Washington, United States | AFP | The United States expressed concern on Wednesday over the political crisis in Zimbabwe, where the military has apparently placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest. A State Department official said the US embassy in Harare has been closed to the public as a safety precaution …
Read More »International pressure ramps up over Liberia election delay
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | The European Union on Tuesday joined an international chorus urging Liberian political parties and its electoral commission to end “unnecessary delays” and elect a new president. A second round of voting to choose a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was suspended indefinitely by the …
Read More »Syria on agenda as Putin and Erdogan meet in Russia
Sochi, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Sochi on Monday, with efforts to bring peace to Syria set to dominate their talks at the Black Sea resort. Despite being on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, Russia and Turkey have …
Read More »New UNESCO chief brushes off US pullout
Paris, France | AFP | UNESCO’s new chief on Monday brushed aside the United States’ decision to walk out of the UN cultural body, saying the organisation had survived long periods without Washington before. Former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay, elected on Friday to head UNESCO, said the US was “not …
Read More »As Iran-Saudi ‘Cold War’ heats up, what next?
Tehran, Iran | AFP | From a Yemeni missile attack to the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister, the “Cold War” between Middle East rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has been heating up. Experts believe the risk of a direct military clash is low, but why have tensions escalated now and how …
Read More »EU warns Brexit talks clock is ticking
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU warned Britain on Thursday that time is running out to reach a divorce deal by the end of the month, a necessary step to guarantee moving the Brexit process on to trade negotiations. As Brexit talks resumed in Brussels, concerns are growing among EU …
Read More »Cows and chickens cause spat between Kenya and Tanzania
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | A diplomatic spat over cows and chickens has worsened already frosty ties between Kenya and Tanzania, with Nairobi lodging a formal protest against its neighbour, the foreign minister said Wednesday. The latest impasse between the two east African nations began last month when Tanzania seized and …
Read More »Trump in China for talks on North Korea’s ‘cruel dictatorship’
Beijing, China | AFP | US President Donald Trump toured the Forbidden City with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday as he began the crucial leg of an Asian tour intended to build a global front against North Korea’s nuclear threats. After warning North Korea’s “cruel dictatorship” in a speech in …
Read More »Who’s great again? Trump faces ‘king of China’ Xi
Beijing, China | AFP | Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have one thing in common — they both want to make their nations great again. But while China’s leader is on the rise, the US president arrives in Beijing laden down with heavy baggage. Xi will roll out the red …
Read More »UAE and Qatar stake billions in ‘soft power’ showdown
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | The opening this week of the glittering Louvre Abu Dhabi museum marks the latest stage in a multi-billion-dollar “soft power” showdown between energy giants Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Culture, media and sports have turned into battlegrounds for branding and global recognition. “There …
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