Section: African news network 7 (South Africa)
White House tries to insulate Trump from Russia scandal
The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aide’s contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that national security...
Russia orders hunger-strike prisoner to pay medical bills
Russia has ordered a prisoner to pay his medical costs after he went on hunger strike over jail conditions, his lawyer said Monday, a move that could curb protests against poor treatment of convicts. The prison service is forcing Andrei Krekov, 36, a lawyer from the northwestern Arkhangelsk region, to cover costs of some 50,000 rubles ($870)...
UN Security Council to meet on N.Korea missile launch
The UN Security Council will hold an urgent meeting on Monday on North Korea’s missile launch, the first test since US President Donald Trump took office. The United States, Japan and South Korea requested the consultations after North Korea confirmed it had “successfully” tested a ballistic missile on Sunday. The council meeting is...
Germany to elect ‘anti-Trump’ Steinmeier as new president
Billed as Germany’s “anti-Trump”, centre-left former foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set to be elected Sunday as the new ceremonial head of state. The 61-year-old, who regularly polls as Germany’s most popular politician, will represent the EU’s top economy abroad and act as a kind of moral arbiter for the nation....
Zozulya unlikely to join Rayo, agent says
Ukraine striker Roman Zozulya, falsely labelled a neo-Nazi by a Spanish newspaper, is unlikely to play for Rayo Vallecano this season, one of his agents said on Monday. Zozulya signed for the second division strugglers on loan from Real Betis last week but immediately came under fire from supporters who refused to accept his denial of the...
Rayo fans protest against new signing Zozulya
Rayo Vallecano supporters demonstrating against the loan signing of Ukraine forward Roman Zozulya displayed banners at the Spanish second-tier team’s training session on Wednesday to protest against the player’s alleged links to the far right. Rayo’s signing of Zozulya, who issued a statement denying that he supports the far...
Fears grow over jihadist cyber threat
Jihadists have yet to shut down a power grid, paralyse a transport network or banking system or take over a key industrial site from afar, but experts say the threat of such a cyber attack should be taken seriously. Analysts fear that while extremist groups may not have the necessary skills themselves, they could hire someone else to wreak havoc....
Putin and Trump to speak by phone on Saturday: Kremlin
US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will on Saturday hold their first phone conversation since the American leader’s inauguration, the Kremlin said. “I can confirm that a telephone conversation is planned. It will be Saturday evening Moscow time,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday....
‘Strong US role at the UN needed’
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, nominated to be the next US ambassador to the UN, outlined her vision of a strong US role in the human rights institution at a confirmation hearing today. Noting her potential role as a “fresh set of eyes” and an “outsider”, Haley highlighted the need for a strong US leadership position at the UN. “When...
‘Diplomacy is just negotiation’
As Donald Trump becomes president of the US today, he becomes both commander-in-chief of the US military and chief negotiator of US foreign policy. Trump would like nothing better. He believes himself to be an excellent negotiator. He gets what he wants. He once said diplomacy was just negotiation, “the ability to convince people to accept your...
