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☆ Erdogan says Black Sea grain deal extended for two months
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, May 17 (Reuters) - The Ukraine Black Sea grain deal has been extended for two more months, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, one day before Russia could have quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports. Erdogan's comments, made in a speech to officials of his ruling AK Party, came after the last ship left a Ukrainian port under the deal, which allows for the safe export via the Black Sea of Ukrainian grain and was due to expire on Thursday. "The Black Sea grain corridor deal has been extended by two months with the efforts of Turkey," he said in his televised speech, also thanking the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres for their help. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea deal for an initial 120 days in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's leading grain exporters. To convince Russia in July to allow Black Sea grain exports, the United Nations agreed at the same time to help Moscow with its own agricultural shipments for three years.

GENEVA, May 15 (Reuters) - European countries and the United States are running rival candidates to head the U.N. migration agency in an unusually tense contest between allies that opens in Geneva on Monday. Its 175 member states will vote by secret ballot in closed-door meetings starting on Monday morning. She pledges to "proactively address the challenges of migration and harness its benefits" and says she will focus on its root causes. "We have never happened to have an incumbent director general that faces a competition with one of his deputy generals. He said he had Portugal's backing as well as the "strong encouragement" of the European Union.

☆ UN chief says peace talks in Ukraine conflict not possible right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Unfortunately, I believe that at this stage, a peace negotiation is not possible. Both sides are convinced that they can win," Guterres said. "At the moment, I do not see any possibility of achieving immediately - we are not talking about the future - a comprehensive ceasefire, a peace negotiation," he added. Asked about mediation efforts by China or Brazilian leader Lula, Guterres stressed that achieving peace in the conflict could not happen at the moment, though he hoped that "in the future it will". Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russia marks Victory Day with new attacks on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

* European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Ukraine as "the beating heart of today's European values" in a deeply symbolic visit to Kyiv on Tuesday as Russia marked its World War Two Victory Day. CONFLICT* Russia's defence ministry said its forces had launched missile strikes at targets across Ukraine overnight, disrupting Kyiv's supplies of ammunition to the frontline and troop movements. * Ukraine said its air defences shot down 23 of 25 missiles, fired chiefly at Kyiv, and there were no reported casualties. * Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin made a cryptic, profanity-laced comment about those in charge of Russia's war on Ukraine. INTERNATIONAL* Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Beijing would maintain lines of communication with all parties to the war in Ukraine, including Germany, in seeking a ceasefire.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Wagner group appears to do U-turn on withdrawal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CONFLICT* Russian forces are evacuating residents from the town that serves the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said. * Russian missiles targeted an industrial site in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine, while Ukrainian and Russian media reported multiple explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea. * Russia's defence ministry said its air defences had detected and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight. * Air raid alerts blared for several hours overnight into early Sunday over roughly two-thirds of Ukraine, with officials saying air defence systems shot down a number of drones. * The head of the U.N.'s nuclear power watchdog warned on Saturday that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become "potentially dangerous" as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas.

☆ Afghanistan aid donors struggle with crackdown on women, less money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last month the Taliban began enforcing the ban on Afghan women working for the U.N. after stopping most women working for aid groups in December. So far the United States has given the most money to the 2023 U.N. appeal: $75 million. When asked if Gulf countries could do more to help Afghanistan, Power said: "That would be one obvious potential set of partners." The United Nations has been trying to carve out exemptions in some areas for women to deliver aid, particularly in health and education. For the year ending April 5, 2024 it has pledged nearly $180 million in aid funding for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

☆ UN says aid trucks looted in 'volatile' Sudan, urges safe passage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Mohamed Nureldin Nafisa Eltahir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Summary Aid trucks looted, says United Nations aid chiefViolence undermining chance of lasting truceGuterres says situation 'unacceptable'UN aid chief Griffiths arrives in Port SudanImproving humanitarian access is a priority -UNKHARTOUM, May 3 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Wednesday it was seeking assurances from Sudan's warring factions on the safe delivery of aid after six trucks of humanitarian supplies were looted and air strikes in Khartoum undermined a new ceasefire. The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis, with about 100,000 people forced to flee with little food or water to neighbouring countries, the United Nations said. Aid deliveries have been held up in a nation of 46 million people where about one-third had already relied on humanitarian assistance. A broader disaster could be in the making as Sudan's impoverished neighbours grapple with the influx of refugees. Caught between army air strikes overhead and RSF soldiers on the ground, many citizens feel forced to take sides.

☆ UN chief says international community worried about stability of Afghanistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, May 2 (Reuters) - The international community is worried about the stability of Afghanistan, the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Tuesday. The warning, citing issues including "terrorism", a lack of inclusivity including of women and girls and the spread of drug trafficking, followed a meeting the United Nations convened on Afghanistan in Doha. Guterres said the situation in Afghanistan was the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today and that he would meet the Taliban when it was the "right moment to do so but today is not the right moment". Reporting by Andrew Mills; Writing by Jana Choukeir; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UN says Taliban envoy can meet Pakistan, China ministers next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (Reuters) - A U.N. Security Council committee on Monday agreed to allow the Taliban administration's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to travel to Pakistan from Afghanistan next week to meet with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China, diplomats said. Muttaqi has long been subjected to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo under Security Council sanctions. According to a letter to the 15-member Security Council Taliban sanctions committee, Pakistan's U.N. mission requested an exemption for Muttaqi was to travel between May 6-9 "for a meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China." The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war. The Security Council committee allowed Muttaqi to travel to Uzbekistan last month for a meeting of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan to discuss urgent peace, security, and stability matters.

☆ Taliban not invited to UN Doha meeting on Afghanistan, says UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has not invited the Taliban administration to a meeting that he is convening with special envoys on Afghanistan from various countries in Doha next week, a U.N. spokesperson said on Friday. Last week the United Nations had to stress that the meeting will not focus on the possible international recognition of the Taliban administration after comments by the deputy U.N. chief sparked concern and confusion. Guterres' deputy, Amina Mohammed, had suggested last week that the meeting in Doha "could find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition." In December, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly approved postponing, for the second time, a decision on whether to recognize the Afghan Taliban administration by allowing them to send a United Nations ambassador to New York. The U.N. Security Council unanimously condemned on Thursday a Taliban administration ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and called on Taliban leaders to "swiftly reverse" a crackdown on the rights of women and girls.

☆ US confiscates Iran oil cargo on tanker amid Tehran tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As oil markets remain jittery, the cargo seizure is the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran after years of sanctions pressure by the U.S. over Iran's nuclear program. Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while Washington suspects Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb. Iran has previously responded tit-for-tat following seizures of Iranian oil cargo." Last year the U.S. tried to confiscate a cargo of Iranian oil near Greece, which prompted Tehran to seize two Greek tankers in the Gulf. In a step likely to exacerbate tensions, 12 U.S. senators on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to remove Treasury Department policy hurdles that have prevented the Department of Homeland Security from seizing Iranian oil shipments for more than a year.

☆ Russia Urges Nations at U.N. to Reject U.S.-Led Isolation Effort Over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( William Mauldin | Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a Monday meeting of the United Nations Security Council at the U.N. headquarters in New York. Photo: Brendan McDermid/ReutersUNITED NATIONS—Russia’s chief diplomat is using high-profile meetings in New York this week to marshal opposition to the U.S.-led efforts aimed at isolating Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, drawing condemnation from Western diplomats. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , presiding over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, urged countries to reject what he described as a world order dominated by American and European priorities.

CNN —Haiti’s crime rate has more than doubled since last year, as the Caribbean island nation faces widespread insecurity and gang violence, new data has revealed. More than a dozen people were lynched by a crowd in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Monday, on suspicion of being gang members, according to authorities. Residents who spoke to Reuters and AFP on camera said they believed the victims were gang members. Before the killing, Haitian National Police had stopped and searched the victims in a minibus in the neighborhood of Canape-Vert, seizing weapons and other equipment, according to a statement from the Haitian National Police. Gangs control wide swathes of Port-Au-Prince, plaguing residents with extreme violence as Haitians also grapple with extreme poverty and a humanitarian crisis.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Two killed, 10 wounded in Russian attack on museum; Russian diplomats expelled by Sweden, Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Amanda Macias Karen Gilchrist Sam Meredith | Amanda Macias | Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces struck a museum in Kupyansk in the east of the country, killing two people, wounding 10 others and burying some under rubble. Speaking at a U.N. meeting as he sat next to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Guterres criticized the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, saying it was in violation of the U.N. Charter and international law. Britain's Defense Ministry said a downward trend of Russian casualties in April is likely accurate after what it described as "exceptionally heavy" losses from January to March this year. The ministry said it sees "Russian forces are now focused on preparing for anticipated Ukrainian offensive operations." Elsewhere, Sweden expelled five Russian diplomats for activities it said were "incompatible" with their diplomatic status, while Russia expelled a Moldovan diplomat in what it called a retaliatory move.

☆ A 'tinderbox' with no easy off-ramps: What the Sudan conflict means for the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 19, 2023. "We urge the Sudanese army to respect the ceasefire and its conditions to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians. - | Afp | Getty ImagesNotorious Russian mercenary force Wagner Group has been linked to various commercial and military operations in Sudan. Italian citizens are boarded on an Italian Air Force C130 aircraft during their evacuation from Khartoum, Sudan, in this undated photo obtained by Reuters on April 24, 2023. "The RSF is likely to target oil infrastructure linking South Sudan with Khartoum and the export terminal at Port Sudan," Verisk Maplecroft's Hunter suggested.

☆ Sudan conflict: 'Am I going to get killed in front of my family?' Stories of terror on the risky escape route
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sana Noor Haq Catherine Nicholls Celine Alkhaldi Magdy Samaan | Sana Noor Haq | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Safa Babikir was sleeping in her aunt’s house in Khartoum when she was woken by gunfire. Then, she says, “the screams started.”Desperate to escape the fierce fighting in Sudan’s capital, Babikir soon made a decision to flee the country on a treacherous bus journey to neighboring Egypt. In Sudan, bus drivers are avoiding areas under RSF control, according to al-Idrisi, as they try to avoid skirmishes between the armed forces and the paramilitary group. “The darkest thought I had was, am I going to get killed in front of my family? “Ultimately they were able to escape Khartoum; which seems to be the ultimate mission for a lot of people,” Imad said.

Lavrov, who flew from Moscow to New York to preside over the Security Council, defended his country's "special military operation" in Ukraine in opening remarks before the international forum. Lavrov then blamed the United States for exacerbating geopolitical challenges around the world, including tensions between China and Taiwan. "Today it's Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be another country, another small nation that is invaded by its larger neighbor," she added. In direct remarks to Lavrov, Thomas-Greenfield reiterated calls for the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, whose sister attended the meeting. "I want minister Lavrov to look into her eyes and see her suffering.

TOKYO, April 23 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the "extension, full implementation and expansion" of a critical deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, the group's agriculture ministers said in a communique. Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal was signed in Istanbul last July, allowing Ukraine to export more than 27 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports. In the communique after a two-day meeting in Miyazaki, Japan, the G7 agriculture ministers "recognised the importance" of the deal, saying: "We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI." G7 members "stand ready" to support recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including by providing expertise in de-mining of agricultural land and reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure, the document said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to discuss the Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York this week.

The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum. Burhan said the army was providing safe pathways but that some airports including in Khartoum and Darfur's largest city Nyala were still problematic. [1/5] People gather to get bread during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 22, 2023. The army on Friday accused the RSF of raiding the prison, which the paramilitary force denied.

[1/5] People gather to get bread during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 22, 2023. The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum. The army said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours". The army on Friday accused the RSF of raiding the prison, which the paramilitary force denied.

☆ Black Sea grain deal could start winding down next week ahead of 'expected' closure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS, April 21 (Reuters) - A deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain could start winding down next week after Russia said it will not approve any new vessels unless their operators guarantee the transits will be done by May 18 - "the expected date of ... The letter was sent to the United Nations by Russia's JCC officials on Wednesday. The United Nations declined to comment on the Russian letter. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Monday and will discuss the future of the Ukraine grain export deal. To help persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume Black Sea grain exports, a separate three-year pact was also struck in July in which the U.N. agreed to help Russia export food and fertilizer.

☆ Britain's Cleverly leaves New Zealand early to focus on Sudan response
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People look for water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin AbdallahWELLINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - British Foreign Minister James Cleverly will leave New Zealand Friday and cut his Pacific tour short, his office said, as he focuses on coordinating Britain's response to the Sudan crisis. Cleverly had been scheduled to meet with Samoan officials and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta in Samoa on Friday before undertaking a bilateral meeting and press briefing Saturday in New Zealand. "It’s with real regret that due to the ongoing situation in Sudan I’ve had to cut the visit short. The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Cleverly was skipping his Samoa stop and heading straight to New Zealand where he could better coordinate London's response to events in Africa.

☆ Sudan's paramilitary announces 72-hour ceasefire ahead of Eid al-Fitr
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced the ceasefire in a statement on Twitter early Friday morning local time. The ceasefire is due to begin at 6 a.m., the statement added. The ceasefire comes just ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr … to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families,” the RSF said. The rival Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have yet to comment on the announcement.

☆ Taliban recognition not a focus of Afghanistan meeting, says UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A general view ahead of an aid conference for Afghanistan at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, September 13, 2021. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseUNITED NATIONS, April 20 (Reuters) - A U.N.-convened meeting on Afghanistan next month will not focus on the possible international recognition of the Taliban administration, a U.N. spokesperson stressed on Thursday after comments by the deputy U.N. chief sparked concern and confusion. His deputy, Amina Mohammed, suggested on Monday the gathering "could find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition." Earlier this month the Taliban began enforcing a ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations after stopping most women working for humanitarian aid groups in December. The Taliban says it respects women's rights in accordance with its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

[1/4] People gather at the station to flee from Khartoum during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 19, 2023. Guterres and senior officials from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt called Sudan's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to urge an end to violence. Urging a three-day ceasefire, he said civilians trapped in conflict zones should be allowed to escape and to seek medical treatment, food and other supplies. Witnesses in the city of El-Obeid, east of Darfur, described clashes between the army and RSF troops and widespread looting. Many other local people remain trapped, along with thousands of foreigners in a city that has become a war zone.

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