US confirms Washington visit by Russian FM
AFP, Washington
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will welcome his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday – the Russian’s first visit to Washington since a controversial 2017 meeting with US President Donald Trump, the State Department announced.
The brief statement about the meeting, to be held at the State Department, said Pompeo and Lavrov would “discuss a broad range of regional and bilateral issues.”
Sharif likely to be shifted to US for better treatment
PTI, Lahore
Pakistan’s ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently undergoing treatment in London, may be shifted to the US next week for better medical care for his multiple diseases, a media report said on Monday.
Nawaz Sharif, 69, left for London from Pakistan on November 19 in an air ambulance for medical treatment after the Lahore High Court allowed him to travel abroad for four weeks.
In Colombia, musicians join anti-government protests
AFP, Bogota
Thousands of Colombian protesters including dozens of musicians marched, sang and banged pots and pans Sunday in a bold new show of discontent with President Ivan Duque’s administration.
A sea of protesters quickly took over the center and north of the capital Bogota, pushing for changes in the conservative president’s agenda. Several times, shouts of “Get out Duque” were heard. Police presence was heavy.
8 soldiers killed in Afghan suicide bombing
Xinhua, Lashkar Gah
At least eight Afghan soldiers and an assailant were killed in a suicide car bombing in the country’s southern province of Helmand on Monday, provincial sources said.
“One terrorist rammed an explosive-laden car into a security forces’ checkpoint in Toor Pul locality of Nad Ali district on Monday morning.
The initial information found that eight security force members were killed,” a provincial source told Xinhua. The official who declined to be named noted that the bomber was killed on the spot and two security personnel went missing following the blast.
