Tag Archives: Diplomacy

S.Africa police decline to reveal if Grace Mugabe has fled Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South African police Wednesday said they knew the whereabouts of Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe, who faces accusations of assault, but declined to say if she had fled the country. The 52-year-old wife of …

Beijing, China | AFP | China said Tuesday that the North Korean nuclear crisis had reached a “turning point” and it was time to enter peace talks. The comments by foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying came as the verbal sparring between the United States and North Korea took a less bellicose …

  Gaza City, Palestinian Territories | AFP |  Egypt reopened its border with the Gaza Strip Monday for the first time in months to allow Muslims from the blockaded Palestinian enclave to travel to Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage, authorities said. “The crossing was reopened this morning for four days …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday backed the efforts of Libya’s military commander Khalifa Haftar and his rival UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj to reach a peace agreement in the conflict-ridden country. “We actively support the emerging trend to step up the process of …

Mississauga, Canada | AFP | A Canadian pastor recently freed from imprisonment in North Korea spoke Sunday of the “overwhelming loneliness” and harsh conditions he experienced during his two-and-a-half years in a labor camp. Hyeon Soo Lim, 62, was imprisoned by Pyongyang in January 2015 for carrying out “subversive activities,” a …

Manila, Philippines | AFP | China is expanding artificial islands in disputed South China Sea areas despite saying it stopped two years ago, according to a security think tank that released satellite images it said showed the land reclamation. Beijing claims most of the sea and has been turning reefs in …

Beijing, China | AFP | As the United States and North Korea exchange fiery words over the regime’s growing weapons programme, China — the North’s biggest ally and trade partner — has receded into the background. Donald Trump had been publicly prodding China for months to use its influence on Pyongyang, …

Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | Will the United States defeat the North Korean nuclear threat through “peaceful pressure” or “fire and fury”? This week US Secretary of State and diplomatic good cop Rex Tillerson was in southeast Asia, working with allies to isolate and cajole Kim Jong-Un’s regime. Meanwhile, back …

United Nations, United States | AFP | In slapping its seventh set of sanctions on North Korea, the United Nations has adopted its toughest measures yet against the regime — but how effective they will be in changing Pyongyang’s behavior is another matter. Days after the UN unanimously approved the US-drafted …

Doha, Qatar | AFP | Lebanon is the only Arab country in the list published at the end of the news conference, although the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council of which Qatar is a member already allows freedom of movement by its nationals. Nationals of 33 countries will now be authorised to …