United States - The African Mirror

Feb

2024

Russia warns the West: we will be very tough if you ‘steal’ our assets

RUSSIA warned the West that Moscow would be very tough if the United States and European Union seized hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Russian assets. After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, the United States and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's central bank and finance ministry, blocking around $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West. The EU on Monday adopted a law to set aside windfall profits made on frozen Russian central bank assets, it said on Monday, in a first concrete step towards the bloc's aim of using the money to finance the reconstruction of…

Feb

2024

By PHIL STEWART, IDREES ALI and TIMOUR AZHARI

U.S. launches strikes in Iraq, Syria, nearly 40 reported killed

WORLD

THE United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40 people, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops. The strikes, which included the use of long-range B-1 bombers flown from the United States, were the first in response to the attack last weekend in Jordan by Iran-backed militants, and more U.S. military operations are expected in the coming days. The strikes intensified a conflict that has spread into the region since war erupted between Israel and Hamas after the militant Palestinian group's deadly assault…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

US determined to remain strong security partner for Nigeria

NEWS

SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken said the United States is determined to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, whose military is backed by the U.S., Britain and other allies in a long war against Islamist insurgents. Blinken also discussed challenges to democracy and security in the region during his meeting on Tuesday with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in a visit that comes after last year's coup in neighbouring Niger, one of a series of coups or attempted power grabs over the past few years in West and Central Africa. "The United States is determined to be and remain a…

Jan

2024

By STEVE HOLLAND, NANDITA BOSE and TREVOR HUNNICUTT

U.S. does not support Taiwan independence, Biden says

WORLD

U.S. President Joe Biden said that the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term. Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks. "We do not support independence..." Biden said when asked for reaction to Saturday's elections. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has long said it does not support a formal…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

Russia condemns US and UK for ‘irresponsible’ strikes on Yemen

WORLD

RUSSIA condemned the United States and Britain for their military strikes on Yemen, which Moscow said amounted to an irresponsible adventure that risked sowing chaos across the entire Middle East. The United States and Britain launched strikes from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the Iran-backed movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Russia, an ally of Iran and a partner of key Arab powers, called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the issue. "We strongly condemn…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

How an election-packed 2024 could swing world markets

NEWS

COUNTRIES making up over 60% of the world's economic output and more than half of its population hold elections this year. Markets face a "ballot box bombshell", financial services group Morningstar says, adding: "Prior experience of this kind of event risk shows big changes can cause sell-offs". Here's a look at the elections that matter for markets, in roughly chronological order for the coming year. 1/ TAIWAN Date: Jan 13 Back story: Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is competing mainly with the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) for the presidency and legislature. A DPP win would be the third consecutive victory for a…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

What Israelis, Palestinians, US and others say about ‘the day after’ the Gaza war

WORLD

AS the conflict in Gaza nears a three-month milestone, Israelis, Palestinians, Americans and others have begun talking more openly about what comes next once the war is over. None of the plans being discussed will satisfy the desires of all of the parties but they do provide a framework for any negotiations that might emerge. Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 240 by Israel's count in a cross-border rampage from Gaza on October 7. More than 22,000 Palestinians have died since Israel's counterattack in Hamas-run Gaza, Palestinian health officials say. ISRAEL Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday became the…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

US expresses concern after Burundi president says gay people should be stoned

NEWS

THE United States said that it was troubled by comments from Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who last week called on citizens of the small African country to stone gay people. The comments escalated a crackdown on sexual minorities in a nation where LGBT people already face social ostracism and jail terms of up to two years if convicted of same-sex offences. "The United States is deeply troubled by President Ndayishimiye's remarks targeting certain vulnerable and marginalized Burundians," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "We call on all of Burundi's leaders to respect the inherent dignity and inalienable rights,…

Dec

2023

By DAPHNE PSALEDAKIS, HUMEYRA PAMUK and NAFISA ELTAHIR

US declares warring parties in Sudan committed war crimes

NEWS

THE United States formally determined that warring parties in Sudan committed war crimes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, as Washington increases pressure on the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to end fighting that has caused a humanitarian crisis. Washington also determined that the RSF and allied militias committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, Blinken said in a statement. The fighting, which broke out in mid-April, has displaced more than 6.5 million inside and outside Sudan, killed more than 10,000 and decimated the economy. "The expansion of the needless conflict between RSF and the SAF has caused grievous human…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Uganda accuses US of pushing ‘LGBT agenda’ after new round of sanctions

NEWS

UGANDA'S government denounced the United States' expansion of visa restrictions against its officials, accusing Washington of pushing an "LGBT agenda" in Africa. The new visa restrictions announced on Monday target unidentified officials the U.S. deems responsible for undermining democracy and repressing marginalised groups in Uganda, including the LGBTQ community. Uganda enacted one of the world's harshest anti-gay laws in May, which calls for the death penalty for certain same-sex acts. "There's a coup at the State Department in the U.S. It is being taken over by people who are pushing the LGBT agenda in Africa," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Okello Oryem…