Section: Angola
Rex Tillerson: Trump foreign affairs pick narrowly backed
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has narrowly approved Rex Tillerson as US secretary of state, despite concerns about his business ties to Russia., t split along party lines, with all 11 Republicans voting in favour and all 10 Democrats against. A full vote will now be held in the Republican-run Senate. The move capped a busy day for the...
Obama: Constructive Relationship With Russia Is in America?s Interest
Talking on Russia during his last press conference, outgoing US President Barack Obama claimed that a constructive relationship with Moscow is in interests of Washington. , WASHINGTON — The United States and the world benefit from having constructive relations with Russia, Obama said in his final press conference on Wednesday. “I think it...
US: Senator McCain says U.S. stands with Ukraine against Russia
KIEV – Republican U.S. Senator John McCain promised on Saturday continued support for Kiev in the face of aggression from Moscow, as he spent New Year’s Eve on the front line in Ukraine’s eastern conflict zone. , McCain was one of a bipartisan group of 27 U.S. senators who sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in...
Israeli PM summons US ambassador amid UN vote row
Israel’s prime minister has summoned the US ambassador amid a growing row after the US eased the passage of a resolution against Israel at the UN., Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, took the unusual step of calling Dan Shapiro to his office. It comes after Israel summoned ambassadors from countries which voted for...
EU agrees to extend Russia sanctions until mid-2017 in a signal to Trump
European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to extend economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine until mid-2017, though some wanted a longer timespan over fear U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would ease pressure on Moscow., The decision was expected and the formal process to extend the sanctions on Russia’s defense,...
Trump picks ExxonMobil CEO Tillerson as choice for secretary of state
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state, the transition team announced Tuesday, setting up a heated Senate confirmation battle and signaling a desire to ease Washington’s estrangement with Russia., Like Trump, Tillerson, 64, has no formal foreign policy experience, but has built...
Dutch want guarantees on Ukraine deal at EU summit – draft
BRUSSELS – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte wants EU leaders to say on Thursday that the bloc’s new agreement on closer ties with Kiev covers no extra security or financial obligations, a draft said. , The draft decision by EU leaders – seen by Reuters on Monday – has been prepared by the Netherlands, the only EU state that...
Abe, Putin to improve Japan-Russia ties but breakthrough on islands unlikely
Japan and Russia look set to improve ties and clinch some business deals when their leaders meet next week, but both sides are scaling back expectations of a big breakthrough in a territorial row that has blocked a peace treaty to formally end World War Two., Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who pledged in September to “resolve the territorial...
Glencore and Qatar buy $11.3bn stake in Russia’s largest oil company
The Kremlin has announced that commodities trader Glencore and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund are together buying a 19.5% stake in Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company., “It is the largest privatisation deal, the largest sale and acquisition in the global oil and gas sector in 2016,” President Vladimir Putin said. The...
Russia ‘not seeking conflict’ – Putin tells nation
Russia is “not seeking conflict with anyone”, President Vladimir Putin has said in his annual Kremlin speech to parliament and the nation., “Unlike some foreign colleagues who see Russia as the enemy, we do not seek – and never sought – enemies. We need friends,” he said. But “we will not permit harm to...
