Diplomats

France had also intervened after Trump administration had opposed the reappointment of UN human rights chiefUS diplomats walked out of a United Nations meeting after France criticized the country’s human rights record under Donald Trump.The staged walkout, which occurred on Monday during a UN security council meeting on the Ukraine-Russia war, came days after the Trump administration cited “forced labor” allegations as it imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries. Continue reading...

• ASEAN diplomats are convening for a series of high-level meetings to address regional conflicts and maritime disputes, specifically the volatile situation in the South China Sea. • The summit occurs amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions and follows U.S. State Department condemnations of China's "dangerous and aggressive" provocations against Philippine maritime operations. • Key international figures, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will attend, with a potential sideline meeting between the two.

• Top diplomats from ASEAN nations gathered in Manila starting Tuesday to discuss regional stability and diplomatic cooperation. • The meeting is overshadowed by the escalating conflict between the US and Iran, which adds geopolitical uncertainty to the Southeast Asian region. • Discussions are complicated by existing regional crises, including maritime tensions with China and the ongoing struggle to resolve Myanmar's civil war.

• Top ASEAN diplomats are convening for a summit to address critical regional and global security threats. • Key agenda items include the escalating conflict between the US and Iran, as well as the ongoing instability and civil war in Myanmar. • The meeting is significant as Southeast Asian leaders seek to navigate geopolitical tensions and maintain regional stability amidst superpower friction.

Diplomats in Sarajevo failed to agree on a candidate for the high representative role, which carries a lot of power and influence across the BalkansDiplomats from the US and Europe have been unable to resolve their differences and agree on a new top international envoy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a standoff which has become a transatlantic test of wills over influence in the Balkans.A meeting in Sarajevo to select a new high representative, a post with far-reaching powers, ended without a compromise, in a spat that has undermined western cohesion in the region in the Trump era. Continue reading...

• A drone strike in the Sudanese city of El Obeid hit an empty fuel tanker parked near a school on Tuesday, resulting in injuries to students. • The United Nations reported on Wednesday that ongoing fighting in the city continues to endanger civilians and cause significant damage to local infrastructure. • This incident highlights the escalating risks to non-combatants and educational facilities amidst the broader Sudanese conflict.

Rights activists call UK ambassador ‘morally compromised’ for accepting honour from Bahraini king in apparent breach of Foreign Office rulesThe British ambassador to Bahrain has been accused of breaching government rules over accepting an award by the Gulf state’s king, a move critics suggest signals diplomats and civil servants are “up for grabs”.This week, the ambassador, Alastair Long, received the Order of Bahrain from King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, in recognition of his diplomatic tenure, which human rights activists and politicians say is in “direct breach” of the Foreign Office’s rules on accepting foreign awards. Continue reading...