World events 17 in a concentrated form, understandable
World events 17.
The dispatch of two US aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean is designed to warn Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iran-backed groups against getting involved in the Israel-Hamas war.
To see important ads, turn off your ad blocker! Article continued below:Washington has sent back-channel messages to suggest to Iran that it’s serious about using force if necessary, sources say.
China.
President Xi Jinping reiterated that China supports Russia’s efforts in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests.
Deepening bilateral relations is not an expedient but a long-term solution, Xi told Russian President Vladimir Putin at talks in Beijing yesterday, according to a Chinese government statement.
His comments reinforce the tight ties between China and Russia, especially since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
World events 17, Poland.
Removing the ruling Law & Justice party’s grip on Poland’s national broadcaster is a first vital step to restore democratic institutions the European Union has slammed Warsaw for undermining.
As Piotr Skolimowski writes, Donald Tusk and his future governing coalition face a tough task in unpicking the elements of a power grab that run deep into the state.
Donald Trump.
Several Republicans are preparing to enter the race for US House speaker as the bid by Jim Jordan unravels, highlighting deep divisions within the party. Jordan, who’s backed by former President Donald Trump, has remained in the running despite losing support on a ballot yesterday.
World events 17, Venezuela.
The US suspended sanctions on Venezuelan oil, gas and gold production and lifted some restrictions on bond trading. It was a gesture of goodwill after President Nicolas Maduro’s government entered into talks with some members of the opposition and an expression of confidence that the strongman is ready to hold an open election.
Sergei Lavrov.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed support for North Korea’s policies in a speech commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Territorial dispute.
The Philippines is pushing to bolster defense ties with the US and Japan amid the Southeast Asian nation’s lingering territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea.
Infrastructure plan.
The EU will host leaders of some 20 countries next week to boost its global infrastructure plan aimed at competing with China in strategic regions, sources say.
World events 17, Israel’s intensifying war.
The blame game over the explosion at the Gaza hospital that Palestinian officials said left hundreds dead highlights the dilemma of those nations that have made peace with Israel or were in the process of doing so.
They are struggling to balance international demands to condemn Hamas for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel and killing of at least 1,400 people with the massive sympathy among their citizens for the group regarded as a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
Arab states had hoped Joe Biden’s visit would have a calming effect. Instead, it became too great a liability for the region’s leaders to be seen with the US president after the hospital catastrophe.
As widespread protests ensued, the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority canceled a meeting yesterday with Biden in Jordan. The president risked inflaming the situation further by siding publicly with Israel’s assertion that a Palestinian militant group was responsible for the disaster.
With the US offering words, money and military aid in support of Israel’s right to crush Hamas, many Arab states are now looking for help in deescalating the crisis from China, Europe, Russia, and even Iran, which many consider a foe.
Saudi Arabia was making progress toward normalizing ties with Israel just days before the assault. Yesterday, it blamed Israel for the “heinous crime” at the hospital, and its foreign minister held talks in Jeddah with his counterpart from Iran, which has provided military and financial support for Hamas for decades.
Public outrage in the region is likely to intensify as Israel prepares its full-blown ground offensive in Gaza and Palestinian fatalities — now reportedly around 4,000 — mount.
Leaders in many Arab capitals will be walking a tightrope as they calibrate their international response while worrying about their own stability at home.
All The Best!
