Trump and Xi Jinping to meet in China on 14 and 15 May

Today’s headlines: Nepalese Commission accuses former Prime Minister Oli of failing to prevent the deaths of dozens of people during anti-corruption protests; A senior Indonesian army officer resigns following an acid attack on an activist; Washington and Tehran are at odds over the negotiations; Tokyo releases further strategic oil reserves onto the market.

CHINA - UNITED STATES

Trump has stated that he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in China on 14 and 15 May, after postponing this historic trip due to the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. This would be the first visit to China by a US president in almost 10 years. Trump is also expected to host Xi in Washington DC later this year. Beijing has not responded to the dates suggested by Trump; it does not usually reveal Xi’s schedule so far in advance.

NEPAL

A Nepalese commission set up to investigate the violence that occurred during last September’s anti-corruption protests has recommended that former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli be prosecuted for “negligence” for failing to prevent the deaths of dozens of people. The report was published two days before Balendra Shah is due to be sworn in as the new prime minister. The commission held Oli responsible for failing to act to stop the shootings, which lasted for hours and resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Gen Z protesters. 76 people were killed and 2,522 injured during the two days of unrest.

INDONESIA

Yudi Abrimantyo, head of the Indonesian army’s intelligence unit, has resigned following an acid attack on an activist known for his opposition to the expansion of the armed forces’ role. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, suffered burns to 20% of his face and body after acid was thrown at him by assailants on a motorbike on 12 March. This was followed by the arrest of four officers, all members of the intelligence unit. If found guilty, punishments range from disciplinary action to dishonourable discharge.

JAPAN

Japan has stated that it has begun to release part of its strategic oil reserves onto the market, in an attempt to mitigate the impact that the surge in prices caused by the war is having on this resource-poor nation. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and gas passes: Tokyo is the world’s fifth-largest oil importer, with over 90% of its supplies coming from the Middle East.

IRAN - USA - ISRAEL - LEBANON

Trump claimed that Iran is willing to do anything to reach a deal to end nearly four weeks of war, contradicting the Iranian foreign minister, who said his country is merely examining a US proposal. Minister Abbas Araqchi said that, although there have been no negotiations with the United States, various messages have been exchanged via intermediaries. Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated that negotiating with Israel under enemy fire would amount to a ‘surrender’, whilst launching a series of attacks, and Israel has declared its intention to extend a ‘buffer zone’ into Lebanon.

RUSSIA - SRI LANKA

Following groups of workers from India, Russia has begun welcoming workers from Sri Lanka to address labour shortages, as announced by Moscow’s ambassador to Colombo, Levan Džagaryan, who assured that the problems encountered by these workers in the Pskov region, including delays in salary payments, would soon be resolved, and the Sri Lankan ambassador to Moscow, Shobini Gunasekera, pledged the necessary support.

UZBEKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN

Uzbekistan’s border police have uncovered a drug trafficking operation, seizing over 70 kilograms of hashish originating from Afghanistan, concealed as unpeeled potatoes in over 200 packages within a consignment transported by a 25-year-old Uzbek national from the Surkhandar region, the southernmost part of the country. According to investigations, the consignment was destined for Russia, and efforts are now underway to reconstruct the entire criminal network linked to this case.