Egypt Today's world news brief

BY

-

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 - 01:59 GMT

BY

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 - 01:59 GMT

Egypt Today's international news wrap-up - FILE

Egypt Today's international news wrap-up - FILE

CAIRO – 6 June 2018: Egypt Today brings you the latest top of the hour news from around the world over the past 24 hours in this round-up.

Tunisian prime minister fires interior minister after boat accident

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has fired Interior Minister Lotfi Brahem, according to a government statement on Wednesday that gave no reason for the decision.

Chahed had earlier said that at the weekend security guards had failed to stop a boat packed with 180 migrants that sank off the Tunisian coast killing at least 68 people.

a
Tunisia's Prime Minister-designate Youssef Chahed speaks during a news conference after his meeting with Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi (not pictured) in Tunis, Tunisia August 3, 2016 - REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Iran stands ground on nuclear inspections as France warns of red line

Iran will not cooperate more fully with atomic inspectors until a standoff over its nuclear deal is resolved, its U.N. envoy said, as one signatory warned Tehran against moving ahead with preparations to boost its uranium enrichment capacity.

a
IRANIAN PRESIDENCY/AFP | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the December 31, 2017 cabinet meeting

Trump pushes separate trade deal with Canada: White House

President Donald Trump is "seriously contemplating" making separate trade deals with Canada and Mexico in place of the two-decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement, and has broached the idea with Ottawa, a White House official said Tuesday.

"He prefers bilateral negotiations and he is looking at two much different countries," Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Fox News.

A senior Canadian official told AFP that Ottawa is "not ruling out" negotiating a separate deal with Washington, but for now is focusing on NAFTA talks.

a
Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, pictured here at the White House on April 4, 2018

Tickets for Omar Khairat’s concert in Russia selling online

a
FILE - Marrinsky Theatre

Tickets for prominent musician Omar Khairat’s concert scheduled to be held in Russia on June 18 now selling online through “e7gezly” Facebook page.

AUR Capital and Book UR Star Global companies announced on May 6 that a special concert will be held in Russia on June 18 in honor of the Egyptian national team's participation in the World Cup after a 28-year absence. Khairat will perform during the concert, with the aim of boosting tourism and spreading awareness about Egyptian culture.

Putin praises "brave" Trump over planned meeting with N.Korea's Kim

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to set up a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "brave and mature", and said that he was expecting a "positive outcome".

The historic summit will take place on June 12 in Singapore, in the latest twist in a high-stakes diplomatic drive by the United States to curtail Pyongyang's nuclear arms programme.

On Friday, Trump, in a complete reversal, said he would hold the meeting with Kim after initially cancelling it, citing what he called Pyongyang's "open hostility".

a
FILE PHOTO - Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during a joint news conference with Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna, Austria June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Some big Jordanian unions strike despite replacement of PM

Jordanian unions pressed ahead with a strike on Wednesday to protest a draft tax law despite efforts by King Abdullah to defuse public anger after the country's largest protests in years.

Although some unions pulled out of the strike after the king replaced his prime minister, urging new talks over income tax, several shops and pharmacies in the capital Amman shut down and hospital employees staged a protest.

Demonstrations against price rises, including increases in tax, started a week ago.

a
Hundreds of people joined the protests in Amman on Friday (Reuters)

NATO rejects Qatar membership ambition

NATO today declined an overture by Qatar to join the Western military defence alliance, saying membership was reserved to the United States and Europe.

It was responding to a comment by Qatar's defence minister yesterday that his country's long-term strategic "ambition" was to join NATO.

"According to Article 10 of the Washington Treaty, only European countries can become members of NATO," an official of the 29-country alliance told AFP. "Qatar is a valuable and longstanding partner of NATO," the official said.

a
NATO - AFP Photo/JOHN THYS

Comments

0

Leave a Comment

Be Social