Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump waded into the uproar over the US currency Thursday, saying he wants to see “a strong dollar,” after comments by his Treasury secretary appeared to signal the opposite and sent the dollar plunging to three-year lows. In comments to CNBC, Trump said …
Read More »Trump meets Kagame, sends ‘warmest regards’ to African leaders after reported slur
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday asked the African Union chairman to pass on his “warmest regards” to other regional leaders at a summit this weekend, after sparking outrage with a reported slur against Africans. Trump met Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the World Economic …
Read More »Macron tells Davos elite: ‘France is back’
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron told the world’s business elite in Davos on Wednesday that France was back as a European powerhouse under his reformist government. “France is back at the core of Europe,” Macron said in English in a highly anticipated speech, before switching to French …
Read More »Trump takes ‘America First’ message to Davos elite
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Donald Trump rappels into the snowy Swiss Alps on Thursday to address Davos summiteers anxious to see whether they will get a pitch from a capitalist kindred spirit or a lecture from a populist president. Trump is due to deliver the closing address at the …
Read More »World powers step up pressure on Syria, Russia over chemical attacks
Paris, France | AFP | Two dozen countries agreed Tuesday to push for sanctions against perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Russia “ultimately bears responsibility” for such strikes. Twenty-four nations approved a new “partnership against impunity” for the use of chemical weapons, just …
Read More »Snake blood, flaming bricks: Mattis gets bizarre Indonesian send off
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | A soldier tore apart a snake with his teeth and his comrades headbutted flaming stacks of bricks as Indonesia’s special forces treated visiting US defence secretary Jim Mattis to an unusual display on Tuesday. Mattis — whose own nickname is “Mad Dog” — seemed impressed by …
Read More »Donald Trump to meet Kagame, Netanyahu and May in Davos
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump is set to meet with the British and Israeli prime ministers, Theresa May and Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Davos later this week, the White House said Tuesday. Trump will meet May Thursday to address the Syria conflict, Iran’s “destabilizing” …
Read More »Trump wins Davos raves for ‘landmark’ tax cut
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Instead of a chilly reception from globalisation’s defenders, US President Donald Trump may find a warm welcome in the posh ski resort of Davos, from global executives delighted with his controversial tax reform. The annual World Economic Forum in the snow-bound Swiss resort is a …
Read More »UN report backs peacekeeping changes in face of deaths
United Nations, United States | AFP | UN peacekeeping forces need to change the way they operate and not shy away from using force to reverse a worrying trend of escalating fatalities, according to a new report made public Monday. The recommendations were submitted to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in …
Read More »Tillerson defends strained ‘special relationship’ on UK visit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States during a visit to London on Monday, following a series of spats since the election of Donald Trump that have strained ties. Tillerson paid a discreet visit to the new …
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