The African Union's mission in Somalia said Wednesday it had begun reducing troop numbers in line with plans to eventually hand over security to the troubled country's national army.. It said it handed over a base operated by Burundian forces in Hirshabelle state in south-central Somalia to the Somali National Army.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday equated his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with "dictators" as he addressed a Democratic Party donors reception in the presence of journalists.. Tuesday was not the first time Biden has made significant, even provocative, statements at fund-raising receptions, usually small-scale events at which cameras and recordings are forbidden but where journalists may listen to and transcribe the president's opening remarks.
The iconic Glastonbury Festival opens its doors on Wednesday, with 200,000 music fans set to descend on a farm in southwest England to see acts including Arctic Monkeys, Guns N'Roses and Elton John.. Dairy farmer Eavis first organised the festival in southwest England in 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died, and fans who came to see acts including Marc Bolan and Al Stewart paid £1 each for entry and received free milk from the farm.
Japanese campaigners on Wednesday slammed a government report into the sterilisation of thousands under a eugenics law in place until 1996, saying it failed to take responsibility for the procedures.. But "it lacks a summary of why this terrible law was enacted and existed for 48 years, and fails to mention why the government didn't take responsibility even after the law was amended," he said.
Former Australian leader Scott Morrison hid plans to ditch a French submarine contract for fear a furious Paris would find a way to "kill" his new deal with the United States and United Kingdom, he reveals in an upcoming book seen by AFP. The scandal, which saw Morrison work in secret with London and Washington to procure nuclear submarines before breaking the contract with Paris, highlighted the fragility of transatlantic trust, with ties still recovering from the 2021 revelation.. - 'Bluffing' - And so in late 2019, he set about coming up with what he called a "Plan B" to form an alliance with London and Washington to supply Australia -- a non-nuclear state -- with nuclear-powered submarines.
Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov doesn't view himself as a predictor of the future.. "Because we had already lived in a promised future, in a promised time," he said.
Leaders and representatives from more than 60 countries are expected in London from Wednesday for a two-day conference to secure funding to help Ukraine recover from the ravages of war.. "We will maintain our support for Ukraine's defence and for the counter-offensive, and we'll stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes as they continue to win this war," he will tell delegates on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden equated his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with "dictators" on Tuesday as he addressed a Democratic Party donors reception in the presence of journalists.. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn't know it was there," Biden said.
A new, young generation of Moroccan filmmakers last month stepped into the limelight to make its debut at France's Cannes Film Festival -- snatching three prestigious awards.. "The Moroccan films screened at Cannes represent some of the best in the history of cinema in Morocco," said film critic Bilal Marmid, who covered the two-week festival on the French Riviera.
Since the start of the year, Iran has intensified its diplomatic activity, engaging with friends and foes alike as it seeks to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength.. Any indication of a thaw in relations would therefore be viewed favourably by Arab countries, especially those of the Gulf, which are seeking to ease tensions fuelled in recent years by the conflicts in Yemen and Syria.
