Washington, United States | AFP | US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that the US strike that killed a top Iranian general had restored credibility to the US threat to Tehran to restrain itself militarily. “I believe that we’ve restored a level of deterrence with them,” he said. But Washington …
Read More »Britain eyes piecemeal post-Brexit deal with EU
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain said on Wednesday it could seek a piecemeal post-Brexit deal with the European Union that leaves some issues unresolved but still lets it break free from the bloc at the end of the year. Downing Street said Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered the message …
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 »Unswayed by Iran briefings, Democrats seek to check Trump war power
Washington, United States | AFP | US Democratic lawmakers pressed ahead Wednesday with plans to check President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran, despite Congress breathing a collective sigh of relief at the de-escalation of conflict with the Islamic republic. Republicans and Democrats alike expressed broad support for …
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 »THAT’S IT: Britain’s Prince Harry, Meghan to step back as ‘senior’ royals
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will step back as senior members of the royal family and spend more time in North America, the couple said in a shock announcement on Wednesday. The surprise news follows a turbulent year for the monarchy, with …
Read More »‘We don’t retreat in face of America’: Iran president
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic republic’s response on Wednesday to a US strike that killed one of its generals shows “we don’t retreat in the face of America”. “If America has committed a crime… it should know that it will receive a decisive response,” …
Read More »Iran’s anti-US strikes: measured, but not final response
Paris, France | AFP | Iran’s missile strikes on US troop bases in Iraq were a measured first response to Washington’s assassination of a top commander, but are unlikely to be the last act in what could be a long and asymmetrical revenge campaign, experts say. With an outpouring of emotion …
Read More »Planes, trains and bills: Britain’s big projects dilemma
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A high-speed train that won’t start. An overcrowded airport that can’t expand. A new subway line that never runs. Britain’s attempts to revive its creaking infrastructure are turning into a headache for Prime Minister Boris Johnson just as his fight with Europe over Brexit winds …
Read More »AI-powered avatar at tech show touted as ‘artificial human’
Las Vegas, United States | AFP | Avatars touted as “artificial humans” created a buzz Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show even as debate swirled on what exactly the digital entities were. Star Labs, a startup funded by Samsung, showed the painstakingly detailed AI-powered, two-dimensional digital creations to a large crowd, …
Read More »