Around the world on 9 March 2021
US looks to wind down Afghan war: The US has called for six-way UN-led peace talks in Afghanistan to reach a political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban. In a letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged a 90-day reduction in violence ahead of proposed talks between the US, Afghanistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and India. The US government has not decided whether it will stick to the Trump administration’s 1 May deadline to fully withdraw troops from the country, Blinken said.
Also worth knowing this morning:
- Qatar rapprochement: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was in Doha yesterday for talks with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on boosting relations, Qatar’s state news agency QNA reported. The visit comes after Egypt, Saudi the UAE, and Bahrain, earlier this year ended their four-year embargo of the statelet.
- Assad catches covid: Syrian president Bashar Al Assad and his wife have tested positive for covid-19, the Associated Press reports.