US says Gaza ceasefire to start as planned despite “loose end”
Doha, Qatar/Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters The Gaza Strip ceasefire should begin on Sunday as planned, despite the need for negotiators to tie up a “loose end” at the last minute, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. Israel delayed holding a cabinet meeting to ratify the ceasefire with Hamas, blaming the militant group for […]
Biden defends foreign policy record despite ongoing crises
Washington DC, US Reuters Outgoing President Joe Biden sought to burnish his foreign policy record on Monday and said US adversaries are weaker than when he took office four years ago despite global crises that remain unresolved. A week before handing over to President-elect Donald Trump, Biden addressed US diplomats at the State Department and […]
Final draft of Gaza truce deal presented to sides after “breakthrough”, official says
Doha, Qatar/Cairo, Egypt Reuters Mediators gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of a deal on Monday to end the war in Gaza, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after a midnight “breakthrough” in talks attended by envoys of both outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump. Biden said a ceasefire and […]
Venezuela’s Maduro sworn in as US raises reward for his capture, opposition delays return
Reuters Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in office have been marked by deep economic and social crisis, was sworn in for a third term on Friday, despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture. Maduro, President since […]
US determines Sudan’s RSF committed genocide, imposes sanctions on leader
Washington DC, US/Nairobi, Kenya/Cairo, Egypt Reuters The United States determined on Tuesday that members of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan and it imposed sanctions on the group’s leader over a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. The moves deal […]
Blinken calls for push to get Gaza truce deal over “finish line”
Jerusalem/Cairo, Egypt Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Monday for a final push for a Gaza ceasefire before President Joe Biden leaves office, after a Hamas official told Reuters the group had cleared a list of 34 hostages as first to go free under a truce. “We very much want to bring […]
Battle rages in western Russia as Moscow reports gains in Ukraine
Reuters Russia said on Monday its forces had made important gains in eastern Ukraine while continuing to fend off a new Ukrainian offensive inside the Kursk region of western Russia, where a second day of fierce fighting was under way. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had captured the town of Kurakhove, 32 kilometres […]
South Korea investigators seek to extend Yoon’s arrest warrant
Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korean investigators will seek an extension of a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, an official said on Monday, as an anti-graft agency asked police to take over efforts to execute the arrest of the embattled leader. The requests come after a failed attempt to serve the warrant […]
US gives more Sudan aid, UN says crisis is of “staggering scale, cruelty”
United Nations Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday announced some $US200 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Sudan, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis. Blinken, chairing a United Nations Security Council meeting on Sudan, said the funding would provide food, shelter […]
US, regional diplomats urge respect for minorities in Syria after Assad, Blinken says
Aqaba, Jordan Reuters Top diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab nations have agreed that a new government in Syria should respect minority rights, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday following talks in Jordan and direct contacts with the rebels who ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The meetings occurred […]