Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on May 11 proposed an agreement that would see Caracas agreeing to hold free and fair elections in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions, Reuters reported May 11.
The governments of the Indian states of Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, among others, have placed global tenders for COVID-19 vaccines as domestic supplies fail to meet growing demand, Asian Age reported May 12.Â
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez on May 11 said that despite having formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the country could open a trade office in China in a bid for a "diplomatic bridge" that could incentivize China to send vaccines to Honduras, the South China Morning Post reported May 12.
Israel and Hamas continued to exchange rocket fire and airstrikes on May 11-12, with Israel targeting office buildings and militant leaders, and Hamas and other militant groups launching barrages of rockets against central and southern Israel, according to various reports.
The U.S. Department of Defense has agreed to seek a settlement with Xiaomi to remove the Chinese tech company from a government blacklist it was recently added to over the firm’s alleged connections to the Chinese military, Reuters reported May 11.
The European Union, led by France, is preparing sanctions that target Lebonese politicians deemed to be holding up their country’s government formation process, Reuters reported May 12, citing six unnamed diplomats.
Hong Kong's pro-Beijing Legislative Council on May 12 approved laws requiring all district councilors to swear an oath of loyalty to the Hong Kong Basic Law and abide by it while in office, leveling a five-year election ban on violators, Hong Kong Free Press reported.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow cut its staff by 75% and has significantly reduced its services following a Russian order banning U.S. diplomatic missions in the country from employing local citizens or third-country nationals, the Moscow Times reported May 12.
Ukrainian authorities have accused two leading pro-Russian lawmakers of alleged high treason and the illegal exploitation of natural resources in Ukraine’s Russian-annexed Crimean territory, the Moscow Times reported May 11.
Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi plans to run in the June 18 presidential election and is expected to officially register as a candidate later this week, according to leaks cited by the local media outlet Tasnim.Â
