Acting Pentagon chief makes first Afghanistan trip before next round of peace talks

KABUL, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan arrived in Afghanistan on Monday on his first trip in the role and said it was important the Afghan government is involved in talks, from which it has so far been excluded, to end the 17-year-old war. Shanahan, who…

US, North Korea to continue summit talks next week

SEOUL (South Korea), Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and North Korea will hold further talks next week to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this month. The news comes a day after Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea, said…

IMF says ready to support Pakistan after Christine Lagarde-Imran Khan meeting in Dubai

DUBAI, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and assured him that IMF stands ready to support his country. The Sunday meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, both…

Haiti protests demanding Pres Moise resignation enter fourth day

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of protesters turned out in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday for a fourth day of demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise. The protest came as The Core Group – composed of a senior UN official, the ambassadors of France, Germany, Brazil, Canada,…

Saudis don’t know where Khashoggi’s body is: Foreign minister

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Riyadh does not know the location of dissident Jamal Khashoggi’s body, despite having detained the Saudi team that murdered him, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs said.  The dissident journalist was dismembered after his murder Oct 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul…

US destroyers sail in disputed South China Sea amid trade tensions

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two US warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move likely to anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the world’s two biggest economies. Beijing and Washington are locked in a trade war and the…

Singapore ‘reiterates’ call for Malaysia to withdraw vessels after Polaris-Pireas collision

SINGAPORE, Feb 11 (NNN-CNA) — Following the collision between a Greece-registered ship and a Malaysian government vessel on Saturday in Singapore territorial waters off Tuas, Singapore has reiterated “its call for Malaysia to withdraw its vessels from the area”. In its response to media queries regarding the incident involving the Greece-registered Pireas and…

Ivorian parliament speaker resigns ahead of possible 2020 presidential run

ABIDJAN, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Former Ivory Coast rebel leader Guillaume Soro has resigned as parliament speaker in a split with President Alassane Ouattara that could signal his intention to run for president next year. That election already looks highly unpredictable; Ouattara has not said whether he will run again,…

Egypt: Three consortiums compete to build dry port west of Cairo

CAIRO, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three consortiums are competing to build a dry port west of Cairo worth $100 million, the Egyptian finance ministry said. The project will be a public-private partnership between the General Authority For Ports and Dry Land and the winning consortium, to be built on roughly…

Nigeria Election: Election Office Burnt Down Six Days Before Polls

 ABUJA, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) —An office for Nigeria’s election commission has been burned down just six days before the country is due to vote in a general election. The fire in Plateau State has destroyed everything needed to vote, including ballot boxes and voting slips. A spokesperson called it a setback…