Russia-US talks in Riyadh not as expected, Israel sets preconditions for Hamas, Chinese Coast Guard chases away Japanese fishing boat

The Kremlin accused Kiev of deliberately attacking Russian reporters, the Canadian Prime Minister set conditions for a phone call with the US President, the Japanese and US defense ministers met for the first time in Tokyo, North Korea threatened to respond to the US-Japan-South Korea naval exercise... are some of the prominent international events in the past 24 hours.

The Russian delegation leaves a meeting with the US delegation in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, March 24. (Source: Sputnik)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia-Pacific

*Chinese Coast Guard Expels Japanese Fishing Boats in East China Sea: China announced that its Coast Guard expelled four Japanese fishing boats from waters near the disputed Diaoyu Islands (called Senkaku by Japan) over the weekend, after Tokyo accused Beijing of raising tensions in the East China Sea.

According to a spokesman for the China Coast Guard, Chinese vessels took "necessary control measures" and issued warnings to drive away Japanese ships between March 21 and 24 after they entered waters that China considers its territorial waters.

Earlier, on March 24, Tokyo summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels near the disputed islets. Japanese officials had previously accused China of making "unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force." (Reuters)

*Japanese and US defense ministers to hold first meeting in Tokyo: Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said on March 25 that he will have his first face-to-face meeting with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Tokyo during his visit to Japan this weekend.

"I look forward to discussing concrete efforts to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance's deterrence and response capabilities with Minister Hegseth," Nakatani told a press conference, who took office in January after President Donald Trump was sworn in. Hegseth is on a trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan. (Kyodo)

*South Korea "regrets" Japan's approval of textbooks that distort history: South Korean officials on March 25 expressed "deep regret" after Japan approved high school textbooks that distort historical facts about the Dokdo Islands - the easternmost island of South Korea, and called on Tokyo to correct the issue.

Kim Sang-hoon, director of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of the South Korean Foreign Ministry, summoned Mibae Taisuke, minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to protest the decision.

South Korea’s foreign ministry also condemned Tokyo for allowing textbooks to include language that downplays the forced labor and sexual slavery of the Japanese imperial army during World War II. Dokdo has long been a source of recurring tension between the two neighbors, with Tokyo continuing to assert sovereignty claims in policy documents, public statements and textbooks. South Korea maintains a small police unit on the islands, effectively controlling the area. (Yonhap)

*Japan backs close security ties with India, South Korea in Indo-Pacific: Japan's Defense Ministry said on March 24 it supports close security cooperation with South Korea and India in the Indo-Pacific region. The statement came days after the Philippine military chief said the US-backed security group Squad wants both South Korea and India to join in countering China in the region.

The Squad is an informal multilateral grouping comprising Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States, focused on defence cooperation, intelligence sharing and conducting joint military exercises and operations.

The Indian Ministry of Defense, the Australian Ministry of Defense and the South Korean Embassy in India did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Kyodo)

*North Korea threatens to respond to South Korea-US-Japan naval drills: On March 25, North Korea condemned the recent joint naval drills between South Korea, the US and Japan, warning of an "overwhelming" and "decisive" response to any provocations from hostile countries.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) carried the message in a commentary, referring to the three-way naval drills conducted in international waters off the southern resort island of Jeju from March 17-20.

This is the first joint naval exercise between the three countries this year and since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January. The event involves the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and is aimed at strengthening deterrence against military threats from North Korea . (Yonhap)

*South Korea, US discuss high-level communication channel: South Korea's foreign ministry said on March 25 that Seoul and Washington are discussing a "high-level communication channel" amid expectations that the reinstatement of acting President Han Duck-soo will lead to his first phone call with US President Donald Trump.

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Jae-woong made the announcement at a press conference a day after the Constitutional Court overturned Han's impeachment, nearly three months after he was impeached in connection with President Yoon Suk-yeol's brief declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.

Asked about the possibility of a phone call between Mr. Han and Mr. Trump, spokesman Lee Jae-woong said: "Both South Korea and the United States recognize the importance of high-level communication... Therefore, consultations are underway between working-level personnel (of the two countries)." (Yonhap)

Europe

*Russia and the US did not issue a joint statement after negotiations in Saudi Arabia: On March 25, Interfax news agency quoted Russian Senator Vladimir Chizhov as saying that Russia and the US did not approve a joint statement after 12 hours of negotiations in Saudi Arabia on March 24 due to Ukraine's stance.

US and Russian officials wrapped up a daylong round of talks focused on a small maritime ceasefire proposal between Kiev and Moscow, part of a diplomatic push that Washington hopes will help pave the way for larger peace talks.

Speaking on state television channel Rossiya-24, Senator Chizhov assessed: "The fact that they sat together for 12 hours and apparently agreed on a joint statement, but in the end it was not passed due to Ukraine's position is very common and noteworthy." (Reuters)

*Minsk accuses NATO of trying to drag Belarus into conflict: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on March 25 accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) army of being "on the doorstep" of Belarus and Western countries of "doing everything" to drag Belarus into a conflict.

Earlier in the day, Lukashenko, who won his seventh presidential election in January 2025, was sworn in as Belarus' head of state. Speaking after the inauguration, President Lukashenko said: "The escalation around Belarus is only getting worse. NATO troops are on our doorstep and are doing everything to drag Belarus into conflict." (AFP)

*UK sanctions 3 former Sri Lankan military officials for war crimes: British authorities on March 24 imposed sanctions on three former senior Sri Lankan military commanders and a former Tamil Tiger rebel commander for human rights violations during the civil war that ended in 2009.

The sanctions, which include a UK entry ban and asset freeze, target former Sri Lankan army chief Shavendra Silva, former navy chief Wasantha Karannagoda and former army chief Jagath Jayasuriya.

Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan - also known as Karuna Amman, a former commander in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - was also sanctioned. The United Nations estimates that 80,000 to 100,000 people have died in the 26-year civil war between government forces and Tamil separatists. (AFP)

*The Kremlin accuses Kiev of deliberately attacking and killing Russian journalists: The Kremlin on March 25 accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately carrying out a fatal attack on a group of Russian journalists working in a region of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the attack killed war correspondent Alexander Fedorchak of the Russian news agency Izvestia, cameraman Andrei Panov and driver Alexander Sirkeli working for the Zvezda television channel.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed condolences to the families of the dead, accusing Ukrainian artillery fire of deliberately killing the journalists. (TASS)

Middle East – Africa

*Iran accuses the US of causing discord in the Middle East for Israel's benefit: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on March 25 warned countries in the Middle East to be vigilant against possible provocative actions by the US to sow discord in the region to serve Israel's interests.

At the same time, Mr. Araghchi criticized the US sanctions on Iran's oil industry as illegal.

Earlier on February 24, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani said the US had seized several Iranian-owned oil tankers in the Gulf for using fake Iraqi shipping documents to evade sanctions and international monitoring. However, Iran's Oil Ministry's Deputy Minister for International and Trade Affairs Seyed Ali-Mohammad Mousavi denied the allegations, describing Ghani's statements as baseless and based on statements by US officials. (Al Jazeera)

*Rival factions in Mozambique agree to end violence: Mozambique's opposition leader Venancio Mondlane said on March 24 that he and President Daniel Chapo had agreed to end violence, after months of protesters clashing with security forces.

"We will stop all violence. We have agreed that all forms of violence, from both sides, must stop," Mr Mandlane said in a live video on social media.

The two leaders met in the capital Maputo a day earlier to discuss ending political turmoil that has lasted since last October, following a disputed election. (AFP)

*Egypt affirms stance on Palestinian issue: In a statement on March 24, Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) completely rejected claims that Cairo's stance on Palestinian displacement is linked to economic aid.

The body reaffirmed Egypt's steadfast stance on the Palestinian issue over the past 75 years, prioritizing national security and Palestinian rights, despite the significant economic burden.

Egypt condemned Israel's resumption of genocide in Gaza, calling Tel Aviv's attacks a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and a dangerous escalation that threatens to have catastrophic consequences for the stability of the region.

In early March, a $53 billion plan to rebuild Gaza proposed by Egypt was approved at the Arab League (AL) Summit in Cairo. (Al Jazeera)

*Israel sets conditions for ending war with Hamas: Israel has said it will end its war with the Palestinian Hamas movement as soon as all Israeli hostages are released and Hamas forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stressed that "the war could end tomorrow if the hostages are released, Gaza is demilitarized and Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces withdraw."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip last week, saying they were in response to Hamas' rejection of a US plan to extend the ceasefire and resume hostage releases. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which had been in effect since January 19, ended on March 1. Although fighting did not resume that day thanks to the efforts of mediators, Israel announced a ban on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip from March 2 and threatened to increase pressure on Hamas for rejecting the new US plan. (RIA Novosti)

America - Latin America

*US puts unacceptable pressure on Greenland: Speaking on TV2 on March 25, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stressed that the US is putting unacceptable pressure on Greenland. The statement was made ahead of a visit by a high-ranking US delegation to the semi-autonomous Danish territory this week.

The US delegation, scheduled for March 27-29, will be led by Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, along with White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The delegation was not invited by the governments of Greenland or Denmark. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the purpose of the US delegation was to "learn about Greenland, its culture, its history and its people." (Reuters)

*China accuses Canada of harming its interests: China on March 25 accused Canada of "seriously harming" its interests after Ottawa sued Beijing at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the imposition of additional tariffs on agricultural and aquatic products.

"We urge Canada to take concrete actions to correct its wrongdoings and create conditions for normal trade and cooperation between businesses of the two countries," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.

Asked about Canada's accusations that China and India could interfere in its general election, spokesman Guo Jiakun said: "China has never been interested in interfering in Canada's internal affairs." He stressed that China always adheres to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. (AFP)

*Cuba criticizes campaign to deport immigrants in the US: On March 24, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez strongly criticized statements threatening to deport Cuban immigrants from some US politicians, calling this action "cruel and brazen".

Cuba's top diplomat said Washington's economic embargo had pushed the island nation's people into misery, forcing them to leave their homeland.

Mr. Rodríguez accused the US government of encouraging immigrants to lie when they arrive at the border in order to gain asylum status . (TTXVN)

*New Canadian Prime Minister sets conditions for phone call with US President: New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on March 24 that he is ready to talk to US President Donald Trump, but will make the call "on our (Canada's) terms as a sovereign nation".

President Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian exports and has frequently discussed annexing the neighboring country, comments that Prime Minister Carney said were disrespectful and unhelpful.

Prime Minister Carney said President Trump is waiting for the election results in Canada before calling the winner . (Reuters)

*China criticizes US "interference" in Venezuela's internal affairs: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on March 25 accused the US of "interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs" after President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from countries that buy oil and gas from the South American country.

Responding to a regular press conference, Mr. Guo Jiakun emphasized: "We call on the US to stop interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs, abolish illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Venezuela and do more things that benefit the peace, stability and development of Venezuela and other countries." (AFP)

*The US government is at risk of defaulting on its debt in July: The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) warned on March 24 that the US government will be at risk of defaulting on part of its $36.6 trillion debt between mid-July and early October 2025 if Congress does not act to raise Washington's debt ceiling.

Earlier, on March 19, a spokesperson for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office announced that the agency would release its own forecast for “Day X” – the point at which the US Treasury Department would no longer be able to shoulder all its obligations.

The United States has never defaulted on its debt and global financial markets would be unsettled at the slightest hint that such a scenario might occur. (Reuters)

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