China’s Foreign Minister to Visit North Korea Over April 9-10

BEIJING, April 8 (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Minister Wang ⁠Yi ⁠will visit North Korea ⁠over April 9-10, his ministry said on Wednesday, signalling ​efforts by the East Asian neighbours to revitalise ties that chilled after ‌the COVID‑19 pandemic and the ‌Russian invasion of Ukraine. Wang’s last publicly known visit to North Korea ⁠as ⁠China’s foreign …

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South Korea to Push for the Release of Ships in the Strait of Hormuz

SEOUL, April 8 (Reuters) – South ⁠Korea’s ⁠presidential Blue ⁠House said on Wednesday that the ​government would do its best to ‌ensure the country’s ships ‌can pass through the Strait ⁠of ⁠Hormuz as soon as possible based on ​conditions created under a two-week ceasefire agreed between the U.S. and Iran, local ​media reported. South Korea …

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Pope Leo Praises Iran War Ceasefire After Criticizing Trump Threat

VATICAN CITY, ⁠April ⁠8 (Reuters) – ⁠Pope Leo said ​on ‌Wednesday that he ‌welcomed ⁠the ⁠announcement of a two-week ​ceasefire in the ​Iran war with “great ⁠satisfaction”. The pope, ⁠who ⁠has emerged ​as an outspoken ​critic ⁠of the conflict ⁠in recent weeks, had said on ⁠Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats against the population …

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UN Envoy Plans to Visit Iran as Part of Peace Effort

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) – A personal envoy ⁠of ⁠U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ⁠plans to visit Iran as part of his ​efforts to encourage an end to the Iran war, but his travel ‌plans will depend on security ‌and logistics, a U.N. source said. Jean Arnault, a veteran ⁠U.N. diplomat ⁠Guterres named as his envoy …

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Trump administration personnel agency is asking for federal workers’ medical records

The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families. A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains, giving it the power to see prescriptions employees had filled or what treatment they …

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China Says Afghanistan and Pakistan Agree to Explore Comprehensive Solution in Peace Talks

BEIJING, April ⁠8 (Reuters) – ⁠China’s foreign ⁠ministry said on ​Wednesday that Afghanistan and ‌Pakistan agreed during ‌peace ⁠talks ⁠in Urumqi to explore a comprehensive ​solution to the conflict that broke ​out between the two ⁠countries last ⁠October. Foreign Ministry ⁠spokesperson Mao ​Ning told a daily ​press ⁠briefing that both countries agreed at the meetings …

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Armed Men Kill 20 and Abduct Others in Northwestern Nigeria Villages

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, April 8 (Reuters) – ⁠Armed ⁠men in Nigeria ⁠killed at least 20 people, including ​security guards, and abducted an unknown number ‌after attacking villages in ‌northwestern Niger state, police and ⁠residents ⁠said late on Tuesday, the latest violence plaguing ​the north of the country. (Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri and Hamza Ibrahim …

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