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US calls for immediate cessation of attacks in North Darfur, Sudan

US calls for immediate cessation of attacks in North Darfur, Sudan

THE United States is troubled by reports of an imminent attack on El Fasher, North Darfur, and is calling on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately cease further attacks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. "The United States calls on the warring parties to immediately cease further attacks in and around El Fasher to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law concerning civilians," Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department.
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Israel vows to demolish Hamas as troops prepare to move on shattered Gaza

Israel vows to demolish Hamas as troops prepare to move on shattered Gaza

ISRAEL'S Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "demolish Hamas" as his troops prepared to move into the Gaza Strip in pursuit of Hamas militants whose deadly rampage through Israeli border towns shocked the world. Israel has urged exhausted Gazans to evacuate south, which hundreds of thousands have already done in the besieged enclave that is home to more than 2 million people. Hamas, which runs Gaza, has told people to ignore Israel's message. Inside Gaza's narrow and crowded streets, conditions were deteriorating as deaths from Israeli air strikes rose. Bodies were stored in ice cream freezer trucks because moving them to hospitals was too risky…
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Egypt pushes to break impasse over Gaza aid

Egypt pushes to break impasse over Gaza aid

EGYPT said that it had stepped up diplomatic efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and its president told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel's bombardment of the territory was disproportional. "The reaction went beyond the right to self-defence, turning into collective punishment for 2.3 million people in Gaza," President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said of Israel's retaliatory strikes for Hamas militants' attacks a week ago. Aid from several countries has been building up in Egypt's Sinai peninsula due to a failure to reach a deal enabling its safe delivery to Gaza along with evacuations of some foreign…
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Israel links Gaza aid to hostages’ release as humanitarian disaster looms

Israel links Gaza aid to hostages’ release as humanitarian disaster looms

ISRAEL said there would be no pause in its siege of the Gaza Strip for aid or evacuations until all its hostages were freed, as Washington urged it to protect civilians and the Red Cross warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, arriving in Tel Aviv on a trip to show solidarity, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that America would always be by Israel's side and give security assistance, but he urged Israel to show restraint "even when it's difficult". Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip, in…
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US announces visa restrictions for those ‘undermining democracy’ in Liberia

US announces visa restrictions for those ‘undermining democracy’ in Liberia

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced visa restrictions for individuals who he said were "undermining democracy" in Liberia ahead of the country's elections in October. THE TAKE Blinken in a statement released by the U.S. State Department did not specify how many people were affected or identify them. The move restricts their ability to travel to the U.S. The policy is not aimed at the Liberian people or government, Blinken said. KEY QUOTE The U.S. visa restrictions target people believed to be responsible for "undermining democracy in Liberia, including through manipulation or rigging of the electoral process; use of…
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China lashes back as Biden labels Xi a ‘dictator’

China lashes back as Biden labels Xi a ‘dictator’

CHINA hit back after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator", saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, in an unexpected spat immediately following efforts by both sides to lower tensions. Biden's comments came just a day after top U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations that China says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established. Attending a fundraiser in California, Biden said Xi was very embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over U.S. airspace early this year, making a personal comment on…
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SA-Russia ties: US MPs seek punishment

SA-Russia ties: US MPs seek punishment

A group of U.S. lawmakers is calling for a U.S.-Africa trade summit planned for later this year to be moved from South Africa in response to what they said was the country's "deepening military relationship" with Russia. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials, they also suggested South Africa is in danger of losing its benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - Washington's flagship trade programme. South Africa is due to host the AGOA Forum in Johannesburg, a meeting of African leaders and U.S. officials, to discuss the future of…
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US imposes visa restrictions on some Nigerians

US imposes visa restrictions on some Nigerians

THE United States has imposed entry restrictions on more Nigerians for undermining the democratic process during the African nation's 2023 election cycle, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. "These individuals have been involved in the intimidation of voters through threats and physical violence, the manipulation of vote results, and other activity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process," Blinken said in a statement. The action is the latest in a series of visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian individuals in recent years. Nigeria's election tribunal this month was to begin hearing opposition petitions challenging president-elect Bola Tinubu's victory in the disputed February presidential vote,…
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Blinken announces $150 mln in new aid for Sahel

Blinken announces $150 mln in new aid for Sahel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for Africa's Sahel region, saying it would provide life-saving support to refugees and others impacted by conflict and food insecurity. Making the announcement during a visit to Niger, Blinken said the aid would address needs in Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania. The package also included funding to support Sahelian refugees in Libya and Niger, he said. Thomson Reuters Foundation
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