While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 12, 2024
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In the coming days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) will visit Jordan and Turkey, while US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will visit Israel, Qatar and Egypt.
PHOTOS: REUTERS, AFP
Top Biden aides head to Middle East for talks on Syria, Gaza
US President Joe Biden’s top aides were heading to the Middle East on Dec 11, seeking to advance efforts to reach an elusive Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal and help ensure a smooth transition in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to visit Jordan and Turkey, while US national security adviser Jake Sullivan planned stops in Israel, Qatar and Egypt in coming days, US officials said.
The high-level tour could help shape Mr Biden’s legacy in the turbulent Middle East in the final weeks of his term before former president Donald Trump returns to the White House on Jan 20.
Biden administration officials have kept Trump’s aides updated on their diplomatic efforts in the region, though they insist they are not directly coordinating with the incoming administration.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin wraps up Asia tour
PHOTO: REUTERS
As US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin wrapped up his three-day farewell tour of Tokyo on Dec 11, China was amassing what Taipei describes as the largest maritime fleet deployment in recent memory.
Analysts are trying to decipher China’s real intentions. Was the show of force to protest against Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s tour of the Pacific last week, which also included stopovers in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam?
Or was it meant to intimidate US regional allies Japan, Australia, the Philippines and South Korea, while sending a message to incoming president Donald Trump?
Father, step-mum guilty of murdering British-Pakistani girl
PHOTO: AFP
The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl on Dec 11 were found guilty of her murder in a gruesome case of child abuse that shocked the UK and triggered an international manhunt.
Urfan Sharif, 42, and Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted of Sara Sharif’s murder after she was found dead at her home in 2023, having suffered extensive injuries including broken bones, burns and bite marks.
Her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, was also found guilty of causing or allowing her death after a week of jury deliberations at London’s Old Bailey criminal court. The three will be sentenced on Dec 17 after the 10-week trial.
Afghan Taliban’s refugees minister killed by suicide blast
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Afghan minister for refugees was killed on Dec 11 in a suicide bombing at the ministry’s offices in the capital Kabul, government sources said, blaming the Islamic State group for the attack which has not been claimed.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid deplored “a cowardly attack” carried out by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group, saluting a “great fighter” who “fell as a martyr”.
The explosion, which was the first attack targeting a minister since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, “happened at the Ministry for Refugees and minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani has been martyred along with some of his colleagues,” a government source told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Bidens reveal they’re to be great-grandparents
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
It’s been a rough few months for outgoing US President Joe Biden, but First Lady Jill Biden confirmed some good news on Dec 11 – the couple are to become great-grandparents.
Their granddaughter Naomi Biden showed off a baby bump in a short-lived social media post on Election Day on Nov 5, but there had never been any official announcement.
Mr Biden, who at 82 is the oldest president in US history, will now have something to celebrate as he contemplates handing over power to his political nemesis Donald Trump in January.
