China Warns US Solar Anti-Dumping Duties Will Damage Trade Relations


China Solar Farm

A solar farm in Gansu Province in China.Reuters



China has condemned the US move to impose sky-high anti-dumping duties on solar imports, saying the action would strain the trade relations between the countries further.


A Chinese commerce official from the trade remedies and investigations bureau said the US disregarded the facts in its decision, Reuters reported.


"The frequent adoption of trade remedies cannot resolve the United States' solar industry development problems. We hope the United States can prudently handle this investigation, quickly end investigation procedures and create a good environment for competition in the global solar industry," the official said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.


Although trade friction is unavoidable, the governments have the responsibility to prevent it from hurting the business relationship between the countries, the official noted.


"If escalating problems in the China-US solar industry are ignored, in the end it will damage up and downstream industries in both countries."


Earlier, the US imposed anti-dumping duties ranging from 26% to 165.04% on imports of crystalline silicon solar PV cells and modules from China and Taiwan after the country's commerce department found the cheaper rates for the imported solar panels and cells are hurting America's domestic industry.


The anti-dumping duties are in addition to anti-subsidy levies imposed in June.


Trina Solar attracted the lowest preliminary anti-dumping rate at 26.33%. Other companies including market leaders Yingli, Canadian Solar and Hanwha SolarOne were assessed at a 42.33% anti-dumping duty rate.


The US commerce department is scheduled to announce its final determinations on or about 16 December.


In 2013, the US imported solar products worth $1.5bn (£883m, €1.1bn) from China, declining to half the level of 2011.


American solar companies have been saying that their Chinese counterparts could substantially reduce prices and flood the US market with solar products due to the subsidies. The higher duties would increase the prices of solar products from China, making them uncompetitive.


China is the world's largest maker of solar panels, and has always denied the allegations of government subsidies.


China and the US have been engaged in a war of words after the latter indicted five Chinese military officials on charges of spying and hacking network systems of US companies.


In counter measures, China is expected to increase tariffs on US imports of polysilicon, the material used to make solar cells.



Israel-Gaza Conflict: UNSC Calls for Immediate Ceasefire


Israel-Gaza crisis and Eid celebrations

Israeli soldiers prepare armoured personnel carriers (APCs) at a staging area outside the northern Gaza StripReuters



The 15-member United Nations Security Council has called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict taking a lead from US President Barack Obama.


The council urged both sides to accept "an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire" as Muslims start celebrating the Eid ul-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan.


All the members agreed on the statement, drafted by Jordan, at an emergency session. The statement does not explicitly mention Israel or Hamas but urged all involved parties to stop fighting.


The UN's most powerful body called on all sides "to accept and fully implement the humanitarian ceasefire into the Eid period and beyond".


Exhorting Israel and the Palestinians "to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative", the council said these steps would facilitate much-need humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict.


The UN statement follows the relentless offensive by both sides despite a temporary truce agreement.


The 20-day fighting has so far claimed the lives of at least 1,030 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 43 Israeli soldiers. A Thai national has also been killed in Israel.


The Security Council's announcement comes close on the heels of Obama's telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.


The White House earlier said: "The president made clear the strategic imperative of instituting an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire that ends hostilities now and leads to a permanent cessation of hostilities based on the November 2012 ceasefire agreement."


"The president reaffirmed the United States' support for Egypt's initiative, as well as regional and international coordination to end hostilities."


Obama said any solution should allow "Palestinians in Gaza to lead normal lives [and]... must ensure the disarmament of terrorist groups and the demilitarisation of Gaza".



OSI Group Recalls All Products Made by Scandal-Hit Shanghai Husi Food


A security personnel stands guard in front of an OSI's food processing plant in Langfang, Hebei province

A security personnel stands guard in front of an OSI's food processing plant in Langfang, Hebei provinceReuters



US-based OSI Group, which owns Shanghai Husi Food that is at the centre of a new food scandal in China, recalled all the products manufactured by Husi Food.


"To help rebuild the trust of our customers and consumers, as well as to cooperate with the official investigatory process, we are compelled to withdraw all products manufactured by Shanghai Husi from the marketplace," OSI said in a statement.


The company added that it is conducting an internal investigation into possible failures on the part of current and former senior management at Husi Food.


"Should any misconduct be uncovered, we will take swift and decisive action against those responsible, including all relevant disciplinary and/or legal measures," the company added.


In addition, the company appointed a new management team in China to ensure that operations run effectively. OSI's China operations will be managed by global management in accordance with global standards of quality management, the company noted.


"These decisions are the most responsible course of action we can take at this point in time. We are working hard to bring assurance to our customers and ultimate consumers," said Brent Afman, senior vice president and managing director of the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa division of OSI.


OSI's owner, Sheldon Lavin, earlier apologised to Chinese customers after Shanghai's Food and Drug Administration seized more than 5,000 boxes of expired meat from warehouses of Shanghai Husi Food after a raid.


In connection with the issue, Shanghai police detained five employees at the firm, including its quality manager.


"I am appalled that something so completely unacceptable has happened in a company that I own. I will not try and defend it or explain it. It was just terribly wrong," Lavin said.


The Chinese local media earlier reported that Shanghai Husi Food sold chicken and beef past their expiry dates to international food chains including McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut. KFC and Pizza Hut are owned by US-based Yum Brands.


Earlier, operations at Shanghai Husi were suspended and all of its meat products were ordered to be taken off the shelves.


Nine companies including KFC, McDonald's, Burger King and Papa John's have used products from Shanghai Husi.


Following the outbreak of the scandal, the companies apologised to Chinese customers and said they were taking the products concerned off the shelves.


"We remain committed to our presence in China and have sent our best team of global experts to ensure we resolve this. We are very proud of our team members and our operations in other parts of China. It reinforces our confidence and commitment to China. We have a great deal yet to deliver to China," Afman added.



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Air Algerie AH5017: International Probe Team at Crash Site


Air Algerie wreckage

French soldiers inspect wreckage at the site of the Air Algerie crashReuters



An international probe team comprising aviation experts, Interpol officials, criminal investigators and soldiers is at the northern Mali site where the Air Algerie flight AH5017 crashed.


Although most African and French experts have suggested that adverse weather conditions could have caused the crash, others have not ruled out a criminal act from inside the plane.


However, all of them asserted the plane could not have been brought down by a ground-to-air terror attack.


Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, in his latest briefing to reporters, cited bad weather as the most likely cause. He said Malian rebels do not have weapons capable of striking an aircraft cruising at an altitude of 10,000 metres.


Reuters quoted a local official from the northern Mali town of Gossi as saying that some of the shepherds, who reportedly witnessed the crash, have said the flight was in flames before hitting the ground and crashing.


The relatively limited radius of the debris indicated that the plane hit the ground intact, suggesting this could have been due to pilot error, a technical glitch or poor weather conditions.


About 200 French, Malian and Dutch troops belonging to the UN force in Mali are securing the crash site, an isolated area nearly 80kms south of Gossi, located near the Burkina Faso border.


Interpol has said its experts will help identify the passengers of the plane who were from 15 different countries. At least 54 passengers on board the McDonnell Doughas MD-83 were French nationals.


French President Francois Hollande has said all the remains of the passengers will be brought to France for identification and it is still unclear whether Paris has spoken to other countries about this.


"The crash site is difficult to access. It was important to secure the area, and we have. As soon as possible, all bodies will be brought back to France, all passengers' remains," he said.


The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali has said they have found the second flight recorder of the plane.



Hamas Agrees to New 24-Hour Truce in Gaza


Funeral ceremony of Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Gaza

Funeral ceremony of Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in GazaGetty



The new ceasefire is expected to start at 2pm local time (noon GMT), according to a Hamas spokesman.


"In response to UN intervention and considering the situation of our people and the occasion of Eid, it has been agreed among resistance factions to endorse a 24-hour humanitarian calm, starting from 2pm on Sunday," Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.


The move comes after the Israeli military resumed fighting in Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating a previous humanitarian truce.


"Following Hamas' incessant rocket fire throughout the humanitarian window, which was agreed upon for the welfare of the civilian population in Gaza, the [army] will now resume its aerial, naval and ground activity in the Gaza Strip," stated an Israeli military official.


The Palestinian death toll from Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip rose to 1,053 on Sunday, a Health Ministry official said.


"Four Palestinians were killed and three others injured in renewed Israeli air and artillery attacks on central and southern Gaza Strip," Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qodra told the Anadolu Agency.


The bodies of 147 people, including women and children were pulled from the rubble of destroyed homes in the border areas of the Gaza Strip which have been the target of Israeli shelling and aerial bombardments.


The Israeli army had announced earlier on Sunday that it was starting up again its military offensive on the Gaza Strip, citing "incessant" rocket fire at Israel by Gaza-based Palestinian groups.


The announcement came shortly after the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said that it had fired several rockets into Israel.


In a statement, the brigades said it fired two M75 rockets at Tel Aviv and five Grad rockets at Ashdod.



Israel Resumes Gaza Ground Offensive after Hamas Rocket Fire


Explosion during an Israeli strike

An explosion during an Israeli strike in the northern Gaza Strip is pictured from the Israeli border with Gaza.Reuters



Israel has resumed its ground and aerial offensive in the Gaza Strip following relentless rocket fire by Hamas militants.


Ending the extension of the temporary ceasefire, which was due to stay in effect until tonight (27 July), the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they are resuming their attack "due to flagrant violations of humanitarian remission by Hamas".


"Following Hamas's incessant rocket fire throughout the humanitarian window, which was agreed upon for the welfare of the civilian population in Gaza, the IDF will now resume its aerial, naval and ground activity in the Gaza Strip," the IDF said in a statement.


"The IDF again urges the Palestinian population not to approach combat areas."


At least a dozen rockets have been fired by Hamas at Israel overnight, said the IDF.


So far, at least 1,000 Palestinians and 46 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the latest conflict.


Israeli health minister Yael German told Channel Two news that the Palestinians are refusing any Israeli humanitarian aid sent through the Red Cross as well.


"Even when we send the aid through the Red Cross, there is no one on the other side willing to accept medicine. They don't want the world to see us doing anything humanitarian."



Taliban Insurgents Try to Storm Kandahar Police Chief's House


Afghan Taliban school attack

Taliban guerrilla fighters hold their weapons at a secret base in eastern Afghanistan.Reuters file photo



Fierce fighting has broken out in Afghanistan's Kandahar province as Taliban insurgents tried to storm the police chief's house by laying siege to a nearby school, local reports say.


At least six militants have been killed so far and although there are as yet no reports of civilian casualties, one child is believed to have been killed.


The dawn attack took place in Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar province, located near the Pakistani border.


Police said the residence of police chief General Abdul Raziq appeared to be the target of the attack when the Islamist fighters began firing at about 06:00 local time.


Some of the militants detonated their suicide vests while a few others were gunned down by security forces, said police spokesperson Zia Durrani, reports Pajhowk news.


More security personnel are being deployed in the area which has been cordoned off.