Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Six In The Morning Tuesday 20 May 2025

 

UK suspends Israel trade talks and summons ambassador over 'intolerable' Gaza offensive


Summary

Israeli military vehicles outnumber aid trucks crossing Gaza border

Wyre Davies
Reporting from southern Israel

Here at the Kerem Shalom crossing at Israel’s southern border with Gaza is where, ordinarily, much of the food and goods getting into Gaza would cross.

Today, there’s only been a trickle of trucks passing our vantage point and into the inspection compound. Among those I saw were six trucks laden with white sacks, probably flour, and stamped with the logo of the World Food Programme.

But the trucks aren’t crossing straight into Gaza.


UK and Europe target Russia with major sanctions after Putin-Trump call


Sanctions are aimed at entities supporting Russia’s military machine after call failed to deliver meaningful concessions

Tue 20 May 2025 11.50 BST

The UK and Europe have announced major sanctions against Russia as it became clear that Monday’s call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had failed to deliver any meaningful concessions from Moscow.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Tuesday accused Russia of “trying to buy time in order to continue its war and occupation” as Putin declined to support the US-proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire already agreed to by Ukraine.

The UK said its sanctions would target dozens of entities “supporting Russia’s military machine, energy exports and information war, as well as financial institutions helping to fund Putin’s invasion of Ukraine”.


Taiwan wants peace with China but needs tight defense — Lai

Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, says his country wants dialogue with China but still needs to prepare for war. Lai, who is marking a year in power, rejects Beijing's claim of sovereignty over the self-ruled island.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday said that while Taiwan was ready to have exchanges with China, it also had to keep strengthening its defenses in the event that Beijing decided to assert its claim to sovereignty over the island with military force.

His remarks came as Lai — whom China has called a "separatist" while rejecting previous offers he has made for talks — marked one year in office.

PKK rejects 'exile' of its members from Turkey after agreeing to disband

A spokesman for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said its members should not be forced into exile as a result of any future peace deal with the Turkish government. Imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan on May 12 called for the group to disarm and disband after a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that cost more than 40,000 lives.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has said Turkey should ease prison conditions for its founder Abdullah Ocalan, declaring him the group’s “chief negotiator” for any future talks after a decision to disband.

The Kurdish group, blacklisted by Ankara and its Western allies, announced on May 12 it had adopted a decision to disarm and disband after a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that cost more than 40,000 lives.

Ishiba reprimands farm minister over rice comment as criticism mounts


Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday reprimanded the farm minister for claiming he never buys rice because he gets it free, provoking the ire of consumers facing soaring prices.

Japan's government has released some of its emergency stockpile of the grain in recent months, with agriculture minister Taku Eto weeks ago lamenting the "hardship" experienced by consumers.

But addressing a gathering over the weekend, Eto said he has "never bought rice myself because my supporters donate so much to me that I can practically sell".


Iran’s Khamenei slams ‘nonsense’ US nuclear demands

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran looking shaky as Iran resists US negotiator Witkoff’s ‘red line’.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has derided demands from the United States that it halt nuclear enrichment as negotiations between the two countries hang in the balance.

“Saying things like ‘We will not allow Iran to enrich uranium’ is nonsense. No one [in Iran] is waiting for others’ permission,” said Khamenei in a speech reported by the country’s semi-official Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.




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