Ex-U.S. Secretary Schultz Dies At 100
Former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz, who spent most of the 1980s trying to end the Cold War and reach Middle East peace, has died. He was 100.
Negotiations
Biden orders USS Nimitz aircraft carrier home in possible signal to Iran
The United States aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, known for anchoring US power in the Middle East, has been ordered back home, US Naval Institute News said citing American officials.
UK set to formally apply for trans-Pacific trade bloc membership
Britain will next week formally apply to join a trans-Pacific trading bloc of 11 countries, with negotiations set to start later this year, the government has said.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan resume Nile dam talks
The three African nations at the center of a spat over the controversial building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam resumed talks on Sunday, officials said.
Israel, Saudi Arabia reportedly pressuring Trump to strike Iran in final days
Israel and Saudi Arabia are pressuring the Trump administration to carry out a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, the Arabic-language newspaper Dar Al-Hayat reported on Thursday.
In Response To Kremlin, U.S. Reiterates Proposed Extension Of New START Treaty
The United States has responded to Russia’s call to continue negotiations on the New START arms-control treaty by reiterating a U.S. proposal and saying the Russians have “rejected” attempts to restart the talks.
PA, Jordan and Egypt call for resumption of peace talks
The Palestinian Authority, Egypt and Jordan on Saturday stressed the need to urge Israel to return to negotiations in order to reach a final settlement on the basis of a two-state solution to ensure the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Britain, EU Agree To Keep Talking Over Deal
London and Brussels have agreed to continue talks on a crucial trade deal to avoid Britain’s turbulent exit from the European Union’s orbit by the end of the month. The announcement followed difficult negotiations between the two sides to prevent a messy divorce on Sunday.
Palestinians ready to resume negotiations with Israel
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the Palestinians are prepared to resume talks with Israel and that fresh negotiations should be based on resolutions passed by the United Nations on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Jerusalem Post reports. Abbas made the announcement during a visit to Ramallah by Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha González.
EU, Britain Face Messy Divorce After Talks Breakdown
European leaders have warned that Britain’s exit from the European Union will likely be without a crucial deal on $1 trillion in annual trade. Britain already quit the EU in January, but it remained in the EU single market and customs union during a transition period.
EU Reaches Deal On 1.8 Trillion Stimulus
European Union leaders agreed on a 1.8 trillion euro ($2.2 trillion) stimulus package after Hungary and Poland withdrew their veto. Both EU member states threatened to torpedo funds if payments were tied to rule-of-laws standards.
EU Trade Talks Face ‘Moment of Finality’ on Weekend, UK Says
Britain’s foreign minister said Thursday that negotiations on a trade deal with the European Union will reach a “moment of finality” this weekend, with both sides assessing chances of an agreement as slim.
Brexit negotiations at a stalemate as Britain, EU free-trade deal teetering on collapse
Britain and the European Union warned Tuesday that talks on a post-Brexit free-trade deal are teetering on the brink of collapse, with just over three weeks until an economic rupture that will cause upheaval for businesses on both sides of the English Channel.
UK, EU resume face-to-face trade talks with time running out
Teams from Britain and the European Union resumed face-to-face talks on a post-Brexit trade deal Saturday, with both sides sounding gloomy about striking an agreement in the little time that remains.
Brexit: Next days ‘decisive’ for hopes of deal, says EU’s Ursula von der Leyen
The coming days in the Brexit negotiations will be “decisive” as to whether Britain and the EU are able to agree on a free trade deal, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
Britain signs interim trade deal with Canada amid continued negotiations with EU
While still trying to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, the United Kingdom has been able to agree to an interim trade deal with Canada, Fox News reports. The agreement offers a source of business security for Britain, which must reach an agreement with the EU by the end of the post-Brexit transition period on 31 December or move instead into World Trade Organization terms with the European trading bloc.
Cuban government authorities demolish Assemblies of God church building and block other churches from opening
Government officials in Cuba have demolished an Assemblies of God church building and are preventing other churches from opening again after COVID-19 measures were lifted, Morning Star News reported Sunday. The Cuban government claimed the building was demolished to lay piping for a cement plant, but such infrastructure would have required the destruction of local homes and the relocation of residents: none of this has happened.
Post-Brexit trade deal: UK and EU resume grid-locked negotiations
Stalled post-Brexit trade deal talks have resumed once again as British and European Union negotiators convened in London Monday, the Washington Times reports. Recent talks in Brussels left the two sides still far apart on the way forward following the UK’s official departure from the EU trading bloc in January. The parties have until December 31 to agree a trade deal before the post-Brexit transition period comes to an end. Hundreds of thousands of jobs on both sides may be lost in the event of a “no-deal Brexit.”
Libya’s rivals urge U.N. Security Council to back cease-fire
Libya’s rivals wrapped up their military talks with a call to the U.N. Security Council to adopt a binding resolution to implement a cease-fire deal inked last month, the U.N. said.
Nigeria: Islamic State terrorists release video showing abducted pastor still alive
A video released on October 29 shows that a pastor in Nigeria who was abducted by Islamic terrorists on October 19 is still alive, Morning Star News reports. Appealing to the governor of Plateau state and to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and denominational Christian leaders for help, the Rev. Polycarp Zongo of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) says that he is together with two Christian women who were also abducted by the “caliphate” militants of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).