Briefly

CHINA

Iranian foreign minister to pay visit, hold talks

Beijing announced on Tuesday that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will visit China on Wednesday upon invitation. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with him, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Since the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Feb 28, Wang and Araghchi have held three phone conversations.

Sudan

Envoy recalled as tensions flare up

Sudan has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after accusing Addis Ababa of a series of drone attacks that hit its international airport on Monday. Sudan's Foreign Minister Mohi El-Din Salem said in a statement on Tuesday that the ambassador would be recalled for consultations and that his country is "ready to enter into an open confrontation with Ethiopia". "The drones that attacked Sudanese facilities yesterday (Monday) were launched from Ethiopia's Bahir Dar Airport," he said. Sudan has the legal right to respond to the "aggression" in the manner it deems appropriate, he added. The statement came after drone attacks targeted Khartoum International Airport and military sites in the capital on Monday, triggering explosions and sending plumes of smoke from various locations.

RUSSIA

May 8-9 Victory Day ceasefire declared

Russia's Defense Ministry on Monday announced a ceasefire on May 8-9 in honor of Victory Day, expressing hope that the Ukrainian side will follow suit. The truce was declared in accordance with a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ministry said, adding that Russian forces would take all necessary measures to ensure security during the commemorative events. The ministry also warned that any attempts to disrupt the celebrations marking the 81st anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War would trigger a "massive missile strike" on central Kyiv. It said Russia had previously refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons, despite having the capability, and warned civilians in Kyiv and foreign diplomatic staff members to leave the city in a timely manner. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that Ukraine will implement a ceasefire with Russia starting from Wednesday. Ukraine will act reciprocally starting from that moment, Zelensky said.

UNITED STATES

Strike on suspected vessel conducted

The US Southern Command said that its Joint Task Force Southern Spear on Monday conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel operated by "Designated Terrorist Organizations". Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations, the command said on X. Two male "narco-terrorists" were killed during this action, it added. A video accompanying the post shows a vessel being hit through night vision.

THAILAND

Maritime agreement with Cambodia scrapped

Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday approved the cancellation of a 2001 maritime agreement with Cambodia, pivoting future negotiations over overlapping territorial claims to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. The decision aligns with a proposal by Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, who cited the need to update the negotiating framework to reflect current realities and adhere to universally recognized international law, said Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the prime minister's office. Ratchada emphasized that revoking the 2001 memorandum of understanding represents a "realignment" of the cooperative framework rather than a suspension of bilateral relations or dialogue. Thailand will continue talks with Cambodia using UNCLOS mechanisms, she said in a statement.

Xinhua - China Daily