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 …
Read More »Trump gambles big as commander in chief
Washington, United States | AFP | As a real estate magnate and politician, Donald Trump has always loved breaking rules and putting on a show. Now in Iran he’s following the same pattern — only this time as commander in chief of the world’s biggest military. Whether negotiating skyscraper deals or …
Read More »France urges US to ‘come to its senses’ on digital tax
Paris, France | AFP | Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called Monday on the United States to not follow through on threats to impose sanctions on France in a dispute over taxation of tech giants and warned of retaliation. “This trade war is in no one’s interest and I call on …
Read More »US slaps sanctions on two S.Sudan ministers over peace delay
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on two sitting ministers in South Sudan, accusing them of obstructing the young country’s peace efforts despite promises to form a unity government. The order against Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and Martin Elia Lomuro, minister of cabinet …
Read More »Zambian leader seeks US envoy’s recall for denouncing homosexuality
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian President Edgar Lungu wants the US to recall its ambassador to Lusaka for criticising the southern African nation over a 15-year jail term slapped on two gay men for consensual sex. Daniel Foote came under fire in Zambia after he expressed horror over the high …
Read More »US extends license for businesses to work with Huawei by 90 days
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States on Monday granted another 90 days for companies to cease doing business with China’s telecoms giant Huawei, saying the move would allow service providers to continue to offer coverage in rural areas. President Donald Trump in May effectively barred Huawei from American …
Read More »America’s gun violence survivors on life after the bullet
Raleigh, United States | AFP | The scourge of gun violence in the United States is no secret: some 36,000 Americans are killed every year on average, or about 100 a day, in homicides, suicides, police-involved shootings and accidents. Hundreds more are shot and wounded daily in the most-heavily armed country …
Read More »N.Korea says to hold nuclear talks with US on Saturday
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea and the United States will hold working-level nuclear talks on Saturday, Pyongyang said, signalling the resumption of a dialogue process that has been effectively stalled since the collapse of a summit in February. The two sides agreed to have “preliminary contact” on October …
Read More »US vaping backlash sparks profit warning at Imperial
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Shares in British tobacco giant Imperial Brands slumped Thursday after it issued a profit-warning linked to a backlash against vaping in the United States. Imperial, whose e-cigarette brand is blu and traditional tobacco brands include Davidoff and Gauloises, expects annual revenue to grow 2.0 percent, …
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