Sydney, Australia | AFP | Australia’s prime minister Friday sought to downplay an unflattering account of a controversial refugee swap deal which emerged in a leaked transcript of a bad-tempered phone call with US President Donald Trump. The Washington Post published the full details Thursday of private calls between Trump and …
Read More »Angry Trump says Russia ties at ‘very dangerous low’
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump claimed relations with Russia had hit an all-time and “very dangerous” low Thursday, putting the blame on Congress after he reluctantly approved sanctions against Moscow. After Moscow called the sanctions a declaration of “economic war” that had exposed the …
Read More »US grand jury impaneled for Russia probe: report
Washington, United States | AFP | Special counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury to investigate Russia’s interference with the 2016 presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday — a step toward possible criminal indictments. The newspaper, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported that the …
Read More »Latest Dow landmark comes as Trump agenda languishes
New York, United States | AFP | The Dow hit another milestone Wednesday, ending above 22,000 points for the first time following another round of strong earnings that have overshadowed the lack of progress on President Donald Trump’s agenda. Trump himself claimed credit for the surge, noting on Twitter Tuesday that …
Read More »France remains world’s favourite tourism destination
Madrid, Spain | AFP | France retained its position as the world’s favourite tourism destination in 2016, the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said Wednesday, defying concerns over terror attacks. The United States came second followed closely by Spain, according to annual figures that the Madrid-based UNWTO normally announces in January, …
Read More »Russia says US sanctions ‘dangerous’ and ‘short-sighted’
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that new US sanctions, signed into law by President Donald Trump, are a “dangerous” and “short-sighted” policy. In a statement, the ministry said the sanctions against Russia had put global stability at risk, a matter Moscow said it and the United …
Read More »Trump grudgingly signs Russia sanctions into law
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump reluctantly signed off on new sanctions against Russia Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure and putting efforts to improve ties with the Kremlin in peril. Trump signed the legislation behind closed doors, after failed White House efforts to scupper or water down …
Read More »Apple beats profit estimates, boosting shares
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple on Tuesday reported stronger-than-expected results for the past quarter, with higher revenues and profits, delivering a boost to its share price. Profit climbed 12 percent to $8.7 billion, and revenue rose percent to $45.4 billion, with the California-based company selling 41 million iPhones …
Read More »US risks being seen as ‘kleptocracy’ under Trump: former ethics chief
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States is at risk of being viewed as a “kleptocracy” under President Donald Trump, the former head of the US government ethics office said in an interview published Monday. “His actions create the appearance of profiting from the presidency, and the appearance here …
Read More »Tillerson: US-Russia ties could still get worse
Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday he will meet with his Russian opposite number Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the weekend, but warned US-Russia ties could still get worse. Some in Moscow and Washington had hoped relations between the former Cold War …
Read More »