On Monday, Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held bilateral talks at the UN’s headquarters in New York on the eve of the EAM’s address to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. The two officials discussed the sustainability agenda and the reform of international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as per EAM Jaishankar.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland voiced Washington’s concerns about the upcoming visit of a Chinese research vessel — Shi Yan 6 — to Sri Lanka, during a recent meeting with the island country’s foreign minister, Ali Sabry. Sabry reassured Nuland that Colombo would adhere to a “Standard Operating Procedure” that the government has recently finalised for all foreign vessels intending to call at a Sri Lankan port. India has also previously raised concerns with Sri Lanka regarding the same.
The Philippine coastguard said it removed a floating barrier installed by China near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippine coastguard said the barrier posed a navigational hazard and was “a clear violation of international law.” “It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk,” it added, calling the shoal “an integral part of the Philippine national territory.” No skirmish was reported following the incident.
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said in a speech at Beijing’s Tsinghua University that China’s refusal to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine poses a “reputational risk” for European companies as they struggle to survive in a politicised business environment.
Ukraine’s special forces announced on Monday that they killed Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Commander, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, along with 33 other officers, in Crimea during last week’s missile strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the port of Sevastopol. The Russian Defence Ministry did not confirm or deny the report.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior spokesperson, Abdul Mateen Qani, told Reuters that the Taliban is developing a large-scale camera surveillance network for Afghan cities, which could involve repurposing a plan devised by the US before its 2021 withdrawal. The Taliban government has also discussed potential collaboration with Chinese telecoms equipment provider Huawei, the spokesperson said.
The Russian Interior Ministry on Monday added Piotr Hofmanski, the chairman of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, and Judge Bertram Schmitt to the list of wanted individuals, as reported by media sources. All three ICC members were designated “wanted under an article of the Criminal Code,” but information about their charges has not been made public.