During a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the “complex” and “prolonged” Ukraine crisis “serves no one’s interests” and that an “early ceasefire will serve the interests of all parties concerned,” adding that “political settlement is the only right way out.” Macron said France “attaches great importance to China’s international influence and is ready [...] to facilitate an early political settlement of the crisis.”
On Saturday, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said it is “unequivocally and firmly committed to protecting Malaysia’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and interests in its maritime areas in the South China Sea.” The statement comes after China expressed concern about Malaysian energy giant Petronas’ activities in maritime regions claimed by China.
Two Israeli sisters, aged 20 and 15, were killed by a suspected Palestinian gunman in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The siblings were also British citizens. In another tragedy, an Italian tourist was killed in Tel Aviv hours later. As the major religious festivals of Ramadan and Passover overlap, Israel-Palestine tensions are worsening. Reportedly, this year, 80 Palestinians and 18 Israelis or foreigners have been killed in violent attacks in Israel.
Citing national security implications in a statement, Indian National Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Narendra Modi-led Indian government is providing the Adani Group with undue access and ownership to ports given that the company has close links with Chinese national Chang Chung-Ling and his son. Claiming that both parties were “alleged to be involved in a Rs 5,500-crore (~$671 million)” scam, Ramesh further accused the Adani Group of having operated a Chinese shipping company that has illegally sold petroleum products to North Korea.
US President Joe Biden signed an executive order extending the one-year sanctions imposed on Russia in response to suspected Russian intervention in US elections and violations of international law norms. According to a document released by the White House on Friday, as the Russian government has not stopped engaging in “harmful foreign activities,” it continues to represent a danger to the US economy, national security, and foreign policy. The document also mentions Moscow’s involvement in malicious cyber activities, using transnational corruption to influence foreign governments, and undermining regional security.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, Russian forces hit a residential building in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday, killing two people. Authorities reported that a 46-year-old lady was recovered from the wreckage and identified as the victims’ wife and mother. City Council Secretary Anatoliy Kurtev said that two missiles had destroyed a building and damaged many others during the overnight attack.
The chiefs of Hamas and Hezbollah — Ismail Haniyeh and Hassan Nasrallah — met in Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday and vowed to continue attacks against Israel. They urged the so called ‘axis of resistance’ (Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas, and Syria) to intensify the conflict with Israel over the latter’s violence in Gaza, the West Bank, and the Al Aqsa mosque.
Saudi officials arrived in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, to hold talks with Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end the devastating eight-year-long war. Oman, a neutral observer, is mediating the talks. The meeting is happening as Riyadh and Tehran recently normalised ties. A comprehensive peace deal between Saudi-backed rebels and the Houthis could be a game-changer for the region as it would significantly reduce tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It would also allow for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen, where over 80% of the population depends on external aid to survive.