Section: Philippines
Trump dodges questions as Russia scandal deepens
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump dodged questions about ties with Russia, railed against intelligence leaks and defended a key aide he just fired, as crisis engulfed his young presidency Wednesday. Amid revelations that Trump aides were in repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials in the run-up to his shock election victory last year, the...
Trump campaign had contact with Russia – NYT
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Members of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before he won the White House, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Citing “four current and former American officials,” the Times report said that intercepted phone calls and phone records...
White House tries to insulate Trump
WASHINGTON, D.C.: 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...
Russia’s Lavrov to meet US’ Tillerson Thursday: foreign ministry
MOSCOW: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to meet his US counterpart Rex Tillerson for the first time Thursday in Germany, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday. “The meeting with Secretary of State Mr Tillerson has been planned and is being prepared” on February 16, when both diplomats will be in Bonn for the G20...
White House tries to insulate Trump from Russia scandal
WASHINGTON: 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...
Top Trump aide Flynn resigns over Russia contacts
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned amid controversy over his contacts with the Russian government, a first stunning departure from the president’s inner circle less than a month after his inauguration. The White House late Monday said Trump had accepted Flynn’s resignation amid...
Trump ‘evaluating’ national security advisor’s position
WASHINGTON: National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s political future was thrown into serious doubt, when the White House said President Donald Trump was “evaluating” the aide’s contacts with the Russian government. At Trump’s behest, press secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement saying that the president was looking into...
UN Security Council to meet on NKorea missile launch
UNITED NATIONS: 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...
Bilateral talks ramp up as Canada tries to avoid US trade ire
OTTAWA: Canadian officials are reaching out to US counterparts in hopes of heading off possible trade disruptions as President Donald Trump prepares to renegotiate or tear up deals that are key to Canada’s prosperity. Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan was the latest on Monday to make the pilgrimage to Washington, where he met with US Secretary...
Top Ukraine rebel commander killed in ‘act of terror’
DONETSK, Ukraine – The military chief of a self-proclaimed Russian-backed republic in eastern Ukraine was killed in an “act of terror” on Wednesday, February 8, the latest victim of a string of similar attacks, local authorities said. The dead man was Mikhail Tolstykh, head of the notorious “Somali” battalion and a …...
