Tag: United States

Bannon steps down from Breitbart News in post-book storm

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s former White House strategist Steve Bannon has stepped down from Breitbart News, the conservative news outlet announced Tuesday, still roiled in controversy over incendiary remarks about the president quoted in a new book. The announcement comes just days after the 64-year-old news executive at the provocative right-wing site publicly split with Trump over explosive comments he made about the president’s fitness for office and members of his […]

N. Korea must stop nuclear testing before any talks with US: Haley

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — North Korea must stop conducting nuclear tests before the United States would enter into any talks with the isolated Pyongyang regime, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Sunday. “They have to stop testing. They have to be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons. Those things have to happen,” she said Sunday, one day after President Donald Trump indicated he would be open to speaking directly […]

Trump could freeze $2 billion of Pakistan aid over militant havens

by Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse President Donald Trump’s freeze on aid to Pakistan could be worth almost two billion dollars, a senior US administration official said on Friday — substantially more than first thought. The move — designed to force Pakistan’s military and intelligence apparatus to cut support for the Taliban and other Islamist groups — will include both US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad. It is “approximately two billion worth […]

Trump administration toughens stance on recreational marijuana

by Paul Handley Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The US Justice Department on Thursday reversed official policy that had tolerated the growing state-based movement to legalize marijuana sales, just three days after California formally permitted recreational use of the drug. Announcing a “return to the rule of law,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded five key memos issued by the administration of president Barack Obama that discouraged enforcement of federal laws, which still classify marijuana as […]

US targets Iran over deadly unrest

by Thomas Watkins with Eric Randolph in Tehran Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Washington slapped sanctions on five Iranian companies Thursday and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, further stepping up pressure on Tehran over the deadly unrest that has gripped the country. The US moves came even as Iranian authorities declared an end to the turmoil, and pro-regime demonstrators rallied across the nation while officials switched focus to addressing the economic […]

US, S. Korea agree to suspend military drills during Olympics

by Park Chan-Kyong Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea –  The United States and South Korea agreed Thursday to delay their joint military exercises until after the Winter Olympics next month in an apparent move to de-escalate tensions with Pyongyang. The announcement came just hours after US President Donald Trump said that high-level talks set for next week between North and South Korea were “a good thing.” Tensions have spiralled in recent months after North Korea held multiple […]

Trump calls talks between North and South Korea ‘a good thing’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Thursday that high-level talks set for next week between North and South Korea are “a good thing,” while also seemingly taking credit for them. “With all of the failed ‘experts’ weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn’t firm, strong and willing to commit our total ‘might’ against the […]

Palace announces appointments of special envoys to China, US, Australia

(Eagle News) — The Palace on Thursday announced the appointments of special envoys to China, the United States and Australia. The reappointment papers of Wallie Lee, Carlos Chan,  Ferdinand Borja, Cheng Yong, William de Jesus Lima as special envoys to China were signed by President Rodrigo Duterte himself on January 3. The new term of office of Lee, Chan, Borja and Lima runs from January 1 to June 30, 2018. Yong will also serve for six […]

Ex-Trump aide Manafort sues Mueller, Justice Department

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort sued special prosecutor Robert Mueller and the Justice Department Wednesday for allegedly overstepping their mandates, in a challenge to the Russia probe that threatens the US president. Two months after his arrest for tax evasion and money laundering, Manafort charged in a civil suit that the department and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave Mueller excessively broad authority in his investigation of possible collusion between the […]

Trump to Kim: My nuke button ‘bigger,’ as talks dismissed

by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump warned Kim Jong-Un Tuesday he has a “much bigger” nuclear button than the North Korean leader, as Washington dismissed the prospect of high-level talks between Pyongyang and Seoul. Trump launched the highly personal missive on Twitter hours after his ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley described proposed dialogue between the two Koreas as a “band-aid” and said Washington would never […]

US demands Iran end social media blocks

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Tuesday urged Iran to stop blocking online social media and advised its citizens to set up virtual private networks, or VPNs, to circumvent censorship. Steve Goldstein, the State Department’s under-secretary for public diplomacy, denounced Iran’s attempts to restrict net access and urged Iranians to find a way to log in. “People in Iran should be able to access these sites through VPN,” he said, adding […]

Iran hit by fifth night of protests

by Eric Randolph Agence France-Presse TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) – A fifth night of unrest in Iran saw a policeman killed and sporadic demonstrations in several parts of the country, local media and online users reported Tuesday, despite moves to crack down on the biggest protests against the regime in years. Small groups of protesters ran through the streets of Tehran on Monday evening, before a heavy police presence restored calm, local agencies said. The unrest remained focused […]