WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Barack Obama has tested positive for a mild case of Covid-19, the former US president said on his Twitter account Sunday. “I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise,” Obama tweeted, adding that his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, has so far tested negative. “Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,” he wrote. Obama, plus fellow former presidents Jimmy Carter, […]
Tag: US
US sets high-level talks with China Monday over Russia war
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A high-level US delegation meets in Rome Monday with a top Chinese official, the White House said as it warned Beijing would face severe “consequences” if it helps Russia evade sanctions over its war in Ukraine. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party’s chief diplomat, “will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war […]
Ballistic missiles fired at Iraq’s Arbil ‘from east’
A dozen ballistic missiles targeted Iraq’s northern city of Arbil, including US facilities, causing damage but no major casualties early on Sunday, security forces in the autonomous Kurdistan region said. Local authorities said the missiles came from beyond the eastern border, suggesting that the source of the fire was Iran — a country that wields considerable political and economic influence over its neighbour. “Twelve ballistic missiles” on Sunday targeted the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Arbil, […]
Two employees stabbed inside New York’s Museum of Modern Art
Two female employees were stabbed inside New York’s prestigious Museum of Modern Art on Saturday, allegedly by an angry patron, police said, causing the museum to be evacuated. The women were injured “in the back, in the collarbone, in the back of the neck” but are both “going to be ok,” said John Miller, New York police department deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism. The suspect, who had not been arrested as of late Saturday […]
Russia says it could target Western arms supplies to Ukraine
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Saturday said its troops could target supplies of Western weapons in Ukraine, where the Russian army has been advancing since late February. “We warned the United States that the orchestrated pumping of weapons from a number of countries is not just a dangerous move, it is a move that turns these convoys into legitimate targets,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state television. He said Moscow had […]
US Congress passes budget including $14 billion for Ukraine
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Congress passed a huge omnibus 2022 spending bill Thursday including almost $14 billion in humanitarian and military aid to war-torn Ukraine, as its invasion by Russia entered its third week. Lawmakers had been facing the latest in a series of shutdown showdowns, with government funding due to expire at midnight Friday into Saturday, meaning thousands of workers would have been sent home without pay. With the deadline fast […]
US says North Korea testing new ICBM system
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Two recent missile tests conducted by North Korea were of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, the Pentagon said Thursday, marking what one US official called a “serious escalation” that will be punished with fresh sanctions. According to North Korea, the February 26 and March 4 tests were focused on developing a reconnaissance satellite, but the Pentagon said rigorous analysis concluded they were actually experimental precursors to a […]
Russia accuses US of funding biological weapons research in Ukraine
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Thursday accused the United States of funding research into the development of biological weapons in Ukraine, as Moscow stepped up its campaign to gain control of key Ukrainian cities. Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised briefing that “the purpose of this — and other Pentagon-funded biological research in Ukraine — was to establish a mechanism for the stealthy spread of deadly pathogens.” Konashenkov claimed […]
What would be the impact of a US ‘digital dollar’?
by Juliette MICHEL Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden has ordered the federal government to look into creating a digital dollar, a move with the potential to reshape how money is moved and used around the world. Before his order results in a virtual greenback, there will be numerous major impacts — and risks — to consider first. Here are some key questions: – What form would […]
Biden orders work to begin on future digital dollar
by Heather SCOTT and Aurelia END Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered government agencies to begin work on creating a digital US dollar, weighing the risks and benefits of a move that could be a game changer for the global financial system. Coming amid the explosive rise of private crypto currencies like bitcoin, the US effort will place “the highest urgency on research and development efforts […]
Joe Biden’s perilous oil diplomacy
by Francesco FONTEMAGGI Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – How far should Joe Biden go to limit soaring US gas prices? The US president has launched an oil diplomacy gambit to compensate for banning Russian petroleum, but he risks accusations of propping up authoritarian leaders and undermining his own battle for democracy. Amid the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, a recent American mission to energy-rich Caracas was intended to be discreet. And […]
US warns Russia may use biological weapons in Ukraine
The United States on Wednesday rejected Russian claims that it supports a bioweapons program in Ukraine, saying the allegations were a sign that Moscow could soon use the weapons themselves. “The Kremlin is intentionally spreading outright lies that the United States and Ukraine are conducting chemical and biological weapons activities in Ukraine,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “Russia is inventing false pretexts in an attempt to justify its own horrific actions […]





