Focus Washington - Page 38 of 118 from

US and China will meet for the first time at a high level since Russia's attack on Ukraine as Biden tries to get Beijing's help with the war.

China Responds to Reports It May Detain Americans, Says U.S. Is Trying to Play the Victim

October 19, 2020 Focus Washington

China’s foreign ministry said on Monday the United States is calling white black and is trying to play the victim, following a report Beijing had warned Washington that Americans may be detained in China due […]

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Pompeo Promises ‘Robust’ Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

October 15, 2020 Focus Washington

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear the U.S. is strengthening its ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announcing plans to build a new U.S. Embassy in the capital, Riyadh, Voice of America (VOA) […]

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White House Moves Forward on Three Arms Sales to Taiwan

October 13, 2020 Focus Washington

The White House is moving forward with three sales of advanced weaponry to Taiwan, sending in recent days a notification of the deals to Congress for approval, five sources said on Monday, while China threatened […]

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Saudi Arabia Calls on Global Community to Stand up to Iranian Violations

October 8, 2020 Focus Washington

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the international community needs to stand up to its responsibilities toward the violations and breaches of international agreements and treaties committed by Iran, Arab News reported. During their weekly Cabinet […]

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U.S. Charges ISIS Members With Hostage Deaths

October 8, 2020 Focus Washington

The Justice Department unsealed charges Wednesday against two Islamic State militants from Britain, accusing them of carrying out a gruesome campaign of torture, beheadings and other acts of violence against Western hostages they had captured […]

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Navalny Says Russian Authorities Poisoned Him as Threat Ahead of Parliament Elections

October 6, 2020 Focus Washington

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said he believed Russia’s intelligence services had poisoned him with a Novichok nerve agent because authorities saw him as a threat ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, Reuters reports. “They understood […]

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Assad Says Russian Bases in Syria Keep Balance of Power in Region

October 5, 2020 Focus Washington

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said the continued presence of Russia’s major naval and air bases in his country help counter the influence of Western powers in the region as the battle to crush insurgents […]

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U.S.-China Tech Tensions Could Stay Even if Biden Wins Election, Analyst Claims

September 28, 2020 Focus Washington

Tensions around technology will remain between the U.S. and China, even if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the U.S. election in November, according to an analyst, CNBC reported. Ties between the two economic giants […]

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Final UK-EU Trade Talks Begin This Week as Officials Race to Seal a Brexit Deal

September 28, 2020 Focus Washington

EU and U.K. officials are about to start what’s meant to be the final round of Brexit trade negotiations before a self-imposed deadline of Oct. 15, CNBC reports. Talks have been stalled over competition rules […]

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Maduro Calls on U.N. Members to Rally Against U.S. Sanctions

September 24, 2020 Focus Washington

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday all “countries that defend peace” should rally against U.S. sanctions clamped on the South American country and its allies like Cuba, Nicaragua and Syria, […]

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Saudi King Salman Assails Iran in United Nations Debut

September 24, 2020 Focus Washington

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz took aim at Iran during his debut on Wednesday at the annual United Nations meeting of world leaders, calling for a united front to contain Riyadh’s rival and stop […]

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North Korean Troops Kill Man From South Korea, Burn Body, Seoul Says

September 24, 2020 Focus Washington

North Korean troops shot dead a South Korean fisheries official who went missing earlier this week, before dousing his body in oil and setting it on fire in what was likely an effort to prevent […]

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Trump Urges UN to Hold China Accountable for the Coronavirus Pandemic

September 23, 2020 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on world leaders at the United Nations to “hold China accountable” for the coronavirus pandemic, CNBC reported. Trump, a frequent critic of the U.N., slammed the Chinese government and […]

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U.S. to Slap Sanctions on Over Two Dozen Targets Tied to Iran Arms

September 21, 2020 Focus Washington

The United States on Monday will sanction more than two dozen people and entities involved in Iran’s nuclear, missile and conventional arms programs, a senior U.S. official said, putting teeth behind U.N. sanctions on Tehran […]

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Biden Warns UK on Brexit, Says No Trade Deal Unless London Respects Good Friday Deal

September 17, 2020 Focus Washington

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden warned the United Kingdom that it must honour the Northern Irish peace deal as it extracts itself from the European Union or there would be no U.S. trade deal, Reuters […]

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Navalny Team Says Novichok Was Found on Water Bottle in Hotel Room

September 17, 2020 Focus Washington

The nerve agent used to poison Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was detected on an empty water bottle from his hotel room in the Siberian city of Tomsk, suggesting he was poisoned there and not at […]

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Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran after Reports Country is Considering Plot to Assassinate US Ambassador

September 15, 2020 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump took to Twitter late Monday to issue a stern warning to Iran that an assassination attempt or attack against the U.S. in retaliation of the airstrike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani earlier this year […]

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U.S. Could Use Trade Talks to Pull UK Into Its ‘Regulatory Orbit’

September 15, 2020 Focus Washington

As the U.K. enters its fourth round of trade talks with the U.S. this week, Washington will be looking to push its own regulatory standards on the country, and drive it away from EU’s, an […]

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UAE and Bahrain to Move Toward Normal Ties With Israel

September 15, 2020 Focus Washington

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Tuesday will become the latest Arab states to break a longstanding taboo when they sign agreements toward normalizing relations with Israel in a strategic realignment of Middle Eastern […]

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Iran Considering Plot to Assassinate US Ambassador to South Africa, Report Says

September 14, 2020 Focus Washington

Iran is allegedly plotting to assassinate the United States’ ambassador to South Africa as retaliation for the American drone attack earlier this year that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, […]

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Afghan Peace Talks Open With Calls for Ceasefire, Women’s Rights

September 13, 2020 Focus Washington

Afghan government representatives and Taliban insurgents gathered on Saturday for historic peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians, Reuters informed. Ahead of face-to-face […]

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Pompeo Says U.S. ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Turkey Actions in East Mediterranean

September 13, 2020 Focus Washington

The United States remains “deeply concerned” about Turkey’s actions in the eastern Mediterranean, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday, urging a diplomatic end to a simmering crisis over offshore natural resources, Reuters informs. […]

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Bahrain Follows Emirates in Normalizing Ties With Israel

September 12, 2020 Focus Washington

Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel on Friday, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran but one that could leave the Palestinians further isolated, Reuters reported. […]

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Afghan Peace Talks Open in Doha, 19 Years After 9/11 Triggered War

September 12, 2020 Focus Washington

Afghan government representatives and Taliban insurgents gathered on Saturday for historic peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians, Reuters informed. “The choice of […]

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EU Ramps up No-Deal Preparations as It Weighs UK’s Brexit Ultimatum

September 11, 2020 Focus Washington

The European Union on Friday was ramping up preparations for a tumultuous end to the four-year Brexit saga as top officials prepared to brief its 27 members on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to […]

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Russia Says It Has Timeline of Navalny Movements, Wants to Send Investigators to Germany

September 11, 2020 Focus Washington

Russian police have traced opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s movements and what he drank before falling ill in Siberia last month, and are trying to locate a witness who has left the country, the interior ministry […]

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Reform Hopes Rise as China Focuses on Inward Economic Shift

September 10, 2020 Focus Washington

Chinese reform advocates are hoping President Xi Jinping’s proposed new economic model, expected to be the centrepiece of a key conclave next month, is an opportunity to quicken changes to spur domestic demand and tackle […]

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Venezuela’s Maduro Proposes Giving Russia COVID-19 Vaccine to Legislative Candidates

September 9, 2020 Focus Washington

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday proposed administering a Russian coronavirus vaccine to nearly 15,000 candidates in upcoming legislative elections so that they can campaign safely, Reuters reported. Russia in August licensed a COVID-19 vaccine […]

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Palestinians Set to Soften Stance on UAE-Israel Normalization

September 8, 2020 Focus Washington

The Palestinian leadership has watered down its criticism of the normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates before an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Wednesday at which the accord will be debated, […]

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China Unveils Global Data Security Initiative, Says Some Countries Bullying Others

September 8, 2020 Focus Washington

China announced an initiative on Tuesday to establish global standards on data security, saying it wanted to promote multilateralism in the area at a time when “individual countries” were “bullying” others and “hunting” companies, Reuters […]

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