Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African officials were on Friday considering whether to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe over her alleged assault on 20-year-old model in a Johannesburg hotel. Mugabe, who has not been seen since the Sunday’s incident, is due to attend a Southern …
Read More »South Korea vows no war despite North’s missile threat
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korea pledged Thursday that there would be no war on the Korean peninsula, as prospects of a pre-emptive US strike to destroy Pyongyang’s nuclear missile program receded. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-In moved to reassure his citizens that Seoul has an effective veto on …
Read More »Saudi king orders reopening of Qatar border to pilgrims
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia on Thursday ordered the reopening of its border with Qatar to Muslim pilgrims, a move which Doha said was welcome but too little to heal relations between the feuding Gulf neighbours. The Salwa border crossing, also known as Abu Samrah, a key passage …
Read More »New US envoy reassures Japan over security pact
Narita, Japan | AFP | The new US ambassador to Japan on Thursday reassured the country of an “ironclad” commitment to their security alliance, but urged Tokyo to step up its role in the pact, amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s missile threats. Tokyo remains on alert against potential military provocations …
Read More »Model was offered cash to make Grace Mugabe assault ‘go away’
Centurion, South Africa | AFP |The 20-year-old South African model that Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe is alleged to have assaulted was offered cash to make potential charges “go away”, a lawyer said Thursday. Police have said they were also on high alert to make sure that the 52-year-old wife …
Read More »Grace Mugabe claims diplomatic immunity in S.Africa assault case
President Robert Mugabe flew out of Harare for South Africa early Wednesday for SADC summit Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe has claimed diplomatic immunity after being accused of assaulting a 20-year-old model, South African police said Wednesday, in an incident that could test cross-border …
Read More »South Korea’s Moon: There will be no war on Korean peninsula
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | There will be no war on the Korean peninsula, South Korean President Moon Jae-In said Thursday, saying Seoul effectively had a veto over US military action in response to the North’s nuclear and missile programmes. “All South Koreans have worked so hard together to …
Read More »Where is Grace Mugabe?
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 …
Read More »China says N.Korea crisis faces ‘turning point’
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 …
Read More »Egypt opens Gaza crossing for hajj pilgrims
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 …
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