APEC trade envoys gather in China to discuss trade imbalances, supply chain resilience – Reuters

  1. APEC trade envoys gather in China to discuss trade imbalances, supply chain resilience  Reuters
  2. China calls for APEC cooperation as commerce minister skips opening over ‘urgent official business’  CNBC
  3. China’s top trade negotiator urges Apec to grow economic pie, divide it fairly  South China Morning Post
  4. US-China trade talks back in focus at APEC meeting  Nikkei Asia
  5. China Rallies Asia-Pacific Against Protectionism at Trade Meet  Bloomberg.com
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Taliban ‘legitimising child marriage’ with new law, activists warn

Up to 70% of girls may be in early or forced marriages but law now makes divorce impossible if husbands disagree

Child marriage appears to have been legally recognised for the first time by the Taliban in Afghanistan, as activists say “shameful” new laws make it almost impossible for girls and young women to seek divorce against their husbands’ will.

There are no official statistics on forced and underage marriages in Afghanistan, but activists say it has risen at an alarming rate in recent years, driven by the ban on girls being in education after the age of 11.

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Iran and Oman in Talks Over Strait of Hormuz Ship Payment System – The New York Times

  1. Iran and Oman in Talks Over Strait of Hormuz Ship Payment System  The New York Times
  2. Iran in Talks With Oman Over Permanent Hormuz Toll System  Bloomberg.com
  3. Iran steps up claim to control Strait of Hormuz  BBC
  4. Maths behind Hormuz toll: Is paying Iran for transit cheaper than blockade?  Al Jazeera
  5. ‘One of the World’s Most Critical Digital Bottlenecks’: How the Iran War Could Threaten Global Internet Access  Time Magazine
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Record 274 climbers scale Everest via Nepal in one day – BBC

  1. Record 274 climbers scale Everest via Nepal in one day  BBC
  2. New record set as 274 climbers scale Everest’s south side in single day  CNN
  3. A record 274 climbers scale Mount Everest in a single day  NBC News
  4. Record Crowds Reached the Summit of Mount Everest This Week  Outside Magazine
  5. Everest record-holder Kami Rita Sherpa urges limit on climbers as crowds swell on the peak  PBS
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Germany’s Merz pitches ‘associate’ EU membership for Ukraine – dw.com

  1. Germany's Merz pitches 'associate' EU membership for Ukraine  dw.com
  2. 'Associate membership' risks leaving Ukraine in limbo, Ireland warns after Merz pitches bold plan  Euronews.com
  3. Germany urges the EU to offer Ukraine ‘associate membership’ and boost talks with Russia  AP News
  4. German Government Pushes Associate EU Membership for Ukraine  Bloomberg.com
  5. Fico Rejects Merz Plan for Ukraine’s EU Status  Kyiv Post
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