Daily Discussion - May 6, 2024

China Withdraws Support For Ukraine War Peace Talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that he would support an international Ukraine peace conference only if it’s recognized both by Moscow and Kiev with equal participation of all parties.

The upcoming Swiss-proposed talks are scheduled to take place on June 15-16 at the Burgenstock resort near Lucerne. More than 160 delegations from around the world have been invited to take part, including members of the G7, G20, BRICS, EU, and others. Russian diplomats are not among them.

Moscow has previously called the proposed conference “pointless” and said it would not particip…  Читати даліate, even if invited. Ukraine has indicated that Russia would only be invited if it agreed to a litany of preconditions which Moscow has branded as “absurd.”

Republicans Threaten the ICC Prosecutor over Possible Israel Arrest Warrants

A group of influential Republican senators has sent a letter to International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, warning him not to issue international arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, and threatening him with “severe sanctions” if he does so.

In a terse, one-page letter obtained exclusively by Zeteo, and signed by 12 GOP senators, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Florida’s Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz of Texas, Khan is informed that any attempt by the ICC to hold Netanyahu and his colleagues to accou…  Читати даліnt for their actions in Gaza will be interpreted “not only as a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States.”

Israel proceedes with a 90-day plan to invade Rafah

Israel still plans to proceed with a 90-day plan to invade Rafah, which Washington is committed to stopping, a U.S. official familiar with truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel told Reuters on Monday.

‘Netanyahu and the war cabinet have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations (with Hamas) in good faith,’ the official told Reuters, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Florida Law Prohibits Chinese Citizens From Buying Homes

More than three dozen states have enacted or are considering similar laws restricting land purchases by Chinese citizens and companies, arguing that such transactions are a growing threat to national security and that the federal government has failed to stop Chinese Communist Party influence in America.

Florida’s law, which went into effect in July, is among the furthest reaching. In addition to barring Chinese entities from buying agricultural land, it effectively prohibits most Chinese individuals without a green card from purchasing residential property. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the…  Читати далі measure just before launching his Republican presidential campaign, warning voters that China represented the biggest threat to the United States.

Russia Warns Britain Not To Send Weapons To Ukraine

Russia warned Britain on Monday that if British weapons were used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory then Moscow could hit back at British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere.

Russia said British Ambassador Nigel Casey was summoned to the foreign ministry for a formal protest after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said last week that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike Russia.

Britain denied that Casey had been summoned, saying that he had met Russian officials "for a diplomatic meeting" in which he "reiterated the UK'…  Читати даліs support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression".

Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal, but Israel said it was unacceptable

Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a cease-fire to halt the seven-month-long war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas’ key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas said in a statement its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s…  Читати далі intelligence minister. After the release of the statement, Palestinians erupted in cheers in the sprawling tent camps around Rafah, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted.

Thousands of Chinese Electric Vehicles Pile Up At European Ports

Imported vehicles are seriously piling up at European ports, turning them into “car parks.” Automakers are distributors are struggling with a slowdown in car sales as well as logistical bottlenecks that make it hard to alleviate the buildup of new, unsold vehicles.

Some Chinese brand EVs had been sitting in European ports for up to 18 months, while some ports had asked importers to provide proof of onward transport, according to industry executives. One car logistics expert said many of the unloaded vehicles were simply staying in the ports until they were sold to distributors or end users.

“It’s chaos,” said another person who had been briefed on the situation.

Onslaught of violence against women and children in Gaza unacceptable: UN experts

UN experts* today condemned the continued and systematic onslaught of violence committed against Palestinians in Gaza, with most victims being women and children over the past seven months.

“We are horrified at details emerging from mass graves recently unearthed in the Gaza Strip. Over 390 bodies have been discovered at Nasser and Al Shifa hospitals, including of women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions, and potential instances of people buried alive,” the experts said.

They noted that women, girls and children overall are among those…  Читати далі most exposed to danger in this conflict, and that as of 29 April 2024, of 34,488 Palestinians killed in Gaza, 14,500 have been children and 9,500 women. Another 77,643 have reportedly been injured, of which 75% are estimated to be female. Over 8,000 others are reported missing or under the rubble – and the experts noted that at least half of them can be assumed to be women and children. They also noted that an estimated 63 women, including 37 mothers are being killed daily and 17,000 Palestinian children are believed to have been orphaned since the war on Gaza began.

Canada’s ‘Wacko’ Drug Policy

On April 26 the province said it wants the federal government to “recriminalize” drug consumption in public spaces such as in hospitals, parks and buses. In his intervention from the floor Mr. Poilievre blamed the Trudeau government’s drug decriminalization last year in British Columbia for feeding a crisis and linked it to the 2,500 drug deaths annually in the province. In particular Mr. Poilievre was upset about the deterioration in the quality of life for children, families, hospital workers and anyone who uses public transit. Mr. Poilievre, a member of the Conservative…  Читати далі Party, was voicing outrage that Ottawa isn’t acting.

Surfers found dead in Mexican well were shot in the head

Mexican authorities on Sunday confirmed the American and two Australian tourists who went missing in northern Mexico last week are dead after their bodies were identified by their parents.The bodies of Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, as well as Carter Rhoad, 30, were found at the bottom of a well in Baja California state earlier this week after a days-long search.The three foreigners went missing while on a vacation surfing near the popular tourist town of Ensenada, about 90 minutes south of the US-Mexico border on the Pacific coast.

Three people have so far been arreste…  Читати даліd, officials say. A burnt-out vehicle believed to have been used by the three surfers was also found in the area.