Trump, Congress square off over virus aid as crisis worsens
Washington: President Donald Trump acknowledged a “big flareup” of COVID-19 cases, but divisions between the White House and Senate Republicans and differences with Democrats posed fresh challenges for a new federal aid package with the US crisis worsening and emergency relief about to expire. Trump convened GOP leaders at the White House on Monday as […]
Insults, slammed fists: EU virus summit goes into 4th day
Brussels: Weary and bleary, European Union leaders were gearing up Monday for a fourth day of fighting over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund, barely recovered from a weekend of walkouts, fists slamming into tables and insults. With a brilliant sun warming the negotiating sundeck at the Europa summit […]
EU leaders resume ‘grumpy’ summit on budget, virus fund
Brussels: European Union leaders were hunting for compromises Saturday as a summit to reach a deal on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund entered its second day with tensions running high. A full day and night of discussions by the 27 leaders on Friday only added to the […]
Floods kill 14 in China as water peaks at Three Gorges Dam
Beijing: At least 14 people have died in the latest round of seasonal rains and flooding in southern China, as soldiers and workers built makeshift barriers with sandbags and rocks Saturday to keep the Yangtze River and its tributaries at bay. Three floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam that spans the Yangtze were opened as […]
Iran estimates it has 25 million coronavirus infections
Tehran: Iran’s president on Saturday estimated as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak’s beginning, as he urged the public to take the pandemic seriously, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Saturday. Hassan Rouhani cited a new Iranian Health Ministry study in offering the unprecedentedly high numbers. […]
China says it’s not trying to replace US, won’t be bullied
Beijing: China isn’t seeking to confront or replace the United States as the world’s top technological power, but will fight back against “malicious slander” and attacks from Washington, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday, responding to a litany of recent accusations from the Trump administration. Hua Chunying said China’s chief concern was improving the livelihoods […]
Pakistan validates most licenses of pilots working abroad
Islamabad: Pakistan’s government has validated most of the licenses it issued to pilots working abroad, but more than 200 others accused of obtaining tainted licenses were still being investigated, an aviation spokesman said Friday, in a move aimed at addressing the concerns of global airlines. In a statement, Abdul Sattar Khokar, spokesman for Pakistan’s Civil […]
EU to meet face-to-face at summit to carve up $2.1 trillion
Brussels :There are limits to videoconferencing. When there is a lot of money at stake, people like to look each other in the eye. So on Friday, leaders from 27 European Union nations will be meeting face-to-face for the first since February despite the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic – simply to try to carve […]
US Xinjiang warning ‘bad for the whole world’: China
Beijing : China’s government has warned it will protect Chinese companies after Washington said enterprises may face legal trouble if they help carry out abuses in the Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang. The US warning came amid mounting tension with Beijing over human rights, trade and Hong Kong. It cited complaints of abuses by the […]
US eyes world power summit for UN anniversary amid crises
Washington: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke Monday to his Russian counterpart about convening the leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the State Department said. The department said Pompeo spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the possibility of a […]
