March 14, 2022

*) US warns China of consequences of helping Russia The White House has warned Beijing of severe "consequences" if it helps Moscow evade sanctions as the Russian offensive in Ukraine widens. "We will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions," US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said ahead of talks with Beijing. Russia reportedly asked China for military and economic aid for its assault on Ukraine just hours after Washington’s warnings. *) UN urges Russia to stop attacking health facilities Three UN agencies have called for an immediate end to Russian attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine, calling them “an act of unconscionable cruelty”. The UN Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund condemned the attacks on patients and health workers in a joint statement. In 24 of the reported Russian attacks, health care facilities were damaged or destroyed, while in five cases, ambulances were hit. A total of 12 people were killed and 34 injured, according to the UN agencies' statement. *) Europe new ‘hotspot’ for arms imports Europe has seen the world's biggest rise in arms imports in the past five years, according to a study published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. While arms exports declined globally by 4.6 percent in the 2017-2021 period compared with the preceding five-year period, Europe posted a 19-percent increase. Researchers expect the trend to accelerate following recent rearmament commitments amid the Russian operation in Ukraine. *) Iran condemns Saudi executions Iran has strongly condemned Saudi Arabia’s mass execution of convicted criminals, saying the move violates "basic principles of human rights and international law”. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the mass execution of 81 men was carried out "without observing fair judicial processes”. More than half of those executed were Shia Muslims. Tehran’s condemnation came hours after Ira