Trump says ‘all options’ on the table with Venezuela
AFP, United Nations
US President Donald Trump hinted Wednesday at a military response to Venezuela, vowing to take action against the leftist-ruled country whose economy has gone into a tailspin.
Trump’s threat – immediately denounced by Venezuela as an incitement to a “military uprising” – comes as the United States already piles pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s inner circle amid an economic crisis that has led two million Venezuelans to emigrate.
Nigeria flood death toll climbs to 200
AFP, Abuja
Nearly 200 people have died in flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains across 12 states in Nigeria, the country’s main relief agency said on Thursday.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 199 people had lost their lives after the main Niger and Benue rivers burst their banks.
A national disaster has been declared in the central states of Kogi, where the two rivers meet, and Niger, plus Delta and Anambra in the south.
Netanyahu, Sisi discuss peace talks
AFP, Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met in New York on Wednesday to discuss Gaza and reviving peace talks with the Palestinians, officials said.
During the meeting, which lasted nearly two hours and took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the two “discussed regional developments and the situation in Gaza”, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
Pompeo to revisit N Korea in October
Reuters, United Nations
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had a “very positive” meeting with North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on Wednesday and will travel to Pyongyang again next month to prepare for a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pompeo said on Twitter his meeting with Ri in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly was to discuss the summit and “next steps toward denuclearization of #North Korea.”
