Washington, United States | AFP | Colin Powell, who served as America’s top military officer and top diplomat under Republican presidents, said Sunday he will vote for Democrat Joe Biden, accusing Donald Trump of drifting from the US constitution and Republicans of failing to hold him accountable. In a scathing indictment …
Read More »Trump plan to slash US troops sparks concern in Germany
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | Germany on Sunday voiced concern at reports that President Donald Trump plans to cut the number of US troops stationed in Germany, amid fears it could weaken a key pillar of NATO defence in the region. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said both countries …
Read More »Pandemic, dire economy, unrest upend US presidential race
Washington, United States | AFP | Three concurrent crises scarring the United States — a deadly health pandemic, economic despair and widespread social unrest — have reframed this year’s presidential contest and prompted national reflection over racial inequality in America. Is the country on the cusp of a transformation, or will systemic …
Read More »Brazil threatens to quit WHO, Trump says US beating pandemic
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has threatened to pull out of the WHO over “ideological bias,” as his counterpart Donald Trump said the US economy was recovering from the coronavirus pandemic while Europe slowly reopens its borders. From Africa to Europe to Asia, governments are …
Read More »Trump sparks controversy saying ‘great day’ for George Floyd
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump sparked controversy Friday, calling it a “great day” for George Floyd, the man whose death in custody last week unleashed nationwide protests over police brutality against African Americans. “We all saw what happened last week. We can’t let that happen,” Trump said …
Read More »US shows surprising jobs recovery in May amid pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States regained 2.5 million jobs in May and the unemployment rate dropped as coronavirus pandemic shutdowns began to ease, raising hopes the economy could recover from the crisis sooner than expected. The Labor Department report released Friday, which showed the jobless rate fall …
Read More »Trump says US ‘largely through’ coronavirus pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump asserted Friday that the United States has made it through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, after new jobs numbers showed a surprising increase in employment. “We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. And that strength let us get through this horrible …
Read More »US likely suffered ‘heartbreaking’ unemployment in May
Washington, United States | AFP | Even as the world’s largest economy begins to reopen, the scale of the job losses in May will be devastating, and economists fear it will take many months to recover. More than 21 million jobs disappeared in March and April as the unemployment rate surged …
Read More »Trump trying to ‘divide’ America: ex-Pentagon chief Mattis
Washington, United States | AFP | Former Pentagon chief Jim Mattis issued a stinging rebuke of his erstwhile boss Donald Trump on Wednesday, accusing the president of trying to “divide” America and failing to provide “mature leadership” as the country reels from days of protests. Mattis, who resigned in December 2018 …
Read More »Protesters welcome new charges in Floyd killing but remain in streets
Minneapolis, United States | AFP | US protesters welcomed new charges brought Wednesday against Minneapolis officers in the killing of African American man George Floyd — but thousands still marched in cities across the country for a ninth straight night, chanting against racism and police brutality. With a key demand met, …
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