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☆ Hezbollah Rejected US Overtures, Still Open to Diplomacy to Avoid Wider War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has been leading a diplomatic outreach to restore security at the Israel-Lebanon frontier as the wider region teeters dangerously towards a major escalation of the conflict ignited by the Gaza war. Israel has also said it wants to avoid war, but both sides say they are ready to fight if necessary. Branded a terrorist organisation by Washington, Hezbollah has not been directly involved in talks, three Lebanese officials and a European diplomat said. Hezbollah has dismissed both ideas as unrealistic, the Lebanese officials and the diplomat said. Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday said attacks against Israel and its interests by the "Axis of Resistance" will stop if the Gaza war ends.

Persons: Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Israel, Spokespeople, Eylon Levy, Najib Mikati, Mikati, Hamas, Mohanad Hage Ali, Hage Ali, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Gebeily, Dan Williams, Tom Perry, Steve Holland, Edtiing, Frank Jack Daniel Organizations: U.S, Yemen's, Reuters, Hezbollah, Lebanese, Iran's, Guards, Carnegie Middle East Center Locations: Maya, Maya Gebeily BEIRUT, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen's Iran, Red Sea, U.S, Lebanese, Beirut, Jan, Washington, European, Hochstein, United States, IRAN, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, France, Jerusalem

☆ Explainer-What's the Israel-Palestinian Conflict About and How Did It Start?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own. In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten its security. Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state.

Persons: David Ben, Gurion, Israel, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Arafat, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden's, Trump, Edmund Blair, Timothy Heritage Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, Arab League, West Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian, European Union, U.S, Israel Locations: Israel, East, Palestine, British, Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Egypt, Israeli, Suez, Golan, Lebanon's Iran, United States, Oslo, Arab, Palestinian, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, U.S

[1/4] The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A court hearing into a liquidation petition filed against China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) was adjourned in a Hong Kong court to next month, allowing more time to finalise a debt restructuring proposal in a major relief for the embattled developer. On Oct. 29, when adjourning the hearing to Monday, Hong Kong High Court Justice Linda Chan had said the next hearing would be the last before a decision was made on liquidating Evergrande. Evergrande last week scrambled to put together a revised restructuring plan to avoid a possible liquidation order. The creditors were opposed to the latest restructuring plan and will seek liquidation if the terms do not change, said the advisor.

Persons: Aly, Jan, Linda Chan, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Clare Jim, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Hong, Hong Kong High, Moelis, Authorities, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Evergrande, destabilised

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. The defaulted company has until a Hong Kong court hearing on Monday to present a "concrete" revised debt restructuring proposal for offshore creditors, a judge said last month after its original plan had lapsed. Guangzhou-based Evergrande, which defaulted on its offshore debt in late 2021, did not respond to a request for comment. Chinese authorities have announced a string of measures to revive the sector destabilised by the debt woes of giants like Evergrande and Country Garden (2007.HK). Reporting by Clare Jim and Xie Yu in Hong Kong, Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Alvarez, Marsal, Clare Jim, Xie Yu, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, William Mallard Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Hong Kong, Court, Reuters, Hong, Evergrande, Services, New Energy Vehicle Group, Marsal, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China's, Guangzhou, Evergrande, Sydney

☆ How well-off Brits still buy Ozempic online for weight loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

NHS diabetes patients – including Gradwell, who went for weeks without full medication – pay nothing for their medication. The shortage persists even after Ozempic's manufacturer Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) launched Wegovy, a semaglutide drug solely for weight loss, in September. Rightangled told Reuters it is within its rights to continue to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss. Two had stopped offering it for weight loss by October, but Rightangled continued to make it available as of Nov. 17, Reuters found. He said his oncologist said that while he could not prescribe Ozempic, it would be good for his health if he took it for weight loss.

Persons: Kim Gradwell, –, John, it's, Rightangled, Gradwell, Penny Ward, I've, Abdullah Sabyah, Ward, Juniper, Ben, Doctors, Novo, Ozempic, semaglutide, prescribers, Rightangled's Sabyah, Tyne wasn't, Gradwell's, Yaasir Mamoojee, We've, Maggie Fick, Marine Strauss, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Chad Terhune, Sara Ledwith, Josephine Mason Organizations: Diabetes, National Health Service, Novo Nordisk, King's College, Department of Health, Social Care, John, Reuters, Oxford University ., NHS, Alliance Healthcare, Alliance, Diabetes UK, NICE, semaglutide, Oxford University, General Pharmaceutical Council, Tyne, Thomson Locations: Dudley , North Tyneside, Britain, Novo, United States, London, U.S, England, Europe, Ozempic, Newcastle, Brussels, Los Angeles

☆ EU condemns Darfur violence and warns of 'another genocide'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 12 (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) condemned on Sunday an escalation of violence in Sudan's Darfur region, warning of the danger of "another genocide" after conflict there between 2003-2008 killed some 300,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. A war since April between Sudan's regular army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary has destabilised the western region and reignited long-simmering feuds there. "These latest atrocities are seemingly part of a wider ethnic cleansing campaign conducted by the RSF with the aim to eradicate the non-Arab Masalit community from West Darfur, and comes on top of the first wave of large violence in June," Borrell said. "The international community cannot turn a blind eye on what is happening in Darfur and allow another genocide to happen in this region." The RSF said last week it had taken control of the army headquarters in West Darfur's capital of El Geneina.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Borrell, RSF, El, Rishabh, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: European Union, Sudan's, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sudan's Darfur, Ardamta , West Darfur, West Darfur, Darfur, West Darfur's, El Geneina, Bengaluru

☆ Israel-Hamas war in Gaza: What is the history of the conflict?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3]Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City, in Gaza, October 10. Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security. Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside of its borders.

Persons: David Ben, Gurion, Israel, Yasser Arafat, Mohammed Salem, Yitzhak Rabin, Arafat, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Edmund Blair, Stephen Farrell, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Israel, West Bank, Palestinian, REUTERS, Palestine Liberation Organization, Oslo Accords, Arab League, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, kibbutzes, Gaza, East, British, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, East Jerusalem, U.S, Egypt, Suez, Golan, Lebanon's Iran, Gaza City, Oslo, Israeli, Arab, Palestinian, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Jerusalem

☆ What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile region against Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own. Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel's population. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights ever since. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten Israel. Jerusalem - Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state.

Persons: David Ben, Gurion, Israel, Golan, Yasser Arafat, Mohammed Salem, Yitzhak Rabin, Arafat, David, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Jerusalem, Trump, Edmund Blair Organizations: Israel, West Bank, Palestinian, REUTERS, Oslo Accords, U.S, Refugees, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, British, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, East Jerusalem, U.S, Egypt, Arab East Jerusalem, Suez, Golan, Gaza City, Oslo, Israeli, Palestinian, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Jerusalem

☆ What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about? The origin of wars explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel's population. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights ever since. A two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees are at the core of the dispute. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten Israel. Jerusalem - Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state.

Persons: David Ben, Gurion, Israel, Golan, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Arafat, David, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Jerusalem, Trump, Edmund Blair Organizations: Israel, West Bank, Palestinian, Oslo Accords, U.S, Refugees, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, British, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, East Jerusalem, U.S, Egypt, Arab East Jerusalem, Suez, Golan, Oslo, Israeli, Palestinian, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Jerusalem

☆ The Queen’s question returns with a vengeance
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The world’s leading central banks had spent the previous two decades focusing on low inflation, neglecting risks to financial stability. Central bankers counter correctly that predictive accuracy is not the same as explanatory power. Yet it is far from clear how today’s independent central banks should respond to these overtly political struggles. In 2021, when the Phillips Curve was asleep at the wheel, the growth in the money supply was flashing red. The unfortunate truth is that there are many answers to the Queen’s question this time round – but no single magic solution.

Persons: Elizabeth, Prince Andrew , Duke, York, Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh, Tom Nicholson, Queen Elizabeth, Ben Bernanke, don’t, Phillips, Isabella Weber, Guido Lorenzoni, Andrew Bailey, monetarism, Milton Friedman, Anna Schwartz, Winston Churchill, Bernanke, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum 私, 「 Organizations: Westminster Abbey, REUTERS, Reuters, Bank of England, U.S . Federal, Phillips, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Chicago, MIT, United, 「 Reuters Locations: Westminster, London, Britain, British, Central, Ukraine, Paris, United States

☆ Burkina Faso junta says it thwarted coup attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man holds his national flag as people gather to show their support to the Junta leader Ibrahim Traore and demand the departure of the French ambassador at the Place de la Nation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent Bado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDAKAR, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's military junta said on Wednesday that a coup attempt had been thwarted the previous day by security and intelligence services, without providing specifics on what had happened. In a statement, it said it had on Wednesday opened an investigation based on "credible allegations about a plot against state security implicating officers." The junta on Monday suspended French news magazine Jeune Afrique for publishing "untruthful" articles that reported tension and discontent within Burkina Faso's armed forces. Over 50 Burkinabe soldiers and volunteer fighters were killed in clashes with militants in early September - the heaviest losses in months.

Persons: Ibrahim Traore, Vincent Bado, Alessandra Prentice, Chris Reese, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Burkina Faso's, Jeune Afrique, Islamic, Reuters, Thomson Locations: French, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Burkina, Republic, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West Africa's

☆ Saudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign minister as relations thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Footage of the meeting on Iranian state media showed MbS and Amirabdollahian smiling as they spoke, while Prince Faisal and the Iranian delegation looked on. Saudi state news agency SPA said they discussed international and regional developments. [1/3]Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia August 18, 2023. Prince Faisal visited Tehran in June and said he hoped Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit the kingdom at the "appropriate time". Saudi Arabia had meanwhile lost confidence in U.S. commitment to shared regional security concerns and wanted to bolster ties with China, which has retained good relations with Iran.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Faisal, Saudi Crown Prince, Hossein Amir, Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, General Antony Blinken, Angus McDowall, Mark Potter, Conor Humphries Organizations: Saudi Arabian Crown, Saudi, MbS, Saudi Crown, Iranian, Iran's Foreign, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Iran's, U.S, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Saudi, Jeddah, United States, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Abdollahian, Saudi Arabia, China, Tehran, Iran, Ukraine, Beijing, East

☆ Saudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsSaudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign ministerPostedSaudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Jeddah on Friday (August 18) in the highest level talks since the countries reconciled after years of bitter rivalry that destabilised the region.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Hossein Amirabdollahian Organizations: Saudi Arabian Crown Locations: Saudi, Iranian, Jeddah

☆ West African bloc seeks solution to Niger coup as deadline nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Thousands of anti-sanctions protestors gather in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey, Niger August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Mahamadou HamidouNIAMEY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - West African defence chiefs were set to wrap up discussions about possible intervention in Niger on Friday, as mediators from the regional bloc push coup leaders in Niamey to restore constitutional order before an approaching deadline. The military junta in Niger is locked in a standoff with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has taken its hardest stance yet on last week's ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum - the seventh coup in West and Central Africa since 2020. Niger's self-declared leader Abdourahamane Tiani has rejected the sanctions and said the junta will not back down against any threats. Later on Friday, the region's defence chiefs will officially end a multi-day meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja about a possible military response that they have said would be a last resort.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, Alessandra Prentice, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Mahamadou, NIAMEY, West, Central Africa, France, juntas, Mali, Burkina Faso, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Nigerien, Nigerian, Abuja

☆ Time for world to dust off its post-Putin plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Whatever happens after Vladimir Putin’s humiliation at the hand of his former protégé Yevgeny Prigozhin, the rest of the world sees the Russian president as wounded. The United States, Europe and China will need to dust off their post-Putin plans. The worst outcome would be a period of long uncertainty with different clans vying for power in Moscow. Confusion about who runs the show in the Kremlin would also send shivers among world governments worried about the fate of Russia’s nuclear weapons. And the balance of power in Russia, where vaguely liberal reformers have remained in charge of the economy, could be destabilised.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Wagner, shivers, Xi Jinping, Alexander Lukashenko, Prighozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Peter Thal Larsen, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, The, Moscow, Kremlin, Russian Defense, Staff, Thomson Locations: Moscow, The United States, Europe, China, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Crimea, States, India, Prigozhin’s, Russian, Rostov

The rapid rise in gilt yields has consequences for the wider economy. To some investors, gilts now increasingly look a bargain as 6% BoE interest rates appear unrealistic. Two-year gilt yields have risen by 1.1 percentage points this year, compared with a 0.3 percentage point increase for German two-year yields and 0.2 percentage points for U.S. Treasuries . Raising interest rates to 6% would "succeed in destroying demand" in the wider economy, he said. Ten-year gilt yields now pay an interest rate nearly 2 percentage points higher than the equivalent German government bond .

Persons: BoE, Liz, Britain's, Jim Leaviss, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, gilts, We've, Mike Riddell, Riddell, Moyeen, There's, Islam, Naomi Rovnick, David Milliken, Toby Chopra Organizations: Labour Party, Bank of England, Bank of, Italy, Reuters Graphics, Allianz Global Investors, U.S, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, Britain, British, gilts

"Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu," Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the matter. The defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The defence ministry said that in the interests of increasing the effectiveness of "volunteer detachments", all such units - or their men - would have to sign a contract with the defence ministry by July 1. It did not mention Wagner by name but it routinely refers to Wagner as "volunteer assault detachments". "These measures will increase the combat capabilities and effectiveness of the armed forces and their volunteer detachments," Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said.

Persons: Prigozhin, Wagner, Shoigu, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Staff Valery Gerasimov, WAGNER Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Nikolai Pankov, Guy Faulconbridge, Jason Neely Organizations: MOSCOW, Defence, Staff, Shoigu, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, May, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, United States, Africa, Washington, Russia, Russian

☆ Gunmen kill two rangers in Congo's Virunga National Park
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 28 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed two rangers in Congo's Virunga National Park on Sunday, the Congo Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) said in a statement, the second attack this month in the country's restive east. Fighters from the Mai Mai militia were likely to blame, the ICCN said, based on its sources. Reuters was unable to confirm this and the Mai Mai could not be reached for comment. The Mai Mai comprise several armed bands that formed to resist two invasions by Rwandan forces in the late 1990s. The ICCN warned of a resurgence of violence in February after suspected Mai Mai militants killed a ranger in a third attack.

☆ Rebel attacks deepen displacement crisis in Congo's Ituri
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Paul Lorgerie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Semire said members of the Hema herding community started to abandon Drodro in mid-March ahead of a rumoured advance by CODECO. "There are repeated attacks - this delays the return of people here, because it creates doubts," he said. Its population has nearly doubled to 65,000 since the beginning of 2023, according to camp representative Samuel Kpadjanga. The presence of fighters in the forests and fields around the camp makes attacks on those who venture out a regular occurrence, Kpadjanga said. My life is safe, but they took everything from me, my scythe, my money," she lamented back in a hut at Rhoe camp, as a toddler peeked at her from the doorway.

China and Russia have declared a "no limits" partnership and Xi has sought to position China as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict. [1/3] Members of Ukrainian special forces engage in zeroing their weapons prior to a mission, amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, in the region of Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 6, 2023. But Ukrainian border guard Levko Stek, speaking in a video clip amid explosions, said Ukrainian forces did not sense any "ammunition hunger" on the Russian side. Ukrainian military expert Oleksander Musienko said Russian forces were "exhausted and cannot maintain the same pace of attacks" that they launched in February. "The Russian forces are preparing to organise defensive positions.

☆ SVB deal helps to steady banks amid credit crunch concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The sudden collapse of tech-focussed SVB earlier this month destabilised the sector and drew some of Europe's biggest banking names into investors' focus. In March, the Stoxx index of European bank shares .SX7P is down more than 18% and the U.S. KBW regional bank index .KRX has lost 21%, with investors on edge about what's next. In Europe, bank bonds are under pressure and credit default swaps, or the cost of insurance against defaults, uneasily high. First Citizens said it would take on assets of $110 billion, deposits of $56 billion and loans of $72 billion, and expand in California. It will share further potential losses with the FDIC and the FDIC retains some $90 billion in securities held for disposal.

☆ Italy pushing IMF to help Tunisia and avoid instability, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

However, Tajani has spoken to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and urged her to show flexibility to stave off possible financial collapse. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also "working the phones", one official said, warning that Italy faced an "invasion of migrants" in the coming months if Tunisia did not get the money. "Uncontrolled irregular migration can only be reduced by improving the conditions of security and economic stability," Tajani said, adding that Italy was looking to boost training opportunities for Tunisians as an alternative to migration. Of the arrivals this year to Italy, the top country of origin is Ivory Coast (3,223), followed by Guinea (2,906). "The stability and prosperity of Tunisia, with respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, are crucial for the stability of the entire Mediterranean region," Tajani said.

☆ Factbox: Middle East flashpoints that could be affected by Saudi-Iran deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China also provided cover for Syria at the United Nations and kept up economic and political ties with Damascus. But as Iran's support helped Assad turn the tide, Saudi backing for the armed and political opposition has waned. Syria's foreign ministry welcomed the deal as an "important step" that could boost regional stability. In 2021, Saudi and other Arab Gulf states withdrew their ambassadors over what they said was Hezbollah's hold over the state. Seeking to de-escalate, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi began engaging directly with Iran.

☆ Survivors of deadly raid in east Congo return to torched village
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Erikas Mwisi Kambale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUKONDI, Democratic Republic of Congo March 11 (Reuters) - Residents of Mukondi village in eastern Congo inspected the burnt-out remains of their homes on Friday and told how they fled for their lives as rebels cut the throats of people around them. Members the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) struck Mukondi and a neighbouring village overnight on Wednesday, torching buildings and killing at least 39 people and wounding many more, according to the local authorities. "They killed with machetes and lit homes on fire," local chief Kasereka Deogratias said near the blackened wreckage of a building in Mukondi. The attackers said, "Don't bother talking because you're no more useful than the people we've just killed here," Kiviko explained. The violence has destabilised swathes of eastern Congo, driving over 5.5 million people from their homes in what has become the largest internal displacement crisis in Africa, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Following a pattern of heavy bombardments after Ukrainian battlefield or diplomatic gains, Russia launched 36 missiles in the early hours, Ukraine's Air Force said. The Russian missiles triggered air-raid sirens and landed across Ukraine, including at the Kremenchuk refinery, where the extent of damage was unclear. Ukraine said the barrage included three KH-31 missiles and one Oniks anti-ship cruise missile, which its air defences cannot shoot down. [1/6] Ukrainian servicemen of the 80th Air Assault Brigade fire M119 Howitzer artillery weapon towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bahmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 16, 2023. Its capture would give Russia a stepping stone to advance on two bigger Donetsk cities further west, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

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