China orders US to close Chengdu consulate as spying spat worsens
China on Friday ordered the United States to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu, in retaliation for the closure of China’s Houston consulate earlier this week.
World News
The US and UK find commonality on China
China was among a range of topics discussed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London Tuesday, VOA News reports. Pompeo arrived for talks only days after Johnson finally decided to exclude Chinese tech giant Huawei from developing the UK’s 5G phone network, a move Washington has been exhorting for some time.
US-Canada border to remain closed for another month
Because of the number of COVID-19 cases in the US, American and Canadian officials have agreed to keep the border between the two nations closed to all except commercial and essential traffic for another month. Two recent surveys have shown that a large majority of Canadians support the continued closure of the border, VOA News reported Tuesday.
Trump, Putin discuss arms control, Iran nukes in phone call
President Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday about arms control and recovering their economies from the coronavirus pandemic.
German States Ask Congress Not to Remove U.S. Troops
The leaders of four German states wrote to Congress asking for a halt to Washington’s troop withdrawal plan from the country, Reuters reported Sunday.
Ukraine Hostage Crisis Has Bizarre Peaceful End
A hostage crisis in western Ukraine has ended after the country’s president met a bizarre demand that he post on the internet a link to an internationally acclaimed movie on animal abuse. Security forces could free all 13 hostages unharmed from a bus in the western city of Lutsk, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Kiev, the capital.
US Shuts China’s Houston Consulate; Pompeo Cites Intellectual Property Theft
The U.S. ordered the Chinese Consulate in Houston, Texas, shut down because of the persistent problem of Bejing’s theft of U.S. intellectual property, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.
Massive Nile Dam Hits First Filling Target, Says Ethiopia’s Prime Minister
Ethiopia’s controversial Nile River mega-dam project has hit its first-year filling target, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Wednesday.
Ethiopia, Egypt reach ‘major common understanding’ on dam
Ethiopia’s prime minister said Tuesday his country, Egypt and Sudan have reached a “major common understanding which paves the way for a breakthrough agreement” on a massive dam project that has led to sharp regional tensions and led some to fear military conflict.
U.S. accuses Chinese nationals of hacking spree for COVID-19 data, defense secrets
The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday indicted two Chinese nationals over their role in what the agency called a decade-long cyber espionage campaign that targeted defense contractors, COVID researchers and hundreds of other victims worldwide.
Erdogan: Turkey to remain in Syria ‘until Syrian people are free’
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkish forces, which have carried out several incursions into northern Syria since 2016, would remain in the country until Syrians can live in freedom and safety.
Khameni: Iran to strike reciprocal blow against US for killing Soleimani
Iran will strike a reciprocal blow against the US for the killing of top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday in a meeting with Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, according to Khamenei’s official website.
Herd Immunity Threshold Against COVID-19 May Be Lower Than Believed: Researchers
Herd immunity to COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, could be achieved with fewer people being infected than previously estimated, new research suggests.
EU Agrees On Coronavirus Fund After Disputes
Leaders of the European Union have agreed on an unprecedented 1.82 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery fund after tense negotiations that included table banging and meeting walkouts.
Iran executes man accused of spying for CIA and Mossad
Iran said Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a man convicted of spying on the Iranian military for the United States and Israel, has been executed.
World population growth in worrying decline
A new study forecasts that the current downward trend of population growth will continue and will decline dramatically, such that in 80 years the populations of countries like Spain and Japan may be reduced by half, Live Action reports.
EU Leaders Continue Corona Talks Amid Abuse and Table Banging
Leaders of the 27 European Union nations are trying to agree on a massive EU coronavirus recovery fund and a budget amid reports of quarrels. As talks entered their fourth day, there was some hope of a breakthrough. However, the European Union delegates appeared weary and even bleary as they began another round of fighting over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget.
Erdogan Defies the West to Make Turkey a Regional Power
When President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reopens Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia for prayers next week, it will be the crowning symbol of his mission to reassert Turkey’s role as a Muslim power on the global stage. Yet Turkey’s rarely seemed more alone.
US, India Discuss ‘Possibility’ of Free Trade Pact
The U.S. and India discussed the “possibility” of a free trade pact, India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement Thursday, just days after India began free trade agreement talks with the European Union.
US, Gulf Nations Issue Sanctions on 6 Targets for Ties to Islamic State
The United States and six Gulf countries on Wednesday imposed sanctions on six targets Washington has accused of supporting Islamic State operations, including by funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to leaders of the group in Iraq and Syria.