New Delhi, India | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron Saturday said he wanted his country to be India’s best partner in Europe as he started a three-day trip to the country aimed at ratcheting up security and energy ties. Macron, who was welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi …
Read More »Putin says will not change constitution to cling to power
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to be reelected for a fourth term in an upcoming ballot, said Saturday he had no plans to change the constitution to stay in the Kremlin beyond 2024. Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would …
Read More »Feeling unwell, Tillerson cancels Nairobi programme
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is on his first-ever Africa tour as Washington’s top diplomat, on Saturday cancelled his programme in Kenya because he was feeling unwell, officials said. “The secretary is not feeling well after a long couple days working on major …
Read More »White House says Xi agrees to keep sanctions pressure on N. Korea
Washington, United States | AFP | The White House on Friday said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had agreed to keep up sanctions pressure on North Korea, amid fears a diplomatic gambit could lead to backsliding. After a call between Xi and President Donald Trump, the White House said the …
Read More »Obama in negotiations to create Netflix series: report
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Former US President Barack Obama is in negotiations with Netflix about producing a series of shows for the online streaming giant, according to US media reports. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama would provide Netflix with exclusive content, with the format …
Read More »Macron warns Trump all sides would lose in ‘trade war’
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned his US counterpart Donald Trump against forging ahead with planned tariffs on European steel and aluminium, saying it risked starting a mutually destructive “trade war”. In a telephone call with Trump, the French leader expressed his “deep concerns”, …
Read More »Italians queue for free cash promised by Five Star
Rome, Italy | AFP | Dozens of Italians have been queueing at tax offices to claim money promised by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in the weekend election — even though the party is not yet in power. A key election pledge of the Five Star Movement (M5S) was to provide …
Read More »N.Korea talks invite vindicates isolation strategy: Pence
Washington, United States | AFP | Kim Jong Un’s decision to invite Donald Trump to a historic summit is evidence that the American leader’s efforts to isolate his North Korean counterpart are bearing fruit, US Vice President Mike Pence said Friday. “North Korea’s desire to meet to discuss denuclearization — while …
Read More »Philippine president needs ‘psychiatric evaluation’: UN rights chief
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN human rights chief said Friday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs “psychiatric evaluation”. Listing some of Manila’s actions against UN envoys, including filing terrorism charges against one, rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said …
Read More »Twitter-blocked by Trump? Judge hears ‘free-speech’ case
New York, United States | AFP | A New York judge sought to avoid a testy tech-age free-speech showdown between Donald Trump and people blocked from his Twitter account Thursday, proposing the president just mute rather than block them. In a unique case given rise by Trump’s relentless use of …
Read More »