Reuters: World

US 'won't tolerate' China's ban on Micron chips, commerce secretary says The United States "won't tolerate" China's effective ban on purchases of Micron Technology (MU.O) memory chips and is working closely with allies to address such "economic coercion," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Saturday. Raimondo told a news conference after a meeting of trade ministers in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework talks that the U.S. "firmly opposes" China's actions against Micron. These "target a single U.S. company without any basis in fact, and we see it as plain and simple economic coercion and we won't tolerate it, nor do we think it will be successful." China's cyberspace regulator said on May 21 that Micron, the biggest U.S. memory chip maker, had failed its network security review and that it would block operators of key infrastructure from buying from the company, prompting it to predict a revenue reduction. read more

Biden, McCarthy reach tentative US debt ceiling deal U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy reached a tentative deal to suspend the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Saturday evening, ending a months-long stalemate. However, the deal was announced without any celebration, in terms that reflected the bitter tenor of the negotiations and the difficult path it has to pass through Congress before the United States runs out of money to pay its debts in early June. "I just got off the phone with the president a bit ago. After he wasted time and refused to negotiate for months, we've come to an agreement in principle that is worthy of the American people," McCarthy tweeted. read more

Man who opened Asiana plane door in mid-air tells police he was "uncomfortable" - Yonhap A passenger on an Asiana Airlines (020560.KS) flight told police he opened a door on the plane minutes before it landed in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday because he was "uncomfortable", Yonhap News Agency reported. The man, in his thirties, told police that he opened the door because he "wanted to get off the plane quickly", Yonhap said, citing the Daegu Dongbu Police Station. He also told police he was stressed after losing his job recently. Reuters could not immediately reach police at the station. The man opened the door when the plane was about 700 feet (213m) above the ground, causing panic onboard. Nine passengers were sent to the hospital with breathing issues. All were dismissed from the hospital after about two hours, a fire department official said. read more

Four dead, suspect arrested in rare shooting in Japan Japanese authorities said on Friday they arrested a 31-year-old man in a rural area for suspected murder after four people were killed in a rare shooting and stabbing incident involving a 12-hour stand-off with police. The suspect had holed up in his house after shooting two police officers who arrived at the scene in response to a report that a woman had been stabbed, the head of the Nagano prefectural police told a televised press conference. He used what appeared to be a hunting rifle in the shooting, he said. The suspect is the son of the head of the Nakano city council, public broadcaster NHK reported. The two police officers and the woman were taken to hospital and pronounced dead within hours, the police chief, Iwao Koyama, said. "This is a heinous crime that has aroused great fear in the residents of the prefecture and society at large," he said. read more

Biden, McCarthy appear near to deal on US debt ceiling as default looms U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Thursday appeared to be nearing a deal to cut spending and raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, with little time to spare to head off the risk of default. The deal would specify the total amount the government could spend on discretionary programs like housing and education, according to a person familiar with the talks, but not break that down into individual categories. The two sides are just $70 billion apart on a total figure that would be well over $1 trillion, according to another source. The two sides met virtually on Thursday, the White House said. Biden said they still disagreed where the cuts should fall. "I don't believe the whole burden should fall back to middle class and working-class Americans," he told reporters. read more

Russian gold shipments to the UAE, China and Turkey The United Arab Emirates has become a key trade hub for Russian gold since Western sanctions over Ukraine cut Russia's more traditional export routes, Russian customs records show. The records, which contain details of nearly a thousand gold shipments between Feb. 24, 2022 and March 3 this year, reveal the names of over 100 non-Russian companies that have handled Russian gold since Western markets banned imports from Moscow. The shipments in the records, supplied to Reuters by a commercial provider, may not cover all exports in the period. In many cases, the records show only shippers or traders involved in the transaction, not the end buyer, which could be a refiner, jeweller or investor. read more

Republicans, White House see progress in US debt ceiling talks Negotiators for Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy held what both sides called productive talks on Wednesday to try to reach a deal to raise the United States' $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default. After a four-hour White House meeting, U.S. House Speaker McCarthy said negotiations had improved and would continue in the evening. He predicted the two sides would reach an agreement, though several issues remain unresolved. "We've made some progress working down there. So that's very positive," McCarthy told reporters. "I want to make sure we get the right agreement. I can see that we're working towards that." White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said talks remain fruitful. read more

Saudi embrace of Assad sends strong signal to US Once labelled a pariah, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took centre stage as master of ceremonies last week when Arab states readmitted Syria to the Arab League, signaling to Washington who calls the regional shots. His effusive greeting of President Bashar al-Assad at the Arab summit with kissed cheeks and a warm embrace defied U.S. disapproval at Syria's return to the fold and capped a turnabout in the prince's fortunes spurred by geopolitical realities. The prince, known as MbS, seeks to reassert Saudi Arabia as a regional power by using his place atop an energy giant in an oil-dependent world consumed by the war in Ukraine. read more

Biden, McCarthy meeting ends with no deal on debt ceiling President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy could not reach an agreement Monday on how to raise the U.S. government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling with just 10 days before a possible default that could sink the U.S. economy, but vowed to keep talking. The Democratic president and the top congressional Republican have struggled to make a deal, as McCarthy pressures the White House to agree to spending cuts in the federal budget that Biden considers "extreme," and the president pushes new taxes that Republicans have rejected. Both sides stressed the need to avoid default with a bipartisan deal after Monday evening's meeting, however, and signaled that they'd be talking regularly in coming days. read more

Beijing chides Japan, Britain and 'anti-China' G7 summit State-backed Chinese mouthpiece Global Times called the G7 an "anti-China workshop" on Monday, after Beijing summoned Japan's envoy and berated Britain in a fiery response to statements issued at the weekend G7 summit in Hiroshima. A joint communique issued on Saturday singled out China on issues ranging from Taiwan and maritime claims, to economic coercion and human rights, underscoring the tensions between Beijing and the group of rich countries which includes the United States. "The US is pushing hard to weave an anti-China net in the Western world," Global Times said in an editorial on Monday titled 'G7 has descended into an anti-China workshop'. read more

Ukraine aims to encircle Bakhmut as Russia says it captures city Ukraine said on Sunday that its forces were still advancing around the edges of Bakhmut, aiming to encircle the ruined eastern city after Moscow congratulated the Wagner private army and Russian troops for capturing it. Russia said on Saturday it had completely taken Bakhmut, which, if confirmed, would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his regular troops and the Wagner group. On Sunday, however, a top Ukrainian general said Kyiv's forces still controlled what he accepted was an "insignificant" part of Bakhmut, although that would allow them to enter the city when the situation changed. read more

Putin says battle for Bakhmut is over, thanks Wagner mercenaries and Russian army Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated the Wagner mercenary force and the Russian army for what he called the "liberation" of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russia calls by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk. In a statement published on the Kremlin website, Putin said that the battle - the longest and bloodiest of the 15-month war - had ended in a Russian victory, and that all those who had excelled in it on Moscow's side would be given state awards. "The Head of State congratulated Wagner's assault groups, as well as all members of the units of the Russian Armed Forces who provided them with the necessary support and cover on their flanks, on the completion of the operation to liberate Artyomovsk (Bakhmut)," the statement said. "All those who distinguished themselves will be presented with state awards," it said. source