Mr. Zelensky changes his tone with Russia

New President of Ukraine Zelensky.

One of the bright spots in Mr. Zelensky's policy that helped him win the election was focusing on resolving the crisis in the East of the country by increasing dialogue and promoting renegotiations between Russia and Europe. However, after taking office as President of Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky made statements that contradicted what he had previously announced.

As soon as he took office as President, on May 23, Mr. Zelensky gave a speech at the "IFORUM–2019" forum in Kiev. In response to a question from a Public Television journalist about whether there would be talks with Russia, the head of state replied: "No." Mr. Zelensky continued to call Russia an aggressor and called on Western countries to actively sanction Moscow.

Britain will have a new Prime Minister to replace Mrs. May before July 20.

Mrs. May announced her resignation in front of the Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. Photo:AFP.

According to Reuters, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced at the Prime Minister's Office No. 10 Downing Street on May 24: "I will resign as leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party on Friday, June 7, to choose a successor." Speaking in tears, Mrs. May said that holding the position of Prime Minister was a pride in her life, adding that she had the opportunity to serve the country she loved. After the speech, she left the podium and returned to Downing Street.

On the same day, May 24, the leading leader of the ruling Conservative Party in the UK, Brandon Lewis, announced that the country will appoint a successor to Theresa May as leader of the party and British Prime Minister before Parliament enters its summer recess - set for July 20. In a statement, Mr. Brandon Lewis stated that the nomination process among MPs will end in the week starting June 10, from which party members will have time to choose one of the two leading candidates to replace Mrs. May before Parliament enters its summer recess.

North Korea will only negotiate nuclear weapons if the US has a new method.

US President Donald Trump (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at a meeting in Hanoi on February 27, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

On May 24, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry as saying that negotiations between the country and the US would not resume unless Washington came up with a "new way of calculating", while blaming the US for the failure of the second US-North Korea Summit.

According to the official, the US is trying to blame North Korea for the current deadlock. The official stated: "Only when the US abandons its current calculation method and proposes a new calculation method, can the US-North Korea dialogue resume, and more broadly, will the prospects for resolving the nuclear issue become less gloomy. Therefore, we want to emphasize once again that the US will not be able to make us move forward even a single step with the method it is currently implementing. The greater the US's suspicion and hostile actions against North Korea, the stronger our response will be."

Explosions at mosques in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Transporting injured victims of a bomb attack in Quetta, Pakistan. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

At least two people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion at a mosque in Quetta, in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, on May 24. Quetta police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said the explosion occurred at a Sunni mosque on the outskirts of Quetta. The explosion killed at least two people and injured 14 others, three of whom are in critical condition. Initial information has not yet determined the nature of the explosion and no organization or individual has claimed responsibility.

On the same day, the Afghan Interior Ministry said a bomb exploded at a mosque in the east of the country's capital, Kabul. According to a senior official of the ministry, the explosion occurred while many worshippers were attending prayers in the mosque, killing at least one person and injuring 16 others.

US considers tariffs on goods from countries that devalue their currencies

US Department of Commerce headquarters. Photo: Sputniknews.com

The US Department of Commerce said on May 23 that it is proposing new regulations to impose anti-subsidy duties on goods imported from countries that devalue their currencies against the US dollar, a move that could see higher tariffs imposed on Chinese goods.

The new rules could also expose goods from several other countries to higher tariffs, including Japan, South Korea, India, Germany and Switzerland, which, along with China, are on a “monitoring list” in the US Treasury’s currency report that tracks currency market intervention, high global current account surpluses and high bilateral trade surpluses.

Pakistan: Explosion at mosque while 100 worshippers were praying

Friday, May 24, 2019 18:28

RELATED NEWS

• 

  Pakistan kills many IS militants

• Bombing targeting police in Pakistan, at least 16 people injured

• Pakistan hotel attack: Entire attack group killed

• Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for mosque blast

• Death toll rises in blast at Pakistan's famed mosque

NEWEST

• 

  Suspending the parliamentary status of former Catalan leaders

• Handling drunk driving - Part 6: Towards new technological solutions and regulations

• Britain will have a new Prime Minister before July 20.

At least two people were killed and dozens of others injured in an explosion on May 24 at a mosque in Quetta city, Balochistan province, southwest Pakistan.

Quetta police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said the blast at a Sunni mosque on the outskirts of Quetta killed at least two people and injured 14 others, three of them critically. The incident occurred as about 100 worshippers were praying at the mosque.

Initial information has not yet determined the nature of the explosion and no organization or individual has claimed responsibility.

The explosion occurred a few weeks after the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS) organization carried out a suicide bombing in the same city, killing at least 20 people.