Beijing, China | AFP | China has expressed “firm opposition” to remarks made by US Pentagon chief Jim Mattis during a regional defence summit over the weekend, after he criticised Beijing’s “militarisation” of the South China Sea. Washington has repeatedly expressed concerns that China’s development of artificial islands in the …
Read More »Egypt cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar, following Saudi, Bahrain
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egypt on Monday announced it was cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting “terrorism”, as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates adopted similar measures. Egypt “has decided to sever its diplomatic relations with the state of Qatar,” the foreign affairs ministry …
Read More »Outrage as Trump targets London mayor Khan over attacks
Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump lashed out Sunday at London’s mayor Sadiq Khan, accusing him of downplaying the threat of terrorism a day after knife-wielding men mowed down and stabbed revelers in the British capital. London’s mayor swiftly shot down the US president’s remarks, made in a …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Political novice Trump endures a rough education in Washington
Trump agenda imperiled in distracted US Congress Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump may have managed to unilaterally reject a global climate pact, but the US president faces uphill battles to achieve his legislative priorities, with Congress consumed by division and distracted by Russia probes and looming fiscal …
Read More »African Union asks G20 to help raise Trump’s awareness on climate
Conakry, Guinea | AFP | The African Union (AU) on Saturday joined the chorus of disapproval at US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the landmark Paris climate deal, expressing its full support for the initiative. The current head of the regional grouping, Guinean President Alpha Conde, called …
Read More »Billionaire Bloomberg pledges $15 million to UN for climate change
New York, United States | AFP | US billionaire Michael Bloomberg has offered $15 million to UN efforts to tackle climate change after President Donald Trump announced he is pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord. The money would support the operations of the UN Framework Convention …
Read More »US carriers in Sea of Japan in show of force to North Korea
Washington, United States | AFP | Two US aircraft carriers and their escort vessels carried out naval maneuvers in the Sea of Japan this week in a show of force directed at North Korea, a US official said Friday. The USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan led the …
Read More »China vows to uphold climate pact ‘as a responsible major country’
Beijing, China | AFP | Beijing vowed Friday to uphold the Paris climate accord after the United States withdrew from the pact, saying it was a “responsibility shouldered by China as a responsible major country”. “We think the Paris accord reflects the widest agreement of the international community with regards …
Read More »EU ambassador in Uganda Schmidt baffled by Trump decision
EU ambassador in Uganda Schmidt baffled by Trump decision on climate By Independent Reporter and AFP Ambassador Kristian Schmidt, the European Union (EU) Head of Delegation to Uganda, has joined a chorus of world leaders to criticize US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Many …
Read More »Ex-FBI director Comey to testify on Russia probe next week
Washington, United States | AFP | Former FBI director James Comey will testify on June 8 before a congressional panel probing allegations of Russian interference in last year’s US election, the Senate Intelligence Committee said Thursday. Comey was fired by President Donald Trump early last month as the FBI’s own …
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