South Korea's April factory output unexpectedly declines 0.9% m/m
SEOUL :South Korea's factory output unexpectedly declined in April, depressed by a drop in electricity and gas output, government data showed on Friday.
Industrial production fell 0.9 per cent in April from a month earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis, underperforming expectations for a 0.5 per cent gain tipped in a Reuters poll.
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Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Europe can sustain Ukraine's war effort without US, German general says
Europe can sustain Ukraine's war effort without US, German general says BERLIN - Europe is capable of sustaining Ukraine's resistance against Russia, even if the United States were to decide to completely halt its military support to Kyiv, the senior military official in charge of coordinating Germany's arms supplies told Reuters. Major-General Christian Freuding said Nato's European members plus Canada had already exceeded the estimated US$20 billion (S$25 billion) worth of US military aid provided in 2024 to Kyiv. They accounted for around 60 per cent of the total costs borne by the Western allies, he said. "The war against Ukraine is raging on our continent, it is also being waged against the European security order. If the political will is there, then the means will also be there to largely compensate for the American support," Maj-Gen Freuding said in an interview. Ukraine continues to receive weapons deliveries approved by former US president Joe Biden. It is unclear, however, whether his successor Donald Trump will sign off on any new supplies - or allow third countries to purchase US weapons for Kyiv. Asked how long the Biden-approved deliveries will sustain Kyiv, Maj-Gen Freuding said this depended on logistical processes as well as the speed at which Ukraine burns through arms and ammunition, but that the summer seemed a realistic estimate. "How the American government handles further requests for military support for Ukraine is unclear at the moment. We can't say anything about that," he added. "In general, the US has a great interest in boosting its own defence industry. I make the cautious assumption that at least purchasing US defence goods, and delivering them to Ukraine, will be possible." Russian rearmament Addressing the potential threat that Russia might pose beyond Ukraine, Maj-Gen Freuding said Moscow had a clear plan to reconstitute and grow its military, and was expected to succeed in efforts to double its land forces to 1.5 million by 2026. 'They are recruiting significantly more personnel than they need as replacements for the war in Ukraine. They are producing surplus stocks of ammunition, in particular, which they are 'putting on store'.' Maj-Gen Freuding said Russia was also ramping up its military infrastructure, especially in its western military district bordering new Nato member Finland. Any ceasefire in Ukraine could allow Russia to accelerate its rearmament efforts ahead of a possible large-scale attack on Nato territory, he said. The alliance currently believes this could occur from 2029. 'Of course, a ceasefire could change the threat situation,' Maj-Gen Freuding said. Russia denies planning to attack Nato and says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to protect its own security against what it casts as an aggressive, hostile West. Germany has provided a total of €38 billion (S$55 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, including funds earmarked for the coming years, making it the second largest donor after the United States, the defence ministry in Berlin says. Maj-Gen Freuding said he was not aware of the Trump administration having endorsed any US arms deliveries to Kyiv paid for by third countries. Still, making up for certain crucial parts of US military support to Ukraine would pose significant challenges to Europe. Listing capabilities that would be hard for Europeans to replace, Maj-Gen Freuding cited US intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data, air defence systems like Patriot and spare parts for US weapons. "If we are capable of replacing specific (ISR) capabilities to a sufficient extent - we need to look into this when we definitely know the Americans won't provide this data anymore." Ukraine uses US intelligence data to help its air defence, and analysts say also for targeting. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
UK and India discuss ‘counter-terrorism' cooperation after Pakistan ceasefire
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy speaking during an interview with Reuters in New Delhi, India, on June 7. PHOTO: REUTERS NEW DELHI - Britain and India on June 7 discussed expanding their "counter-terrorism" collaboration following recent fighting between India and Pakistan, Britain's foreign minister told Reuters after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. British foreign minister David Lammy is the highest-profile Western official to have visited both New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire in May after their worst fighting in nearly three decades. The latest tensions began in April after the killing of 26 men in Indian Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied. India then attacked what it called "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan, leading to escalation from both sides until a May 10 ceasefire. 'We want the situation to be maintained, but of course we recognise fragility, particularly in the backdrop of terrorism, terrorism designed to destabilise India,' Mr Lammy said, in an interview at the residence of the British High Commissioner in New Delhi. "We are keen to continue to work with our Indian partners on counter-terrorism measures." He said he discussed the next steps with both Mr Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, but gave no specifics. In 2024, India and Britain discussed combating the financing of terrorism, cooperation between law enforcement and judicial bodies and information sharing. Mr Lammy said he also discussed boosting trade between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies. The countries concluded talks for a free trade deal early in May. 'I know that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is very much looking forward to coming to India very soon to sign the free trade agreement,' Mr Lammy said. 'There is so much that our two nations can continue to do together.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Asia First - Jun 2025 - Asia First Fri 6 Jun 2025
02:27:55 Min Asia First From the opening bell across markets in Southeast Asia and China, to the biggest business interviews and top financial stories, tune in to Asia First to kick-start your business day.
