AP, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ethiopia refuses to be pressured by the United States into signing a deal with Egypt and Sudan over its controversial dam on the Nile River, says Ethiopia’s foreign minister. In an interview with The Associated Press, Gedu Andargachew said the three countries need to resolve their differences without outside pressure. “In the talks held in Washington, D.C., around mid- February, we were pressured to quickly reach an agreement and sign a deal before resolving outstanding issues,” Gedu said.
UK FM Raab praises response to Iraq attack
Reuters, London
Britain’s foreign minister Dominic Raab said the U.S.-led response to the attack on coalition forces in Iraq was “swift, decisive and proportionate” and warned that anyone seeking to harm those forces could expect a strong response. The United States on Thursday waged a series of precision air strikes against an Iran-backed militia in Iraq that it blamed for a major rocket attack which had killed two American troops and a 26-year-old British soldier a day earlier.
Military situation ‘increasingly dire’ in Yemen: UN envoy
AP, United Nations
The U.N. special envoy for Yemen warned Thursday that the military situation in the war-torn country is growing “increasingly dire,” pointing especially to an alarming escalation in the mountainous northern district of Jawf that has displaced thousands of families. Martin Griffiths told the U.N. Security Council that Yemen is at “a critical juncture.”
Russian lawmakers asked to rally against Putin
Reuters, Moscow
Russia’s parliamentary head told lawmakers on Thursday to rally behind Vladimir Putin against what he said was a foreign campaign to discredit constitutional reforms that could allow the president to stay in power until 2036.
Putin, who has been in power as president or prime minister since the turn of the century, would be cleared to run for president in 2024 under the proposed changes, overturning a constitutional ban which prevents him from doing so.
