April 1 Israeli airstrikes on the Iranian embassy in Syria
On April 1, local time, Israel launched an airstrike on the consular office building of the Iranian Embassy in Syria, killing at least seven people, including two Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps generals. Syria and Iran strongly condemned Israel's "barbaric" air strikes, and Iran said it reserved the right to take countermeasures. The Israeli military did not comment on whether the attack was carried out, but several anonymous Israeli officials acknowledged to U.S. media that the Israeli side carried out the operation.
This is the scene of an airstrike on the consular building of the Iranian embassy in Syria on April 1 in Damascus, the capital of Syria. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the Israeli army has repeatedly attacked targets in Syria under the pretext of striking Iranian military facilities, which is the first time that the Iranian embassy in Syria has been subjected to air strikes. Analysts believe that against the backdrop of the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict spilling over and tensions in many directions in the region, this attack means a further escalation of the Iranian-Israeli confrontation and the regional situation will be pushed to a more dangerous situation.
On April 3, the giant panda "Fu Bao" in South Korea returned to China
On April 3, people bid farewell to giant panda "Fu Bao" in the rain at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Giant panda "Fu Bao" in South Korea left Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, on April 3 and left for China. Before departure, Everland held a farewell ceremony for "Fu Bao". Xing Haiming, Chinese ambassador to South Korea, said that as the first giant panda born naturally in South Korea, "Fubao" not only promoted the research cooperation between China and South Korea in the conservation and breeding of giant pandas, but also became a friendly envoy between the two countries, narrowing the distance between the Chinese and Korean people.
Born on July 20, 2020, "Fu Bao" is the first birth of giant pandas "Aibao (Hua Ni)" and "Le Bao (Yuan Xin)" in South Korea, and the first giant panda born in South Korea, which is loved by the general public. The "Fu Bao" video uploaded by Everland on social networks has accumulated 500 million views. This year, Fu Bao will turn 4 years old, and according to the cooperation agreement and practice between China and South Korea, Fu Bao must return to China before reaching the age of 4 to maintain a natural and healthy growth rhythm.
On April 6, Mexico and Nicaragua announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Ecuador
Ecuadorian military personnel patrol the capital, Quito, on January 9. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
On the evening of April 5, local time, Ecuadorian police broke into the Mexican embassy and arrested former Ecuadorian Vice President Glass who sought asylum. The Ecuadorian presidential palace later issued a statement saying that security forces had arrested Grass. Grasse entered the Mexican embassy in Eritrea in December last year to seek asylum, after which the Mexican government rejected Ecuador's request to enter the embassy to arrest Glass.
After the forcible break-in, Mexico and Nicaragua successively announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Ecuador. The Mexican government said on the 6th that it would sue the International Court of Justice, and many countries in Latin America expressed solidarity with Mexico. The Organization of American States (OAS) has called on Mexico and Eritrea to resolve their differences through dialogue. Analysts point out that the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Eritrea could accelerate political polarization in Latin America. However, given the low economic, trade and political correlation between Mexico and Eritrea, the impact of bilateral diplomatic crises on the regional political situation will be limited.
7 April Israel withdraws its forces from southern Gaza
This is a photo taken on April 7 of Israeli forces on the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip and the Israeli border. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Israeli media reported on 7 April, citing Israeli military sources, that the withdrawal of the 98th Division of the Israeli army, which is mainly deployed in the Khan Younis area, from the southern part of the Gaza Strip in the past few months marks a further reduction in the strength of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. At present, only the "Nahar" brigade of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip is responsible for securing the Netcharim corridor. Since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip at the end of October last year, the Israeli army has redeployed its troops by way of withdrawal on several occasions, and this withdrawal is the largest one.
Israel's abrupt withdrawal is believed to have been largely driven by external pressure. Recently, a series of major events have occurred around the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its spillover, including the adoption of a ceasefire resolution by the United Nations Security Council in Gaza, the continuous outbreak of large-scale demonstrations attended by tens of thousands of people in Israel, Israel's bombing of the Iranian embassy to raise the risk of the Iran-Israeli conflict, the killing of many international charity aid workers by the Israeli army, and the escalation of the conflict between Allah and Israel in Lebanon. Against this backdrop, the Israeli military may have to consider strategic retrenchment to prevent further isolation from the international community.
April 8 Nichizen Shokugoshi Kitabi Mikuni
This is a total solar eclipse landscape photographed on April 8 in Plano, Texas, USA. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
The world's only total solar eclipse in 2024 will be staged in North America on the afternoon of April 8 local time. The total solar eclipse belt crossed the three countries of North America, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and tens of millions of people gathered at different locations along the path of the total solar eclipse to watch the astronomical spectacle. According to NASA, the total solar eclipse path covers about 31.6 million people around the world.
Solar eclipses are divided into total solar eclipses, annular solar eclipses, and partial solar eclipses. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth, and the moon, sun, and earth are exactly in a straight line. A total solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon in which the sun's rays are completely obscured by the moon in parts of the earth. According to NASA, there are an average of 2 to 3 solar eclipses per year around the world, and total solar eclipses occur about 2 times every 3 years. Astronomers estimate that it would take about 375 years for the next total solar eclipse to be seen at the same place on Earth.
On April 10, Switzerland joins the European Sky Shield Initiative air defense project
This is a cityscape taken in Bern, Switzerland, on January 20 (drone photo). (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
On 10 April, the Swiss Federal Council approved the country's accession to the European Sky Shield initiative air defense system. The move has been questioned by critics as violating Switzerland's tradition of "neutrality". The Federal Council is the highest administrative body of the Swiss state and is composed of seven members. "Even after signing the declaration of accession, Switzerland is free to decide where and to what extent it plans to participate in the European Sky Shield project, as well as which surface-to-air defence systems it plans to procure," the Federal Council said in a statement. ”
After the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2022, Germany proposed the "European Sky Shield Initiative", which aims to strengthen the air defense capabilities of European member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, especially in areas lacking the ability to intercept drones and missiles. More than a dozen European countries, including Germany, Great Britain and Finland, have announced their participation in this air defense project. Last July, Austria and Switzerland also signed a statement of intent to join the project, which was criticized at the time for being inconsistent with their position of "military neutrality".
On April 11, the ruling party lost the National Assembly election
On April 10, South Korea held its election for members of the 22nd National Assembly. (Source: Associated Press)
The 22nd National Assembly election was held on April 11, with the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and its satellite parties, winning 175 seats, while the ruling National Power Party and its satellite parties won 108 seats. Affected by the election results, South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-so and other senior officials resigned, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said that he would humbly accept the will of the people expressed in the election, and promised to reform the country and do everything possible to stabilize the economy and people's livelihoods.
About 44.28 million voters were registered in this election, and the preliminary voter turnout rate was 67%, the highest since the 14th National Assembly election in 1992. This congressional election, which has attracted widespread attention, is considered a "watershed" for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to govern. "This election will determine the political situation in South Korea for the next four years and will have a significant impact on the power structure of the National Assembly and the operation of the current government. So commented the South Korean media. There is also an opinion that the ruling party's defeat in the election for members of Congress will cause the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to fall into a "lame duck" state ahead of schedule.
April 13 Iran retaliates against Israel
This is footage of the Israeli air defense system initiating the interception, taken in the early hours of April 14 over Tel Aviv, Israel. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
From the evening of April 13 to the early morning of April 14 local time, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps carried out large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets in response to previous Israeli attacks on the consular section building of the Iranian Embassy in Syria. After several hours of attack, the Iranian Permanent Mission to the United Nations issued a statement saying that the operation had been launched by Iran in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter on legitimate defence and that the operation had ended. An Israeli military spokesman said on the 14th that more than 300 drones and missiles were fired at Israel, of which "99%" were intercepted.
The US Foreign Policy website wrote that this was one of the largest Iranian attacks in the Middle East in the past five years. Analysts say Iran aims to re-establish deterrence against Israel through the attack. Israel and Iran have been engaged in a game in the Middle East in the form of indirect confrontation for many years, and with Israel's air strikes on the buildings of the Iranian embassy and consular buildings and Iran's retaliatory actions, the intensity of confrontation between the two sides may escalate significantly, which will add more uncertainty to the situation in the Middle East.
April 15 The first anniversary of the armed conflict in Sudan was celebrated
On 15 April 2023, armed clashes broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum and elsewhere. (Source: Reuters)
The armed conflict in the African country of Sudan marked its first anniversary on 15 April. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the international community to work together to promote a ceasefire in Sudan at a press conference held at the UN headquarters in New York on the same day. Guterres said that the only way out of the conflict in Sudan is a political solution. In addition to providing assistance to the Sudan, the international community should work together to promote a ceasefire in the Sudan, followed by a comprehensive peace process, while continuing to promote the democratic transition in the Sudan.
On 15 April 2023, armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and the fighting then spread to other areas. The year-long armed conflict has killed some 14,000 people in Sudan, displaced more than 8.1 million people, and more than half of the population – some 25 million people – are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
On April 15, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. (Source: CCTV News)
Singapore's Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on April 15 local time, announcing that Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will officially step down as prime minister on May 15 and hand over the baton to the successor of Singapore's fourth-generation leadership team, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong. Lawrence Wong will be sworn in as Prime Minister at 8 p.m. on May 15. Lee Hsien Loong left office in the Cabinet as Senior Minister of State.
According to public information, Lee Hsien Loong was born in Singapore on February 10, 1952, and his ancestral home is Guangdong, China. Lee Hsien Loong's father was Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. On 12 August 2004, Lee Hsien Loong became Singapore's third Prime Minister and has been re-elected as Prime Minister ever since. A number of dignitaries in Singapore have issued articles highly praising the outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore's Education Minister Tan Chin said that the most important value that Lee Hsien Loong demonstrated was to maintain the integrity of the political system in order to inspire more talented people to stand up for the country.
On April 18, Palestine's application for formal membership in the United Nations was rejected by the United States
This is the scene of the Security Council vote taken at the United Nations headquarters in New York on April 18. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
On the afternoon of April 18, Eastern time, the 15-member Security Council voted on a draft resolution recommending that the United Nations General Assembly approve "the State of Palestine as a member of the United Nations." The draft received 12 votes in favour, with 2 abstentions, and the United States, as a permanent member, voted against, resulting in its rejection. Full membership in the United Nations is a crucial step in the historical process of independent statehood for the Palestinian people. As a result of the US veto, decades of dreams of the Palestinian people have been ruthlessly shattered.
In September 2011, Palestine submitted an application to the United Nations to become a full member of the United Nations, but was unable to receive support from the Security Council due to opposition from the United States and Israel. On 29 November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution granting Palestine the status of observer state to the United Nations. Earlier this April, Palestine re-applied for full membership in the United Nations.
On April 24, Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid appropriations bill
U.S. President Joe Biden. (Source: Associated Press)
After months of bipartisan bipartisan bickering in Congress, U.S. President Joe Biden officially signed a foreign aid appropriation bill totaling $95 billion on April 24 local time, of which most of the foreign aid funds will be used to support Ukraine in military and economic aspects. According to reports, the bill includes about $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26 billion in aid to Israel, and $1 billion in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. In addition, the bill allocates $8 billion to "counter China's military might."
Speaking at the White House after the bill was signed, Biden said the new aid package "will make America safer and the world safer." Biden also claimed that the bill perpetuates "U.S. leadership in the world." The bill passed the House of Representatives of Congress on the 20th of this month and the Senate on the 23rd. Biden also announced on the 24th that he had approved $1 billion in weapons to Ukraine, which will begin shipping within hours.
April 25 The United States will partially withdraw its troops from Chad and Niger
This is the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 6. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
On April 25, local time, the U.S. Department of Defense said that the United States would withdraw most of its troops from Chad and Niger. According to reports, the United States plans to withdraw about 75 Army Special Forces officers and soldiers from Chad and more than 1,000 troops from Niger. Chad and Niger are important parts of the U.S. military's campaign against violent extremist groups throughout the Sahel, but the Nigerien government last month terminated an agreement that allowed U.S. troops to operate in the West African country. Recently, Chad, which borders Niger, has also questioned whether the existing agreement includes U.S. troops operating there.
Niger and Chad are located in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, a region plagued by poverty, armed conflict and natural disasters in recent years. The US media believes that Niger and Chad's successive demands for US withdrawal reflect a recent trend, that is, countries in the region choose to cut off from the United States and other Western countries, while establishing an increasingly close partnership with Russia.
On April 27, anti-war demonstrations broke out in colleges and universities in many parts of the United States
Protesters take part in a demonstration at Columbia University in New York City, USA, in the early hours of April 24. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Since April 17, anti-war protests have erupted at top U.S. universities such as Columbia University, Yale University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These American college demonstrators are calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Despite the labeling of demonstrators as "anti-Semitic" by some US politicians, the anti-war movement is on the rise. According to US media statistics, more than 50 colleges and universities in the United States have set up anti-war protest camps, and as of April 27, more than 700 people have been arrested in colleges and universities across the United States. The current wave of anti-war protests shows no signs of stopping and is spreading to Europe and Australia.
The current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out on 7 October last year and has dragged on to this day, causing a serious humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. According to the health department of the Gaza Strip, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 34,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, injured more than 70,000 and displaced more than a million.
On April 28, the Thai cabinet completed a new round of reshuffle
Thai Prime Minister Saitha speaks at a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Bangkok, the capital, on January 2. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
On April 28, local time, the Thai government gazette website released a communiqué on the cabinet reshuffle, involving adjustments to multiple positions such as deputy prime minister and minister of the prime minister's office. According to the communiqué, Prime Minister Saita has proposed a reshuffle of the Cabinet to facilitate the administration of the Government. The King of Thailand has constitutionally approved the reshuffling list submitted by him, and the relevant adjustments will take effect immediately. The main reshuffle includes the removal of Thai Prime Minister Saitha from the post of Minister of Finance, and the appointment of the current Prime Minister's adviser Pichai as Minister of Finance; Somsak succeeded Chonglanan as Minister of Public Health, and Picher, currently an adviser to the Prime Minister of Thailand, served as Minister of the Prime Minister's Office.
Saitha won the support of a majority of the votes in a joint session of the upper and lower houses of parliament on August 22 last year to be elected as the new prime minister of Thailand, marking the first cabinet reshuffle since Saita was sworn in in September last year.
On April 28, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party lost the House of Representatives by-election
Japan's three House of Representatives by-elections began voting on the morning of the 28th, and the three constituencies are Tokyo 15 wards, Shimane 1 wards and Nagasaki 3 wards. (Source: Kyodo News Agency)
Japan's House of Representatives will hold elections for three vacant seats on April 28. According to the preliminary voting report released that night, all three seats were won by the Constitutional Democratic Party, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party lost all of them. This by-election for the House of Representatives is Japan's first national election since the Liberal Democratic Party was exposed to the "political black gold" scandal, and it is also the first time that the Liberal Democratic Party has lost a by-election since Fumio Kishida came to power. The three seats to be filled are from Shimane 1, Tokyo 15 and Nagasaki 3, all of which were previously LDP seats.
According to the Japanese news agency, the results of this by-election will affect the operation of the Kishida administration. Japan's Kyodo News Agency said that the approval rating of the Kishida cabinet has hovered at a low level of more than two percent for a long time, and the overall defeat in this election reflects the strong criticism of the Liberal Democratic Party by the people. Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" pointed out that this is the first time that the Liberal Democratic Party has lost a by-election since Fumio Kishida came to power. Since the by-election is also seen as a precursor to the House of Representatives election, the defeat of the three wards will have a great impact on Kishida, especially the LDP leadership election in September, which may encounter huge resistance from within the party.
(Source: Xinhua News Agency, Chinanews.com, Huanqiu.com)