit with China were: smartphones ($3.31 billion), computers and parts ($2.81 billion), hot-rolled steel sheet ($2.56 billion), electric vehicles ($2.54 billion), machinery and mechanical components (copy.88 billion), iron and steel products (copy.85 billion), chemical products (copy.77 billion), electrical appliances and parts (copy.46 billion), plastic products (copy.25 billion), and electrical circuits (copy.17 billion).

[...]

TPSO has asked the government to enforce stricter import standards, especially for electronic and electrical appliances, regulate goods evading taxes, and rigorously apply domestic trade laws to ensure imported products meet health, environmental and safety standards.

The goal is to create an ecosystem that strengthens Thai businesses and the local supply chain for sustainable competitiveness, said Mr Poonpong.

Over the past week, Chinese and Philippine vessels have engaged in multiple collisions and face-offs near Sabina Shoal, a disputed atoll lying just 86 miles from the Philippines’ west coast and 745 miles from China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory despite an international ruling to the contrary.

The violent confrontations came just weeks after Beijing and Manila struck a temporary deal to lower tensions that had been rising all summer at another nearby reef, where China’s increasingly aggressive tactics had raised alarm across the region as well as in Washington, a mutual defense ally of the Philippines.

Archived version

Teenagers should play badminton together in an effort to curb sexual urges and avoid premarital sex, according to guidance issued by Hong Kong’s education authorities.

The teaching materials, published last week, have advised girls and boys to “master their sexual desires” to promote “correct” societal values.

The 70-page document, which will be given to children ages 12 to 14, includes a section telling a boy and girl studying together to “go out to play badminton together in a sports hall” if they become aroused.

Another example stated that a young couple who saw another pair engaging in intimate behaviour should “leave the scene immediately” and go enjoy “the sight of flowers and trees in a park”.

Its critics have branded the document, which refers to premarital sex as “deviant”, as “out of touch” and “regressive”.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Milena Ansari is detailing the torture of Palestinian medical workers in Israeli prisons. HRW spoke with eight doctors, paramedics and nurses who were picked up in Gaza before being transferred to the notorious Sde Teiman camp and other facilities, where they say they suffered beatings, starvation, humiliation, electric shocks and other forms of abuse.

The men also describe threats of sexual violence during brutal interrogations and seeing another prisoner bleeding after being gang-raped with an M16 rifle by three soldiers. The findings track with other reports from researchers and survivors, and HRW has called on the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel for its attacks on healthcare workers.

“We’re really ringing the alarm about the situation inside the Israeli custody and detention facilities,” says Ansari, who says evidence is mounting of a “systematic pattern of ill-treatment and abuse.”

[Edit typo.]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/2310886

**China still has “many problematic laws and policies” regarding the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region two years after the UN human rights office, OHCHR, published a report on serious violations against the Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim communities, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. **

The 31 August 2022 report stated that violations had taken place in the context of the Government’s assertion that it was targeting terrorists among the Uyghur minority with a counter-extremism strategy, involving the use of so-called Vocational Educational and Training Centres (VETCs), or re-education camps.

In an update to reporters, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and his Office have had detailed exchanges with the Government of China on critical issues.

Topics included counter-terrorism laws and policies, criminal justice, and other policies of concern that impact the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities, including in Xinjiang and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Equality and non-discrimination, as well as national security and human rights concerns in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were also addressed.

Ms. Shamdasani highlighted that a UN human rights team had visited China in June and engaged in dialogue with the authorities, specifically on counter-terrorism policies and the criminal justice system.

[...]

“In particular, on Xinjiang, we understand that many problematic laws and policies remain in place, and we have called again on the authorities to undertake a full review, from the human rights perspective, of the legal framework governing national security and counter-terrorism and to strengthen the protection of minorities against discrimination. Allegations of human rights violations, including torture, need to be fully investigated,” she said.

[...]

The Office also continues to closely follow the current human rights situation in the country “despite the difficulties posed by limited access to information and the fear of reprisals against individuals who engage with the United Nations.”

In the Palestinian village of Battir, where ancient terraces are irrigated by a natural spring, life carries on as it has for centuries.

Part of a Unesco World Heritage site, Battir is known for its olive groves and vineyards. But now it is the latest flashpoint over settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has approved a new Jewish settlement here, taking away privately owned land for new settler houses and new outposts have been set up without even Israeli authorisation.

“They are stealing our land to build their dreams on our catastrophe,” says Ghassan Olyan, whose property is among that seized.

Unesco says it is concerned by the settlers’ plans around Battir, but the village is far from an isolated example. All settlements are seen as illegal under international law, although Israel disagrees.

“They are not caring about the international law, or local law, and even God’s law,” Mr Olyan says.

Police in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata have fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters demanding justice for the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital earlier this month.

The discovery of the body of the 31-year-old sparked nationwide outrage over the crisis of violence against women.

On Tuesday, thousands marched to a government building in Kolkata, demanding the resignation of West Bengal's Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.

A hospital volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime, which has now been handed over to India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after criticism of the local police's slow progress.