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Taiwan Moves Toward Closer Ties With China

Prez candidates favor warmer relations, despite Tibet violence

(Newser) - Both candidates in Taiwan's presidential election Saturday favor mending fences with China, the Wall Street Journal reports. Beijing has recently eased its once-blustery rhetoric over the breakaway island, and both Taiwanese parties are betting that closer ties with the mainland's booming economy could help pull theirs out of a slump. More »

No Progress on Missile Deal After Rice's Russia Visit

US, Russia no closer on defense system in Eastern Europe, but more polite about it

(Newser) - Moscow talks between top US diplomats and their Russian counterparts haven't edged the two sides any closer to deals on a proposed US missile shield in Eastern Europe and a nuclear-arms reduction treaty, the Financial Times reports. Condoleezza Rice heads home empty-handed, but US-Russia relations at least seem to have... More »

Former Blair Aide Pushes Qaeda Dialogue

Secret British talks with IRA could serve as example

(Newser) - One of Tony Blair's former top aides has called for Western governments to talk to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, the Guardian reports. Jonathan Powell, the former British prime minister's chief of staff for 12 years, is thought to have played a key role in negotiating a settlement in Northern... More »

'Magic Is Over' for US: French Foreign Minister

Kouchner says new president can't undo 8 years of Bush

(Newser) - For Bernard Kouchner, the outspoken French foreign minister, George W. Bush's successor might be able to restore some of America's lost global prestige, but after 8 years "the magic is over." In a conversation with the International Herald Tribune, Kouchner—one of France's most staunchly pro-American politicians—offered... More »

Egypt Works for Gaza Ceasefire

Progress toward ceasefire after behind-the-scenes talks

(Newser) - Egypt is quietly working to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with its intelligence chief meeting with both Hamas and Israeli officials, allowing the two sides to formally deny that they are talking to each other, the Guardian reports. Israel is calling for a trial 30 days of calm... More »

Paris-Berlin Relations Turn Sour

Tempers fraying in Merkel's camp after 2 high-level cancellations

(Newser) - Only a week after Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel called off a scheduled meeting, France and Germany's finance ministers canceled their own summit yesterday, reports AFP. While nobody wants to say that the leaders of Europe's two largest countries are getting testy with each other, disagreements over economic policy and... More »

Kenya Stalemate Frustrates Negotiators

Stonewalling by Kenya rivals paralyzing talks

(Newser) - Kenya's peace talks have ground to a standstill and the task of coaxing the country's two rival parties into an agreement is beginning to try even the patience of former UN secretary-general and lead negotiator Kofi Annan, reports the BBC. The two sides cannot agree on a power-sharing deal and... More »

Bush Defends Decision Not to Send Troops to Darfur

Reluctant to intervene in another Muslim nation

(Newser) - President Bush has defended his decision not to send US troops to Darfur to stop the genocide taking place in the troubled African region. The choice was partly due to a desire not to intervene in another Muslim country, he told the BBC. Bush is scheduled to leave today for... More »

Brits Close Russian Offices Over Brouhaha

'Cold War' intimidation of cultural centers' staff has minister outraged

(Newser) - After days of what Britain called “Soviet-era” intimidation tactics, the British Council today closed its offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, the Times reports. Britain had tried to keep the cultural centers going, despite Russian orders to close them, but after staff members were subjected to multiple visits—and... More »

UK Defies Russia in Latest Diplomatic Row

Moscow irate as Brits reopen cultural offices in Russia

(Newser) - Moscow's tit-for-tat diplomatic row with the UK continues to escalate as British officials defied Russian orders to close two cultural offices, the BBC reports. Russia called the reopening of British Council offices in St. Petersburg and the Urals city of Yekaterinburg an "intentional provocation aimed at inflaming tensions,"... More »

James Spain Dead at 81

Career diplomat served as US Ambassador in Tanzania, Turkey & Sri Lanka

(Newser) - James Spain, a career diplomat in the US Foreign Service, passed away of natural causes in Wilmington, NC at age 81 on January 2, 2008.  Ambassador Spain's life was devoted to serving his country first in the US Army as a photographer on Gen. Douglas MacArthur's staff in occupied... More »

Kenyan Prez Agrees to Form Unity Gov't

Top US diplomat in talks as humanitarian crisis grows

(Newser) - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki today pledged to form a unity government, after talks with the top US diplomat for Africa aimed at solving the country's violent post-election crisis, the BBC reports. Jendayi Frazer met first with opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has said he will not negotiate unless Kibaki steps... More »

North Korea Stalling on Nuke Deal

Nation refuses to remove nuke cooling tower before enjoying benefits

(Newser) - North Korea is balking at US demands that it demolish a cooling tower at its main nuclear complex and get rid of unused fuel, the AP reports. Officials insist they want the benefits from the next stage of the disarmament deal first. The US warns that North Korea could restart... More »

NY Philharmonic to Play N. Korea

Musical diplomacy may help, says ambassador

(Newser) - The New York Philharmonic plans a historic Pyongyang concert in February, giving Kim Jong Il occasion to dig out his fanciest tracksuit—and further defrosting US relations with the onetime axis of evil member. “We haven’t even had Ping-Pong diplomacy with these people,” said ambassador Christopher Hill.... More »

New Aussie PM Urges US to Back Kyoto

Washington now alone among developed nations on emissions

(Newser) - Two days after ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse-gas emissions, Australian PM Kevin Rudd says the US should, too. Like the US, Australia had previously refused to join the agreement, which sets binding limits on emissions. But Rudd says he wants Washington on board, as “all developed and developing... More »

Rice Ripped for Stonewalling Rights for Gay Partners

Ex-ambassador quits: 'More benefits for pets'

(Newser) - The former US ambassador to Romania has quit the Foreign Service to protest its treatment of gays, the Washington Post reports. Michael E. Guest had some parting shots for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the system that he said gives same-sex partners of members of the Foreign Service fewer... More »

Bush: Iran Is Still a Threat

Prez resists suggestions that new report undermines his rhetoric

(Newser) - President Bush insisted today that Iran is still a threat, despite a new NIE report released yesterday concluding that the country shut down its nuclear weapons program in 2003. "Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous, Iran will be dangerous," he said in a news conference. The report should... More »

Iranians Chuck Canuck

Tit for tat: ambassador booted after Canadians reject radical envoys

(Newser) - Iran has ordered the Canadian ambassador out of the country, reports the Globe and Mail.  The expulsion is thought to be due to Iran's unhappiness at Canada's rejection of several proposed Iranian ambassadors with suspected violent student radical pasts. "It is one-sided love," said an Iranian diplomat.... More »

China Nixes Another US Navy Port Call

USS Reuben James won't dock in Hong Kong for New Year's

(Newser) - China has turned down another US Navy ship's request to make a port call in Hong Kong on New Year's Eve, bringing to three the number of vessels caught up in the dispute. The denial, announced today, accompanied China's last-minute decision last week to bar USS Kitty Hawk from visiting... More »

Pakistan Rebuffs US Demands

Alarmed US warns it will not recognize elections under emergency rule

(Newser) - Alarmed at the deteriorating crisis in Pakistan, the US has made it clear it will not  recognize the results of elections held under emergency rule. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, on a special mission to Pakistan, failed to convince President Musharraf to free political prisoners, resign as army commander... More »

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