US left out in the cold

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd-R) and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Sergei Lavrov (2nd-L) and Mevlut Cavusoglu (3rd-R) attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, December 20, 2016. (Photo by Reuters)

These are some of the headlines we are tracking for you in this episode of On the News Line:

US left out in the cold

The situation in Syria after the liberation of Aleppo is moving in a direction that could promise an end to the war in a future not too far away. And the dynamics of international diplomacy are changing in the same direction. The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey met in Moscow to discuss the road ahead in Syria. An important party that was not invited was the United States. And this is already seen by the world as a serious blow to the interference of the US and some of its Arab allies in the Syrian crisis.

DR Congo unrest

Tensions are escalating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where dozens of protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces. Violence broke out after the country’s incumbent President Joseph Kabila failed to give up power. Kabila has announced that he will remain in power in accordance with a court ruling. Even though his 15-year term ended, the ruling allows his mandate to be extended until 2018. Kabila took office in 2001 after his father's assassination. According to the constitution, he is barred from seeking another term. The opposition has described Kabila’s refusal to leave office as a "coup d'état," calling on the Congolese to take to the streets in protest.

Historic UN vote against Israel

The UN Security Council was all set to vote on Israel's illegal settlements. Egypt was to present its draft submission to UN members but suddenly withdrew it. Cairo's move came after both US President-elect Donald Trump and Israel expressed opposition. But the next day, Senegal and New Zealand forwarded a motion of their own on the same text. The UN subsequently passed the resolution, which called for an immediate end to illegal Israeli settlements. The motion was passed after the United States refused to veto it. It was the first time in 36 years that the UN was adopting a resolution on Israeli settlements.


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