Our territorial rights in South China Sea in line with UN Charter: China

China and the US have been at loggerheads since the start of pandemic on several issues pertaining to the information sharing on Covid-19

China on Wednesday said that its territorial claims in the South China Sea is legitimate and were established throughout a long course of history which is in line with the international law including the United Nations Charter. “China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea have been formed in a long historical process and claimed by all Chinese administrations, which are also in line with UN Charter & UNCLOS. Accusations of China’s lawful claims are groundless,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a press conference.

This remark came after US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo tweeted on June 2 that the US has sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General to protest China’s “unlawful South China Sea maritime claims”. Pompeo wrote: “We reject these claims as unlawful and dangerous. The Member States must unite to uphold international law and freedom of the seas.”

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China and the US have been at loggerheads since the start of a pandemic on several issues pertaining to the information sharing on Covid-19. Reaffirming China’s stand, Zhao Lijian has said, “China has never delayed releasing coronavirus information. China’s timeline on Covid-19 information sharing is clear and open to the world. It can stand the test of time.” Meanwhile, the United States on Wednesday said it will block Chinese airlines from flying into or out of the US starting on June 16, The New York Times reported…

Pompeo tries to salvage a post-Brexit Britain alliance amid growing rift

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been touting the prospects of a big new trade deal with the United States that can fill the void of Britain’s departure from the European Union on Friday

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits London on Wednesday to salvage a post-Brexit alliance with an old friend whose defiance on China and Iran underscores Washington’s diplomatic isolation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been touting the prospects of a big new trade deal with the United States that can fill the void of Britain’s departure from the European Union on Friday. But Pompeo’s meetings with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Johnson on Wednesday and Thursday threatens to become a damage limitation exercise for the “special relationship”.

Mike Pompeo had been doing his best to convince Johnson that allowing China’s Huawei tech giant to help build Britain’s next-generation 5G network introduced a long-term security threat. Britain approved a limited but still important role for Huawei on Tuesday. “The United States is disappointed by the UK’s decision,” a senior administration official said in a terse statement. And Johnson had been pushing Washington to send back the wife of a US diplomat who is using the cover of diplomatic immunity to avoid prosecution over the death of a teenager in a road accident in England last August.

The United States rejected Anne Sacoolas’s extradition to Britain last week. “We feel this amounts to a denial of justice,” Raab said in response. “The UK would have acted differently if this had been a UK diplomat serving in the US.” Disagreements about Iran and a US prosecutor’s complaint that Prince Andrew was stonewalling an FBI investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein only add to the layers of tensions.

US House speaker Pelosi launches Trump impeachment inquiry over Ukraine

Pelosi said that six separate committees will be reporting to her on their findings related to Trump’s actions while in office under the umbrella of a formal inquiry

Pelosi said that six separate committees will be reporting to her on their findings related to Trump’s actions while in office under the umbrella of a formal inquiry Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House is opening a formal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, saying he’s violated his oath of office and obligations under the Constitution.

“The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law,” Pelosi said at a news conference Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with her party. She said that six separate committees will be reporting to her on their findings related to Trump’s actions while in office under the umbrella of a formal inquiry.

It’s not clear how much it will change the direction of existing investigations. Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler has already described his panel’s inquiry as an impeachment investigation and several other committees already have been holding hearings on Trump’s conduct. There was no announcement of a vote on the floor to endorse an inquiry, and Pelosi’s action doesn’t necessarily mean it will lead to actual charges against the president.

Still, the announcement is an escalation of the months-long confrontation between the House and the president. After previously tamping down calls from many Democrats to begin impeachment proceedings, Pelosi is now shifting to support the effort despite concerns within her party that the Republican-controlled Senate will continue shielding the president...