US Secretary of State ends Qatar rift talks

US Secretary of State ends Qatar rift talks

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after talks with Foreign Ministers of the four anti-Qatar countries on the month-long dispute among Gulf states, with no announcement released so far. He met the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain – the four countries boycotting […]

Qatar should not be member of anti-IS bloc, says Egypt

Qatar should not be member of anti-IS bloc, says Egypt

 Pointing the finger at Qatar, Egypt said on Tuesday that the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition should not include member states that support terrorism. “It is unacceptable for the coalition to have amongst its members states that support terrorism or advocate for it in their media,” said Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid in a […]

US, Qatar sign agreement against financing terrorism

US, Qatar sign agreement against financing terrorism

The US Secretary of State and his Qatari counterpart signed on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding against the financing of terrorism, Qatari media reported. In live footage, Rex Tillerson and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani signed the pact, which they had been working on for a year, Tillerson explained, Efe news reported. The head of […]

Trump, Putin discussed sanctions, says White House

Trump, Putin discussed sanctions, says White House

The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed sanctions related to Moscows alleged meddling in the 2016 US election, the media reported. “There were sanctions specific to election meddling that I believe were discussed, but not beyond that,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday […]

California Governor declares wildfire emergency

California Governor declares wildfire emergency

 California Governor Jerry Brown has issued a state of emergency due to the effects of a wildfire that has caused the evacuation of thousands of residents. As of Sunday, the Wall Fire swept through grassy foothills in the Sierra Nevada, about 60 97 km, north of state capital Sacramento, burned nearly 10 sq.km, forcing about […]

Jerry Brown announces climate summit in California

Jerry Brown announces climate summit in California

 California Governor Jerry Brown has announced that his state will gather leaders from around the world for a global environmental summit next year, the media reported. Brown made the remarks while addressing the Global Citizens Festival in Hamburg, Germany, via videoconference, on Thursday ahead of the G20 economic summit which will be attended by world […]

We share German priorities, says Putin ahead of G20 summit

We share German priorities, says Putin ahead of G20 summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the German public directly ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, writing an exclusive op-ed for the German newspaper Handelsblatt. Putin stressed his belief in common ground shared by Moscow and Berlin in the areas such as climate change, and praised the G20 as a necessary and effective forum […]

‘Russia steps up spying efforts after election’

‘Russia steps up spying efforts after election’

Russian spies are ramping up their intelligence-gathering efforts in the US, according to current and former US intelligence officials, who say they have noticed an increase since the presidential election. The officials say they believe one of the biggest US adversaries feels emboldened by the lack of a significant retaliatory response from both the Trump […]

US ethics chief resigns after clashes with Trump

US ethics chief resigns after clashes with Trump

Walter Shaub Jr., Director of the US Office of Government Ethics, announced his resignation following a rocky relationship with President Trump and repeated confrontations with the administration. Shaub did not specify a reason for his resignation in a letter to President Trump, which he released on Twitter on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported. He, […]

France to ban petrol, diesel cars by 2040

France to ban petrol, diesel cars by 2040

France is set to ban the sale of any car that uses petrol or diesel fuel by 2040, the media reported. On Thursday, Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced the planned ban on fossil fuel vehicles as part of a renewed commitment to the Paris climate deal, reports the BBC. Hulot, a veteran environmental campaigner, said […]