Taliban appoints new political leader to join U.S.-Taliban peace talks
A co-founder of the Taliban was appointed as the leader of its political office in Qatar on Thursday to strengthen its hand in peace talks with the United States as they try to establish a mechanism to end the 17-year Afghan war.
U.S. asks for U.N. Security Council meeting on Venezuela
The United States has requested a public U.N. Security Council meeting on Venezuela on Saturday and U.N. diplomats said they expected U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to address the body.
Canada will host meeting of the Lima Group on Venezuela: source
Canada will host a meeting of the Lima Group regional bloc to discuss next steps in Venezuela, where opposition leader Juan Guaido has sworn himself in as interim president, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Bosnian Muslims anger Serbs with name change plan, EU calls for calm
A Muslim party said it would launch a legal bid to change the name of Bosnia’s Serb region, enraging all Serbian parties in the volatile country and prompting calls for calm from the European Union.
Sudan protests death toll rises to 29: investigatory committee
A 24-year-old man died of his wounds during protests in Sudan on Thursday, a governmental investigatory committee spokesman said.
U.S. seeks to cut off money for Venezuela’s Maduro, aid opposition
The United States is seeking to ensure that Venezuelan oil revenue goes to opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido, and to cut off money from increasingly isolated President Nicolas Maduro, a top U.S. official said on Thursday…
Spanish miners start risky tunneling to reach missing boy
The search for a two-year-old Spanish boy who fell into a narrow well on Jan. 13 entered its riskiest phase on Thursday as miners went down a new 60-meter (197 ft) parallel shaft to start digging across to the well.
Vatican calls for end to suffering in Venezuela but takes no sides
Pope Francis is following the situation in Venezuela closely and the Holy See supports all efforts to spare its people from further suffering, the Vatican said on Thursday.
Exclusive: U.N. expert to lead international inquiry into Khashoggi murder
The United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions told Reuters on Thursday she will travel to Turkey next week to head an “independent international inquiry” into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Pompeo urges regional bloc to support Venezuela’s Guaido
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday urged Latin American governments to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president and to declare President Nicolas Maduro’s government illegitimate.
