New Zealand lifts ban on offshore oil and gas exploration
New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday passed legislation ending a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, reversing a flagship policy of former Prim...
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has dismissed Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed and replaced him with his deputy, following a diplomatic clash with the United States over a deportation case.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has replaced its foreign minister with his deputy, Monday Simaya Kumba, state media reported, following a migration dispute with the United States.
No explanation was given for the sacking of Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed, which was announced on the state radio station late on Wednesday.
The move follows a row with Washington over Juba's refusal to admit a Congolese man deported from the United States, which led to the Trump administration threatening to revoke all U.S. visas held by South Sudanese citizens.
South Sudan yielded to Washington's demands on Tuesday and allowed the man to enter the country.
Separately, a faction of South Sudan's main opposition party (SPLM-IO) said on Wednesday it had replaced its chairman, First Vice President Riek Machar, with an interim leader, Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, until Machar was released from house arrest.
The move, which was criticised by other members of the party, could allow Kiir to sack longstanding rival Machar and consolidate his power over the government by appointing Kuol, analysts said.
"President Kiir (would) want people who would agree with him ... so that now the government's legitimacy will be created," said Kuol Abraham Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba.
Machar, who has served in a power-sharing administration with Kiir since a 2018 peace deal ended a civil war between fighters loyal to the two men, was accused of trying to stir up rebellion and detained at his home last month.
Machar's party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir last month, triggering the latest political crisis.
African Union mediators arrived in Juba last week to try and rescue the peace deal, but did not appear to have made any immediate progress.
On Thursday, embassies based in Juba, including France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, United States, the European Union, reiterated their call for the immediate release of all political detainees.
"It is urgent that South Sudan’s leaders meet their obligations and demonstrate that their priority is peace," they said in a joint statement.
The SPLM-IO said Machar's detention had effectively voided the agreement that ended the five-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The party later said they were committed to upholding the deal.
The SPLM-IO's military wing remained loyal to Machar, and was "not part and parcel of the betrayers in Juba", its spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement on Wednesday.
Analysts say Kiir, 73, appears to be trying to shore up his position amid discontent within his own political camp and speculation about his succession plan.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday passed legislation ending a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, reversing a flagship policy of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a stark warning over unsustainable water usage, cautioning that the capital Tehran could face severe shortages as early as September if consumption is not brought under control, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.
The U.S. Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, maintaining the target range at 4.25% to 4.50%, despite mounting pressure from the Trump administration to ease borrowing costs.
You’ve probably seen the headlines: sweeping tariffs, surprise pauses, and a 90-day ticking clock that could reshape global trade. But what exactly is Trump’s 90-day pause — and why does it matter for the world economy? Let’s break it down
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