Somalia refuses to take back expelled UN envoy
AFP, United Nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday agreed to appoint a new UN envoy to Somalia after its president refused to reverse a decision to expel a representative for raising human rights concerns.
Guterres spoke by phone with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Friday-his second call to the Somali leader in three days-to once again urge him to change his mind, according to diplomats.
Pompeo heading to ME to shore up US alliances
AFP, Washington
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will tour eight Middle East capitals next week in an effort to shore up crucial alliances strained by the Yemen war, US plans to exit Syria and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Pompeo leaves on Tuesday for the eight-day trip to Amman, Cairo, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, and finally Kuwait City, the State Department announced on Friday.
Iran prepares for launching of satellites
AP, Tehran
Iran’s telecommunications minister says his country’s three new satellites have successfully passed pre-launch tests. In a Saturday tweet, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said: “Last night, Iranian satellites passed tests successfully.” He did not mention a launch schedule.
On Tuesday, Iran said it plans to send Payam, a 200-pound (90-kilogram) non-military satellite into a 310-mile (500-kilometer) orbit using an Iranian Simorgh satellite-carrier rocket.
7 Afghan cops killed in
insurgents attack
AP, Kabul
An Afghan official says at least seven border police officers were killed when their checkpoint came under attack by insurgents in southern Kandahar province.Aziz Ahmad Azizi, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, says four other officers were wounded in the attack in the Spin Bolduk district.
He added that 16 insurgents were killed and 11 others wounded in an ensuing battle that took place over several hours late Friday.
