G7 meets over Syria
Representatives of the G7 countries are meeting this week to discuss diplomatic options for ending Russian support of the Assad regime in Syria, according to the BBC. Relations between the United States and Russia have been straining after a U.S. strike on the airfield that intelligence believes was used to launch a chemical weapons attack against a primarily civilian population last week. Russia, who has been backing Assad throughout the Syrian civil war has since moved a warship to the waters near Syria, presumably to deter or defend any further U.S. strikes, according to the Guardian. The effectiveness of the G7 in dealing with Russia has been questioned, as Russia was removed from the group over its unwillingness to negotiate over the Crimea.
State of emergency in Egypt
Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is pursuing approval to declare a national state of emergency following terrorist attacks on Coptic-Catholic religious centers that occurred over the weekend, according to the BBC. Last Sunday was an important religious day for Christians, and the attacks left 44 people dead and many more injured. Declaring a state of emergency would allow authorities to make arrests and conduct searches without warrants. While such measures are extreme, the Islamic State, who have claimed to have carried out the attack, have said that more will come in the near future, and it is speculated that the Egyptian government will enact the state of emergency in an attempt to prevent future attacks.
Trump accepts invitation to China
President Trump’s Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, invited the U.S. president to visit China in the near future, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the president has accepted the invitation, although no dates have yet been set. Jinping’s conversations with Trump during their visit focused mainly on economic relations between the two countries, including increasing U.S. exports to China in order to fill the trade deficit that has developed between the two countries. China is also instrumental in maintaining stability in Asia, especially regarding North Korea.
