Samoa's first female PM to review costly China-backed projects

"At the same time, a mere claim of intercepting a drone en route to Mecca al-Mukarramah cannot constitute grounds for accusing a specific party, especially since the Yemeni government of Change and Construction has explicitly denied this claim," he added. 

Beijing reiterated its opposition to "long-arm jurisdiction" and unilateral economic sanctions, stating that any sanctions not authorised by the UN Security Council have no basis in international law. Defending sovereign trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said normal economic and trade cooperation between sovereign nations is not directed at third parties and should not be subjected to external coercion or interference.

Zelenskyy called the timing of the Russian assault "symbolic," emphasising that economic pressure remains essential to forcing Moscow to negotiate as the war enters its fifth year. Direct strikes caused significant disruption to energy infrastructure in the Sumy and Odesa regions. Missiles and drones damaged residential buildings and triggered widespread fires across communities in Kyiv and Odesa. Ukrainian officials reported emergency impacts and damage across a total of eight regions.

He observed that "it was passed with the support of some Democrats who normally have been very supportive of India," noting that key lawmakers "opted to join hands with their Republicans, and it was passed. So it's nothing you can do about it; it has been passed."

Ahead of Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington in September, public discussions surrounding US-China relations have largely focused on trade, security, technology and strategic competition, according to a report by Freedom House.