-
Huawei, controversial in the West, is going strong in the Gulf
Dubai (AFP) - Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is enjoying an extended honeymoon with oil-rich Gulf nations, despite being criticised in the United States and Europe as a potential security threat. Arab Gulf countries -- strategic partners of Washington that are seeking to diversify their economies -- are investing heavily in the sector as their appetite for technology grows. Huawei has struggled in recent years in the face of US sanctions, as Washington claims Huawei has close ties to China's military and that Beijing could use its equipment for espionage -- accusations the company denies. Brit...
AFP
-
After Trump, Biden and G7 refocus on Covid recovery
London (AFP) - Wealthy G7 powers on Friday ramped up health funding for poorer nations after accusations they are hoarding coronavirus vaccines, as US President Joe Biden and his fellow leaders declared a "turning point" from the psychodramas of the Trump era. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, this year's chair of the G7, vowed to free up any surplus UK vaccines for poorer countries at a future date, and underlined the need for collective action to recover from the pandemic. "We've got to make sure the whole world is vaccinated because this is a global pandemic and it's no use one country ...
AFP
-
World leaders step up action to fight coronavirus crisis
World leaders stepped up their commitments on Friday to fighting the pandemic by speeding up the roll-out of vaccinations across the globe amid the growing threat posed by new mutations of the deadly coronavirus. The Group of Seven major economic powers boosted support for the global vaccination campaign in poorer countries by more than 4 billion dollars, at a virtual summit hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. That brings the total pledged by the G7 nations to 7.5 billion dollars. The G7 leaders' push to counter the crisis unleashed by the pandemic also formed part of their efforts...
DPA
-
Biden breaks with Trump as G7 tackles climate, Covid recovery
London (AFP) - Joe Biden will make his presidential debut on the world stage on Friday as America's G7 partners re-focus their collective heft on pandemic recovery and climate change after the psychodramas of the Trump era. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, this year's G7 chairman who hopes to host the grouping's leaders in Britain in June, will use the virtual talks to urge the development of new vaccines in just 100 days. That would represent a dramatic decrease on the 300-odd days that were needed to come up with jabs against the coronavirus -- in itself a breakneck achievement. Following th...
AFP
-
Outrage after troops protecting US Capitol forced to sleep in garage
Washington (AFP) - A decision to turn a chilly underground parking garage into an overnight billet for National Guard troops in Washington to protect President Joe Biden's inauguration has stirred an uproar. A number of the 25,000 troops standing guard around the US Capitol in recent days in the wake of the January 6 insurrection had been allowed to take breaks and naps in between long shifts on the floors of the building housing the US Congress. But on Thursday afternoon, after the legislature resumed work a day after the Biden inauguration, someone decided instead to force them out to a near...
AFP
-
Two US National Guard troops pulled from inauguration duty: report
Washington (AFP) - The US National Guard has pulled two soldiers from security duty for Joe Biden's presidential inauguration ceremony, CNN reported Tuesday, as troops were vetted for links to extremist groups. Citing a Defense Department official, the cable network could not confirm whether such a link had indeed been made to the two troops or whether a specific incident had provoked their expulsion ahead of Wednesday's events. "Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration," the National Guar...
AFP
-
Man with gun arrested at Washington security checkpoint
Washington (AFP) - A man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition has been arrested in Washington at a security checkpoint near the US Capitol, authorities said. Wesley Allen Beeler, of Virginia, had driven to a checkpoint on Friday evening and tried to use a phony credential to access the restricted area where President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated next week, according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court. As officers checked against an authorized access list, one of them noticed decals on the back of Beeler's pick-up truck that said "Assault Life," ...
AFP
-
Biden to sign executive orders on Day 1, amid high alert for inauguration
Washington (AFP) - Joe Biden's top aide said Saturday the incoming president would sign about a dozen executive orders on his first day in office, as police fearing violence from Trump supporters staged a nationwide security operation ahead of the inauguration. Authorities in Washington, where Wednesday's inauguration will take place, said they arrested a man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition at a security checkpoint, underscoring the tension in the US capital which is resembling a war zone. However, the man said it was "an honest mistake," and that he was a private ...
AFP
-
National Mall closed for Biden inauguration amid security fears
Washington (AFP) - The National Mall in downtown Washington will be closed because of security concerns until after Wednesday's inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden, the National Park Service said Friday. The Mall, which is normally packed with people every four years for presidential inaugurations, is being declared off-limits at the request of the Secret Service, which ensures the security of the president, the Park Service said. The grassy expanse, where Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, will be closed from 11:00 am (1600 GMT) on Friday through at l...
AFP
-
Pelosi tasks general with security review after US Capitol riot
Washington (AFP) - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that retired general Russel Honore, who coordinated the Hurricane Katrina response, will oversee an immediate security review at the US Capitol following last week's deadly riot by a pro-Trump mob. She also said there was "strong interest" in Congress for a 9/11-style investigation of the unprecedented attack on the Capitol that has been described as an insurrection, and which led to the swift second impeachment Wednesday of President Donald Trump. "Justice is called for," she said. But Pelosi declined to reveal when she will send th...
AFP
- More