Leaders of both parties in the US Congress have agreed on legislation that allows fresh sanctions to punish Russia for alleged election meddling. The new legislation would also sharply limit President Donald Trump’s ability to lift any sanctions against Russia. He has previously said he needs diplomatic leeway with the Kremlin. Mr Trump’s time in … Read more
Donald Trump’s new communications chief has deleted tweets in which he shared views contrary to the US presidents’ own, saying they were a distraction. The day after he started his new job Friday, Anthony Scaramucci, a New York financier, cleared up his Twitter trail of remarks in which he differs from Trump on illegal immigration, … Read more
Progress in beating back the AIDS epidemic risks being eroded by a funding shortfall set to grow under Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to global health projects, experts and campaigners warned ahead of a major HIV conference. If adopted by Congress, the 2018 Trump budget could deprive some 830,000 people, mostly in Africa, from life-saving anti-AIDS … Read more
For two months, Robert Mueller — the lanky, 72-year-old independent prosecutor investigating the Russia scandal — has worked in virtual silence in a nondescript government office building in downtown Washington. But even without saying a word, the former FBI director and no-nonsense prosecutor has deeply unnerved the occupants of the White House just eight blocks … Read more
President Donald Trump on Saturday presided over the commissioning of the US Navy’s newest next-generation aircraft carrier — a trip that offered a brief escape from the swirling political drama in Washington. Trump appeared to revel in the pomp and pageantry of the ceremony aboard the ship at the sprawling Norfolk naval base in Virginia, … Read more
US President Donald Trump has attacked “illegal leaks” following reports his attorney general discussed campaign-related matters with a Russian envoy. The Washington Post gave an account of meetings Attorney General Jeff Sessions held with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak. Mr Sessions has previously denied discussing the election campaign. US authorities are investigating possible … Read more
President Donald Trump on Saturday attacked The New York Times and its “sick agenda,” alleging that one of the paper’s reports thwarted a US bid to take out Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “The Failing New York Times foiled US attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, Al-Baghdadi. Their sick agenda over National … Read more
Sarah Huckabee Sanders — a pugnacious Arkansas native from a political family — took to the podium as the new White House press secretary Friday, stepping into perhaps the most difficult job in the world: speaking for Donald Trump. Born in a town called Hope — also the birthplace of Bill Clinton — Sanders brings … Read more
Embattled US Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed campaign-related issues with the Russian ambassador to Washington during the presidential race – something Sessions has insisted he did not do, The Washington Post reported late Friday. The paper quoted current and former administration officials who cited US intelligence intercepts of Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s accounts to his bosses … Read more
Embattled US Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed campaign-related issues with the Russian ambassador to Washington during the presidential race — something Sessions has insisted he did not do, The Washington Post reported late Friday. The paper quoted current and former administration officials who cited US intelligence intercepts of Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s accounts to his bosses … Read more
US President Donald Trump will meet Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Washington next week for talks on issues including refugees and combatting terrorism, the White House announced Friday. Analysts also anticipate US aid will be high on the agenda of the July 25th talks at the White House, which has made clear its intent … Read more
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has quit, reportedly in protest at a shake-up of the communications team. Mr Spicer stepped down because he was unhappy with President Donald Trump’s appointment of a new communications director, reports the New York Times. Combative Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci has been picked for the role that Mr … Read more
President Donald Trump’s White House dialed up the pressure on Iran Friday, demanding the quick return of Americans detained in the Islamic Republic. “President Trump is prepared to impose new and serious consequences on Iran unless all unjustly imprisoned American citizens are released and returned,” the White House said in a statement. The tough warning … Read more
The head of the US military’s special operations confirmed Friday that the Central Intelligence Agency is shutting down its program to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. General Tony Thomas denied that the four-year-old operation was brought to an end as a way to placate Russia and earn its support for a ceasefire … Read more
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned on Friday after a tumultuous six months in the spotlight. Here are five memorable moments from Spicer’s tenure — one of the shortest ever for a White House spokesman: Spicer’s stint as White House spokesman got off to a rocky start. Just a day into Trump’s presidency, … Read more
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Friday he was freezing contacts with Israel over new security measures at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site, after deadly clashes erupted earlier in the day. Abbas said in a speech that the freeze would stay in place until Israel lifted the measures at the Haram al-Sharif mosque compound, which … Read more
Anthony Scaramucci, named Donald Trump’s new White House communications director, is a millionaire former hedge fund investor who shores up the stable of bankers in the president’s inner circle. It is the first administration role for the 53-year-old Republican fundraiser with telegenic looks who has long been an articulate surrogate for the president and who … Read more
Sean Spicer, who resigned Friday after a stormy six months as White House press secretary, was tapped to be Donald Trump’s spokesman even though he was not a member of the president’s inner circle. Spicer, 45, became the public face of the White House after years of working as a Republican Party insider alongside Reince … Read more
White House press secretary Sean Spicer and a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team resigned Friday in a one-two punch to a reeling administration, as pressure mounts from a broadening investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Spicer resigned in opposition to Trump’s naming of Anthony Scaramucci, a Wall Street financier and longtime … Read more
Iran on Friday vented its frustration over fresh US sanctions which it says “violate” the terms of a 2015 landmark nuclear deal, at a meeting with major world powers in Vienna. “We talked in detail about the sanctions and instances that the Americans had delayed in fulfilling their commitments, the instances where they violated the … Read more