Mes: agosto 2019

(AP) UNITED NATIONS – Former Algerian foreign affairs minister Lakhdar Brahimi is a strong candidate to replace Kofi Annan as peace envoy to Syria, diplomats said Thursday. Diplomats who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly said that Brahimi was a strong possibility, while other contenders are ex-Spanish foreign affairs minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Spain’s Javier Solana, a former NATO chief and European Union foreign policy head. Annan, a former U.N. secretary-general, announced his resignation last week as joint U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, ending a frustrating six-month effort that failed to achieve even a temporary cease-fire. He leaves at the end of the month. Clashes rage in rebel bastions of Syria’s AleppoVideo: Amid defections, Syria names new PM Divisions within the Security Council prevented a united approach to stop the fighting in in Syria, Annan said when he announced his resignation. Russia and China have twice used their veto power to block strong Western- and Arab-backed action against President Bashar Assad’s regime. While he singled out the regime for blame for the escalating violence, Annan also said the opposition’s increasingly militant tactics contributed to dooming his six-point peace plan, which included a cease-fire and a Syrian-led political process to end the crisis. Annan did succeed in getting the Syrian government and its allies to at least agree to the plan. Brahimi, 78, served as Algeria’s...

(AP) BAGHDAD – Three bomb blasts shortly before sunset Wednesday killed 10 people north of Baghdad in the latest spasm of violence to grip Iraq. The blasts underscored the volatility of the country eight months after the last U.S. troops pulled out. Insurgents, led by the local branch of al Qaeda, are trying to re-establish themselves in their old strongholds and undermine the government. The first bomb went off Wednesday in Baqouba, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the Iraqi capital. Police said two civilians and one police officer were killed, and five people were wounded. Minutes later, authorities said, a car bomb exploded at the entrance of the main market in Muqdadiyah, about 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad. A second blast struck as police arrived on the scene. Police said the toll for both bombings in the town was seven killed and 26 wounded. Iraq: Gunmen kill 7 Shiites in targeted attack The bombs exploded shortly before the ceremonial breaking of the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan, when families and friends gather for a sunset meal. Police said the Muqdadiyah market was crowded with shoppers who were buying last-minute supplies for the “iftar” meal. Baqouba and Muqdadiyah are both located in the province of Diyala, a former stronghold of al Qaeda’s Iraqi branch. The province is home to both Sunni and Shiite...

(CBS/AP) QUITO, Ecuador – Ecuador’s foreign minister is alleging that Britain threatened to storm his country’s London embassy to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Ricardo Patino told a news conference that Ecuador received a written threat Wednesday from Britain that “it could assault our embassy” if Assange was not handed over. He said the threat was delivered to Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry and ambassador in London. The Press Association reports Patino released details of the letter it got from the British Foreign office. The letter stated: “You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the Embassy. We sincerely hope that we do not reach that point, but if you are not capable of resolving this matter of Mr Assange’s presence in your premises, this is an open option for us.” The Australian has been holed up in the embassy since June 19, 함평출장마사지 taking refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning for alleged sexual misconduct. Assange’s supports say the charges are trumped up and believe the U.S. has secretly indicted him and would extradite him from Sweden. Ecuadorian officials have said they will announce Wednesday whether or not Assange will be given asylum. British authorities have...

Jeff Glor hears from Kevin Wilson about “Family Fang,” his inventive novel about a quirky couple obsessed with performance art. For them, everything in life is secondary to art, including their children. Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book? Kevin Wilson: I knew I wanted to write about family, what it means to be born into something and how you eventually leave it behind to become your own person. But the biggest event that spurred me to write the book was the birth of my son, Griff. Once my wife and I became parents, I thought more and more about what the responsibility of caring for a baby meant and if our actions were helping or hurting our son. JG: What surprised you the most during the writing process? KW: How much I grew to care about the characters. I felt such an affinity for Annie and Buster, 광양콜걸 the children in the novel, that when I finished the book, I missed writing about them. I imagine it was the same feeling a parent has when a child leaves for college. They left me behind, but I still had more ideas for them. JG: What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? KW: Most of my life, I’ve been a secretary, so I imagine I’d keep doing that. I am very good at taking orders...