Videos posted on social media suggest that a new aide has been enlisted to steer President Joe Biden away from certain encounters and conversations: the Easter Bunny. Clips recorded on Monday at a White House event show a costumed staffer intervening at least twice, apparently to direct the president away …
Read More »Congress moves to downgrade trade ties with Russia
American lawmakers have passed legislation to end favorable trade relations with Russia and halt all oil imports from the country, with the Senate fully united in its vote and only a few stray representatives dissenting in the House. Senators voted 100-0 on Thursday to end permanent normal trade ties with …
Read More »Russia moves blood supplies near Ukrainian border – Reuters
Citing “three US officials,” Reuters reported that Russia was allegedly moving blood supplies and other medical materials near Ukraine. The officials cited by the agency in its “exclusive” argued that this was one of “concrete indicators” showing whether Moscow was poised to launch an invasion or not. “The disclosure of the …
Read More »China’s moves in this war-ravaged region are a tactical and strategic gambit
China kicked off 2022 with a diplomatic tour of Africa, with its Foreign Minister Wang Yi visiting Comoros, Eritrea and Kenya. While on the trip, Wang announced that China would be creating a “special envoy” for The Horn of Africa – the region of East Africa comprising Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea …
Read More »Lukaku saga moves footballers closer to becoming PR puppets
Romelu Lukaku may be wishing he had kept his thoughts to himself after the reaction to his remarks from his own manager and Chelsea fans. The lasting repercussions may prove broader and less immediately obvious. Discontent felt as if it might turn into mutiny in the first half when Chelsea …
Read More »Putin reveals thinking behind 2014 moves in Crimea
Before the Maidan in 2014, Moscow was happy to work closely with all Ukrainian governments and had no plan to take any action in Crimea. However, this changed when a democratically elected leader was overthrown, the Russian president said on Thursday. Speaking to journalists at his annual end-of-year press conference …
Read More »China moves in on Iraq, but not like America did
Under the deal signed last week with the Iraqi government, the Power China company will build 679 schools and Sino Tech will construct the remaining 321. This news comes in the context of a diminishing American role in Iraq, with the US having just announced an end to its “combat …
Read More »Washington ‘strongly opposes’ West Bank settlement expansion as Israel moves forward with thousands of new homes
The US Department of State condemned the new push by Tel Aviv to expand its settlement program, stating the move undermines peace efforts and makes prospects of ever reaching a two-state solution even bleaker. “We are deeply concerned about the Israeli government’s plan to advance thousands of settlement units tomorrow, …
Read More »China is making moves to isolate Australia in its own backyard
On Thursday, China hosted a summit which was attended by foreign ministers from the Pacific island nations of Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Micronesia, and the Solomon Islands. With the exception of PNG, these Polynesia and Melanesia countries are small, yet they are taking centre stage in one …
Read More »France moves to dissolve ‘racist’ Black African Defense League following weekend violence
On Monday, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin posted a statement on Twitter that the Ligue de Défense Noire Africaine (LDNA) would be banned in France following a weekend in which the group was allegedly involved in violence. “I have decided to launch the procedure initiating the dissolution of the Black …
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