Thursday, March 20, 2025

Eritrea Slams Ethiopia's Maritime Ambitions As 'Misguided and Outdated,' Calls for International Pressure

RFI

19 March 2025

Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba- Eritrea said it is "perplexed" by what it called Ethiopia's "misguided and outdated ambitions" for maritime access and a naval base "through diplomacy or military force," urging the international community to press Ethiopia to respect "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors."

Osman made the remarks during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Asmara to resident ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, and heads of UN agencies. The briefing, shared by Eritrea's Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel on X, addressed what Eritrea described as "false accusations" concerning its alleged preparations for war against Ethiopia, its stance on the Pretoria Agreement, and Ethiopia's diplomatic push for sea access.

Osman said the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) had "redeployed to Eritrea's internationally recognized borders" following the end of the two-year war in Tigray in November 2022. "Anyone that claims or suggests" otherwise, he said, is doing so "to scapegoat Eritrea for Ethiopia's internal problems."

He attributed these claims to "former TPLF members" who, he said, had "rejected the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) ruling" and had worked toward "regime change in Eritrea to no avail."

On the Pretoria Agreement, Osman said Eritrea views it as "an internal affair of Ethiopia" and has "no desire to intervene." Any suggestion that Eritrea is involved in the conflict between the Tigray Interim Administration and the TPLF, he said, is "categorically rejected."

Osman's comments come amid heightened tensions between the two countries with former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome has accused Eritrea of attempting to "exploit divisions within the TPLF" to weaken the Pretoria Agreement, warning it could "reignite war in northern Ethiopia" and "tear up the whole peace deal." Eritrea rejected the claim at the time, with Yemane calling it an "audacious claim" meant to "rationalize a war-mongering agenda."

Last week, Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray Interim Administration, has accused Eritrea of being among those "who think they can benefit from turmoil that will be created in Tigray," asserting, "I know the Eritrean government is one of them."

Lt. Gen. Tsadkan Gebretensae, Vice President of the Tigray Interim Administration, has also warned that war between Ethiopia and Eritrea "seems inevitable," with Tigray at risk of becoming the main battleground.

U.S. Senator Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has expressed concern over the situation, warning that renewed conflict in Ethiopia's north could have "catastrophic consequences." He called on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to "urgently de-escalate tensions immediately."

Regarding Ethiopia's position on sea access, Osman said Eritrea was "perplexed" by what it sees as "misguided and outdated ambitions" to secure maritime access "through diplomacy or military force." He urged the international community to take action, saying such efforts disregarded "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbors."

Read the original article on Addis Standard.

Rwanda-backed Rebels Enter Mineral-rich Town in Congo, Defying Ceasefire Calls

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the strategic town of Walikale in eastern Congo late Wednesday, according to residents and civil society leaders, a day after the Congolese and Rwandan presidents called for an immediate ceasefire.

“The information is confirmed: the rebels are visible at the monument and at the Bakusu group office," Prince Kihangi, a former provincial deputy elected for the Walikale territory, told The Associated Press over the phone, referring to locations in the centre of Walikale. "This confirms the presence of the M23 in the territorial capital."

By taking control of Walikale, the M23 rebels seized a road linking four provinces in the east of the country: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Maniema, cutting off the Congolese army's positions.

Heavy artillery fire could be heard throughout the day but ceased in the evening, giving way to sporadic gunfire, Fiston Misona, a civil society activist in Walikale, told the AP over the phone.

“Our Congolese army is no longer fighting,” he said. “It’s as if we were being sacrificed.”

There was no immediate comment from the M23 or the Congolese government.

The escalation in fighting comes a day after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda held unexpected talks in Qatar and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

The meeting followed a failed attempt to bring Congo’s government and M23 leaders together for ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday. The rebels pulled out Monday after the European Union announced sanctions on rebel leaders.

The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.

The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.

The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to “summary executions” by both sides.

The Walikale area is home to the largest tin deposits in Congo and to several significant gold mines. The Bisie tin mine, around 60 kilometers (35 miles) northwest of the town, accounts for most tin exports from North Kivu province. Last week, its operator Alphamin Resources said it was temporarily halting mining operations due to the rebels' advance.

Separatists in Mali Say an Army Airstrike on a Market Killed 18. The Army Says It Targeted Fighters

By BABA AHMED

10:48 AM EDT, March 18, 2025

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A separatist group in Mali said an airstrike on a market in the country’s north has killed at least 18 people. Mali’s army said its attack targeted armed militants.

The Collective for the Defense of the Rights of the Azawad People, part of a Tuareg separatist coalition, said the attack occurred 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Lerneb in the Timbuktu region.

Seven people were also injured in Sunday’s strike, the group said in a statement late Monday, denouncing a “barbaric act from another age.”

Mali’s army said on X it carried out airstrikes on a “refuge” in the area and killed 11 “terrorists.”

The West African nation, along with neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for more than a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenary units for security assistance instead. Since seizing power in 2021, interim president Assimi Goita has struggled to curb violence in Mali, while the army has has been accused of targeting civilians.

Last month, the Front for the Liberation of Azawad, the coalition of Tuareg separatist groups, accused the army and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group of “coldly executing” at least 24 people in northern Mali.

A possible reason for the contradicting information about the latest attack might be that the military targeted militants in civilian-populated areas indiscriminately, said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan think tank, adding that jihadi fighters are known to visit markets to obtain supplies.

“The Malian army may have deemed the targets significant enough to accept a certain degree of civilian casualties, but these would not be the primary goal,” he said.

Lyammouri said another explanation could be that both the army and separatists misrepresented the identities of those killed to bolster their narratives.

The army might point to it as combating extremism, while the separatists might allege human rights allegations, “legitimizing their goal of greater autonomy or separation from the Malian state.”

Ivory Coast's Epochal Prehistoric Finds Pass Unseen

by Marietou BÂ

Archaeologist Francois Guede Yiode keeps the prehistoric stones in his home.

In the streets of Anyama, children play and braziers smoke on corners. There is little to show that the ground of this everyday Ivory Coast neighborhood conceals seminal prehistoric treasures.

Near the local storefronts lies the site of an excavation that unearthed stone tools from 150,000 years ago—the earliest sign ever of humans inhabiting a tropical forest.

"That's interesting," said Ruth Fabiola Agoua, 25, who keeps a shop with her mother yards from the spot, north of the Ivorian economic capital, Abidjan.

"You cannot live without knowing your history."

Ages of man

Homo sapiens emerged in Africa 300,000 years ago but were once thought to have colonized tropical forests only 70,000 years back at the most.

After dating the findings from Anyama, researchers from Ivory Coast and several other countries concluded in a study that humans were living in such an environment at that spot 150 millennia ago.

By analyzing biological traces and sediments, the study revealed the place was "a wet forest environment" at the time when the tools were deposited there.

"The results represent the oldest yet known clear association between humans and this habitat type," they wrote in their paper, published in the journal Nature last month after years of research.

"The secure attribution of stone tool assemblages with the wet forest environment demonstrates that Africa's forests were not a major ecological barrier" for homo sapiens at that stage.

Archaeologists unearthed stone tools used by homo sapiens.

Tool boxes

Among the study's authors was retired Ivorian archaeologist Francois Guede Yiode, 77—considered by colleagues to be the only qualified prehistory specialist in the country.

He started excavating on the privately owned land in 1982 after being alerted to the remains by a geologist.

Eventually, he and the study's co-authors got several meters below the surface, finding tools from the pleistocene epoch, which stretched from some 2.5 million to 12,000 years ago.

"The picks were used to cut up materials," he said. Other tools, dubbed "choppers," had a sharp edge for cutting through animal skin.

Today, despite the findings they inspired, the tools themselves lie hidden in boxes stacked in a small room in Guede Yiode's modest house—a sign of what he bitterly calls the state's "lack of will" to help.

Despite a growth in research over the past 15 years, here "archaeology is a science that is slow in publishing findings because it is not funded," he said.

Researcher Eugenie Affoue Kouame says Ivory Coast has several palaeolithic sites.

The artifacts and biological remains found in Anyama were analyzed in German laboratories and part of the research was funded by European universities and institutes.

The Ivorian archaeologist said he provided 15 million Central African francs (currently $25,000) from his own pocket to fund the first few years of excavations at Anyama.

Past and present

Now Guede Yiode and his colleagues hope the finds will boost archaeology in Ivory Coast.

"There are several sites in Ivory Coast where you could perform archaeological excavations and studies on the paleolithic period," said another of the study's authors, Eugenie Affoua Kouame, a researcher at Ivory Coast's Institute of African History, Art and Archaeology.

Guede Yiode said he has been trying in vain to have the cache of tools displayed in a museum for public and researchers to see.

"I don't feel comfortable having it all in my house."

150,000 years ago, the site near Anyama was a tropical forest, a study found.

A local anthropology undergraduate, Akissi Diane Guebie, said she hoped the Nature study would "encourage students to specialize in these subjects."

Walking to work in Anyama, local security guard Basile Sawadogo, 51, seemed unmoved by the closeness of prehistory, however.

"We live in the present," he said.

Cocoa Prices Finish Higher on Ivory Coast Mid-Crop Concerns

March 20, 2025 — 04:52 am EDT

Written by Rich Asplund for Barchart

May ICE NY cocoa (CCK25) Wednesday closed up +100 (+1.25%), and May ICE London cocoa #7 (CAK25) closed up +62 (+1.00%).

Cocoa prices Wednesday settled moderately higher on short-covering due to concern about the Ivory Coast's upcoming mid-crop.  The mid-crop is the smaller of two annual cocoa harvests, which typically start in April.  The average estimate for this year's Ivory Coast mid-crop is 400,000 MT, -9% below last year's 440,000 MT.

Cocoa prices have been on the defensive over the past month, with NY cocoa falling to a 4-month low last Friday and London cocoa posting a 4-month low Monday on an improving supply outlook.  On February 28, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) forecasted a global cocoa surplus of 142,000 MT for 2024/25, the first surplus in 4 years.  ICCO also projected that 2024/25 global cocoa production will rise +7.8% y/y to 4.84 MMT.

The recovery in cocoa inventories is also bearish for prices.  Since falling to a 21-year low of 1,263,493 bags on January 24, ICE-monitored cocoa inventories held in US ports have rebounded and climbed to a 4-1/2 month high of 1,769,953 bags Wednesday.  

Also on the bearish side, Nigeria reported on February 27 that its Jan cocoa exports jumped +27% y/y to 46,970 MT.  Nigeria is the world's fifth-largest cocoa producer.

Concern about slowing Ivory Coast cocoa exports is a supportive factor for cocoa prices.  Monday's government data showed that Ivory Coast farmers shipped 1.41 MMT of cocoa to ports this marketing year from October 1 to March 16, up +12% from last year.  However, the pace has fallen from the 35% rise seen in December.

Demand concerns are also weighing on cocoa prices.  Executives from chocolate makers Hershey and Mondelez recently warned that high prices are hurting demand.  On February 4, Mondelez executives warned of a potential slowdown in chocolate demand when CFO Zarmella said, "We are seeing signs, particularly in parts of the world like North America, where cocoa consumption is coming down."  Also, on February 18, the company warned that chocolate prices could rise as much as 50% due to the surge in cocoa prices, which would curb chocolate demand.  In addition, Hershey executives said on February 6 that high cocoa prices are forcing it to reformulate recipes by replacing cocoa with other ingredients.  

High cocoa prices reduced cocoa demand in Q4, as seen in the quarterly grinding reports.  On January 9, the European Cocoa Association reported that Q4 European cocoa grindings fell -5.3% y/y to 331,853 MT, the lowest in more than 4 years.  Also, the Cocoa Association of  Asia reported that Q4 Asian cocoa grindings fell -0.5% y/y to 210,111 MT, also the lowest in 4 years.  In addition, the National Confectioners Association reported that Q4 North American cocoa bean grindings fell -1.2% y/y to 102,761 MT.

Smaller cocoa supplies from Ghana, the world's second-biggest cocoa producer, are supportive for prices after Cocobod, Ghana's cocoa regulator, cut its Ghana 2024/25 cocoa harvest forecast in December for the second time this season to 617,500 MT, down -5% from an August estimate of 650,000 MT.  

The ICCO on February 28 said the 2023/24 global cocoa deficit was -441,000 MT, the largest deficit in over 60 years.  ICCO said 2023/24 cocoa production fell -13.1% y/y to 4.380 MMT.  ICCO said the 2023/24 global cocoa stocks/grindings ratio was 27.0%, a 46-year low. 

Controversy as Blé Goudé and Gbagbo Excluded From Ivorian Electoral List

Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo addressing the media

By Ruth LAGO

The provisional electoral list for Côte d'Ivoire's 2025 presidential election, recently published, has ignited fierce debate and protests, particularly regarding the exclusion of two key political figures—Charles Blé Goudé and Laurent Gbagbo.

Both men were previously convicted for their roles in the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, with Blé Goudé sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, after being granted amnesty by international justice, their exclusion from the electoral list is being fiercely criticized. The Youth and People's Congress (COJEP) has denounced the decision, calling it a direct threat to democracy and demanding the immediate reinstatement of their leader, Blé Goudé, to ensure a fair electoral process.

Me Serge Ouraga, Spokesperson for COJEP: “It’s not just a candidacy that is being blocked, it’s the people’s right to freely choose their leaders that is being confiscated. An election that excludes is an election that divides, and a divided election is a threat to peace. We call for the restoration of President Charles Blé Goudé’s rights and his reinstatement on the electoral list so that he can participate in the 2025 election.”

Blé Goudé, a former Minister of Youth under Gbagbo’s presidency, was excluded from the list by the electoral commission on March 17. He has condemned his exclusion as politically motivated. After being acquitted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Blé Goudé returned to Côte d'Ivoire in 2021 and 2022.

The exclusion of Blé Goudé, along with former President Laurent Gbagbo, has stirred a growing uproar among their political supporters as the 2025 elections draw near. Both COJEP and the Popular African Congress for the Ivorian People (PPA-CI) have criticized the move as undermining democracy and have called for the reinstatement of their leaders.

Sébastien Djédjé Dano, Executive Director of PPA-CI: “We, the PPA-CI, will fight to ensure that Laurent Gbagbo can run in the presidential election and win. That is our mission. In this mission, we want peace—peaceful elections. We want fair, democratic, inclusive, and calm elections.”

The PPA-CI has pledged to pursue all legal options available under the Constitution, while also protesting the failure to implement a ruling by the African Court of Justice, which mandated Gbagbo’s reinstatement on the electoral list.

In response to the controversy, a 15-day "dispute" period will begin on March 22. This window allows for claims regarding omitted registrations, voter removals, and material errors on the list. The final electoral list is expected to be published by June 20, 2025.

As tensions rise, both COJEP and PPA-CI are urging their supporters to engage in this critical period of electoral disputes, which will play a crucial role in shaping the upcoming election on October 25, 2025.

Trailer in Nigeria Crashes Into Vehicles and Bursts Into Flame, Killing at Least 6 People

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

7:39 AM EDT, March 20, 2025

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least six people died near Nigeria’s capital Abuja after a trailer crashed into halted vehicles and burst into flames, police said Wednesday.

The accident happened on a busy highway near the Nyanya Bridge in Ayo, around 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city center, after the trailer, laden with cement, lost control and rammed into 14 vehicles that were stuck in traffic, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command said in a statement.

The city’s Emergency Management Department said preliminary reports indicate that the trailer was powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

“The impact engulfed 14 vehicles in a raging inferno,” the statement read. “Panic and chaos followed as bystanders and motorists scrambled for safety.”

The police said six victims were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to the hospital, but were confirmed dead.

With the absence of an efficient railway system to transport cargo, fatal truck accidents are common along most major roads in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.

In January, 98 people were killed in a gasoline tanker blast in north-central Nigeria, near the Suleja area of Niger state, after individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from a crashed oil tanker into another truck using a generator. Some bystanders were at the scene to scoop gasoline.

Nigerian Leader Suspends the Governor of an Oil-rich State in Rare Emergency Rule

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN

9:09 PM EDT, March 18, 2025

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s leader declared an emergency in oil-rich Rivers state and suspended its governor and lawmakers Tuesday over a political crisis and vandalism to pipelines that contribute to the country’s status as Africa’s top oil producer.

A crisis in Rivers has brewed for months between incumbent Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, many of whom are backed by his predecessor. This week, some lawmakers initiated an impeachment process against the governor, accusing him of various illegalities regarding the presentation of the state budget and the composition of the legislative chamber.

President Bola Tinubu said in a state broadcast he was suspending the governor and other elected officials, including the state lawmakers, for six months.

The Nigerian president criticized the governor for not “taking any action to curtail” fresh incidents of pipeline vandalism reported in the last 24 hours, including a blast that resulted in a fire on the Trans Niger Pipeline.

“With all these and many more, no good and responsible president will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the constitution to address the situation in the state,” Tinubu said.

Nigeria’s former navy chief Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, who is retired, will become the military administrator of Rivers state and the judiciary will continue to function, Tinubu said.

Military trucks were quickly deployed to the Rivers State Government House following Tinubu’s announcement.

The Nigerian Constitution allows emergency rule to maintain law and order in rare circumstances. This is the first such emergency declared in more than a decade in the country of more than 210 million people whose democracy has been tested by many years of military rule and instability.

The Nigerian Bar Association criticized the suspensions of the governor and other elected officials as illegal. “A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments,” Afam Osigwe, the association’s president, said in a statement.

The last such emergency in Nigeria was declared under President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, in the northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency. However, the state governors were not suspended at the time.

A Nigerian City Devastated by Flooding Has Quickly Recovered. Locals Credit Community Spirit

By TAIWO ADEBAYO

9:01 PM EDT, March 18, 2025

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Elizabeth Felix stands in the middle of Maiduguri’s main market, taking in the bustling scene: traders setting up stalls, customers haggling over prices, the bright colors of stacked fabric and shoes, fresh produce blending with the rich aroma of dried fish.

It’s a stark difference from just six months ago when the market had drowned under floodwater. Torrential rains swept across Central and West Africa, causing devastating flooding, among the harshest climate change effects the region has seen in decades.

“It was the worst moment of my life,” the 43-year-old fish trader said. Her shop was submerged, and 2 million naira ($1,332) worth of goods were swept away. “I lost everything,” she said.

Maiduguri, the capital of the fragile northern Nigerian state of Borno — which has been at the center of an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2009 — was one of the hardest hit areas. Dozens of lives were lost, hundreds of thousands were displaced, markets were destroyed, roads cracked, and the city’s Sanda Kyarimi zoo lost nearly 80% of its animals.

The flood, triggered by weeks of relentless rainfall and the collapse of a nearby dam, brought about 15% of the city under water, swallowing entire neighborhoods and sharply worsening existing insurgency-induced humanitarian conditions.

Against the odds, the city has made significant progress in recovering from the disaster. At least seven roads have been rehabilitated, including Fori Road, which had photos of its neighborhoods submerged in flood water circulating widely in the media. Local residents and officials put their success down to a mixture of adequate financial support and the resilient spirit of those in the community used to pulling together in tough times after years of political uncertainty and security concerns.

Adam Bababe, Executive Secretary of the Borno Geographic Information Service, said that just over 18 billion naira ($12 million) was given to the more than 100,000 households affected by the flooding. He said a further 4.3 billion naira ($2.8 million) from U.N. agencies and other partners helped toward relief efforts. And the state government stepped in with an additional 20 billion naira ($13.2 million) for infrastructure repairs and food procurement, he said.

But the government’s response did not come immediately, and official camps were only opened for displaced families in the days that followed. With official aid taking time to mobilize, young people stepped in to help.

“My friends and I came together to donate clothes and cooking materials for those who lost their homes and shop owners in less affected areas opened their doors, offering shelter until the government set up an official camp three days later,” said Ijasini Ijani, a local resident.

Lawan Maigana, a media professional, quickly assembled a team of young volunteers and leveraged his Facebook presence to raise millions of naira that primarily funded food for affected people, mostly women, children and the elderly.

In severely damaged areas where people were trapped and unable to cook for themselves, Maigana’s team started making meals and delivering them using canoes provided by the military.

And thanks to friends and family members, Felix, the fish trader, raised enough money to restart her business. “My business is back, and in fact, it’s even better than last year,” she said.

More than a decade of insurgency has helped the city grow resilient and develop a sense of community solidarity, Ijani said. “People quickly moved on and were helping one another. Even amid the disaster and in the days that followed, people went out struggling to trade and live normally,” he said.

Maiduguri’s recovery extends beyond the markets reopening, infrastructure repair, or households getting relief assistance.

The Sanda Kyarimi Park is back to normal, too, according to Ali Abacha Don Best, the zoological garden’s manager. “Many (animals) were killed and some escaped, including crocodiles and snakes. But we were able to rebuild everything,” he said.

For Alai Bakura, 19, the zoo’s revival marks a return to childhood joys during Muslims’ Eid celebrations and his friends’ birthdays.

“I feel happy to be able to use it again after the zoo was reopened after the flood. I feel happy to be able to enjoy it like before,” Bakura said.

As part of long-term restoration efforts, the rebuilding of the collapsed dam was officially launched on Saturday. The Nigerian government said the project would be completed in two phases over 24 months, and would cost 80 billion naira ($53 million).

When it is fully completed in 2027, the dam will support expanded irrigation channels to improve agriculture and water supply. The first phase between March and September will focus on urgent rehabilitation to prevent future flooding, said Joseph Utsev, the water resources minister.

“We have fought through the Boko Haram era, and we survived the flood,” Felix, the fish trader, said. “With the Lord’s help, we keep moving forward.”

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Let Us All Unite: Hamas Calls for Siege Against Israeli, US Embassies All Over the World

Tuesday, 18 March 2025 9:22 PM

Press TV

The Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called for mass demonstrations and a global siege on Israeli and American embassies around the globe in response to the Israeli regime’s resuming its US-backed war of genocide against the Palestinian territory.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the movement urged the Arab and Islamic world, along with “free people everywhere,” to escalate solidarity actions condemning the renewed Israeli escalation against Gaza, calling for immediate pressure on both the regime and its key ally, the United States, to halt the ongoing military onslaught.

“The fascist occupation government has resumed its barbaric aggression and genocide war against our people in Gaza, violating all human norms, values, and divine laws during the holy month of Ramadan,” it stated.

The movement outlined several forms of protest and acts of resistance, urging mass protests in cities worldwide and a coordinated siege of the Israeli and American diplomatic missions.

Such siege, it said, was aimed at mounting “pressure [on Tel Aviv and Washington] by all means to halt the aggression and the ongoing genocide war against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”

The statement also encouraged demonstrators to raise Palestinian flags and mobilize resources in support of, what it underlined was, the legitimate rights of Palestinians to freedom, independence, and an end to a simultaneous stifling blockade that the regime was enforcing against the coastal sliver.

Hamas’ call comes amid a sharp escalation of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in violation of a standing ceasefire agreement between the group and Tel Aviv that was hoped to end the brutal war, which began in October 2023 in response to a historic resistance operation.

According to Palestinian health officials, 424 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tuesday alone, including 174 children and 89 women. More than 600 others were wounded as Israeli forces targeted homes, mosques, and shelters.

The Israeli military kills at least 244 Palestinians, mostly women and children, throughout Gaza during a large-scale violation of a standing ceasefire agreement.

The bombardments have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis, with medical supplies running out and border crossings remaining closed for the 17th consecutive day.

International calls for a ceasefire have intensified, with global protests mounting.

However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose regime has been receiving several times the US’s already whopping $3 billion annual financial and arms support since the onset of the warfare, has refused to halt its atrocities, alleging that it was targeting Hamas’ fighters.

Hamas has held the United States, the Tel Aviv regime’s biggest benefactor, responsible for Israel’s renewed aggression against defenseless civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hamas concluded its statement with a plea for global unity, urging, “Let us unite all efforts at the Arab, Islamic, and international levels and be one voice against the Zionist aggression and the genocide war it is waging against more than two million Palestinians [in Gaza].”

Presidents of DR Congo and Rwanda Meet in Qatar to Discuss Insurgency in Eastern Region

By MARK BANCHEREAU

4:50 PM EDT, March 18, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda met Tuesday in Qatar for their first direct talks since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in mineral-rich eastern Congo earlier this year, the three governments said.

The meeting between Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame to discuss the insurgency was mediated by Qatar, the three governments said in a joint statement.

The summit came as a previous attempt to bring Congo’s government and M23 leaders together for ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday failed. The rebels pulled out Monday after the European Union announced sanctions on rebel leaders.

Congo and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire during the meeting in Qatar on Tuesday.

A diplomat briefed on the meeting said that both Tshisekedi and Kagame had formally requested Qatar’s mediation for the talks, which the diplomat said were informal and aimed at building trust rather than resolving all outstanding issues. The diplomat spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Peace talks between Congo and Rwanda were unexpectedly canceled in December after Rwanda made the signing of a peace agreement conditional on a direct dialogue between Congo and the M23 rebels, which Congo refused at the time.

The conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.

The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.

The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to “summary executions” by both sides.

Kenya Hosts Dutch Royals as Allegations of Rights Abuses Mount in the East African Nation

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI and NICHOLAS KOMU

8:46 AM EDT, March 18, 2025

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya is hosting the Dutch king and queen as allegations of human rights abuses are mounting in the East African country, with Kenyans writing hundreds of emails and petitioning the royals to cancel their visit.

Kenya’s government has been accused of arresting and detaining critics, especially after the June anti-government protests, during which demonstrators stormed parliament and torched a section of the building because they were angry over new taxes passed by legislators.

Along with cracking down on demonstrators and curbing free speech, the country also saw state-linked abductions of young men for social media posts deemed offensive to the president. In December, during protests against widespread kidnappings and abductions, dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested.

More than 20,000 Kenyans signed the petition on Change.org asking Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima to reconsider their visit. Last month, the government in the Netherlands said that it had received more than 300 emails asking for the cancellation, but that the state visit would proceed as scheduled.

The Dutch royals arrived on Monday night for a three-day visit. Willem-Alexander was honored with a 21-gun salute and inspected an honor guard, the office of President William Ruto said on Tuesday morning.

There was little excitement from Kenyans on the streets during the first day of the royal visit. Macharia Munene, a professor of international relations at the United States International University-Africa, attributed it to the “low morale that people in the country find themselves in.”

“There generally is low trust for the government and what it claims to stand for in part because such critical public institutions as health and education are not working,” Munene said. “The diplomatic clout that Kenya used to have has evaporated.”

Amnesty International on Saturday asked Kenya and the Netherlands to “place human rights at the heart of the visit, address human rights violations and commit to accountability for all victims following the recent brutal crackdown on human rights” in the East African country.

Kenya was among several African countries elected to the U.N Human Rights Council in October, and rights groups have been urging the government to prioritize civil liberties.

EVELYNE MUSAMBI

Musambi is an Associated Press reporter based in Nairobi, Kenya. She covers regional security, geopolitics, trade relations and foreign policy across East Africa.

Judge Questions Trump Administration on Whether it Ignored Order to Turn Around Deportation Flights

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and REGINA GARCIA CANO

8:41 PM EDT, March 17, 2025

A federal judge on Monday questioned whether the Trump administration ignored his orders to turn around planes carrying deportees to El Salvador, a possible violation of the decision he’d issued minutes before.

District Judge James E. Boasberg was incredulous over the administration’s contentions that his verbal directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed, that it couldn’t apply to flights that had left the U.S. and that the administration could not answer his questions about the deportations due to national security issues.

“That’s one heck of a stretch, I think,” Boasberg replied, noting that the administration knew as the planes were departing that he was about to decide whether to briefly halt deportations being made under a rarely used 18th century law invoked by Trump about an hour earlier.

“I’m just asking how you think my equitable powers do not attach to a plane that has departed the U.S., even if it’s in international airspace,” Boasberg added at another point.

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on deportations to Central America.

Deputy Associate Attorney General Abhishek Kambli contended that only Boasberg’s short written order, issued about 45 minutes after he made the verbal demand, counted. It did not contain any demands to reverse planes, and Kambli added that it was too late to redirect two planes that had left the U.S. by that time.

“These are sensitive, operational tasks of national security,” Kambli said.

The hearing over what Boasberg called the “possible defiance” of his court order marked the latest step in a high-stakes legal fight that began when President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 wartime law to remove immigrants over the weekend. It was also an escalation in the battle over whether the Trump administration is flouting court orders that have blocked some of his aggressive moves in the opening weeks of his second term.

“There’s been a lot of talk about constitutional crisis, people throw that word around. I think we’re getting very close to it,” warned Lee Gelernt of the ACLU, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, during the Monday hearing. After the hearing, Gelernt said the ACLU would ask Boasberg to order all improperly deported people returned to the United States.

Boasberg said he’d record the proceedings and additional demands in writing. “I will memorialize this in a written order since apparently my oral orders don’t seem to carry much weight,” Boasberg said.

On Saturday night, Boasberg ordered the administration not to deport anyone in its custody through the newly-invoked Alien Enemies Act, which has only been used three times before in U.S. history, all during congressionally declared wars. Trump issued a proclamation that the law was newly in effect due to what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Trump’s invocation of the act could allow him to deport any noncitizen he says is associated with the gang, without offering proof or even publicly identifying them. The plaintiffs filed their suit on behalf of several Venezuelans in U.S. custody who feared they’d be falsely accused of being Tren de Aragua members and improperly removed from the country.

Told there were planes in the air headed to El Salvador, which has agreed to house deported migrants in a notorious prison, Boasberg said Saturday evening that he and the government needed to move fast. “You shall inform your clients of this immediately, and that any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States,” Boasberg told the government’s lawyer.

According to the filing, two planes that had taken off from Texas’ detention facility when the hearing started more than an hour earlier were in the air at that point, and they apparently continued to El Salvador. A third plane apparently took off after the hearing and Boasberg’s written order was formally published at 7:26 p.m. Eastern time. Kambli said that plane held no one deported under the Alien Enemies Act.

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, on Sunday morning tweeted, “Oopsie...too late” above an article referencing Boasberg’s order and announced that more than 200 deportees had arrived in his country. The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, reposted Bukele’s post with an admiring GIF.

Later Sunday, a widely circulated article in Axios said the administration decided to “defy” the order and quoted anonymous officials who said they concluded it didn’t extend to planes outside U.S. airspace. That drew a quick denial from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said in a statement “the administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order.”

The administration argues a federal judge does not have the authority to tell the president whether he can determine the country is being invaded under the act, or how to defend it.

After Boasberg scheduled a hearing Monday and said the government should be prepared to answer questions over its conduct, the Justice Department objected, saying it could not answer in a public forum because it involved “sensitive questions of national security, foreign relations, and coordination with foreign nations.” Boasberg denied the government’s request to cancel the hearing, which led the Trump administration to ask that the judge be taken off the case.

Kambli stressed that the government believes it is complying with Boasberg’s order. It has said in writing it will not use Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport anyone if Boasberg’s order is not overturned on appeal, a pledge Kambli made again verbally in court Monday. “None of this is necessary because we did comply with the court’s written order,” Kambli said.

Boasberg’s temporary restraining order is only in effect for up to 14 days as he oversees the litigation over Trump’s unprecedented use of the act, which is likely to raise new constitutional issues that can only ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. He had scheduled a hearing Friday for further arguments, but the two organizations that filed the initial lawsuit, the ACLU and Democracy Forward, urged him to force the administration to explain in a declaration under oath what happened.

As the courtroom drama built, so did international fallout over the deportations to El Salvador. Venezuela’s government on Monday characterized the transfer of migrants to El Salvador as “kidnappings” that it plans to challenge as “crimes against humanity” before the United Nations and other international organizations. It also accused Bukele’s government of profiting off the plights of Venezuelan migrants.

“President, I respectfully say to you, are you going to support this cruelty, this injustice ... of imprisoning noble, hard-working migrants, good people, without trial, without having committed crimes in El Salvador, without any kind of sentence issued by a Salvadoran court?” President Nicolás Maduro said on state television. “Is this legal? Is it fair? Is it humane?”

Trump’s proclamation alleges Tren de Aragua is acting as a “hybrid criminal state” in partnership with Venezuela.

The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said. President Trump defended the deportations, commenting ‘these were bad people.’

Families of some Venezuelans in U.S. custody scrambled to find out if their loved ones had been sent to El Salvador. Multiple immigration lawyers said they had clients who were not gang members who were being moved for possible deportation late Friday.

Franco Caraballo was held by immigration authorities during a routine check-in Feb. 3. His immigration lawyer, Martin Rosenow, said Caraballo not been accused of a crime. Caraballo’s wife believes he’s been wrongfully accused of belonging to the gang because of a tattoo he got marking his daughter’s birthday,

He called his wife Friday night in a panic because he was being handcuffed and put on a plane to an unknown destination in Texas, from where flights to El Salvador departed.

That was the last the family heard of him and he’s disappeared from the federal immigration detainee locator system. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Rosenow.

__

Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Joshua Goodman in Miami, Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

Millions of People and Hundreds of Staff Impacted by US Aid Cuts, UN Migration Agency Say

Renata Brito poses for a portrait in Mallorca, Spain, Sept. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

By RENATA BRITO

2:39 PM EDT, March 18, 2025

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The United Nations migration agency said Tuesday it is scaling back and suspending lifesaving projects around the world and firing staff following an “unprecedented” 30% funding cut led mainly by the United States.

“The reduction in funding has severe impacts on vulnerable migrant communities, exacerbating humanitarian crises and undermining vital support systems for displaced populations,” the International Organization for Migration, based in Geneva, said in a statement.

The roughly $1.1 billion funding cut will halt dozens of projects including food and health care for Rohingya refugees in Thailand, a program that reunited trafficking victims with their families in the U.S. and emergency aid to more than 40,000 people affected by conflict and cyclones in Mozambique, according to an IOM spokesperson.

Cholera prevention, distribution of emergency shelters and medical care in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where millions of people have been displaced by conflict and famine, would also be cut.

“The world is witnessing historic displacement levels, yet funding to address the root causes of displacement is shrinking,” IOM said.

The agency, led by American Amy Pope, got more than 40% of its $3.4 billion budget in 2023 from the U.S.

To minimize the impact of budget cuts on migrants and displaced persons IOM said it will restructure, relocating staff to cheaper locations and reducing its headquarters personnel by more than 20%. Over 6,000 employees worldwide will be affected.

“We recognize the necessary impact these decisions will have on colleagues who have dedicated years to IOM’s mission, many of whom will lose their jobs,” the statement said.

The IOM measures announced Tuesday are just the latest in a series of funding cuts upending the humanitarian sector and impacting some of the most fragile regions of the world after the Trump administration vowed to eliminate more than 90% of foreign aid contracts and cut some $60 billion in funding.

___

Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

RENATA BRITO

Brito leads international migration coverage for The Associated Press. She is based out of Barcelona, Spain.

This Year Will Be Another ‘Year of Confidence’ in Being Bullish on China: Global Times Editorial

By Global Times

Mar 18, 2025 11:35 PM

Photo: VCG

"China reported surprisingly robust economic activity to start the year," said The Wall Street Journal in its assessment of China's recent economic data. On Monday, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on China's economic performance of the first two months of 2025. Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, noted that the Chinese economy started the year on a steady note, and new quality productive forces continued to grow. At the same time, the plan on special initiatives to boost consumption was launched, and the strategy of continuously expanding domestic demand has also boosted foreign investors' confidence in being bullish on and betting on China. 

The actual performance of China's economy is reflected in the rising momentum of its capital markets and external expectations. First, Chinese tech companies have delivered an impressive performance in the global capital markets since the beginning of the year. French bank Societe Generale has dubbed seven Chinese tech firms - Tencent, Alibaba, Xiaomi, SMIC, BYD, JD.com and NetEase - as the "Seven Titans." The stock value growth rates of these companies have significantly outpaced those of the US "Magnificent Seven." 

Analysts widely believe that technological breakthroughs are the key drivers of market confidence. China's domestically developed DeepSeek AI system has achieved major breakthroughs in core areas such as natural language processing, boosting the valuation of AI businesses at companies like Tencent and Alibaba. The FT Chinese recently published an article titled "See China Clearly, Bet on China," describing China's economy as still in its youthful stage. More and more observers are convinced that the groundbreaking achievements of Chinese tech companies are no coincidence but rather a concentrated manifestation of China's deep-rooted innovation strength.

The recovery of the consumer market reflects the multifaceted vitality of China's economy. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that in the first two months of the year, total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 4 percent year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous year. 

During the Spring Festival holidays, domestic tourist trips rose by 5.9 percent year-on-year, while transaction volume on tourism service platforms increased by more than 20 percent in the first two months of 2025. The Spring Festival box office surpassed 9.5 billion yuan, with Ne Zha 2 breaking multiple records. The explosive growth of cultural consumption underscores the Chinese cultural confidence. With the recent launch of the plan on special initiatives to boost consumption, a series of practical measures aimed at stimulating consumption will strengthen purchasing power, stabilize expectations, and enhance confidence.

The strategic moves of foreign enterprises provide a key perspective on observing China's economy. On March 17, BMW Group announced a partnership with Huawei to develop an in-car digital ecosystem based on the Harmony operating system. This cross-continental handshake between Europe and Asia has been hailed by industry experts as a significant milestone in China's transition from a follower to a rule-maker in the smart automotive ecosystem. On the same day, Volkswagen Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China's First Automobile Works, planning to launch "11 new models tailored for the Chinese market" from 2026, demonstrating its deeply localized strategy of "in China, for China." Additionally, Subway plans to open 4,000 stores in China over the next 20 years, and Starbucks' revenue in China has resumed growth. These investments by international brands represent a vote of confidence in the resilience of China's consumer market, backed by real financial commitments.

Behind these economic phenomena, a clear development logic runs throughout. On one hand, new quality productive forces are reshaping the engine of economic growth. From factory workshops to R&D laboratories, from the transformation of traditional industries to the cultivation of emerging industries, China is forging a new path of development characterized by higher quality, better efficiency, and optimized structure. Under the guidance of technological innovation, China is accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries toward high-end, intelligent, and green development, which not only injects new momentum into high-quality industrial development but also brings vast opportunities for global investors and enterprises. 

On the other hand, China has been continuously expanding its high-level opening-up, and this path is becoming increasingly broad. In the process of actively participating in creating a sense of gain and happiness for the vast population of China, foreign capital shares in the dividends of "betting on China." Ralf Brandstätter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, recently stated in an interview that "our new technology set-up, exclusively tailored to China will enable our joint ventures to respond even more quicker and effectively to new customer requirements and market changes in the future." 

When the international media focus on China's "better-than-expected" performance at the beginning of the year, it is important to recognize that the underlying logic of China's development lies in several key factors: the vast market of over 1.4 billion people, efficient and effective policy deployment, a welcoming attitude toward foreign capital, the continuous emergence of long-term innovative vitality, and the intrinsic motivation driven by a "people-centered" development philosophy. In the current context of a global economy lacking momentum, China is demonstrating to the world through concrete actions that it is not only a fertile ground for investment but also a stage for cooperation. It is foreseeable that this year will be another "year of confidence" for external observers who are bullish on and betting on China.

China Reaffirms Confidence in Hitting Growth Target; OECD Upgrades China's Projection

Nation’s ultra-large market, institutional advantages to ensure achievement of economic growth target: FM

By Ma Jingjing and Chi Jingyi

Mar 18, 2025 04:30 PM

An automatic assembly line is pictured at a smart factory of Changan Auto in Chongqing, southwest China, Jan. 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

China on Tuesday reaffirmed its confidence in achieving this year's economic growth target despite challenges, including an increase in trade barriers and a complex external environment. It comes after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Monday also raised its forecast for China's economic growth to 4.8 percent for 2025 from its previous projection of 4.7 percent in December 2024. 

"This year, China's GDP growth target of around five percent is set in light of the science-based assessment of evolving dynamics both at home and abroad, full confidence in high-quality development, and the balance between qualitative and quantitative progress. The target offers a glimpse of China's general principle of striving hard to pursue progress while ensuring stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Tuesday. 

Mao's remarks came after being asked to comment on China's 2025 growth target as some believe this target is ambitious, showing China's clear resolve to maintain growth, while some believe it will be difficult to hit the target.

"Despite mounting tariff barriers, a complex external environment and other challenges, we are fully confident in achieving the growth target," Mao said. 

On demand, China has an enormous market and great potential for domestic demand. On supply, China has the most complete industrial system and considerable capacity for production. On institutional strengths, China has effective governance mechanisms featuring long-term plans, sound regulation, and coordination between central and local governments, Mao noted.

On policy tools, China will adopt a more proactive fiscal policy and an appropriately accommodative monetary policy to fully buttress high-quality growth. A new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other is being fostered at a faster pace. Our diverse trading partners cover more than 230 countries and regions in the world. China is capable of guarding against the uncertainty brought by external shocks, she added. 

On Monday, China is one of the few major economies that the OECD upgraded its GDP growth forecast for 2025, as the organization said in its latest Economic Outlook that global GDP growth is projected to moderate from 3.2 percent in 2024 to 3.1 percent in 2025 and 3.0 percent in 2026.

According to the OECD, the downward adjustment for global GDP growth from its previous forecast is due to "higher trade barriers in several G20 economies and increased geopolitical and policy uncertainty weighing on investment and household spending."

"The OECD's upgrade of China's GDP forecast reflects their recognition of China's efforts to drive stable economic growth while expressing confidence in China's huge economic potential, resilience and development prospects," Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The Chinese economy has maintained a good growth momentum, with retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of a country's consumption strength, climbing 4 percent year-on-year in the first two months of 2025 to over 8.37 trillion yuan ($1.16 trillion), according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.

More international institutions are very likely to raise their GDP forecasts for China this year along with the implementation of a series of pro-growth policies, Cao said, noting that China's stable economic growth is conducive to regional cooperation and development, as well as global economic recovery.

Morgan Stanley Chief China Economist Robin Xing wrote in a note sent to the Global Times that he estimates China's real GDP growth rate for the first quarter of 2025 will likely be 5.4 percent year-on-year, adding that in March, potential payback from front-loading in January-February would be met with a lower comparison base. 

After the two sessions charted China's development roadmap for 2025, various government departments and local governments took swift and solid actions to bolster steady economic growth.

On Sunday, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued a plan to vigorously boost consumption, stimulate domestic demand across the board and increase spending power by increasing earnings and reducing financial burdens.

Peng Yanyan, head of China consumer products research at UBS Investment Bank, noted, "We remain positive on consumption picking up in 2025, which depends on promising household income prospects and a stable property market. In light of the trade-in programs, we expect major appliance retail sales to sequentially recover as we enter the peak season, with air conditioners being an outperformer."

Upbeat outlook

The annual GDP growth target of around 5 percent set during the two sessions will lay a solid foundation for the achievement of various economic and social development goals outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), while also aligning with China's overall development objectives for the year 2035 and providing solid support for a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), Michael Jiang, Head of Clients and Markets KPMG in China, told the Global Times.

Amid China's stable growth and firm commitment to opening-up, a number of foreign companies have announced plans in the dynamic market recently. On Monday, German car maker BMW announced a partnership with Huawei to develop an in-car digital ecosystem in China based on the company's Harmony operating system.

The coatings division of German chemical giant BASF and Chinese electric carmaker NIO have just announced the signing of a letter of intent aimed at establishing a strategic partnership to enhance cooperation in the automotive coatings sector. 

"Although the global economic development is facing with severe challenges, China's positive economic outlook remains unchanged due to its strong resilience, huge potential and ample vitality. China has the confidence to continue to achieve its stable economic growth goal," Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said during a meeting with Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury in Beijing on Monday, according to an official press release by the Chinese commerce ministry.

Wang stressed that China will adhere to high-level opening up, steadily expand institutional opening up, continuously improve the business environment and vigorously encourage foreign investment, while encouraging European companies, including Airbus, to take advantage of the opportunity to increase investment in China, deepen industrial cooperation, and provide more quality products and services to China and the world, per the press release.

Faury, on his part, said Airbus is positive about the China market and is actively investing in the market, and the company will continue to expand investment in China to deepen the market for its own better development.

Trump, Putin Hold Phone Call to Discuss Ceasefire in Ukraine

Many details needed to be discussed for substantial result: expert

By Zhao Yusha

Mar 19, 2025 12:32 AM

Russian soldiers walk along destroyed buildings in Kursk region on March 15, 2025, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Photo: VCG

The White House says President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun a highly anticipated call as the US administration looks to persuade the Russian leader to sign-off on a 30-day cease-fire proposal as a possible pathway to end the war, AP reported. 

Tuesday's call comes after Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the American proposal during talks in Saudi Arabia, per AP. 

Trump and Putin have been on the phone since 10 am ET (1400 GMT), a White House official said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. "The call is going well, and still in progress," Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Before the call, Trump said land and power plants are part of the conversation around bringing the conflict to a close, the Associated Press reported.

The Kremlin noted before the call that talking points on all pressing issues, first of all on the Ukrainian settlement, would be prepared for the conversation, TASS reported. 

NPR reported on Monday that White House officials say they are cautiously optimistic about a proposal that would stop the fighting between Russia and Ukraine for 30 days, It said Ukraine already agreed to a 30-day cease-fire, if Russia signs on too, so that a longer peace deal can be discussed.

In general, the phone call between two presidents carries a positive meaning as the communication is likely to lead to a general consensus between US and Russia regarding solving the Ukraine crisis, and a basic framework for detailed and further negotiations could be built, Yang Jin, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Yet Yang is skeptical any substantial results will be reached after the phone call, as many details needed to be discussed, such as who is to order a cease-fire and how to supervise it. Russia is also likely to insist its stance on territorial claims. "Russia's latest progress in the Kursk region is likely to up the ante for the country during negotiations. As the old saying goes, what you can't gain on the battlefield, you can't gain at the negotiating table."

On March 13, Putin expressed appreciation to Trump for his involvement in the peace talks and supported the idea of a cease-fire. However, the Russian president raised several critical issues regarding the status of Ukrainian military personnel in Kursk Region, the mechanisms for monitoring the cease-fire, and Ukraine's potential actions during this period, according to TASS. 

Putin is demanding a suspension of all weapons deliveries to Ukraine during the cease-fire proposed by Trump, Bloomberg quoted people with knowledge of the matter as saying.

At the same time, Russia is making progress in the battlefield as over the past weeks, Russian troops have retaken a large part of areas that Ukraine captured after its surprise cross-border attack in the Kursk region in August last year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Senior Ukrainian officials also told UK news outlet the Independent that Ukraine has four key terms that must be upheld in order for the conflict to end, which include no further territory ceded to Russia, including territory in the partially-occupied regions of Ukraine.

The situation remains complicated, with concerned parties significantly diverging on crucial issues. As a result, there is still a long way to go before any meaningful progress can be made toward resolving the crisis, Yang said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of an upcoming conversation between US and Russia leaders, Xinhua reported. Macron wrote on social media platform X that that France, together with its partners, must work to develop a "concrete plan" to provide solid security guarantees for Ukraine and ensure lasting peace in Europe.

A "significant number" of countries are willing to provide peacekeeping troops in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Currently, the US has underestimated the complexity regarding security framework exposed by the Ukraine crisis, and yet failed to present a fundamental solution to the security dilemma, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times. 

Li noted that there's growing concerns and discontent regarding the US approach to facilitating a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, which has, in turn, generated anxiety among all parties involved. "These anxieties stem from within the US, as well as from Europe and Ukraine; even Russia harbors a low level of trust in the US, given historical reasons," Li explained. 

Putin said in February that Ukraine would not be excluded from negotiations to end the conflict, but success would depend on raising the level of trust between Moscow and Washington, Reuters reported.

Ukraine Peace Talks: Russia Sees Three Scenarios

Russia outlines three possible scenarios for Ukraine peace talks

18.03.2025 16:13

Russia has identified three potential scenarios for negotiations on Ukraine, with diplomatic resolution being the most likely outcome, Andrey Sushentsov, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at MGIMO University, a member of the Scientific-Expert Council under Russia's Security Council believes.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Belarus

According to Sushentsov, there is a high probability that a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine conflict could be reached in 2025, as both Russia and the US have shown strong willingness to engage in talks.

"Ukraine initially sought to avoid negotiations, relying on European support to continue fighting. However, European countries have signaled that they lack the resources for prolonged military assistance. Without Washington's backing, Kyiv cannot sustain the conflict and was ultimately forced to accept the US demand to enter negotiations,” he explained.

Three Possible Outcomes

Negotiated Peace Settlement (Most Likely)

Russia and the US work towards a diplomatic resolution to end the war;

Ukraine, lacking European military support and under US pressure, agrees to negotiations;

Continued Conflict with European Involvement.

If Russia and the US rebuild ties, but Europe continues military engagement in Ukraine, the war could persist.

However, Sushentsov deems this less probable, arguing that the EU lacks the military and political unity for a prolonged war effort.

He warned that further militarization of the EU could split the bloc, possibly leading to its dissolution.

Breakdown of Talks & Return to Biden-Era Policies (Unlikely)

If negotiations collapse, US policy could revert to the confrontational approach of the Biden administration. However, Sushentsov considers this improbable, as it does not align with Trump's priorities.

"Trump prioritizes economic growth, territorial expansion, and strengthening the dollar's role in global trade. Continuing the Ukraine crisis does not serve his agenda,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has confirmed that Putin and Trump will hold a phone call on Tuesday, March 18, between 4 PM and 6 PM Moscow time. The discussion will focus on normalizing US-Russia relations and the situation in Ukraine.

Putin has reiterated that Russia has never refused to seek a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis. He emphasized that Russian Armed Forces have created conditions for serious international dialogue.

Details

There have been several rounds of peace talks to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine since the war's outbreak on 24 February 2022. Throughout the talks, Russian president Vladimir Putin has sought Ukrainian recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea, the cession of the four regions Russia declared to have annexed in September 2022, and guarantees that Ukraine would not join NATO. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought total Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, the return of prisoners and Ukrainian children kidnapped into Russia, membership in NATO and the European Union, and future security guarantees from the United States and other countries. The first meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials took place four days after the invasion began, on 28 February 2022, in Belarus, and concluded without result. Later rounds of talks took place in March 2022 on the Belarus–Ukraine border and in Antalya, Turkey. Negotiations in Turkey created an agreement in which Ukraine would abandon plans to join NATO and have limits placed on its military, while having security guarantees from Western countries and not being required to recognize Russian ownership of Crimea. The draft treaty was almost agreed to, but disagreements over security guarantees and the Bucha massacre ultimately led negotiations to stop.

See more at https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/161843-ukraine-peace-talks-russia/

Putin Has Only One Condition for Ceasefire in Ukraine: Halt Western Arms Supplies

18.03.2025 16:02

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly made the halt of Western arms supplies to Ukraine a prerequisite for signing a ceasefire agreement, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

Vladimir Putin

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Presidential Executive of Russia, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

During a meeting last week with Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for US President Donald Trump, Putin insisted that the suspension of military aid be a preliminary condition for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. The report, citing a senior European official and other sources, notes that while arms deliveries may be paused temporarily, they could resume after a peace deal—one that would require Kyiv to agree to limits on its military capabilities.

On March 13, Putin stated that Russia was open to halting hostilities, but emphasized that any ceasefire must lead to a lasting peace and address the root causes of the conflict. He also raised concerns over monitoring and verification mechanisms, which remain unresolved.

Details

The Minsk agreements were a series of international agreements which sought to end the Donbas war fought between armed Russian separatist groups and Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Russian regular forces playing a central part. After a defeat at Ilovaisk at the end of August 2014, Russia forced Ukraine to sign the first Minsk Protocol, or the Minsk I. It was drafted by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, consisting of Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), with mediation by the leaders of France (François Hollande) and Germany (Angela Merkel) in the so-called Normandy Format. After extensive talks in Minsk, Belarus, the agreement was signed on 5 September 2014 by representatives of the Trilateral Contact Group and, without recognition of their status, by the then-leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). This agreement followed multiple previous attempts to stop the fighting in the region and aimed to implement an immediate ceasefire.

See more at https://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/161842-putin-condition-ceasefire-ukraine/

Monday, March 17, 2025

US Renews Aggression on Yemen, Targets Hodeidah in Series of Raids

By Al Mayadeen English

The United States has targeted al-Arj and al-Salif in Yemen's Hodeidah province as the aggression on the country continues.

A US aggression targeted the al-Arj area in the Bajil district in the coastal Hodeidah province, west of Yemen, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Monday, adding that US attacks also destroyed an iron factory in the al-Salif district, northwest Hodeidah, in a series of airstrikes. 

The renewed aggression comes as Sanaa declared its imposition of the naval blockade and siege on Israeli or Israeli-bound ships sailing through the Red Sea as long as the embargo on humanitarian aid destined for the Gazan people is not lifted. 

The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced that the blockade came in support of the Palestinian people and their Resistance, but rapidly expanded to include American ships as well, due to the aggression against Yemen.

In his speech on Sunday, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned the United States, saying, "If your aggression on our country continues, we will take other escalatory steps, and our people will move in a comprehensive and wide manner."

Yemen vows escalation

The warning was reiterated on Monday during Yemen's million-strong march under the banner of "Steadfast with Gaza, confronting American escalation with escalation."

In a statement issued by the march organizers, Yemen's support for its "brothers in Gaza" was reaffirmed, particularly in the face of all the dangers they are facing. 

"We pride ourselves on our leader's decision to impose a four-day deadline for humanitarian aid entries into Gaza before imposing the siege on the occupation's vessels," the statement said, adding "We refuse to be included in the nation's 'foam of the flood', which abandoned its kin to die of starvation and thirst at the hands of its enemy." 

The Yemeni mass marches also announced a comprehensive mobilization to confront the aggression and the recent American escalation through military escalation, public mobilization, and economic boycott of the enemies.

For his part, member of the Supreme Political Council, Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, addressed US President Donald Trump, saying "You are mistaken. You do not scare us," adding that "our position is the correct one, while yours is reckless and illegitimate."

Recent Violence Shows Syria's Struggle to Unite Military: NYT Report

By Al Mayadeen English

The recent wave of violence in Syria has killed thousands of Alawites and displaced tens of thousands, in the bloodiest day since the ousting of former president Bashar al-Assad.

A newly published report by the New York Times discussed how the recent wave of violence across the Syrian coast brings one of the many challenges Syria faces to light.

Following the massacres that killed thousands of men, women, children, and elderly of the Alawite sect, Syria faces the reality of the many obstacles it faces as it tries to rebuild and create a unified army and integrate numerous separate armed groups into it.

How the massacres unfolded

The Syrian government mobilized its security forces across the Tartus and Latakia provinces, two Alawite majority provinces, in tandem with armed civilians who joined the governmental forces, NYT said citing witnesses, human rights groups, and analysts who kept up with the violence.

According to the rights groups cited, fighters spread across Tartus and Latakia Provinces, allegedly targeting suspected insurgents opposing the new authorities however, the fighters shelled civilian houses, looted shops, burned cars, and carried out summary field executions of many civilians of the Alawite minority group.

NYT linked the issue to the Syrian government and the fighters in its security forces being overwhelmingly Sunni, while the civilian victims in the wave of violence were mostly Alawites, the sect to which the ousted President Bashar al-Assad belongs to, leading Sunnis to associate Alawites with Assad's regime.

A clearer understanding of the events will take time to develop due to their widespread nature, the large number of fighters and victims, and the challenges in identifying them and determining their affiliations. the report said, noting that the March massacres were the deadliest few days since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

According to NYT's correspondent, The Syrian Network for Human Rights, a conflict monitor, reported last week that militias and foreign fighters linked to the new government but not officially integrated into it were the main perpetrators of this month's sectarian and mass killings motivated by vengeance.

The report stated that the government's weak control over its forces and affiliated fighters, along with their failure to adhere to legal regulations, were major factors in the growing violations against civilians, adding that as the violence escalated, some of these operations rapidly turned into large-scale acts of retaliation, leading to mass killings and looting carried out by undisciplined armed groups.

On Saturday, the network increased its documented death toll since March 6 to over 1,000, with many victims being civilians, while another war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported on Friday that the total number of deaths had reached 1,500, mostly Alawite civilians.

Al-Sharaa responds to the events

The government itself has stated that it founded an investigative committee to probe into the violence that took place and promised to hold those responsible accountable for their atrocities against civilians.

In an interview with Reuters published last week, al-Sharaa claimed, “Syria is a state of law,” emphasizing that “the law will take its course on all.”

He accused armed forces connected to the Assad family and supported by an unnamed foreign power of being responsible for triggering the violence, but admitted that “many parties entered the Syrian coast, and many violations occurred,” adding that the fighting eventually turned into “an opportunity for revenge” following the long and bitter civil war.

Throughout the war, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands according to estimates, numerous rebel factions emerged to oppose al-Assad, with some eventually joining forces with al-Sharaa's extremist rebel group in the final battle that led to the former regime's downfall.

A group of Syrian rebel leaders appointed al-Sharaa as the interim President of the new Syrian administration, and since then, he vowed to combine all the country's former fighter groups into one single army, however, in less than a month since his appointment, the massacres along the Syrian coast took place.

“The unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation,” al-Sharaa stated in front of hundreds of delegates at a recent national dialogue conference.

The challenge of unification

According to NYT, having fought fiercely during the civil war to establish their territories, many groups remain unwilling to relinquish control, while the conflict left Syria’s economy in ruins and burdened the new Syrian president with a bankrupt state lacking the funds to rebuild its military, and with international economic sanctions still in place against the former regime, efforts to secure foreign aid continue to face significant obstacles.

All of these factors play a role in the little progress in achieving the integration of all the armed groups into one unified army.

“The unification is all fluff. It’s not real...the existing command structure is weak," Rahaf Aldoughli, an assistant professor at Lancaster University in England who researches Syria’s armed groups said.

Experts stated that the foundation of the new security forces consists of former fighters from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the Sunni Islamist rebel group led by Ahmad al-Sharaa for years, who operate under a unified command structure overseen by him but lack the necessary manpower to control the entire country.

Large parts of Syria remain under the control of powerful factions outside the national security forces, including Druze militias that continue to dominate a region southeast of Damascus, while the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed to integrate into the Syrian army but have not yet done so.

Aldoughli stated that while other rebel groups allied with the current Syrian president have formally agreed to merge into the new national force, they have yet to follow through, with most having received neither training nor salaries from the government and continuing to pledge loyalty to their commanders. Additional armed groups remain with no ties to the government, alongside civilians who took up arms for self-defense during the war.

When the unrest broke out on March 6, fighters from various groups quickly joined in with differing motives, as some aimed to suppress the alleged insurgency while others sought revenge for past violations committed during the civil war, with much of the violence taking on a deeply sectarian nature.

In videos shared online, numerous fighters used derogatory language toward Alawites and portrayed attacks against them as acts of retribution, with one unidentified man stating, “This is revenge” in a verified video showing groups of fighters looting and burning homes believed to belong to Alawites, according to The New York Times.