White House - The African Mirror

Feb

2024

Trump’s NATO comments draw scorn, White House calls them ‘unhinged’

TOP Western officials criticized former president Donald Trump after he suggested the U.S. might not protect NATO allies who aren't spending enough on defence from a potential Russian invasion. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk", said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a written statement. "Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response," he added, reacting to remarks on Saturday by Trump, who is likely to be the Republican nominee in this year's U.S. presidential election. Polish Defence…

Feb

2024

By ANDREW GOUDSWARD and JEFF MASON

Biden will not face charges over classified papers, says ‘memory is fine’

WORLD

AN "elderly" President Joe Biden will not face charges for knowingly taking classified documents when he left the vice presidency in 2017, a prosecutor said, drawing a swift rebuke from the president as he seeks reelection. Special Counsel Robert Hur said in a report that he opted against bringing criminal charges following a 15-month investigation because Biden cooperated and would be difficult to convict, describing him as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." Biden, in an angry rebuttal, said his "memory was fine." Brimming with emotion during remarks at the White House, he lashed out at the attorney's suggestion that he…

Dec

2023

By JAMES OLIPHANT

Yes, Trump can win the 2024 election. Here are four reasons why

WORLD

HE has been impeached twice, tried to thwart the peaceful transfer of power after losing the 2020 presidential election, faces scores of charges in multiple criminal cases, and his critics warn he is plotting to rule as an autocrat. Yet, Donald Trump could still return to the White House. Trump leads his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination by nearly 50 percentage points in national opinion polls, a remarkable comeback for a one-term president who three years ago appeared vanquished and humiliated. Here are four reasons why Trump could win the November 2024 election against Democratic incumbent Joe Biden: UNHAPPY VOTERS The…

Nov

2023

By TREVOR HUNNICUTT

Biden to meet Xi on Wednesday in San Francisco Bay area, US says

WORLD

PRESIDENT Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping face-to-face for the first time in a year, the White House said, in high-stakes diplomacy aimed at curbing tensions between the world's two superpowers. The closely watched interaction, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the San Francisco Bay area, could last hours and involve teams of officials from Beijing and Washington. It is expected to cover global issues from the Israel-Hamas war to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, North Korea's ties with Russia, Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, human rights, fentanyl, artificial intelligence, as well as "fair" trade and…

Jul

2023

By JEFF MASON and STEVE HOLLAND

Cocaine found at White House: Cameras, visitor logs searched by Secret Service

WORLD

COCAINE discovered in the White House was found in a cubby hole in a West Wing entry area where visitors place electronics and other belongings before going on tours, a source familiar with the matter said. The Secret Service is investigating the matter, the White House said. "They're checking visitor logs and ... looking at cameras. Those are the next steps. Cross-checking" said the source. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: "Where this was discovered is a heavily travelled area where many ... West Wing visitors come through." Asked whether anyone had undergone drug testing as part of the…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

Trump faces 37 criminal counts in classified documents case

WORLD

SARAH N. LYNCH FORMER U.S. President Donald Trump faces 37 criminal counts that include charges of unauthorized retention of classified documents and conspiracy to obstruct justice after he left the White House in 2021, according to federal court documents made public on Friday. The Justice Department made the charging documents public on a tumultuous day in which two of Trump's lawyers quit the case and a former aide faced charges as well. The charges stem from Trump's treatment of sensitive government materials he took with him when he left the White House in January 2021. Trump is due to make…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Russia arrests US reporter on spy charges in further blow to dire relations

WORLD

PAVEL POLITYUK RUSSIA charged an American correspondent for the Wall Street Journal with spying, in a case certain to worsen Moscow's diplomatic feud with Washington over the war in Ukraine and likely to further isolate Russia. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded the immediate release of "trusted and dedicated reporter" Evan Gershkovich. The White House said the State Department was in direct contact with the Russian government over his detention and urged U.S. citizens living or travelling in Russia to depart immediately. "We condemn the detention of Mr Gershkovich in the strongest terms," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Exclusive: White House sets deadline for purging TikTok from federal devices

WORLD

DAVID SHEPARDSON The White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure they do not have the Chinese-owned app TikTok on federal devices and systems. In a bid to keep U.S. data safe, all federal agencies must eliminate TikTok from phones and systems and prohibit internet traffic from reaching the company, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young told agencies in a guidance memorandum seen by Reuters. The ban, ordered by Congress late last year, follows similar actions from Canada, the EU, Taiwan and more than half of U.S. states. The device ban — while impacting a tiny portion of TikTok's…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

U.S. shoots down unidentified object flying above Alaska

WORLD

ANDREA SHALAL, STEVE HOLLAND and PHIL STEWART A U.S. F-22 fighter jet shot down an unidentified object flying high over Alaska, U.S. officials said, less than a week after the military brought down a Chinese balloon that had flown across the United States. A Sidewinder missile downed the latest craft, which was about the size of a small car, said U.S. Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson. "We don't know who owns this object," said White House spokesperson John Kirby, adding that it was unclear where it began its flight. President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, which was…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

Biden aides find second batch of classified documents at new location, reports say

WORLD

AIDES to U.S. President Joe Biden have discovered at least one more batch of classified documents in a location separate from a think tank office he used after serving as vice president, news outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. Biden aides have been searching for additional classified materials that might be in other locations since a set of classified documents was found in November at the Washington-based think tank, according to a report in NBC News, which first broke the news and CNN. The NBC News report said the classification level, number and precise location of the additional documents was not…