World News Roundup: Britain beyond Brexit, Boris Johnson reshapes government; Haftar's forces ban U.N. from using Tripoli airport and more


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 13-02-2020 05:38 IST | Created: 13-02-2020 05:25 IST
World News Roundup: Britain beyond Brexit, Boris Johnson reshapes government; Haftar's forces ban U.N. from using Tripoli airport and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Britain beyond Brexit, PM Boris Johnson reshapes government

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reshape his government on Thursday, appointing a team he hopes will deliver his vision for Britain beyond Brexit and heal the divisions both in his Conservative Party and the country. The reshuffle is not expected to be as explosive as some commentators had suggested, based on his senior adviser Dominic Cummings' well-publicized desire to see a radical reorganization of government to fit Johnson's agenda.

Haftar's forces ban U.N. from using Tripoli airport

Eastern forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar will not allow the United Nations to use the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli which they have been trying to take in a campaign, a force spokesman said on Wednesday. Force spokesman Ahmed Mismari told reporters the U.N. would have to use other airports such as Misrata because it could not guarantee the safety of flights into Tripoli Mitiga airport as Turkey was using it as base.

Lebanon to request IMF technical help: government source

Lebanon will ask the International Monetary Fund for technical assistance to draw up a stabilization plan for its financial and economic crisis, including how to restructure its public debt, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday. The official request for technical help would be sent to the IMF soon, the source said. "There has been contact with the IMF but Lebanon will send an official request in the coming hours to have a team dedicated to dealing with technical assistance," the source said.

Netanyahu rejects U.N. report on companies involved with settlements

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday denounced a long-delayed U.N. report listing companies that have business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. "The U.N. Human Rights Council is a biased and uninfluential body," Netanyahu said in a statement. "Instead of dealing with human rights this body is trying to blacken Israel's name. We reject any such attempt in the strongest terms and with disgust."

Mexico says U.S. returning sharply fewer migrants under 'Remain in Mexico'

Mexico's foreign minister said on Wednesday the number of migrants returned to Mexico to await the outcome of U.S. immigration cases has fallen significantly, although activists said large numbers of people remain in the program. Since January 2019, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has sent migrants, mostly from Central America, to Mexico under a policy called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which is also known as Remain in Mexico.

In wake of impeachment, U.S. senators to visit Ukraine

Three U.S. senators will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev on Friday, seeking to reinforce the importance of his country as a strategic U.S. ally after he found himself at the center of President Donald Trump's acrimonious impeachment trial. "The U.S.-Ukraine relationship is as important now as ever," Republican Senators Ron Johnson and John Barrasso and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in a statement on Wednesday announcing their trip.

Trump says he does not mind if Philippines cuts military pact with U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not mind Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to end a decades-old military agreement with the United States, a position at odds with that of his defense secretary who viewed the move with dismay. Duterte on Tuesday announced termination of the two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper called the decision "unfortunate" as Washington and its allies press China to abide by "international rules" in Asia.

World wary of coronavirus even as cases drop; Chinese drug trial results weeks away

China reported on Wednesday its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in two weeks, bolstering a forecast by Beijing's senior medical adviser for the outbreak there to end by April, but World Health Organization officials warned it could still "go in any direction". The 2,015 new confirmed cases took China's total to 44,653. That was the lowest daily rise since Jan. 30 and came a day after epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said the outbreak should peak in China this month before subsiding.

Trump issues conditional OK for peace deal with Taliban: Fox Business

President Donald Trump has announced a conditional decision for a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, Fox Business Network reported on Wednesday, after sources told Reuters an agreement could be signed this month. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the Fox Business report.

Dutch refused Moscow request to try MH17 Russian suspects there: minister

The Netherlands refused a request by Moscow to consider allowing Russia to prosecute three Russian nationals identified as suspects in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, the Dutch justice minister revealed on Wednesday. The first court hearing in the Dutch case against the three Russian suspects and one Ukrainian is scheduled for March 9. If the case eventually goes to trial, the four may be tried in absentia under Dutch law.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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