WASHINGTON, 24 May 2022, (TON): US President Joe Biden said “he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, rallying support on his first trip to Asia since taking office for US opposition to China’s growing assertiveness across the region.”

Biden’s comments appeared to be a departure from existing US policy of so-called strategic ambiguity on its position on the self-governed island that China considers its territory and says is the most sensitive and important issue in its ties with the United States.

When asked by a reporter in Tokyo if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China, the president answered, “yes.”

“That’s the commitment we made, we agree with a one-China policy.”

We’ve signed on to it and all the intended agreements made from there. But the idea that, that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not, is just not appropriate.

He added “it was his expectation that such an event would not happen or be attempted.”

KYIV, 24 May 2022, (TON): A Ukrainian court sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a Ukrainian civilian, in the first war crimes trial since Russia’s invasion.

Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin was accused of shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the head in a village in the northeastern Sumy region in the early days of the war.

He pleaded guilty and testified that he shot the man after being ordered to do so. He told the court that an officer insisted that the Ukrainian man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to the Ukrainian forces.

During the trial, Shishimarin asked the widow of the victim to forgive him.

RIYADH, 24 May 2022, (TON): Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh received in Riyadh Ambassador Ulrika Sandberg, special envoy of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Organization of the Islamic Conference for interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

The meeting was attended by the counter-terrorism coordinator at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Erika Ferrer, the Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Niclas Trouvé and an accompanying delegation.

Al-Asheikh said “the Kingdom endeavors to spread the principles of moderation, rejecting extremism and respect for all human beings, as stipulated in the Holy Quran and the way of the Prophet.”

CAIRO, 24 May 2022, (TON): Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly discussed with Osmar Chohfi, president of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, and its Secretary-General Tamer Mansour, economic ties between the two countries.

Nader Saad, spokesman for Egypt’s Cabinet, said “the meeting also reviewed growing ties between Brazil and Arab countries.”

Madbouly stressed Cairo’s support for all efforts to bolster economic ties, including proposals related to investment cooperation and the establishment of a Brazilian industrial zone in Egypt.

Egypt is Brazil’s top trade partner among Arab countries, with a trade volume of nearly $2.6 billion.

DUBAI, 24 May 2022, (TON): One third of the world’s food supply is wasted every year, which is why the world food crisis was one of the pressing topics discussed on the first day of panel discussions at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.

Panelist David Beasley, the executive director of the UN World Food Programme, said “the world is facing the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.”

Beasley said “because of this crisis, we are taking food from the hungry to give to the starving.”

He explained that if the port of Odessa in Ukraine doesn’t open, it will add to the complexity of the global problem.

“We’ve got to get those fields back operational, we’ve got to get those silos full again.”

The WFP executive director said “failure to open the ports is a declaration of war on global food security.”

BANGKOK, 24 May 2022, (TON): Tourism officials said “Thailand is hoping to welcome 100,000 annual Saudi visitors by 2023, as the country prepares to attract families, medical tourists and millennials from the Kingdom.”

Thai tourism officials last week held the “Amazing Thailand Roadshow to Saudi Arabia,” marking the Southeast Asian nation’s first tourism promotion campaign since the two kingdoms restored diplomatic ties in late January.

Bilateral relations, which had stalled in the 1980s, were renewed following Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s visit to Riyadh, which was the first senior leadership meeting between the two countries in over three decades.

The two governments have since signed cooperation agreements to promote trade, investment and labor recruitment, with officials now set to enhance cooperation in the tourism industry.

LONDON, 24 May 2022, (TON): The Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia this morning to congratulate him on his election win at the weekend.

The Prime Minister told the new Australian leader that he wanted to congratulate him fulsomely on the big moment and said he looked forward to strengthening the UK – Australia relationship even further.

Prime Minister Albanese thanked the Prime Minister and noted that the UK and Australia had a strong and historic friendship, stemming from their close Commonwealth ties.

The pair agreed that there was more that could be done together.

Both leaders agreed that there was strong alignment between their Governments’ joint agendas, spanning across global security, climate change and trade.

Discussing AUKUS, the leaders strongly agreed on its vital importance and the exciting opportunities it provided. The Prime Minister said he thought the trilateral grouping could go further together in other domains, where both countries could collaborate for the global good.

RIYADH, 24 May 2022, (TON): Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister, met the commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, to discuss developments in the Middle East.

Prince Khalid said on Twitter “we discussed our joint defense coordination, addressing regional challenges, and stressed the need to work together on preserving regional and global stability.”

Prince Khalid visited the Central Command’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida, as part of the official visit to the US of his delegation, which began last Tuesday.

The CentCom’s area of responsibility covers the Middle East, including Egypt in Africa, and Central Asia and parts of South Asia.

Prince Khalid met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington during which they affirmed their countries’ common vision to confront Iran’s destabilizing policies in the region.

BEIJING, 24 May 2022, (TON): Uyghurs have urged UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to avoid falling victim to a public relations stunt as her trip to China enters a delicate new phase with a visit to the remote Xinjiang region.

The ruling Communist Party is accused of detaining over one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region as part of a years-long security crackdown the United States has labelled a genocide.

China vehemently denies the allegations, calling them the lie of the century.

Bachelet is expected to visit the Xinjiang cities Urumqi and Kashgar on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a six-day tour.

Jevlan Shirememet said “I hope she can also ask the Chinese government for the whereabouts of my mother.”

He added that he had not been able to contact her in four years.

TOKYO, 24 May 2022, (TON): Secretary Raimondo met with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Koichi Hagiuda.

During the meeting, Secretary Raimondo and Minister Hagiuda discussed continued cooperation under bilateral initiatives including the Japan-U.S. Commercial and Industrial Partnership and the Economic Policy Consultative Committee.

Secretary Raimondo also thanked the Minister and the Government of Japan for its continued support of the Indo Pacific Economic Framework.