Around the World in 5 – 5
“The fact is that the greatest crimes are caused by excess and not by necessity. Men do not become tyrants in order that they may not suffer cold; and hence great is the honour bestowed, not on him who kills a thief, but on him who kills a tyrant.”
In Venezuela, Tuesday saw the release of imprisoned US Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair to American officials. He had been wrongfully arrested by Venezuelan security forces in October near the border with Colombia. In an apparent effort to appease former President Trump, Venezuela has been accepting US deportation flights as a gesture of ‘goodwill’, following weeks of strained diplomatic relations after Trump revoked Chevron’s licence to produce and export Venezuelan oil — a move that cut a vital financial lifeline for Nicolás Maduro’s regime. This development has opened market space for Chinese state-owned companies to expand regional control over the country’s oil sector. Following St. Clair’s release, a series of meetings involving oil executives, lobbyists, and advisers in Washington and Caracas have sought to rebuild critical trade partnerships.
Across the Atlantic, Starmer’s government has suspended its free trade deal with Israel. Foreign Secretary David Lammy summoned the Israeli ambassador, calling the ongoing military escalation “morally unjustifiable.” Experts have warned of an impending famine, as Israel’s 11-week blockade on food, fuel, and medical supplies continues, despite a trilateral statement from the UK, Canada, and France on Monday urging the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid into the West Bank. Lammy condemned settler violence and announced new sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans on three individuals and four companies accused of “heinous abuse of human rights.” In response, Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein criticised the decision, stating that “external pressure will not divert Israel from its path” — a path widely acknowledged as genocidal in its approach to Gaza. This news follows reports that 87 Palestinians were killed and nearly 290 injured in the last 24 hours.
The theme of geopolitical conflict continues along Africa’s west coast, where UN court lawyers have ruled in favour of Equatorial Guinea in its territorial dispute with neighbouring Gabon over three oil-rich islands. Brought before the International Court of Justice in 2021, the case highlighted the tensions between two nations heavily reliant on oil exports amid declining production. Gabon had previously attempted to assert control through military operations. However, the ICJ’s 15-judge panel based its ruling on a 1900 treaty between Spain and France, which divided colonial holdings in favour of Equatorial Guinea — a treaty the Court recognised as legally binding. Gabon’s 1972 invasion of the largest island, Mbanie, has now been formally overturned.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s ambassador to the UN, al-Harith Idriss, claimed that the 4th May strikes on Port Sudan were carried out with support from the UAE. The attacks, involving MQ-9 and MQ-9B warplanes and kamikaze drones, were allegedly launched from a UAE base in the Red Sea. This accusation comes shortly after Sudan cut diplomatic ties with the UAE. Emirati officials have denied involvement, suggesting Sudanese authorities are attempting to deflect blame for internal turmoil. Domestically, Sudan has seen significant political shifts in recent days with the election of former UN official Kamil Idris as Prime Minister. Idris previously served with the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization and in Sudan’s permanent missions to the UN. Regional tensions are expected to escalate further following the RSF’s new charter with allies in Nairobi and mounting claims of foreign destabilisation.
In Taiwan, President William Lai delivered a speech marking his first year in office, outlining plans for a sovereign wealth fund aimed at strengthening the nation’s global economic ties. The initiative forms part of Lai’s strategy to address current challenges, particularly those stemming from Trump’s tariffs on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The fund would facilitate foreign investment and enhance global interest in Taiwan’s political and economic stability. Lai also emphasised the need for peace and dialogue with China, asserting that “war has no winners” but reaffirming Taiwan’s commitment to strengthening its defences. A call for “mutual dignity” appeared to define the terms for future peace and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.
The Judgment of Paris, Joachim Anthoniz Wtewael, c.1602.
