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US concludes Russia poisoned Navalny, joins EU in sanctions
Washington (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials in a coordinated action with the European Union as US intelligence concluded that Moscow orchestrated the near fatal poisoning of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. In his first major action against Russia since taking office, President Joe Biden's administration said it was freezing any US assets and criminalizing transactions with seven senior Russians including the director of the FSB security service. US intelligence assessed "with high confidence" that officers of the FSB, successor to the KGB...
AFP
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US says Russia poisoned Navalny, imposes sanctions
Washington (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on seven senior Russians as it said its intelligence concluded that Moscow was behind the poisoning of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. In action coordinated with the EU, the United States renewed demands that Russia free Navalny, who was arrested in January upon his return to Moscow as he spurred massive rallies through his allegations of corruption by President Vladimir Putin. "The intelligence community assesses with high confidence that officers of Russia's Federal Security Service FSB used a nerve agent known as Novich...
AFP
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Immigration, Covid headline talks between Biden, Lopez Obrador
Washington (AFP) - President Joe Biden told his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that Mexico's success was crucial to the hemisphere and that he would view the US southern neighbor as an equal. In a virtual summit to discuss immigration, Covid-19 and commercial issues, Biden opened talks by reminding Lopez Obrador of his four visits to Mexico as vice president. "The United States and Mexico are stronger when we stand together," Biden said at the beginning of their teleconference. But "we haven't been perfect neighbors to each other." During the Obama-Biden administration, he con...
AFP
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Immigration to headline talks between Biden, Lopez Obrador
Washington (AFP) - The flow of migrants and trade, legal and illegal, across the US-Mexican border will be the focus Monday when President Joe Biden meets with counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a virtual summit. Their meeting comes as reports say the United States faces a new surge of undocumented migrants attempting to enter the country from its southern neighbor, as Biden eases the tough anti-immigration regime of predecessor Donald Trump. On Friday White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the meeting would touch on cooperation on migration, joint development efforts in impoverished s...
AFP
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United Arab Emirates has envoy in Israel for first time
The United Arab Emirates has an ambassador in Israel for the first time ever, after Israel's president accepted the diplomat's credentials on Monday in Jerusalem. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin accepted the credentials of diplomat Mohammed al Khajah, a "milestone" in relations between the two countries, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi wrote on Twitter. Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had announced the establishment of diplomatic ties in August following mediation by the US, and sealed their relations a month later in a move many called historic. The UAE's embassy is to be in...
DPA
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Khashoggi murder report puts US-Saudi ties on thinner ice
Washington (AFP) - The explosive US finding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi promises fresh turbulence between the allies but it is doubtful that Washington will shun the kingdom's de facto ruler. The decision to declassify the report on Khashoggi's grisly killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 marks a major departure by US President Joe Biden from his predecessor Donald Trump, who boasted of close ties with the kingdom. Will the US shun the crown prince? - The report concluded, as had been widely reported, th...
AFP
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Blinken starts 'international' travel by walking down hall
Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday made his international debut in an unusual setup befitting extraordinary times — with virtual "trips" made a short walk from his office via video. From the relative safety of the State Department, Blinken "traveled" to Mexico and then Canada, looking to revive ties with neighbors after President Donald Trump's turbulent tenure. With President Joe Biden discouraging travel to prevent the spread of Covid-19, his top diplomat went abroad for the first time virtually via a video of entering Mexico over the busy bridge between El Pas...
AFP
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EU eyes more 'responsibility' for its own security
Brussels (AFP) - EU leaders agreed Friday that the bloc should take more responsibility for its own security, insisting Brussels needs to be a strong partner for NATO and the United States. Debate has raged for decades over what role Brussels should play on defence, and individual nations have often been reluctant to agree moves to integrate military capabilities. "We want to act more strategically, to defend our interests and to promote our values," European Council President Charles Michel tweeted after a video summit. "We need to increase our ability to act autonomously and strengthen our...
AFP
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EU leaders debate push to boost defences
Brussels (AFP) - EU leaders debated efforts aimed at bolstering the bloc's ability to tackle security threats Friday, as Brussels looks to convince sceptics over its drive for a more assertive Europe. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined the video summit to talk up cooperation in the face of worries from some member states that the EU's push could undermine the US-backed alliance at a time new President Joe Biden is looking to rebuild it. "I'm totally convinced that this new Biden administration offers a unique opportunity to renew the strong alliance between Europe and the United S...
AFP
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Biden, Saudi king speak ahead of Khashoggi murder report
Washington (AFP) - President Joe Biden held a long-delayed first phone call Thursday with Saudi King Salman ahead of an imminent US intelligence report expected to link the Arab kingdom's powerful crown prince to the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden kept the king waiting in his long list of calls to US allies after being sworn in five weeks ago. And when he did finally reach out to the Saudis, it was pointedly to the king and not the expected successor Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, commonly known as MBS. The telephone diplomacy was all part of what the White House is ...
AFP
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