Tag: US

Senate acquits Trump of abuse of power

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump of abuse of power, the first of two impeachment charges, following a historic two-week trial. The Republican-majority Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Trump of charges that he withheld military aid to Ukraine to pressure Kiev to investigate political rival Joe Biden and help his re-election effort. Fifty-two Republicans voted to acquit Trump while all 47 Democrats voted to remove him from office. […]

State of the Reunion! Tears of joy as Trump reunites army family

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — In a reality TV moment during one of the United States’ most formal occasions, President Donald Trump reunited a soldier with his family during the annual State of the Union speech on Tuesday. The wife and two children of Army Sergeant Townsend Williams were among Trump’s guests at the address to Congress, and he began to tell their story — in Williams’ absence. “War places a heavy burden on our […]

Two more planes evacuate Americans from virus-hit Wuhan

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States evacuated more than 300 more people on two new flights out of Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the fast-spreading new coronavirus, the State Department said Tuesday. The two flights left Wuhan on Tuesday US time after the passengers were screened, a State Department official said. The official said that the United States has now brought home more than 500 passengers on three fights. A first flight, with […]

Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido invited to Trump speech

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized as the country’s interim president by the United States, will be a guest at Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, US media reported. Guaido was invited by Trump to attend the flagship event in Washington in a public show of support for his efforts to dislodge President Nicolas Maduro, CNN and NBC reported. Guaido has defied a travel ban […]

Trump in State of Union speech: ‘I keep my promises’

by Sebastian Smith and Michael Mathes WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump was to deliver a triumphant State of the Union speech Tuesday on the eve of near-certain acquittal in his impeachment trial, setting the stage for his re-election bid with a boast of “I keep my promises.” Facing a Democratic party smarting from divisions and a chaotic start to the primaries, Trump headed in the buoyant mood to the House of Representatives, […]

Trump vows Maduro’s ‘tyranny’ in Venezuela will be ‘smashed’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday that the “tyranny” of leftist leader Nicolas Maduro will be “smashed,” as he welcomed Venezuela’s opposition leader to his annual State of the Union address. “Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people. But Maduro’s grip of tyranny will be smashed and broken,” Trump said as he introduced Juan Guaido — considered interim president by more than 60 countries — who […]

US working with pharmaceutical firm on new type of coronavirus treatment

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States is working with a pharmaceutical company to develop a treatment for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, using a class of drugs that has boosted survival rates among Ebola patients, officials said Tuesday. The partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Regeneron will develop monoclonal antibodies to fight the infection, a different line of treatment to the antiretrovirals and flu drugs that have also emerged […]

Sotto, Drilon, Lacson urge Duterte to reconsider PHL withdrawal from VFA

(Eagle News) — Three senators have asked President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his unilateral withdrawal from the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States. In urging the President in Senate Resolution No. 312, Senate President Tito Sotto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Panfilo Lacson acknowledged that while “by constitutional fiat and by the intrinsic nature of his office” the President, as head of state, is “the sole organ and authority in the external […]

Democrats make final pitch in Iowa hours before first US vote

by Elodie CUZIN DES MOINES, United States (AFP) — Democratic candidates made their frantic, final campaign pitches Sunday in Iowa, on a mission to persuade undecided voters one day before the state’s nominating contest officially starts the US presidential election season. Iowa, a largely rural state of three million people, has traditionally served as a vital launching point — or burial ground — for presidential hopefuls. Even as all eyes turn to the debut vote, […]

US military ready to house 1,000 for virus quarantine

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States military will provide accommodation for 1,000 people if they need to be quarantined because of the deadly novel coronavirus, the Department of Defense said. Several facilities each capable of housing at least 250 people in individual rooms will be made available until February 29, the department said in a statement. The US is one of a number of countries isolating citizens returning from the center of […]

Trump set for midweek acquittal after witnesses blocked

  by Chris Lefkow Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United Stares (AFP) — The US Senate on Friday rebuffed Democratic calls for new witnesses at President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, paving the way for his acquittal next week of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Following the 51-49 vote, the Senate scheduled four hours of closing arguments by Democratic prosecutors and White House defense lawyers on Monday and a vote for acquittal on […]

US declares virus ’emergency,’ bans travelers from China

  by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US said Friday it was declaring a public health emergency and temporarily banning the entry of foreign nationals who had traveled to China over the past two weeks to contain the spread of a deadly new virus. Sweeping new restrictions will also be imposed on American citizens, with those returning from the province at the disease’s epicenter placed in facilities for mandatory […]