Politics

NEW YORK ­­­­ / WAM Movements by sea from Libya to Europe, despite being the most dangerous route for reaching the continent, have increased and there are indications that it will likely continue to do so, a new study by the United Nations refugee agency has revealed. According to ‘Mixed Migration Trends in Libya: Changing Dynamics and Protection Challenges’, a ...

Bloomberg North Korea said on Tuesday it successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, a claim that brings the isolated state closer to its aim of building a device capable of hitting the continental U.S. with a nuclear warhead. The missile was a newly-developed ICBM that reached an altitude of 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles) and was fired at its highest angle, ...

Bloomberg If Serbia is forced to choose between closer ties with Russia and joining the European Union, it will side with the latter, the country’s new prime minister said. Ana Brnabic said she’d continue a path started by her predecessor, President Aleksandar Vucic, to make the country ready for EU membership by the time her term ends in 2020. Eastern ...

Bloomberg Qatar delivered its official response to the 13 demands made by the Saudi-led coalition that cut diplomatic and transport links with the country, Al Arabiya news channel reported, as President Donald Trump and Kuwait’s emir stepped up efforts to resolve the month-long crisis. Al Arabiya gave no details of the reply. The coalition, which also includes the UAE, Bahrain ...

BAGHDAD / Reuters A suicide bomber dressed as a veiled woman killed 14 people and wounded 13 others in a displacement camp west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, security sources said in a statement. IS extremists, who have been facing mounting US-backed offensives in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, claimed responsibility for the assault. The camp known as ‘kilo 60’ houses ...

ADDIS ABABA / WAM Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday that he is ready for a historical peace deal with Israel based on a two-state solution, the WAFA News Agency has reported. “We are waiting for Israel to respond to the initiative of the US President Donald Trump for a historical peace deal based on a two-state solution,” said ...

Bloomberg President Xi Jinping’s complaint about a ‘negative’ turn in China’s relationship with the U.S. showed the challenge facing Donald Trump when the two leaders meet in Germany this week. Xi’s comment during a phone call with Trump on Monday followed several assertive U.S. moves in Asia, including a naval patrol past a Chinese-controlled islet a day earlier. The American ...

Bloomberg The interior ministers of France and Germany agreed on new measures meant to help Italy as it struggles to cope with rising migrant arrivals, pledging to boost support for the Libyan coast guard and speed up their relocation under a European Union accord. At a dinner in Paris with interior ministers Gerard Collomb of France, Thomas De Maiziere of ...

Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germany’s partners in the Group of 20 states to avoid deeper divisions in economic policy as these may become irreconcilable, and to seek inclusive “win-win” solutions that benefit all instead. Commenting in her weekly podcast, the German leader said the G-20 summit in Hamburg this week offers a good platform for states to air their ...

Bloomberg Scandal-hit Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces one of the biggest tests of his four and a half years in power, after his ruling party lost to an upstart outfit in an election for Tokyo’s assembly. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as projected to win its lowest number of seats ever in the capital in a poll that can be ...