Tripoli, Libya | AFP | A year ago, Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar began his offensive to seize the capital Tripoli from the UN-recognised government, a conflict which has left hundreds dead and over 150,000 displaced. Here is a recap. – Haftar orders advance – On April 4, 2019, Haftar orders his …
Read More »Russian plane with supplies for virus fight lands in US
New York, United States | AFP | A Russian military plane carrying medical supplies arrived in the United States on Wednesday, the Russian mission to the UN said, as the Kremlin flexes its soft power during the coronavirus pandemic. The Antonov-124, landed at JFK Airport in New York — the epicenter …
Read More »Obama suggests Trump team ‘denied warnings’ of pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | Former US president Barack Obama took a veiled swipe Tuesday at his successor Donald Trump, chastising those who have “denied warnings” of a deadly coronavirus pandemic and cautioning against ignoring the consequences of climate change. The popular two-term Democrat took to social media as the Trump administration finalized a …
Read More »Trump says Putin to ‘probably ask’ for sanctions lifting
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump said Monday he expects his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to request the lifting of US sanctions during an upcoming phone call. “Yeah, he’ll probably ask for that,” Trump told Fox News. Trump did not say what his response would be, noting that …
Read More »Trump ditches hopes of quick virus bounce-back for US
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump has extended emergency coronavirus restrictions for the United States, where his top scientist warned up to 200,000 people could die, as the Russian capital and Africa’s biggest city readied to go into lockdown on Monday. The reassessment by Trump, who had previously said he wanted the country …
Read More »Coronavirus: Trump decides against quarantine of New York region
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump decided late Saturday against imposing a broad two-week lockdown on New York and its neighbors after a strong pushback from local political leaders and warnings of the panic it could spark. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, late …
Read More »Europe, US virus deaths surge as Trump reverses New York lockdown threat
Madrid, Spain | AFP | The global coronavirus death toll surged past 30,000 over the weekend as Europe and the United States endured their darkest days of the crisis. A back-flip from US President Donald Trump on quarantining New York highlighted the panic and confusion across many parts of the world in trying to …
Read More »Coronavirus: Trump weighs ‘quarantine’ of New York, nearby states
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump said Saturday he is weighing placing a two-week quarantine on New York and nearby states, the US epicenter of coronavirus infections, to slow the spread of the disease to other parts of the country. The harshest measure yet by the US …
Read More »Trump signs $2 trillion recovery plan as US virus cases skyrocket
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump signed into law Friday the $2 trillion rescue plan to salvage a US economy crippled by the novel coronavirus, on a day the nation recorded more than 100,000 confirmed cases of virus infections. Hours earlier, the House of Representatives passed the …
Read More »Xi tells Trump China and US must ‘unite to fight virus’
Beijing, China | AFP | China and the United States should “unite to fight” the deadly coronavirus pandemic, President Xi Jinping said in a call with Donald Trump on Friday, as he called for the US to improve relations. The two countries have clashed in recent weeks over the virus, and …
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