September 26, 2024

*) US, EU, Arab states call for Lebanon ‘temporary ceasefire’ The United States, the European Union and several Arab countries have come together to call for a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon. This comes after Israeli strikes raised fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. In a joint statement, President Biden and President Macron emphasised that they have been collaborating to create this ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance and prevent further escalation. This effort is supported by nations like Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. *) Hezbollah attack on Tel Aviv ‘deeply concerning’ — White House The US is worried about a missile that Hezbollah fired from Lebanon towards Tel Aviv in Israel. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, mentioned that it’s concerning not just for Israel but for the US too. However, he also noted that there’s still an opportunity for diplomacy to help calm things down and prevent a larger conflict. *) Trump says Ukraine is ‘demolished’ at North Carolina speech Former President Donald Trump painted a pretty grim picture of Ukraine, calling it “demolished”. During a speech in North Carolina, he suggested that Ukraine should have made some deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the invasion in February 2022. He argued that even a bad deal would have been better than the current situation. Trump, who has often criticised US support for Ukraine, insists that Russia would not have invaded if he were still in office, claiming he could end the war if he returned to the White House. *) Russia, US violated international laws in Ukraine, Iraq — Slovakia Slovakia’s Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanar, recently spoke out about how world powers have violated international law by invading other countries. He pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 as clear breaches. Speaking to the media during the UN General Assembly, he emphasised that Slovakia’s stance is straightforward: both actions were wrong under international law. He added that we cannot just excuse violations depending on who’s involved; it’s not okay for anyone to break the rules. *) Beijing ‘firmly opposes’ US ban of Chinese tech from connected vehicles China’s commerce ministry has come out strongly against the US plans to ban the sale of connected vehicles that use Chinese and Russian technology, saying it poses national security risks. A spokesperson for the ministry stated that this move has no real basis and goes against fair competition and market principles, labelling it as protectionist. This proposed rule is part of President Biden’s tougher stance on China and follows a February announcement about looking into security concerns linked to Chinese tech in cars.