Chinese President Xi Jinping re-emphasized China’s principled position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis when he met the press with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday in Paris.

He stressed that China supports the two-state solution to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, and supports a peace conference to bring back Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table for the Ukraine crisis.

Noting that the prolonged tragedy of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a test for human conscience, Xi said the international community must act. He called on all parties to work for an immediate, comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.

He stressed that China supports the full membership of Palestine in the United Nations, supports restoring to Palestine its legitimate national rights and restarting the two-state solution, so as to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.

On the Ukraine crisis, Xi said China is not a party to or a participant of the ongoing conflict. But instead of being an onlooker, China has been playing an important role for peace, Xi added. He said the special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs has started his third round of shuttle diplomacy to promote the political settlement of the crisis.

Xi stressed that China opposes attempts to use the Ukraine crisis to scapegoat or smear a third country or to stoke a “new Cold War.”

“History has proven time and again that, at the end of the day, conflicts can only be resolved through negotiation,” Xi said. He called on all parties to resume engagement and dialogue to build mutual trust, saying China supports holding, at a proper time, an international peace conference that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine and ensures the equal participation of all parties and fair discussions on all peace plans.

China supports a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture in Europe, Xi said.

Source(s): CGTN

Three amendments submitted to the parliament including the amendment to revise the constitution to introduce recall votes to remove parliamentary representatives have been withdrawn.

The Democrats’ leader, West Henveiru MP Hassan Latheef submitted a bill to amend Article 27 of the Constitution to introduce recall votes in response to petitions submitted by a specific percentage of the voting population of a constituency to remove their parliamentary representative.

While opening Tuesday’s sitting, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Aslam announced that the amendment had been withdrawn yesterday.

Hassan Latheef’s amendment sought to include an additional clause to Article 27 declaring circumstances where parliamentarians will lose their seats. They are:

• If a parliamentarian elected on a party ticket voluntarily leaves their party or joins another party
  If a parliamentarian elected as an independent candidate joins a party
• If a parliamentarian elected on a party ticket is expelled from the party in accordance with the party’s standing orders during their term for violating a party whip
• If the majority of the voting population of a constituency decides to remove a parliamentarian elected on a party ticket who is expelled from the party for a reason other than violation of a party whip
• If the majority vote to remove their parliamentary representative in a recall election held after the relevant parliamentary committee decided to hold such an election following review of a petition signed and submitted to the Parliament by a specific percentage of the voting population of the constituency to remove their parliamentarian

Notably, the parliament had previously approved an Anti-Defection Bill that grants legal enforcement for lawmakers to lose their parliamentary seats upon floor crossing. Although the bill has been ratified and is in force, it is the subject of many concerns and complaints.

Speaker Aslam noted that two other amendments submitted to the parliament were also withdrawn on Monday. They are:

• The bill submitted by Central Henvieru MP Ali Azim to reduce the total number of MPs
• The bill submitted by Holhudhoo MP Yoonus Ali to delegate the appointment of members to the Elections Commission to the parliament

The last date of the ongoing 19th parliamentary assembly is May 13th. While the last sitting of the assembly is slated for next Monday, the new parliamentary assembly will take oath on May 28th.

Source(s): sun.mv

A foreigner was arrested from Velana International Airport (VIA) this morning after he attacked a staff.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Police confirmed that the foreigner in question has been brought under their custody.

The case is under further investigation, the Police added.

The video viral on social media shows the foreigner assaulting an airport staff near the checking counters at VIA’s terminal. Immediately after, he pushes another staff who attempts to intervene. Bystanders are then captured stopping the foreigner and leading him away from the scene.

The reason behind the attack remains unclear at the moment.

Source(s): sun.mv