United News of Bangladesh

The Myanmar military junta should end the ongoing Rohingya genocide and atrocities against other civilians and fulfill legally binding provisional measures issued in 2020 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, said Fortify Rights.  The ICJ, also known as the World Court, published a ruling rejecting the military junta’s request for an extension in a historic genocide trial initiated against Myanmar in 2019. “Today’s ruling is another in a series of defeats for the Myanmar junta at The Hague,” said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Fortify Rights on Friday.  “The same generals responsible for the Rohingya genocide wanted to significantly delay the genocide trial, and the court was right to reject their request.” On October 23, 2020, The Gambia filed a 500+-page Memorial at the ICJ in a lawsuit against Myanmar for genocide against the Rohingya.  The court set April 24, 2023, as the deadline for the junta to file a “Counter-Memorial”—an official response to The Gambia’s evidence of genocide against the Rohingya people.  In a letter to the court dated March 14, 2023, the Myanmar junta requested that the ICJ grant a ten-month extension, until February 2024, for filing its Counter-Memorial.  On April 6, 2023, the ICJ issued an order, published today, rejecting the junta’s request. In its request to the court, the junta cited numerous reasons for demanding more time to file its response to the evidence of genocide presented to the court by The Gambia, including a “change in Government in February 2021,” which is a euphemism for the Myanmar military’s deadly coup d’état on February 1, 2021.  The court announced today that The Gambia contended that the Myanmar junta “should not be allowed to further delay the proceedings because of its own military coup.” According to the court, the Myanmar junta also claimed it needed more time due to the “voluminous nature” of The Gambia’s Memorial; the time needed for the translation of documents in Burmese and English; limited resources “to conduct the case;” and due to the requirement that the junta report to the court every six months on its implementation of provisional measures ordered by the court in January 2020.  The junta also cited reasons related to COVID-19 “restrictions” and, lastly, so that it could “take statements from witnesses who were presently living in camps in Bangladesh or would soon be repatriated to Myanmar.” In recent weeks,  Myanmar junta officials visited Bangladesh Rohingya refugee camps as part of a “pilot repatriation” effort to return refugees, despite the fact that the junta continues to commit human rights violations that amount to genocide against Rohingya in Myanmar. In response to the junta’s requests for an extension, in a letter dated March 21, 2023,  The Gambia argued that it produced its Memorial to the court in nine months and that Myanmar already had a total of 29 months to produce its Counter-Memorial.  In January 2023, Fortify Rights and 16 individuals from Myanmar filed a criminal complaint with the Federal Public Prosecutor General of Germany under the principle of universal jurisdiction against senior Myanmar military generals and others for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.    

China won’t sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine, the country’s foreign minister said Friday, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide military assistance to Russia. China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for its invasion of its neighbor. Qin Gang is the highest-level Chinese official to make such an explicit statement about arms sales to Russia. He added that China would also regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use. “Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude,” Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. “China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations.” The minister also reiterated China’s willingness to help find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. At the same news conference, Qin also blamed Taiwan’s government for heightened regional tensions after Beijing held large-scale military drills in an attempt to intimidate the island it claims as its own territory. In February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. had intelligence suggesting China was considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia — and warned that such involvement in the Kremlin’s war effort would be a “serious problem.” In recent days, European leaders have issued similar warnings, even as they visited China, and the European Union’s foreign policy chief lashed out at Beijing, saying its support of Russia during the invasion was “a blatant violation” of its United Nations commitments. In her remarks, Baerbock also referred to China’s role as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, saying it bore a special responsibility for helping end the conflict. “But I have to wonder why the Chinese positioning so far does not include a call for the aggressor, Russia, to stop the war,” she said. “We all know that President (Vladimir) Putin would have the opportunity to do so at any time, and the people in Ukraine would like nothing more than to finally be able to live in peace again.” A visit to Moscow last month by Chinese leader Xi Jinping underscored how Beijing is increasingly becoming the senior partner in the relationship as it provides Russia with an economic lifeline and political cover. China announced Friday that Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu would visit Russia next week for meetings with counterpart Sergei Shoigu and other military officials. On both Ukraine and Taiwan, Qin articulated well-worn defenses of Chinese policies that underscore Beijing’s rejection of criticisms from the West, particularly the U.S. Under the ardently nationalist Xi, China has sharpened its rhetoric, particularly on the issue of Taiwan, which split from mainland China amid civil war in 1949. Tensions around the island rose significantly after China deployed warships and fighter planes near Taiwan last weekend in retaliation for a meeting between U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen. China insists that self-governing Taiwan submit to its rule, either peacefully or by force, and Qin said the pursuit of independence by Taiwan’s government and its foreign supporters — a veiled reference to chief ally the United States — were the reason for the tensions. Baerbock warned that a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, through which much of the world’s international trade passes, would bring global disaster. “We therefore view the increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait with great concern,” she said. “Conflicts must be resolved peacefully. A unilateral change of the status quo would not be acceptable to us as Europeans.” Apparently rejecting Baerbock’s concerns, Qin said Taiwan was “China’s internal affair.” “Taiwan independence and peace cannot co-exist,” he said.

China's foreign minister on Friday said the country would not sell weapons to parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine and would regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use. Qin Gang was responding to concerns from the U.S. and others that China was considering providing military assistance to Russia, which Beijing has backed politically and rhetorically in the conflict while formally saying it remains neutral. Qin reiterated China’s willingness to help facilitate negotiations to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and said all parties should remain “objective and calm.” Speaking at a news conference with his visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, Qin also blamed Taiwan’s government for heightened regional tensions after Beijing held large-scale military drills in an attempt to intimidate the island it claims as its own territory. On both Ukraine and Taiwan, Qin articulated well-worn defenses of Chinese policies that underscore Beijing's rejection of criticisms from the West, particularly the U.S. Under ardently nationalist leader Xi Jinping, China has been sharpening its rhetoric, particularly on the issue of Taiwan, which split from mainland China amid civil war in 1949. “Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin said. "China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations,” he added. In her remarks, Baerbock said that as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China bore a special responsibility for helping end the conflict. She also referred to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, through which much of the world's international trade passes, and said a conflict in the area would be a global disaster. China’s ruling Communist Party sent warships and fighter planes near Taiwan last weekend in retaliation for a meeting between U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen. China insists that self-governing Taiwan submit to its rule, either peacefully or by force, and Qin said the pursuit of independence by Taiwan's government and its foreign supporters — a veiled reference to chief ally the United States — were the reason for the tensions. Apparently rejecting Baerbock's concerns, Qin said Taiwan was “China's internal affair and bore no outside interference." “Taiwan independence and peace can not co-exist,” he said. While Germany has strongly backed Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, Beijing has blamed the U.S. and NATO for provoking the conflict, refused to criticize Moscow's actions and criticized economic sanctions against President Vladimir Putin's regime. “Territory is indivisible, and security is equally indivisible," Qin said. “Without recognition of the security interests of a particular party, crises and conflicts are inevitable.” "China is willing to continue to work for peace, and hopes that all parties involved in the crisis will remain objective and calm, and make constructive efforts to resolve the crisis through negotiations,” he added.

In Bangladesh, we may expect that whatever comes out of the tap will be drinkable. The data, however, suggests a very grim reality. Bangladesh scored 26.90 out of 100 in the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), meaning the local tap water is one of the most dangerous in the world. Bangladesh ranked fifth in terms of access to safe drinking water in South Asia and 128th overall. In South Asia, Bangladesh is only ahead of Nepal (25.90), India (18.30), and Pakistan (15.30). Read More: On India’s shore, rising salinity means daily water struggle Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ranked first in the region with a score of 46.70, followed by the Maldives (41.2), Bhutan (31.5), and Afghanistan (27.80). The Yale University’s EPI index looks at the quality of drinking water in 180 countries around the world based on the number of age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years lost per 100,000 persons (DALY rate) due to exposure to unsafe drinking water. All of the countries on the list are ranked by a score from 0 to 100, with a score of 100 indicating very safe drinking water and a score of 0 indicating the most unsafe. QS Supplies, one of the UK's largest independent bathroom wholesalers and retailers, has used EPI and CDC data to create a new set of data visualizations to illustrate the severity of the situation and to flag the countries where it is and is not safe to consume the tap water. Read More: Dhaka for enhanced international cooperation for advancing Water Action Agenda   The data from the CDC suggests that the water coming out of the tap in Bangladesh is “not safe to drink.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a quarter of the world's population lives in water-stressed countries, and a similar number uses a drinking water source contaminated with feces. These conditions cause diarrheal diseases including cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio to spread through drinking water each year. Common chemical contaminants include lead, mercury, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Read More: Momen for sustainable water management for promoting global peace, stability While the large cluster of 100-rated nations in the centre of the data visualization consists entirely of European nations, the 24 countries with the lowest rating are all in Africa. Among the 180 countries, there are only 50 that the CDC lists as having drinkable tap water. The US disease control agency discourages drinking tap water in much of Asia and Latin America and in every country in Africa. According to the CDC's safety advisory on tap water, no country in South Asia has access to drinkable tap water. Read more: How to Build Dhaka as a Water Wise City

French President Emmanuel Macron has defended his recent remarks regarding Taiwan, in which he stated that France should not become involved in an escalation between the United States and China. He made the remarks during a weekend interview following his three-day state visit to China, reports BBC. Being a US ally did not mean being a “vassal”, he also said. Politicians and other public figures on both sides of the Atlantic have criticized his statements.However, on a visit to the Netherlands on Wednesday, he stated that he stood by his views, said the report. Read More: China military displays force toward Taiwan after Tsai trip “Being an ally does not mean being a vassal... doesn’t mean that we don’t have the right to think for ourselves,” Macron told a press conference in the Netherlands. Macron also stated that France’s support for the “status quo” in Taiwan had not altered and that Paris “supports the One China policy and the search for a peaceful resolution to the situation.” Meanwhile, the White House has downplayed the statements, saying the Biden administration is “comfortable and confident in the terrific bilateral relationship we have with France.” Taiwan’s foreign ministry took a similar approach but stated that it “noted” Macron’s remarks.A top Taiwanese official, on the other hand, was “puzzled” by the comments. Read More: China's military announces 'combat readiness patrols' around Taiwan “Are ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ out of fashion?” – wrote Taiwan’s parliament speaker You Si-kun on social media, referring to France’s motto. According to some analysts, Macron’s remarks signal that the US is equally to blame for the escalating tensions over Taiwan, making it more difficult for the EU to take a tougher stance with Beijing. Meanwhile, China has appreciated Macron’s statements and stated that it is not surprised by the criticism, added the report. “Some countries do not want to see other nations become independent and self-reliant, and instead always want to coerce other countries into obeying their will,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Read More: Australia won’t promise to side with US in Taiwan conflict Taiwan, with its own constitution and democratically chosen leaders, sees itself as different from the Chinese mainland. However, Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that will inevitably fall under Chinese rule and has never renounced the use of force to achieve this. While the United States diplomatically recognizes China’s view that there is only one Chinese government, President Joe Biden has pledged to engage militarily to support Taiwan if it is attacked, the report said. Beijing began practising the encirclement of Taiwan earlier this week during days of military manoeuvres regarded as retaliation to the recent meeting between Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Read More: Anger spreads in France over Macron's retirement bill push President Tsai said on Saturday that her administration will continue to collaborate with the US and other democracies while the island faces “continued authoritarian expansionism” from China.

Recent Chinese air and sea drills simulating an encirclement of Taiwan were intended as a “serious warning” to pro-independence politicians on the self-governing island and their foreign supporters, a Chinese spokesperson said Wednesday. The three days of large-scale air and sea exercises named Joint Sword that ended Monday were a response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week during a transit visit to the U.S. China had warned of serious consequences if that meeting went ahead. “The People’s Liberation Army recently organized and conducted a series of countermeasures in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, which is a serious warning against the collusion and provocation of Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces," Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a biweekly news conference. “It is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said. Also Read: China military displays force toward Taiwan after Tsai trip China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary and regularly sends ships and warplanes into airspace and waters near the island. Such missions have grown more frequent in recent years, accompanied by increasingly bellicose language from the administration of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Any conflict between the sides could draw in the U.S., Taiwan's closest ally, which is required by law to consider all threats to the island as matters of “grave concern.” ALso Read: Taiwan threat from China serious, House GOP chairman says China has kept up military pressure against Taiwan despite the formal conclusion of the drills. On Wednesday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said it tracked 35 flights by People's Liberation Army warplanes within the last 24 hours, and eight navy vessels in the waters surrounding the island. The vast majority of Taiwanese favor maintaining their current de-facto independent status, while Tsai has said there is no need for a formal declaration since the island democracy is already an independent nation. Also Read: China's military announces 'combat readiness patrols' around Taiwan Despite that, China, which does not recognize Taiwan's government institutions and has cut off contact with Tsai's administration, routinely accuses her of plotting formal independence with outside backing — generally seen as referring to the U.S. “External forces are intensifying their endeavor of containing China with Taiwan as a tool,” Zhu said. Zhu also repeated China's assertion that its military threats are “targeted at Taiwan’s independence separatist activities and interference from external forces, and by no means at our compatriots in Taiwan.” What that means in practical terms isn't clear, although Beijing has long exploited political divisions within Taiwanese society, which boasts a robust democracy and strong civil liberties. “Taiwanese compatriots should clearly recognize the serious harm that the provocation of Taiwan independence forces poses to cross-strait relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, recognize the interests, distinguish right from wrong, and stand on the correct side of history,” Zhu said. The Chinese military issued a threat as it concluded the exercises, saying its troops “can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign interference attempts.” In August, after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China conducted missile strikes on targets in the seas around Taiwan and sent warships and warplanes over the median line of the Taiwan Strait. It also fired missiles over the island that landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone in a significant escalation. The most recent exercises focused more on air strength, with Taiwan reporting more than 200 flights by Chinese warplanes. On Monday alone, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry tracked 91 flights by Chinese warplanes. They also featured the use of China's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, Shandong, which launched dozens of J-15 Flying Shark fighter missions during the exercises, according to Japanese officials. That came as the USS Nimitz Carrier group is operating in the South China Sea south of Taiwan and as American and Filipino forces hold their largest combat exercises in decades in Philippine waters across the disputed South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

Ukraine wants India to play a bigger role in helping end Russia’s war, its deputy foreign minister said Tuesday during the first visit by a senior Ukrainian official to India since the war began last year. India “can play a bigger and greater role" and Ukraine would "welcome any effort that is directed at resolving the war,” Emine Dzhaparova said. She made the comments in a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs, a think tank in New Delhi, after meeting with her Indian counterpart, Sanjay Verma, and other officials. Dzhaparova has sought to use her visit to deepen ties with India, which has refrained from condemning Russia's role in the war and has abstained several times from voting on U.N. resolutions against Moscow. Instead, New Delhi has stressed the need for diplomacy and dialogue on ending the war and has expressed its willingness to contribute to peace efforts. Dzhaparova said she hopes Indian officials including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who visited Moscow in February and held talks with President Vladimir Putin, will also visit Kyiv. "We would be happy to welcome Indian officials to Kyiv,” she said. Russian officials are expected to visit India in coming weeks for meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which the country is chairing this year. India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment and has ramped up its purchases of low-priced Russian oil since the war in Ukraine began. On Monday, Dzhaparova warned India against an over reliance on Russia. “India should be pragmatic in diversifying its energy resources, military contracts and political interactions. Because what we see in my country when you are dependent on Russia, they will always use this blackmail instrument,” she told reporters. India also holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations this year. As host, India has cast itself as a rising superpower while leveraging its position on the global stage to bridge the gap between the West and Russia. Dzhaparova urged India to use its presidency to spotlight the crisis in Ukraine by inviting Ukrainian officials to the G-20 events and summit, which will be held in September. Also Read: India can be a mediator in resolving the Ukraine war: Momen tells Indian media She said her visit was “a mark of friendship” and hoped it would kickstart Ukraine's dialogue with India. “Let us make Ukraine more visible in India, let us help Ukraine to tell its own story, let us also bring India closer" to Ukraine, Dzhaparova said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva flew off to China on Tuesday to strengthen ties with his nation's biggest trade partner and win support for his long shot push for peace in Ukraine. Lula wants Brazil, China and other nations to help mediate the war as part of his nation's return to the world stage, but his proposals to end the conflict have irked Ukraine and some in the West. Less controversial is the Brazilian and Chinese mutual interest in trade after a rocky period under Lula's predecessor. China and Brazil are expected to sign at least 20 bilateral agreements during Lula’s two-day stay, according to the Brazilian government. Lula plans to visit Shanghai and Beijing, and meet with his counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, investment, reindustrialization, energy transition, climate change and peace agreements, the Brazilian government said. China is Brazil’s biggest export market, each year buying tens of billions of dollars worth of soybeans, beef, iron ore, poultry, pulp, sugar cane, cotton and crude oil. Brazil is the biggest recipient of Chinese investment in Latin America, according to Chinese state media. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and members of his family at times caused friction with Chinese authorities during his 2019-2022 term. In 2020, when Bolsonaro’s lawmaker son Eduardo blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese ambassador to Brazil called his words “an evil insult against China and the Chinese people.” Later that year, Eduardo referred to the giant Chinese technology company Huawei as “Chinese espionage,” prompting a sharp rebuke from China’s embassy. Last year, China did not have an ambassador in Brasilia for eight months. The rift stoked criticism in Brazil, even among sectors that supported Bolsonaro, like agribusiness. “I want the Chinese to understand that their investment here will be wonderfully welcome, but not to buy our companies. To build new things, which we need,” Lula told journalists in Brasilia on April 6. Chinese companies are involved in public works projects in Brazil, including a metro line in Sao Paulo, the country’s business capital. One of the agreements Lula will sign in China will be for construction of the sixth satellite built under a binational program, a satellite that would monitor biomes such as the Amazon rainforest. “Brazil can’t afford to turn its back on the benefits China brings. The U.S. doesn’t have the capacity to absorb Brazil’s exports as China does, nor occupy the same space in investment and infrastructure,” said Pedro Brites, an expert on China at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university and think tank in Sao Paulo. And China is encouraging its companies to find new markets and foreign partners to reduce reliance on the U.S. "Lula knows you have to treat your clients well. Even more so when it is your best client,” said Charles Tang, who chairs the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce. In what Tang suggested was the result of a renewed partnership, China ended restrictions on Brazilian beef just before Lula was initially scheduled to make his trip. Sales of Brazilian beef to China were banned in February following the discovery of an atypical case of mad cow disease. Lula’s visit to China, initially scheduled for March but canceled after he fell sick, is also an attempt by the leftist leader to reaffirm Brazil’s role on the global stage following Bolsonaro’s term, who admired right-wing nationalists and showed little interest in international affairs or travel abroad. Lula visited Argentina and Uruguay in January and the U.S. in February, signaling the importance he gives to international affairs, experts said. He toured the world during his first presidency, particularly in his second term, when he visited dozens of countries, and has visited China twice before. “Lula is implementing the promise he made that Brazil is back,” said Oliver Stuenkel, a political scientist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation. China and Brazil are members of the BRICS group of developing countries and have pushed for changes in what they say is a U.S.-dominated system of managing global political affairs. Russia is also a BRICS member, and a key piece of Lula’s outreach abroad is his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, mediate peace. Lula has irritated Ukraine and some in the West with his position on the war, most recently by suggesting during a meeting with journalists in Brasilia last week that Ukraine cede Crimea as a means to forge peace. Xi met with Putin last month, sending a message to U.S. and European leaders that their condemnation of Russia’s invasion is not unanimous. Earlier this month, a Lula adviser, former foreign affairs minister Celso Amorim, took a discreet trip to Moscow, where he met with President Vladimir Putin. Amorim "went to listen and to say the time has come to talk,” Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told reporters in the capital, Brasilia, on April 5. There is at least some common ground. Vieira noted that the Chinese peace proposal presented in February contains aspects in common with Lula’s, such as ceasing hostilities and starting negotiations. “These are completely plausible and may be stimulus for talks,” he said.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday amid signs that the Saudis and Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen are making “remarkable progress” toward finding a permanent end to their nine-year conflict, according to the Biden administration. The crown prince, often referred to by his initials MBS, has had a strained relationship with President Joe Biden over human rights and oil production concerns. But the de facto Saudi leader and the president’s top national security adviser decided to talk amid encouraging signs on winding down the long and bloody war, a top priority for Biden. The call came after Saudi diplomat Mohammed bin Saeed al-Jaber met with Houthi officials in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday for talks that were aimed at accelerating negotiations on ending the war. Also Read: Yemen: Saudis free 13 Houthis as Omani officials visit Sanaa The White House said in statement that Sullivan “welcomed Saudi Arabia’s extraordinary efforts" to pursue a more comprehensive roadmap for ending the war and offered full U.S. support for those efforts. A nongovernmental official familiar with the ongoing negotiations said a deal is close at hand and could be reached within the next seven to 10 days. The official was not authorized to comment and requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive private talks. Also Read: Yemen sides begin UN-brokered talks on prisoner exchange The White House remains cautiously optimistic about the way ahead. But the two sides still have work to do and the negotiations remain complex, according to a senior Biden administration official familiar with the negotiations. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, added that a final agreement has not been reached and cautioned that the situation remains complex. Biden’s special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, is being dispatched to the Saudi capital Riyadh this week for follow-up talks with Saudi officials, according to the White House. CIA Director William Burns traveled to Saudi Arabia last week to meet with intelligence officials. Al-Jaber's visit to the Houthi-held Yemeni capital came after the Saudis reached a deal with Iran last month — in China — to restore diplomatic ties that were cut off in 2016. Iran is the Houthis’ main foreign backer in Yemen’s conflict. It was a flashy moment of diplomacy for China — the United States' top global competitor — that Beijing touted as evidence of its ability to be a diplomatic player in the Middle East. White House officials note significant progress was made during several rounds of earlier talks hosted by Iraq and Oman, well before the deal was announced in China during last month’s ceremonial National People’s Congress. Since last month's announcement, China has not taken a major role on resolving the Yemen conflict, according to the Biden administration official. Sullivan and the crown prince largely focused on Yemen but also discussed Saudi Arabia and Iran's reestablishment of diplomatic ties, Iran's nuclear program, and other issues. Iran-allied Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen’s exiled government in 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting created a humanitarian disaster and pushed the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine. Overall, the war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians, according to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. A six-month cease-fire, the longest of the Yemen conflict, expired in October. Biden has made finding a permanent peace among his highest priorities in the Middle East. The call also comes amid fresh concerns that the Riyadh-led OPEC+ alliance plans to cut oil production could stymie efforts to curb global inflation. OPEC+ announced last week it would c ut oil production by 1.1 million barrels per da y, or roughly 1 percent of global production, beginning next month. The Saudis have said the production cuts were “precautionary,” helping to keep up prices as the world economy appears to be slowing and demand for oil is dropping. But along with cuts announced in October, world oil supplies are down by 3%. April’s announcement could have a ripple effect on the U.S. economy in the form of higher gasoline prices, possibly forcing the Federal Reserve to be more aggressive in rate hikes to lower inflation. The official said Sullivan and the crown prince discussed macroeconomic issues but did not dwell on the OPEC move. As a candidate for the White House, Biden vowed that Saudi rulers would “pay the price” under his watch for their human rights record. But in July, amid rising prices at the pump around the globe, Biden decided to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia. During the visit, he greeted the crown prince, whom he once shunned, with a fist bump. Relations hit another rocky patch last fall. In October, the president said there would be “consequences” for Saudi Arabia as OPEC+ alliance moved to cut oil production. At the time, the administration said it was reevaluating its relationship with the kingdom in light of the oil production cut that White House officials said was helping another OPEC+ member, Russia, soften the financial blow caused by U.S. and Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine. The administration's reaction to last week’s production cut was far more subdued, with Biden saying, “It’s not going to be as bad as you think.” Separately, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., met Tuesday with the crown prince in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Graham said they discussed ongoing reforms in the kingdom as well as trade between the countries. The Saudis announced last month that the two national airlines would order up to 121 jetliners from American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, a deal worth up to $37 billion. “I look forward to working with the administration and congressional Republicans and Democrats to see if we can take the U.S.-Saudi relationship to the next level, which would be a tremendous economic benefit to both countries and bring much-needed stability to a troubled region,” Graham said.

The United Nations said Tuesday it is reviewing its presence in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred Afghan women from working for the world organization — a veiled suggestion the U.N. could move to suspend its mission and operations in the embattled country. Last week, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers took a step further in the restrictive measures they have imposed on women and said that Afghan women employed with the U.N. mission could no longer report for work. They did not further comment on the ban. The U.N. said it cannot accept the decision, calling it an unparalleled violation of women’s rights. It was the latest in sweeping restrictions imposed by the Taliban since they seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were withdrawing from the country after 20 years of war. The 3,300 Afghans employed by the U.N. – 2,700 men and 600 women -- have stayed home since last Wednesday but continue to work and will be paid, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The U.N.’s 600-strong international staff, including 200 women, is not affected by the Taliban ban. The majority of aid distributed to Afghans is done through national and international non-governmental organizations, with the U.N. playing more of a monitoring role, and some assistance is continuing to be delivered, Dujarric said. There are some carve-outs for women staff, but the situation various province by province and is confusing. “What we’re hoping to achieve is to be able to fulfil our mandate to help more than 24 million Afghan men, women, and children who desperately need humanitarian help without violating basic international humanitarian principles,” Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. The Taliban have banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and women from most public life and work. In December, they banned Afghan women from working at local and nongovernmental groups — a measure that at the time did not extend to U.N. offices. Tuesday’s statement by the U.N. said its head of mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, has “initiated an operational review period” that would last until May 5. During this time, the U.N. will “conduct the necessary consultations, make required operational adjustments, and accelerate contingency planning for all possible outcomes,” the statement said. It also accused the Taliban of trying to force the U.N. into making an “appalling choice” between helping Afghans and standing by the norms and principles it is duty-bound to uphold. “It should be clear that any negative consequences of this crisis for the Afghan people will be the responsibility of the de facto authorities,” it warned. Aid agencies have been providing food, education and health care support to Afghans in the wake of the Taliban takeover and the economic collapse that followed it. But distribution has been severely affected by the Taliban edict banning women from working at NGOs — and, now, also at the U.N. The U.N. described the measure as an extension of the already unacceptable Taliban restrictions that deliberately discriminate against women and undermine the ability of Afghans to access lifesaving and sustaining assistance and services.