A ceasefire between the Zionist entity and Palestinian resistance was reportedly reached early Monday, three officials with knowledge of the talks said, after the most serious flare-up since a 2014 war. Egypt brokered an agreement to cease hostilities from 4:30 am (0130 GMT) local time, an official from the Hamas ... Read More »
U.S. must cultivate Central America or lose out to China: Panama president-elect
Panama’s president-elect, Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo, said the United States should pay more attention to Central America or risk losing ground to China, which has won diplomatic support and increased its investment in the region in recent years. Cortizo, of the center-left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), won Sunday’s unexpectedly close presidential ... Read More »
Venezuela crisis puts Trump policy to the test
The Trump administration faces a critical test of its Venezuela policy as opposition leader Juan Guaido, bolstered by vocal U.S. support, pressures the country’s military to abandon socialist President Nicolas Maduro and mounts mass protests to force him out. In its biggest political and diplomatic intervention in Latin America ... Read More »
Sudan protest group calls for strike amid transition stand-off
Sudan’s main protest group called on Monday for civil disobedience and a general strike as meetings with the country’s military rulers failed to provide any breakthrough on the formation of a joint civilian-military transitional council. As tension between the two sides rose, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) said in a ... Read More »
Sri Lanka wakes to emergency law after Easter bombing attacks
Sri Lankans woke to emergency law on Tuesday as authorities searched for those behind suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 290 people over the weekend, with the focus turning to militants with links to foreign groups. No group has yet to claim responsibility for Easter Sunday’s ... Read More »
US toughens stance on Iran, ending exemptions from oil sanctions
Mike Pompeo says any nation interacting with Iran should do its diligence and err on the side of caution The US has announced it will no longer exempt countries from sanctions that aim to impose a complete oil embargo on Iran. Officials said the Trump administration would not renew ... Read More »
Turkey says buying Russian defense system should not trigger U.S. sanctions
Turkey’s purchase of a Russian air defense missile system should not trigger U.S. sanctions because Ankara is not an adversary of Washington and remains committed to the NATO alliance, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday. Speaking at a U.S.-Turkey conference in Washington as tensions mount between the two NATO ... Read More »
Kim Jong-un vows to deliver ‘serious blow’ over sanctions
North Korean leader says ‘hostile forces’ are determined to bring country to its knees Kim Jong-un has vowed to deliver a “serious blow” to hostile countries he accused of using sanctions to bring the regime “to its knees”, according to the country’s state media. The North Korean leader’s broadside against ... Read More »
Exclusive: Egypt withdraws from U.S.-led anti-Iran security initiative – sources
Egypt has pulled out of the U.S. effort to forge an “Arab NATO” with key Arab allies, according to four sources familiar with the decision, in a blow to the Trump administration’s strategy to contain Iranian power. Egypt conveyed its decision to the United States and other participants in the ... Read More »
Sudan’s army to make ‘important statement’ as protesters call for Bashir to go
As analysts fear collapse of law and order army says it will address nation ‘soon’ The Sudanese army will make an “important statement soon”, state television and radio announced on Thursday morning, as thousands of protesters camped outside the military headquarters in Khartoum demanding the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir. ... Read More »