UK will trigger EU exit talks in early 2017
AP, London
Britain’s exit talks with the European Union will likely start in early 2017, and could take less than the allotted two years, Britain’s foreign secretary said Thursday.
His comments came after the president of the European Parliament urged Britain to make an early start on the talks, saying it’s important to finish negotiations before European elections scheduled for mid-2019.
US, India to align interests with Kabul
Dawn.com, United Nations
The United States, Afghanistan and India have agreed to align their assistance with the priorities to help the government in Kabul, said an official statement.
Delegations from the three countries met in New York on Wednesday on the margins of the 71st United Nations General Assembly, for a round of Afghanistan-India-US consultations.
“The meeting provided a forum for the US government and the government of India to explore ways to coordinate and align their assistance with the priorities of the Afghan government,” the US State Department said.
Putin appoints new foreign spy boss
AFP, Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday appointed the country’s hawkish former parliament speaker as the new head of his foreign intelligence agency.
Putin nominated former Duma boss Sergei Naryshkin-widely reported to have served with him in the Soviet-era KGB-to take over as head of the SVR from Mikhail Fradkov, days after a thumping win for the ruling United Russia party at legislative elections that will now see a new speaker take over.
8 firefighters die in Moscow fire
AFP, Moscow
Eight Russian firefighters were killed as they battled a blaze at a warehouse in eastern Moscow, authorities said Friday, in the latest deadly fire to hit the capital.
Their bodies were discovered after contact was lost as they fought to extinguish a huge blaze that started Thursday evening at a plastics depot, the emergency services ministry said in a statement. “The corpses of eight colleagues have been found in the main area where the search was located,” the statement said.
