POMPEO TRIP MARKS US RE-ENGAGEMENT WITH OVERLOOKED CENTRAL EUROPE
BUDAPEST : When US secretary of state Mike Pompeo visits Hungary, Slovakia and Poland this week he wants to make up for a lack of US engagement that opened the door to more Chinese and Russian influence in central Europe, administration officials say. On a tour that includes a conference on the Middle East where Washington hopes to build a coalition against Iran, Pompeo begins on Monday in Budapest, the Hungarian capital that last saw a secretary of state in 2011 when Hillary Clinton visited. On Tuesday he will be in Bratislava, Slovakia, for the first such high-level visit in 20 years. Washington is concerned about China’s growing presence, in particular the expansion of Huawei Technologies, in Hungary and Poland. REUTERS
Brexit: PM May rejects customs union compromise
LONDON : British PM Theresa May has rejected the idea of targeting a customs union with the EU, dashing hopes from some that she could shift her Brexit policy to win over the opposition Labour Party. May and her government have repeatedly said membership of a customs union would prevent it having an independent trade policy - something they have promoted as one of the main economic benefits of leaving the EU. REUTERS
US warships sail near disputed SCS islands
WASHINGTON : The US sailed two warships close to the disputed islands in the South China Sea on Monday to challenge China’s excessive maritime claim, according to a media report which said the move is certain to draw the ire of Beijing. The guided-missile destroyers sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Spratly Islands as part of what the US Navy calls a “freedom of navigation operation”.
Indonesia police apologise for using snake on suspect
JAKARTA: Indonesian police have apologised and vowed action after officers draped a snake around the neck of a suspect to make him confess in Papua. The man was being questioned for a theft. AGENCIES
Venezuela’s Guaido warns military on blocked aid
CARACAS : Opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized by some 50 countries as Venezuela’s interim president, warned the military Sunday that blocking humanitarian aid from entering the country is a “crime against humanity.” Medicine and food sent by the US has been blocked for three days on the border in Cucuta, Colombia, after Venezuelan soldiers closed a bridge linking the two countries. Guaido has offered amnesty for any members of the armed forces who disavow Maduro -- but the military leadership still publicly backs the president.
Pilots’ strike leaves passengers stranded
SINGAPORE : A shortage of pilots has caused chaos for thousands of passengers during peak travel season in the region, as cockpit crew complaining of overwork extended a strike at Taiwan’s biggest carrier to a fourth day. Since the pilots’ union of China Airlines Ltd decided to stay away from work starting early February 8, the carrier has scrapped more than 60 flights, including 26 for Monday, taking the total to 10%of its scheduled operations, according to Jason Liu, a spokesman for the company. The airline has lost NT$78 million ($2.5 million) in sales after 60 services from Feb. 8 to 10 were cut. BLOOMBERG