St Petersburg: On July 31, President Vladimir Putin signed a new naval doctrine that cast the United States as Russia's main rival. It would also set out Russia's global maritime ambitions for crucial areas such as the Arctic and the Black Sea. Speaking on Russia's Navy Day, Putin praised Tsar Peter the Great, for making Russia a great sea power and increasing the global standing of the Russian state.
United States/Air Force One: On May 22, a top official reported that the United States was looking to deepen its economic partnership with Taiwan even though it was excluded from President Joe Biden's new Asian economic initiative. "Taiwan won’t be part of the launch of Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)," U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, en route to Japan with President Joe Biden. "But we are looking to deepen our economic partnership with Taiwan, including on high-technology issues, including on semiconductors and supply chains," he added.
On Thursday, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the government had decided to form an "independent" inquiry commission to probe the alleged "foreign conspiracy". Former prime minister Imran Khan has been claiming that some foreign elements were behind the expulsion of his government. She told a press conference in Islamabad that the commission would “fairly decide that the narrative of foreign conspiracy was all drama and the real character behind it was Imran Khan”.
Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the United States and Ukraine were "largely aligned" against Russia. Both countries agreed on the military equipment that Ukraine needed to continue its fight against the Russian invasion and what Washington can provide. "I think we're largely aligned in what they say they need and what we think we're able to provide," Blinken told a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Washington, On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha were no random act of a rogue unit but part of a deliberate Russian campaign to commit atrocities. He offered no proof to support his statement of a deliberate campaign. "What we've seen in Bucha is not the random act of a rogue unit," he said. "It's a deliberate campaign to kill, to torture, to rape, to commit atrocities. The reports are more than credible, the evidence is there for the world to see," he added.
Washington: On March 24, the Biden administration said that the United States planned to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion and was pledging $1 billion in new humanitarian aid. The announcement came after U.S. President Joe Biden's meeting with European leaders in Brussels to 'coordinate the Western response to the crisis'. The Biden administration said in a statement it would use "the full range of legal pathways" to bring Ukrainians to the United States, including the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
Kyiv/Moscow: On Thursday, Russia accused the United States of increasing tensions and ignoring Moscow's calls to ease a standoff over Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also condemned the U.S. troop deployments on a conference call with reporters. "It's obvious that these are not steps aimed at de-escalating tensions, but on the contrary, they are actions that lead to increasing tension," he said. "We constantly call on our American counterparts to stop aggravating tensions on the European continent. Unfortunately, the Americans continue to do so," he added.
Moscow: On Jan 25, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was watching with great concern after the United States put 8,500 troops on alert in case of any escalation in the Ukraine crisis. He accused Washington of fuelling conflicts over Ukraine. "The crisis is being driven by U.S. and NATO actions rather than by its build-up of tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border," he added.
New York: On Jan 25, a US appeals court upheld the drug trafficking conviction of Mexican drug bigwig Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. It rejected his argument that jurors improperly pursued the case in the media during his blockbuster bout. "I'm sure Mr. Guzman will seek Supreme Court review," the defendant's lawyer Marc Fernich said. Guzman was convicted in February 2019 of smuggling billions of dollars of drugs and plotting to murder enemies.
Kabul: It emerged that Christopher, a United States citizen, entered the realm of Islam in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The news was shared on Afghanistan's official news agency. Zabihullah Mujahid, Deputy Minister of Information and Taliban Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, helped him embrace Islam. He also gave him the Islamic name Muhammad Isa and congratulated him on his conversion to Islam.
Tehran: On Wednesday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi stated that his visit to Moscow could mark a “turning point” in bilateral relations between the two countries ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We have common interests with Russia and our collaboration and common interests could certainly create security and combat unilateralism in the region,” Raisi said taking a jibe at the United States. The United States has imposed different levels of sanctions against both countries.
On Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that he could “neither confirm nor exclude” the possibility of Russia sending military assets to Latin America if the United States and its allies do not decrease their military activities on Russia’s doorstep. “It all depends on the action by our US counterparts,” Ryabkov said in an interview. He also cited Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning that Moscow could take unspecified “military-technical measures” if Western powers fail to heed its demands.
Moscow: On Dec 30, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman would lead bilateral security talks in Geneva on Jan. 10, amidst conflicts over Ukraine. "The purpose of the conversation is to continue discussion of all questions that were on the agenda of the fairly recent video call talks," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He also said on Thursday that the call was taking place at Putin's request.
It emerged on Wednesday that the average number of daily COVID-19 cases in the United States hit a record high of 258,312 over the past seven days. On Jan. 8 of this year, the previous peak for the seven-day moving average was a figure of 250,141. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Omicron variant was estimated to make up 58.6% of the coronavirus variants circulating in the United States as of Dec. 25.
Beijing: On Dec 26, it emerged that China replaced Chen Quanguo, chief of Communist Party in the Xinjiang who supervised a security crackdown that targeted ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims under the garb of fighting religious extremism. Chen was sanctioned by the United States last year. U.S. President Joe Biden, on Thursday, signed into law a ban on imports from Xinjiang speculating forced labor. The US move provoked a furious Chinese denunciation.
Washington: On Dec 24, the White House announced that the Biden government would lift travel constraints on eight southern African countries imposed last month. White House spokesman Kevin Munoz tweeted that Biden "will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries" effective Dec. 31. The ban was imposed due to concerns about the fast-spreading COVID-19 variant Omicron.
Mr. Biden's approval of the measure, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demonstrates the "United States' commitment to combating forced labor, including in the context of the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang." According to the White House, US President Joe Biden signed legislation on December 23 prohibiting imports from China's Xinjiang region due to concerns over forced labor, eliciting a furious response from China. The Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act is part of the United States' response to Beijing's treatment of China's Muslim Uighur minority, which Washington has declared genocide.
Moscow: On Dec 22, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia had a firm stance in a deadlock with the U.S. over Ukraine. He also warned that it would be forced into a harsh response unless the West dropped its "aggressive line". "If the aggressive line of our Western colleagues continues, we will take adequate military-technical response measures and react harshly to unfriendly steps," he asserted.
Moscow: On Dec 21, Vladimir Putin, Russian President, accused the West of intensifying tensions in Europe by manipulating the result of the Cold War. "Russia would respond 'adequately' to any Western aggression and would develop its army further," Putin said while conversing with senior military officials.
Kuala Lumpur: On Dec 15, It emerged that the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cut short his Southeast Asia visit on Wednesday because of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the scheduled countries. His trip was intended for strengthening ties in countries where China's influence had grown, halted immediately.
Moscow: On Dec 15, presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping agreed that Russia and China should stand firm against Western interference and uphold each other's security interests. "At present, certain international forces under the guise of 'democracy' and 'human rights' are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia, and brutally trampling on international law and recognized norms of international relations," China's Xi stated.
Boston: It emerged on Dec 14 that a Harvard University nanotechnology professor faced trial on U.S. charges that he fibbed to authorities about his links to a China-led recruitment program and hiding grant he attained from the Chinese government. Jury selection is scheduled to start up in Boston federal court in the trial of Charles Lieber under the garb of U.S. crackdown on Chinese impact within universities. He is an ex-chair of Harvard's chemistry department and charged in the highest-profile case.
Washington: On Monday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new investment in Central America from companies such as Pepsico and Cargill. The step was taken to boost the efforts to decrease migration from the area into the United States. According to senior White House officials, Harris has secured private sector investments in the region worth over $1.2 billion.
Tuxtla Gutierrez: On Friday, it emerged that 54, mostly Central Americans, lost their lives when the truck flipped over in Southern Mexico. This was one of the awful calamities pertaining to migrants who put their lives at stake to reach the United States. Chiapas Governor Rutilio Escandon told that 49 people expired at the scene, and five others while receiving medical help.
Washington/Moscow: On Dec 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden have started up virtual talks on Ukraine and other issues, Russian state television reported. Before the virtual meeting, a US official stated that president Joe Biden would announce sanctions imposed on Russian in case of war with Ukraine. On the other hand, the Kremlin defended that Russia had no such intentions and the army was in the defensive position.
Ottawa: On Dec 2, Canada has imposed new sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities siding with its international partners like US, EU and Britain. Ottawa asserted that the step was taken to protest against what it named human rights sabotage and acts of repression. On the other hand, the U.S. Treasury inflicted restrictions on dealings in new allotments of Belarusian sovereign deficit and expanded embargoes, targeting 20 individuals and 12 entities.
Mexico City: On Dec 2 Mexico openly declared that it would not deport asylum seekers stuck in Mexico and waiting for court hearings in the United States. The decision came after Washington approved its humanitarian concerns about the renewal of a Trump-epoch program to drive out migrants. Mexico's government issued a statement saying "certain migrants who have an appointment to appear before an immigration judge in the United States to request asylum in that country will not be returned to their countries of origin".
Washington: The Biden government on Wednesday invited Taiwan to its "Summit for Democracy" next month. This move enraged China as it regarded the democratically governed island as its territory. "Our country's invitation to participate in the 'Summit for Democracy' is an affirmation of Taiwan's efforts to promote the values of democracy and human rights over the years," the Taiwan ministry added. China's Foreign Ministry vehemently opposed the idea of inviting Taiwan.
Moscow/Kyiv: On Wednesday, Russia staged military drills in the Black Sea, south of Ukraine, and under the garb of sharpening the combat-readiness of its conventional and nuclear forces because of increased NATO activity near its borders. On the other hand, Ukraine, supported by the United States, was in a dilemma that Russia might be organizing an invasion and staged training of its own near the border with Belarus.
Washington/Beijing: On Nov 16, U.S. President Joe Biden pointed up his Chinese counterpart about human rights in a video call lasting more than three hours. On the other hand, Xi Jinping cautioned that China would respond vehemently to incitation on Taiwan. Both presidents discussed North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, and various contemporary issues like global energy markets, trade and competition, climate, military issues, the pandemic, and other points of disagreement.
