Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, apologised to people harmed in recent political unrest and reached out both to the political opposition and longtime rival Eritrea at his swearing-in on Monday. Abiy is the first ethnic Oromo to be selected by the ruling Ethiopian …
Read More »Kim Jong Un attends rare concert by South Korean pop stars
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Sunday attended the first concert in Pyongyang for over a decade by South Korean entertainers, including a K-pop girlband, the latest gesture of reconciliation before a rare inter-Korean summit. The visit, described by many as a cultural charm …
Read More »Zambia asks Cuba to recall ambassador over opposition ‘support’
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Sunday requested that Cuba recall its ambassador for allegedly expressing support for a new opposition party. Cuban ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas reportedly attended the launch of the “Socialist Party” on Saturday in Lusaka and was accused of publicly saying that …
Read More »Kim says N. Korea to take part in 2020, 2022 Olympics: IOC chief
Beijing, China | AFP | Kim Jong Un is committed to sending North Korean teams to the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, IOC chief Thomas Bach said Saturday after a rare meeting with the leader of the nuclear-armed regime in Pyongyang. Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, also said …
Read More »Russia says Britain must cut more than 50 diplomats
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Britain has to reduce its diplomatic staff in Russia by more than 50 more people, the foreign ministry said Saturday, following an escalating row over the nerve agent attack on a former double agent. The new measures are seen as punishment for Britain’s calls on …
Read More »Russia hits back against EU countries in spy row
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia on Friday expelled Dutch diplomats and told Britain it had one month to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country, hitting back at EU countries after a coordinated campaign by the UK and its allies over a nerve agent attack on a former spy. …
Read More »Erdogan ‘saddened’ by France’s stance on Kurdish militia
Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said he was “extremely saddened” by France’s position after Paris offered to mediate with the Syrian Democratic Forces dominated by a Kurdish militia deemed a terrorist group by Ankara. “We are extremely saddened by France’s… wrong stance on …
Read More »UN losing support from countries, says outgoing top official
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN’s outgoing political chief expressed concern Thursday in a parting message that the United Nations was losing support from a growing number of countries. Jeffrey Feltman, an American who served as under-secretary-general for political affairs since 2012, said it was “quite worrying” …
Read More »White House says Russia expulsion of diplomats marks ‘deteroriation’ in ties
Washington, United States | AFP | Russia’s expulsion of 60 US diplomats and shuttering of one of its consulates marks a “further deterioration” in relations between Washington and Moscow, the White House said Thursday. The US had ordered a similar number of diplomats from Russia to leave and the shuttering …
Read More »US on track to meet climate targets despite Trump: UN chief
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States is on track to meet the targets of the Paris climate agreement despite President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw from the accord, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. Guterres said emissions-cutting plans put in motion by American businesses, regional governments …
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