Focus Washington - Page 51 of 118 from

North Korea Urges ‘Positive and Offensive’ Measures ahead of Nuclear Talk Deadline

December 30, 2019 Focus Washington

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called at a ruling party meeting for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure security ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearization talks with the United States, state media […]

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Netanyahu Wins Party Vote Ahead of Israeli Elections

December 27, 2019 Focus Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu easily won a vote to keep the Likud party helm, the party said on Friday, in a boost ahead of what is likely to be a hard-fought general election in […]

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Japan Approves Plan to Send Naval Troops to Middle East

December 27, 2019 Focus Washington

Japan approved a contentious plan to send its naval troops to the Middle East to ensure the safety of Japanese ships transporting oil to the energy-poor country that heavily depends on imports from the region, […]

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Washington Ready to Deal With Any North Korean ‘Christmas Gift’

December 26, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump on Tuesday brushed off North Korea’s warning of a “Christmas gift,” saying the United States would “deal with it very successfully,” amid U.S. concerns that Pyongyang might be preparing a long-range missile […]

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China, Russia, Iran to Hold Joint Naval Drills

December 26, 2019 Focus Washington

China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman, China’s defense ministry said on Thursday, amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and […]

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Relief Group Says 216,000 Have Fled Northwest Syria

December 26, 2019 Focus Washington

More than 200,000 men, women, and children fled their homes in northwest Syria in buses, trucks, and cars in recent weeks, amid intense air and ground bombardment by government forces, a Syrian relief group said […]

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Afghan Officials Claim Taliban Abducted 26 Peace Activists

December 26, 2019 Focus Washington

The Taliban ambushed a peace convoy in western Afghanistan and abducted 26 activists, members of a peace movement, a police spokesman said Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. The insurgents staged the ambush in the district […]

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Russiа, Turkey Extend Talks on Syria-Libya in Quest for Compromise

December 25, 2019 Focus Washington

Talks in Moscow between a Turkish government delegation and Russian diplomats lasted for three days, much longer than expected, as the two sides tried to find compromises on Syria and Libya, the Vedomosti daily reported […]

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Pope Calls for Peace in Christmas Message

December 25, 2019 Focus Washington

Pope Francis urged the world to let the light of Christmas pierce the “darkness in human hearts” that leads to religious persecution, social injustice, armed conflicts and fear of migrants, Reuters writes. In his “Urbi […]

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Gaza Rocket Sends Netanyahu to Shelter During Campaign Rally

December 25, 2019 Focus Washington

A rocket launched from the Gaza Strip at a southern Israeli city on Wednesday as it hosted a campaign rally by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prompted him to take shelter briefly before resuming the event, […]

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South Korea, Japan Leaders Meet for First Time in Months

December 24, 2019 Focus Washington

The leaders of Japan and South Korea met for the first time in more than a year on Tuesday and stressed the need to improve ties after the worst period of tension between their countries […]

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Taliban Kill 15 in Attack on Afghan Security Checkpoint

December 24, 2019 Focus Washington

Taliban militants ambushed a government checkpoint in Balkh province in Afghanistan’s north, killing at least 15 members of the security forces, local officials said on Tuesday, the latest in an escalating series of insurgent attacks, […]

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Special Reuters Report: Iran’s Leader Khamenei Ordered Crackdown on Unrest

December 24, 2019 Focus Washington

After days of protests across Iran last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared impatient. Gathering his top security and government officials together, he issued an order: Do whatever it takes to stop them, Reuters […]

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Saudi Arabia Sentences Five to Death for Jamal Khashoggi Murder

December 24, 2019 Focus Washington

Five people have been sentenced to death in connection with the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor announced Monday, The Washington Post reported. The […]

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South Korea, U.S. Commandos Practice Raiding Enemy Facility

December 23, 2019 Focus Washington

South Korean and U.S. special forces troops recently conducted drills simulating the infiltration of an enemy facility, U.S. military photos seen by Reuters on Monday show, as tensions with North Korea ratchet up ahead of […]

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U.S., North Korea Talks ‘More Important than Anything’, Seoul Claims

December 23, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S. and North Korea need to keep up their momentum for negotiations, and this is “more important than anything”, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, Reuters […]

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Taliban Kill U.S. Force Member in Northern Afghanistan

December 23, 2019 Focus Washington

The Taliban said their fighters killed a U.S. service member in Afghanistan on Monday and posted photographs of a blood-soaked backpack and the identity card of a American soldier to prove it, Reuters writes. The […]

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Zarif: U.S. Sanctions against Iran Are a ‘Reckless Addiction’

December 22, 2019 Focus Washington

U.S. sanctions against Iran are a “reckless addiction”, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday, Reuters informed. “The U.S.’ approach to sanctions betrays a pathological and reckless addiction — a […]

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North Korea Warns U.S. Could ‘Pay Dearly’ over Human Rights Spat

December 21, 2019 Focus Washington

North Korea lashed back at the United States for taking issue with its human rights record on Saturday, saying Washington’s “malicious words” would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, state news agency KCNA reported, […]

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Xi Tells Trump That U.S. is Interfering in China’s Internal Affairs

December 20, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump spoke on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and claimed progress on issues from trade to North Korea and Hong Kong, but China said Xi accused the United States of interfering in […]

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Washington Watching Pyongyang for ‘Christmas Gift’ Missile Launch

December 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Washington is closely watching Pyongyang for signs of a possible missile launch or nuclear test in the coming days that officials are referring to as a “Christmas surprise”, The Associated Press reported. A significant launch […]

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Xi: China Won’t Allow Foreign Forces to Interfere in Hong Kong, Macau

December 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday China would never allow foreign forces to interfere with its special regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as he swore in a new pro-Beijing government for the gambling […]

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Putin Defends Trump on Impeachment

December 19, 2019 Focus Washington

Russian President Vladimir Putin defended President Donald Trump following impeachment, arguing Trump was being attacked by “the party that lost the elections.” According to ABC News, Putin said in his annual press conference Thursday that […]

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Russia, Iran Affirm Closer Ties Despite U.S. Threat for Sanctions

December 19, 2019 Focus Washington

Russia and Iran have confirmed they are working on closer ties regarding bilateral security, as well as their mutual efforts in Syria, despite a bill passed by U.S. lawmakers which means new sanctions for the […]

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Erdogan Says 50,000 Syrians Fleeing Idlib to Turkey

December 19, 2019 Focus Washington

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that 50,000 people were fleeing Syria’s northwestern region of Idlib to Turkey, and slammed Muslim nations for not supporting his plans to resettle refugees in other parts of […]

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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.

Beijing Coordinating With Washington On Trade Deal’s Phase 1

December 19, 2019 Focus Washington

China and the United States are in touch over the signing of their Phase 1 trade deal, China’s commerce ministry said, which will see lower U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and higher Chinese purchases of […]

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Russian Spy Ship Conducting ‘Erratic Maneuvers’ off U.S. Coast

December 18, 2019 Focus Washington

A Russian spy ship is conducting “erratic maneuvers” while operating off the southeast coast of the United States, officials told CNN. The surveillance ship, the Viktor Leonov, has been present along the coast of South […]

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Former Pakistan President Musharraf Sentenced to Death for High Treason

December 18, 2019 Focus Washington

Former Pakistan President and military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been sentenced to death in absentia for high treason following a six-year legal case, CNN reported. A three-member special court in Islamabad on Tuesday convicted Musharraf […]

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British PM Johnson Demands EU Trade Deal by End of 2020

December 17, 2019 Focus Washington

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the prospect of a Brexit cliff-edge at the end of 2020 to demand the European Union gives him a comprehensive free trade deal in less than 11 months, […]

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China, Russia Push for North Korea UN Sanctions Relief

December 17, 2019 Focus Washington

A proposal by China and Russia to ease UN sanctions on North Korea increases pressure on the United States and signals what is the likely end of unified efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up […]

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