BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting opens in South Africa

This undated photo shows the national flags of the BRICS countries member – (from left) Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa. (PHOTO / AFP) CAPE TOWN – BRICS countries kicked off its foreign ministers meeting on Thursday in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. "At today's discussion, we will focus on opportunities […]

Moldova to progress EU accession ahead of European summit

Moldovan President Maia Sandu (right) and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (left) deliver a press conference at the Moldovan Presidency headquarters in Chisinau, on May 31, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) CHISINAU – The upcoming second European Political Community (EPC) summit will be an opportunity to showcase Moldova's readiness toward the European […]

UN chief calls for effective governance of outer space

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres addresses the media during a visit to the UN office in the capital Nairobi, Kenya, on May 3, 2023. (PHOTO / AP) UNITED NATIONS – Effective governance of outer space is necessary for the benefit of all humankind, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a new policy brief published on Wednesday. […]

Sudanese army suspends ceasefire talks

Smoke billows in southern Khartoum, Sudan, on May 29, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) KHARTOUM – Sudan's army suspended talks with a rival paramilitary force on Wednesday over a ceasefire and aid access. The armed forces said in a statement it halted talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah, accusing the other side of a lack […]

Rising costs force schools to shut in UK

In this March 13, 2020 photo, high school students leave Beal Secondary School in London. (PHOTO / AFP) The rising cost of house prices and child care causing young families to relocate out of urban areas, together with falling birthrates, would mean that nearly 100 primary schools across England could be forced to shut, according […]

German government to shut down 4 Russian consulates

An entrance of the Russian embassy is closed in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2023. (PHOTO / AP) BERLIN – The German government would close four out of the five Russian consulates in the country by revoking their licenses after Moscow limited the number of German officials in Russia, according to the German Federal Foreign Office. […]

Edgars Rinkevics elected Latvia’s new president

Newly elected President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics looks on at a press conference at the Parliament of Latvia (Saeima), on May 31, 2023, in Riga, Latvia. (PHOTO / AFP) RIGA – Latvian lawmakers at an extraordinary parliament session on Wednesday elected Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics the new president of the country. Three candidates were running […]

Zimbabwean president sets Aug 23 for next elections

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks during a handover ceremony where he received medical emergency and police helicopters from Sergey Chemezov the Director General of the Russian State Corporation "Rostec" at the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare on May 18, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) HARARE — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced August 23 for the […]

South American leaders reach consensus on integration

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks to the press after a summit of South American leaders, at Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia on May 30, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) BRASILIA – Leaders of the South American countries reached the Brasilia Consensus on Tuesday at the regional summit in Brasilia convened by Brazilian President Luiz […]

Danish govt proposes historic boost for defense spending

This file photo shows Danish Acting Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen drinking a cup of tea in New Delhi on February 20, 2009. (PHOTO / AFP) COPENHAGEN – The Danish government on Tuesday proposed a defense settlement worth 143 billion Danish kroner ($21.7 billion) over the next 10 years, in an unprecedented strategic move. […]

Zelensky, Scholz discuss strengthening Ukraine’s defense

This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on May 14, 2023, shows German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (center) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) visiting a military base in Aachen, western Germany, where Ukrainian servicemen are being trained. (HANDOUT / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP) KIEV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr […]

IAEA: Situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant fragile

A general view of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on March 29, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) UNITED NATIONS – The nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine remains extremely fragile and dangerous, said the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday. "Military […]

1 killed, 13 injured in Kiev drone attacks

Communal workers evacuate damaged cars covered with dust and rubble at the bottom of a partially destroyed building after an overnight drone attack in Kiev on May 30, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP) KIEV — Ukraine said at least one person was killed and 13 people injured here and in nearby areas due to Russia's drone […]