Washington’s chief trade negotiator on Wednesday said there remained much to do before reaching a new trade agreement with China despite “real progress” so far. After months of negotiating with Beijing, “now we are making real progress,” US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in congressional testimony. However, “Much still needs to be done both before an agreement is reached, and more importantly after it is reached if one is reached.” Citing progress toward a new […]
Tag: US
Nuclear weapons on menu at Trump-Kim dinner
by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un meet Wednesday in Hanoi for the second date in an unlikely friendship that the US president hopes will push North Korea’s reclusive leader closer to reaching a deal on his nuclear arsenal. Trump touched down late Tuesday on Air Force One after flying half way around the world from Washington, while Kim arrived earlier, following a two-and-a-half-day train journey […]
Maduro says US wants to ‘fabricate’ Venezuela crisis to start war
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the American government of manufacturing a crisis in an attempt to start a war in South America, in an interview broadcast on Monday. “Everything that the United States government has done has been doomed to failure,” Maduro told American broadcaster ABC News from the presidential palace in Caracas in remarks translated by the network from Spanish. “They are trying to fabricate a crisis to justify […]
Trump, N.Korea’s Kim en route to Vietnam for second summit
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, headed toward Hanoi on Monday for their second high-stakes summit, with the world watching to see if the US leader can deliver concrete results on curbing the nuclear threat from Pyongyang. Tweeting from Air Force One, Trump said he was “looking forward to a very productive Summit,” after earlier reiterating his case for North Korean […]
California town to pay $21 mn to wrongly convicted man
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — A California man who spent 39 years behind bars after wrongfully being convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and her four-year-old son has reached a $21 million settlement in the case, authorities said. Craig Coley, 71, was convicted of the 1978 murder of Rhonda Wicht, 24, and her son Donald and was sentenced in 1980 to life in prison without parole. He was released nearly four decades later […]
Trump says he sees ‘signing summit’ with China on trade
by Heather SCOTT Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to hold a “signing summit” with China’s President Xi Jinping to seal a trade deal, since as discussions are in the “advanced stages.” The comments cheered global stock markets, since they confirmed the dispute will not ratchet up immediately, averting an even bigger impact on the global economy. Citing progress in the four days of talks, […]
Venezuela’s Guaido and Pence agree to tighten noose on Maduro
by Hector Velasco Agence France Presse BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — US Vice President Mike Pence and Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido agreed on a strategy to tighten the noose around President Nicolas Maduro following a meeting with regional allies in Colombia on Monday. “We hope for a peaceful transition to democracy but President Trump has made it clear: all options are on the table,” said Pence, who passed on Trump’s “100 percent” support to Guaido. […]
Saudi Arabia names first woman envoy to Washington at critical time
by Anuj Chopra Saudi Arabia on Saturday named a princess as its first woman ambassador to the United States, a key appointment as the fallout over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder tests relations between the allies. Princess Rima bint Bandar replaced Prince Khalid bin Salman, the younger brother of the powerful crown prince who was appointed vice defence minister in a flurry of late-night royal decrees announced on state media. The reshuffle comes as Saudi Arabia […]
Stanley Donen, famed director of ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ dies at 94
Stanley Donen, who directed such beloved Hollywood classics as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “On the Town” and “Charade,” has died in New York at age 94. His death of a heart attack was confirmed by one of his sons, Mark Donen, the Chicago Tribune reported. Donen, whose films were known as witty, stylish and energetic, worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, from Audrey Hepburn to Fred Astaire. Under Donen’s direction, Gene Kelly’s famously exuberant […]
North Korean leader’s train arrives in China
by Matthew Knight and Claire Lee North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s armoured train arrived in China late Saturday ahead of his highly anticipated second summit with US President Donald Trump in Vietnam, according to media reports. The train arrived in the border city of Dandong after 9:00 pm local time (1300 GMT), according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency and the specialist outlet NK News. Official North Korean news agency KCNA confirmed Kim’s departure […]
Japan’s Okinawa to vote on controversial US base move
Residents of Japan’s Okinawa go to the polls Sunday in a closely watched referendum on the controversial relocation of a US military base to a remote part of the island. The vote is seen as highly symbolic but is also non-binding, raising questions about what effect it will have, even if opponents of the move, including Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, prevail. The ballot will ask residents whether they support a plan to reclaim land at […]
Trump rules out reducing US troops from South Korea
President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reducing US forces from South Korea as part of a deal in his upcoming summit with North Korea. “No, it’s not. That is not one of the things on the table,” Trump said when asked if he would consider pulling some of the 28,500 troops from South Korea. Trump, answering questions as he met at the White House with a senior Chinese official, said that he would not […]





