Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday informed US counterpart Donald Trump of his talks with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, saying Damascus is in favour of conducting parliamentary and presidential polls, the Kremlin said. “Vladimir Putin informed Donald Trump of the main results of a meeting with …
Read More »Chinese oil giant and Chad deny Africa bribery scheme after US probe
Shanghai, China | AFP | Top Chinese oil company CEFC China Energy on Tuesday denied any involvement in an alleged multi-million dollar bribery scandal that US investigators say helped the giant win business advantages in Africa. US officials announced Monday that they had arrested Hong Kong’s former home affairs secretary and …
Read More »US arrests two Chinese oil company reps in Africa bribery scheme
Washington, United States | AFP | US authorities have arrested Hong Kong’s former home affairs secretary and the ex-foreign minister of Senegal for leading a multimillion dollar bribery scheme in Africa on behalf of a top Chinese energy company, with some deals arranged in the halls of the United Nations. …
Read More »Trump to shut charitable foundation: reports
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump will dissolve his charitable foundation — which acknowledged breaking federal rules on “self-dealing” last year — once an investigation concludes, US media reported Monday. In December, Trump vowed to shutter the organization to avoid any conflicts of interest, after it was …
Read More »Trump declares North Korea state sponsor of terror
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday even as his top diplomat said Washington has not given up hope of a negotiated end to its nuclear standoff with Kim Jong-Un’s regime. Trump promised a rapid ramp-up of US …
Read More »Kutesa meets US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Uganda’s Kutesa hails US decision to prioritize trade with Africa Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa has called on US business operators to do business with Uganda as the physical and policy environment is one of the best in Africa. He made these …
Read More »US military in Japan under alcohol ban after accident
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | US Forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after a drink-driving accident on the island of Okinawa where anti-base sentiment runs high. A US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck at an intersection on Sunday, killing the other driver, 61. The 21-year-old, …
Read More »Bruno Mars wins American Music Awards on night of divas
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Bruno Mars took the top prize at the American Music Awards on Sunday at a show that paid glowing tribute to legendary divas Diana Ross and the late Whitney Houston. Mars, the retro star who found fresh success with the funky beats and R&B …
Read More »Honda recalls 800,000 minivans over faulty seats
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Honda is recalling about 800,000 of its Odyssey minivans in the United States over faulty parts blamed for 46 minor injuries, the company said, just a month after settling a huge lawsuit on other defects. The recall, which affects the 2011-2017 models sold in the US, …
Read More »US nuclear commander would resist ‘illegal’ order for strike
Ottawa, Canada | AFP | The general in command of US nuclear forces said Saturday that he would resist any “illegal” presidential order for a strike and work to find an alternative. President Donald Trump’s history of unpredictable and volatile behavior has raised concerns that he could unilaterally order an unnecessary …
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