Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted he had the right to share “facts” with Russia, saying he acted to help Moscow in its “fight against ISIS and terrorism.” His Twitter message came one day after news broke that he allegedly divulged classified information …
Read More »Trump accused of divulging top secret intelligence to Russians
Washington, United States | AFP | Embattled US President Donald Trump faced explosive allegations that he divulged top secret intelligence to Russian diplomats in the Oval Office, a charge the White House scrambled to rebut Monday. The Washington Post reported that Trump revealed highly classified information on the Islamic State …
Read More »China decries protectionism, but Europeans rain on Silk Road parade
Beijing, China | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping criticised protectionism on Monday at a summit positioning Beijing as a champion of globalisation, but several European nations spoilt attempts to win full backing for his trade agenda. Xi addressed almost 30 leaders on the second day of a forum on …
Read More »Experts say North Korea’s ‘new missile’ has unprecedented range
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea said Monday it had successfully tested a new type of rocket in its latest missile launch, as analysts said it showed an unprecedented range that brought US bases in the Pacific within reach. Sunday’s launch was of a “new ground-to-ground medium long-range …
Read More »China wins praise for Silk Road but concerns persist
Beijing, China | AFP | China was basking in praise Monday for its new Silk Road even as some countries raised concerns over the project seen as boosting Beijing’s global clout on trade and geopolitics. Almost 30 world leaders are attending a two-day summit promoting China’s One Belt, One Road …
Read More »The trains and sea ports of China’s new Silk Road
Beijing, China | AFP | China opened its Silk Road summit Sunday to showcase its ambitious plans to revive ancient trade routes from Asia to Europe and Africa. President Xi Jinping hailed the initiative for a massive network of rail and maritime links — dubbed One Belt, One Road — …
Read More »US envoy to Qatar says news from home ‘increasingly difficult’
Doha, Qatar | AFP | The US ambassador to Qatar has expressed her dissatisfaction with political events back home in a decidedly undiplomatic message posted on social media. Dana Shell Smith, who has been the American envoy to the Gulf emirate since 2014, took to Twitter in the hours after the …
Read More »Trump wants ‘mutually beneficial’ relations with Russia: Lavrov
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump is seeking “mutually beneficial” and “pragmatic” relations with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday after meeting the US leader in the White House. “President Trump clearly confirmed his interest in building mutually beneficial, business-like pragmatic relations,” Lavrov …
Read More »Climate: China’s Xi talks tough as US hesitation frustrates talks
US, China must ‘lead the way’ on climate: Obama Bonn, Germany | AFP | UN climate negotiators in Bonn were left frustrated Tuesday as the White House postponed a meeting to determine whether America will stay in the 196-nation Paris Agreement to curb planet-harming fossil fuel. As uncertainty mounted over …
Read More »Now, China says it tested new missile in northeastern sea
Beijing, China | AFP | China has recently tested a new type of guided missile in a northeastern sea near the Korean peninsula, the defence ministry said Tuesday, hours after South Korean elections and amid regional tensions. The test in the Bohai Sea was conducted to “raise the operational capability …
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