Bamako, Mali | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mali on Sunday to consolidate Western backing for a regional anti-jihadist force, with France urging greater support for the Sahel region amid mounting insecurity. The so-called “G5 Sahel” countries just south of the Sahara — Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, …
Read More »Trump declares ‘patience is over’ with North Korea
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump declared that the US had run out of patience with North Korea over its nuclear drive Friday as he welcomed South Korea’s new leader Moon Jae-In to talks at the White House. While Moon has been arguing for greater engagement …
Read More »Saudis stand tough as top Gulf diplomats in US for Qatar talks
Washington, United States | AFP | Top Gulf diplomats were in Washington Tuesday as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to help resolve the stubborn Qatar crisis, amid concerns that Saudi Arabia’s unyielding stance could foil the effort. With a one-week Saudi deadline looming for Qatar to meet …
Read More »Bromance as Trump and Modi hail friendship at first talks
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced each other as friends and partners Monday, pledging their quest for economic growth would strengthen rather than undermine ties between the world’s two largest democracies. While Trump’s relations with some traditional allies had …
Read More »Trump says North Korea threat must be ‘dealt with rapidly’
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump called on Monday for the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic programs to be “rapidly” tackled, as he thanked visiting Indian leader Narendra Modi for rallying behind sanctions on Pyongyang. “The North Korean regime is causing tremendous problems and …
Read More »South Koreans march to protest US missile defence system
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Thousands of protesters marched near the US embassy in Seoul on Saturday, accusing President Donald Trump of “forcing” South Korea to deploy a controversial American missile defence system opposed by China. The protest came as South Korea’s new president Moon Jae-In heads to Washington …
Read More »Ghana court rules transfer of ex-Guantanamo detainees unconstitutional
Accra, Ghana | AFP | Ghana’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the transfer of two former Guantanamo Bay detainees to the country was unconstitutional without parliamentary approval. Ghana had signed an agreement with the US government in January 2016 allowing the two ex-Guantanamo prisoners to live in the country. …
Read More »UN chief Guterres to lobby US Congress to save funding
United Nations, United States | AFP | Drastic cuts in US funding to the United Nations would create an insoluble problem for the world body, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday as he announced plans to lobby US lawmakers to reject the cutbacks. Guterres will travel to Washington next week …
Read More »US student evacuated from N. Korea has died
Chicago, United States | AFP | Otto Warmbier, the US student released by North Korea in a coma last week after more than a year in detention, has died, his family said Monday. The 22-year-old, who had suffered severe brain damage, was medically evacuated to the United States on June …
Read More »Havana will ‘never negotiate under pressure’
Vienna, Austria | AFP | Cuba will “never negotiate under pressure,” Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Monday, responding to a toughening of the US line on links with his country. “We will never negotiate under pressure or threat…,” he told reporters in Vienna during a visit to Austria. “Cuba will …
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