Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump suspended travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days on Wednesday in an “aggressive” effort to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The ban will go into effect from midnight Friday but will not include travelers from Britain, which …
Read More »Trump downplays epidemic fears as virus spreads around world
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump has played down fears of a major coronavirus outbreak in the United States, even as infections ricochet around the world, prompting Saudi Arabia to ban pilgrims from visiting Islam’s holiest sites. China is no longer the only breeding ground for the deadly …
Read More »USAID, UBA signs a new partnership deal
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Prosper Africa initiative is partnering with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to increase two-way trade and investment between the United States and the nations of Africa. The partnership will ensure that businesses are equipped …
Read More »US should buy control of Nokia, Ericsson to fight Huawei: US Attorney General
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States and its allies should take controlling stakes in Nokia, Ericsson or both to battle Chinese telecoms giant Huawei’s dominance of the 5G market, US Attorney general Bill Barr said Thursday. “There are only two companies that can compete with Huawei right now: …
Read More »Kenya leader warns against US, China rivalry in Africa
Washington, United States | AFP | Kenya’s president said Wednesday that African nations should be free to cooperate with both the United States and China, warning that foreign powers were exacerbating the continent’s divisions. President Uhuru Kenyatta was speaking on a visit to Washington, where speculation has built that the United …
Read More »US to decide on Africa presence in two months, says top officer
Aboard a US military aircraft, Undefined | AFP | The United States will make a decision on the level of its presence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, in about two months, Washington’s top military officer said Thursday. Washington has some 7,000 special forces on rotation in Africa carrying out …
Read More »Iraq ouster of foreign troops would show US ‘failure’: analysts
Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | When it invaded in 2003, the United States promised “Iraqi freedom,” democracy, and prosperity. But 17 years later, its troops may be ousted from a country beset by just the opposite. After a parliamentary vote earlier this month, Iraq’s government is preparing to order foreign forces …
Read More »EU states launch dispute process over Iran nuclear deal violations
Paris, France | AFP | Three EU countries on Tuesday said they were launching a dispute mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran after accusing Tehran of repeated violations, but insisted they were committed to the agreement. The move by Britain, France and Germany comes as tensions soar between the West and Iran following …
Read More »America’s foreign oil dependence wanes but independence proves elusive
New York, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted America’s newfound “energy independence” which means the country is no longer at the mercy of geopolitical upheaval in the region. “We are independent and we do not need Middle East oil,” Trump said as he reacted to …
Read More »Pentagon chief: US has restored ‘level of deterrence’ on Iran
Washington, United States | AFP | US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that the United States has reestablished some deterrence toward Iran in the wake of the January 3 drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. “I think at this point with the strikes we took against …
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