Rappler's latest stories on diplomacy
7 nations vying for 5 U.N. Security Council seats
Hoping to woo delegates, both Canada and Ireland have brought out superstar power with Celine Dion and Bono, respectively

Sick of lockdown: Panda escapes confinement in Copenhagen zoo
Xing Er, a soon to be seven-year-old male panda, takes a tour of the zoo, which was closed at the time

U.S. resumes talks with Taliban in Doha – US source
The source says the focus of discussion will be reduction of violence that leads to intra-Afghan negotiations and a ceasefire

China overtakes U.S. in number of diplomatic missions
Beijing's diplomatic footprint continues to grow, with new missions popping up in 'Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe – all former diplomatic friends of Taipei'

In bombshell, Trump calls off secret summit, talks with Taliban
(3rd UPDATE) The US President hits the Taliban for claiming responsibility for a deadly car bombing in Kabul amid ongoing peace negotiations

U.S., Taliban on 'threshold' of deal – U.S. Afghan envoy
Washington's special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad says the deal would help foster 'a unified, sovereign Afghanistan that does not threaten the United States, its allies, or any other country'

U.S., Taliban push for peace in day 2 of talks
Efforts are underway to organize a meeting between US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar

U.S. eyes breakthrough in push for peace with Taliban
(UPDATED) The United States wants to withdraw thousands of troops but only in return for the insurgent group renouncing Al-Qaeda and curbing attacks

U.S. importers find ways to adapt to, skirt Trump's tariffs
Companies in sectors such as technology, clothing, and footwear are exporting more goods from emerging giants including Vietnam and Malaysia

Iran set to exceed nuclear deal uranium enrichment cap
(UPDATED) Iran also threatens to abandon more commitments unless a solution is found with the remaining parties to the landmark 2015 agreement after Washington unilaterally pulled out

U.S., Taliban resume talks on ending war
The talks mark the 7th round of negotiations aimed at ending America's longest war

'Nobody reads the communique:' Top G20 moments
Here are some of the top moments and bon-mots from the 2 day meeting hosted by Japan in the city of Osaka

China warns tech giants after U.S. Huawei ban – report
The Chinese government summon executives from American firms Dell and Microsoft and South Korea's Samsung to warn them that any moves to ramp down their businesses in China may lead to retaliation

Iran leader condemns U.S. Mideast plan as 'great betrayal'
Washington is gearing up to roll out economic aspects of its long-awaited plan for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians at a conference in Bahrain

Iran president rules out talks until U.S. acts 'normal'
'The party that has left the negotiating table, the party that has trampled the pact must return to a normal' behavior, Hassan Rouhani says in a televised speech

China to create blacklist of 'unreliable' foreign firms
The Chinese move to create its own 'entity list' appears to be a way to pressure foreign companies to maintain commercial relations with Huawei

Iran says does not 'presently' believe in mediation with U.S.
Spokesman Abbas Mousavi says Tehran 'does not feel any tension or [the possibility of] clashes' and says concerns have been 'created by others'

U.S. walks out of U.N. arms control body in Venezuela protest
'Whatever is discussed in there, whatever is decided, has absolutely no legitimacy because it is an illegitimate regime presiding over that body,' says US ambassador to the conference, Robert Wood

Dovish Trump says not targeting regime change in Iran
'I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal. I think that's very smart of them and I think there's a possibility for that to happen also,' US President Donald Trump says

U.S. fingers Iran on Gulf attacks but eases tone
Top Trump officials appeared to be toning down weeks of fiery warnings to Iran before delivering a classified briefing to the full Congress

Kremlin warns new Ukraine leader against calls for more sanctions
'This is the rhetoric that will not help Ukraine to sort out the problem of the southeast,' says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, referring to the separatist conflict in the ex-Soviet country's industrial east

Kiev will not recognize Russian passports from rebel areas – PM
'We will never recognize any citizenship that was issued by the aggressor state. This is like Nazi Germany issuing Ausweis (identity document) for certain people,' says Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman

UAE drags Qatar to court over crisis
Qatar has faced an economic and diplomatic boycott since June 2017 by Gulf rivals who accuse Doha of backing terrorism and being too close to regional rival Iran

Beijing slams U.S. warship sail-by in South China Sea
China's foreign ministry says the Chinese navy asked the US vessels to leave after they entered waters adjacent to Gaven and Chigua reefs in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha

North Korea slams 'foolish and dangerous' Pompeo
Pyongyang and Washington have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in February

Trump says he welcomes China, Russia help over North Korea
'I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made,' says US President Donald Trump

Russia slams 'scandalous' order in Ukraine to boost local language
The reaction comes hours after Ukraine's parliament approved a controversial law to enhance the status of the Ukrainian language at the expense of Russian

Israel tells citizens to leave Sri Lanka over 'concrete threat'
The recommendation from Israel's counterterrorism bureau says it is issuing the travel warning after consultations with security and foreign ministry officials

North Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for denuclearization – Putin
North Korea 'needs guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty,' Russian President Vladimir Putin says after talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

Russia eases citizenship rules in east Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin signs the decree aimed at residents of the unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk republics that broke away from Kiev in 2014 and are governed by Moscow-backed rebels

North Korea's Kim, Putin to hold first talks in Russia's Far East
(UPDATED) Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov says the focus of the first meeting between the two men 'will be on a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula'
Netanyahu looks to form right-wing government after victory
(3rd UPDATE) His main rival Benny Gantz concedes defeat on Wednesday night, April 10, and final official results are expected to be announced by Friday, April 12

China calls Taiwan flight a 'routine exercise'
State-run China Daily says the fly-by was part of a planned routine exercise by the People's Liberation Army
North Korea convenes top-level meeting over 'tense situation' – KCNA
It comes ahead of the opening of the country's rubber stamp legislature on April 11

Hamas backs Egypt proposal for calm on Israel border – officials
There is no immediate comment from the Israeli side on the potential agreement

Kremlin says U.S. not to 'worry' about Russia-Venezuela ties
(UPDATED) The Russian foreign ministry also insists the presence of its troops in Venezuela do not pose a threat to anyone

U.N. Security Council to meet on Golan at Syria's request
Syria has requested the meeting in a March 26 letter sent to France, which holds the council presidency for the month of March, calling President Donald Trump's decision a 'flagrant violation' of UN resolutions

Australia and Netherlands in talks with Russia over downed Malaysia jet
Five countries – Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine – continue to investigate the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine

Rallies sweep Syria to condemn U.S. Golan move
Demonstrators take to the streets across the war-torn country to protest Washington's decision

China's Xi says new Silk Road runs both ways as Italy signs up
Italy has rolled out the red carpet for Xi Jinping, who will on March 23 sign a memorandum of understanding for Rome to join the $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative

Mideast anger over Trump's Golan vow 'breaking international law'
(UPDATED) In an angry retort, the Syrian government says US President Donald Trump's comments disregarded international law

China protests Taiwan leader's U.S. transit
Taiwan is typically low-key in announcing its leader's specific itineraries, fearing China will use its power to disrupt her visits
Pompeo visits Western Wall with Netanyahu in break with diplomatic practice
(UPDATED) It could be taken as tacit approval of Israel's sovereignty over the site, one of the holiest in Judaism and located in mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem

Erdogan and Netanyahu trade 'tyrant,' 'dictator' insults
Turkey and Israel have tense relations and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, is a vocal critic of Israeli policies

EU makes counteroffer as Brexit pressure rises
The European Union offers Britain to leave the customs union, but without bringing Northern Ireland with them

Trump won't sign China trade pact unless it's 'great'
(UPDATED) US and Chinese officials have said they are making progress toward a resolution of the dispute but a US diplomat in Beijing says Friday, March 8, that an agreement is not imminent

Trump says relationship with North Korea's Kim 'remains good'
North Korea's state media acknowledges for the first time the collapse of the high-stakes Hanoi summit, which ended without any agreement on reducing Pyongyang's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief

North Korea slams new joint drills between Seoul and Washington
The US and South Korea agree to replace two major war games that take place every spring with a shorter 'Dong Maeng' or 'Alliance' exercise – a move designed to further ease tensions with the North

EU hopes Venezuela reconsiders expulsion of German ambassador
Germany's ambassador Daniel Kriener was among more than a dozen foreign representatives who welcomed opposition leader Juan Guaido at Caracas airport, but so far the only one deemed 'persona non grata'

Taiwan asks U.S. for new fighter jets to defend against China
The request, if granted, could ramp up tensions between China and the United States