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by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump signed a law Wednesday supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, likely angering Beijing just as Washington was hoping to ease the long-running US-China trade war. Trump had seemed reluctant to sign the bill but with almost unanimous US congressional support for the measure, he had little political room to maneuver. In a statement, Trump spoke of “respect” for Chinese President Xi Jinping and said he […]
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the United Arab Emirates Wednesday, as efforts to end the nearly five-year war in Yemen gain momentum. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are close allies and key members of a military coalition backing the government in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels. But an Emirati drawdown in July followed by fighting in southern Yemen between UAE-backed separatists and the government — still […]
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman urged arch-rival Iran on Wednesday to abandon an expansionist ideology that has “harmed” its own people, following violent street protests in the Islamic republic. A wave of demonstrations erupted in the sanctions-hit country on Friday after an announcement that petrol prices would be raised by as much as 200 percent with immediate effect. “We hope the Iranian regime chooses the side of wisdom and realizes there […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US envoy on North Korea acknowledged Wednesday that Pyongyang has not yet taken verifiable action to denuclearize and called on the regime to “seize the moment.” Stephen Biegun, testifying to Congress on his nomination to be deputy secretary of state, also called for North Korea to step up its level of representation in talks. “There is no meaningful or verifiable evidence that North Korea has yet made the choice […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea is “no longer interested” in summits with the US unless Washington offers new concessions in their nuclear negotiations, Pyongyang said Monday, hours after Donald Trump hinted at the prospect. “You should act quickly, get the deal done,” Trump tweeted Sunday, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “See you soon!” Kim and Trump have met three times since June last year, but talks have been gridlocked […]
TBILISI, Georgia (AFP) — The United States and European Union expressed solidarity Monday with Georgia’s anti-government protesters who took to the streets after the ruling party backtracked on promises of electoral reforms. In the biggest anti-government protest in years, more than 20,000 demonstrators rallied on Sunday outside the parliament building in the capital Tbilisi urging the government to resign and calling for new legislative elections. In a joint statement, the US and EU embassies said […]
by Jérôme RIVET Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Wednesday that the Paris climate pact was “irreversible”, showing a united front after Washington formally withdrew from the accord this week. The joint declaration came at the end of Macron’s second visit to China, which started on Monday in Shanghai and included talks on trade and the Iranian nuclear issue. The French leader […]
by Shaun TANDON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Monday formally notified the United Nations that it was withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, making the world’s largest economy the sole outlier from the agreement. President Donald Trump went ahead with the pullout despite mounting evidence of the reality and impact of climate change, with September the fourth month in the row with near- or record-breaking temperatures. The […]
by Jenny VAUGHAN / Joe Freeman Agence France Presse BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Several Southeast Asian leaders snubbed a meeting with US officials on Monday after President Donald Trump decided not to attend a regional summit in Bangkok. Just three leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) showed up to the session, along with a host of foreign ministers. Trump has been accused of turning his back on Asian allies for […]
by Joe Freeman Agence France Presse BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisted Monday that his country remained “extremely engaged” with Asia despite Donald Trump skipping a regional leaders summit. Ross and US national security advisor Robert O’Brien are the most senior members of the Washington delegation in Bangkok for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting, also attended by Indian, South Korean and Japanese leaders. Previous meetings have been […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of sympathy to the South’s President Moon Jae-in over the death of his mother, officials said Thursday, the pair’s first contact in months with inter-Korean ties at a standstill. Kang Han-ok, who was born and grew up in the North but was evacuated by US forces during the Korean War, died from a chronic illness on Tuesday. She was 92. […]
by Kang Jin-kyu Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea fired two short-range projectiles on Thursday, the South’s military said, with nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington at a deadlock. The weapons were launched from South Pyongan province in an easterly direction over the sea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. They flew 370 kilometers (230 miles) at a maximum altitude of 90 kilometers, they said, adding: “We […]
