Swiss government to mediate Cameroon peace talks
Switzerland has agreed to mediate talks between Cameroonian authorities and separatists in a bid to end escalating violence in the country’s Anglophone regions, the Swiss government said on Thursday.
Slovakia’s new parties cry foul as lawmakers tighten financing rules
Slovakia’s parliament on Thursday rushed through draft legislation tightening campaign financing rules, a move seen by new parties as the ruling coalition’s strike against rivals before next year’s general elections.
UK PM May to meet Saudi crown prince, to call for de-escalation in Gulf
British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday to discuss the need for de-escalation in the Gulf after tensions rose because of a U.S.-Iran dispute over the country’s nuclear deal, May’s spokeswoman said…
Canadian navy ships sailed through Taiwan strait amid tension with China
China’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Canadian navy ships sailed through the Strait of Taiwan, which separates self-ruled Taiwan from China, an act that could inflame already bad bilateral relations.
At least 36 killed in collapse at Glencore mine in Congo
At least 36 artisanal miners were killed on Thursday when part of a copper and cobalt mine owned by Glencore collapsed in southeast Congo, the provincial governor said.
Japan PM Abe, China’s Xi agree on need for ‘free, fair’ trade
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to work together to promote “free and fair trade” in talks on Thursday that included a “complicated” global economic landscape, a Japanese official said.
Mexico’s president defiant in row with Canada over pipeline contracts
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pushed backed on Thursday against Canadian concerns that gas pipeline contracts awarded under his predecessor might not be honored, saying the terms of the agreements were “abusive” toward the state.
Security forces use tear gas to disperse students in Sudan’s Khartoum
Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of students demonstrating against the ruling military council at a financial academy in the heart of Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Thursday, a Reuters witness said.
U.S. defense chief tries to rally NATO allies on Iran as tensions simmer
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper appealed to NATO allies on Thursday to publicly denounce Iran’s hostile actions and consider participating in a still-evolving plan to better safeguard strategic waterways around the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. envoy says Iran sanctions are working, warns against nuclear breaches
The United States’ policy of maximum economic pressure on Tehran is working, but U.S. sanctions did not give Iran the right to breach its nuclear commitments, a senior U.S. official said on Monday.
