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US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP) "I let him know we can't have this, we're not going to have it, and that's the way it's going to be," Trump said in an interview with CBS. Asked if he held Putin personally responsible for interference in the November 2016 presidential vote, Trump replied: "Well, I would, because he's in charge of the country, just like I consider myself to be responsible for things that happen in this country." Trump said he had been "very strong on the fact that we can't have meddling, we can't have any of that." Trump has been under bipartisan fire in Washington for failing to publicly confront Putin over the election interference at the press conference that followed their Helsinki talks. Trump has also appeared on several occasions to question the US intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 vote in a bid to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He did … [Read more...] about Trump says he told Putin ‘we can’t have meddling’ in US vote

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday (Jul 18) he was suffering from sciatica when he repeatedly stumbled at a NATO summit last week and demanded "respect" after insinuations he had been drunk. Juncker was seen repeatedly unsteady on his feet at a museum in Brussels last week, and was helped away in a wheelchair. (Photo: AFP/Tatyana Zenkovich) The 63-year-old head of the powerful European Union's executive arm played down the incident at a gala dinner with 29 NATO leaders, which he addressed for the first time in person. "I'm really impressed by the interest some people are taking in these not even marginal issues and I am asking for respect," Juncker told reporters when asked if alcohol had played a role. The former Luxembourg premier was seen repeatedly unsteady on his feet at a museum in Brussels a week ago on Wednesday night, and was helped away in a wheelchair. At times the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Portugal propped him up while other … [Read more...] about EU’s Juncker demands ‘respect’ over drink claims

President Donald Trump moved on Tuesday (Jul 17) to limit the damage from his summit with Vladimir Putin, claiming he misspoke in appearing to accept the Russian leader's denial of election meddling - in a rebuke to US intelligence chiefs. US President Donald Trump has said he accepts the conclusion that Russia sought to influence the 2016 US election - after failing to challenge Vladimir Putin on the issue a day earlier. (AFP/NICHOLAS KAMM) At their Helsinki meeting a day earlier, Trump failed to challenge Putin over the 2016 presidential election, seeming to accept at face value the strongman's denial that Moscow interfered in a bid to undermine the Democrat Hillary Clinton. But faced with outrage at home, and even allies demanding he reverse course, Trump - in an extraordinary postscript to the summit - sought to walk back his remarks. Trump said he accepted the intelligence community's assessment that Russia had meddled in the election, and offered a rambling explanation … [Read more...] about Under fire, Trump says he misspoke on Russia election meddling

US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. (AFP/Yuri KADOBNOV) Here is a look at some of the fallout from the controversial summit. WHAT NOW FOR US-RUSSIA RELATIONS? Going into Monday's meeting in Helsinki, Trump said he wanted to improve relations with Russia, which he characterized as the worst they've ever been. He had the opportunity to press Putin on any number of issues, including Russia's annexation of Crimea, the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines jet over Ukraine and alleged meddling in the US election in 2016 to help Trump beat Hillary Clinton. After meeting privately for two hours, the two leaders agreed to revive bilateral corporation and touted an improved relationship - but they provided few specifics. For some observers, that in itself was a source of relief. They had feared Trump would agree to some sort of grand bargain on Crimea or a back-of-the-envelope deal on Syria. Trump had vowed to … [Read more...] about Trump’s overtures to Putin stir opposition at home

Former British prime minister Tony Blair says it's time for Theresa May to admit "there's no way out" and call another Brexit referendum AFP/Tolga AKMEN Blair, who held the office for 10 years, said he sympathises with Prime Minister Theresa May as she seeks to unite her party behind a plan for leaving the European Union, suggesting she has "the least enviable job in Western politics". But the former Labour leader warned that with the scheduled date for Brexit approaching in March next year, it is time for her to admit "there's no way out" and call another referendum - with the option of staying in the EU. "Once this thing has been started by a referendum it can frankly only be finished by a fresh vote," he said. Blair left office in 2007 and spent many of the following years abroad, including as an international envoy to the Middle East. But these days he is more often found in London, where he has plunged back into British politics. "I'm passionately opposed to Brexit and I still … [Read more...] about Tony Blair calls for second vote to fix Brexit ‘mess’

Air strikes on Tuesday (Jul 17) killed more than a dozen civilians in parts of Syria's south near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a war monitor said. Smoke rises on hills in Syria's southeastern province of Daraa, near Quneitra province, during shelling by government forces on Jul 15, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Ahmad al-Msalam) The regime has been pounding the southwestern province of Quneitra since Sunday in a bid to retake it from rebels, after winning back most of the neighbouring governorate of Daraa in less than a month. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes killed 14 civilians in Ain al-Tina village on Quneitra's border with Daraa which had reportedly been taking shelter in a large building. "They were all displaced from other areas. They included five children and three women," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Two bodies were so charred they were unrecognisable. It was not immediately clear whether the strikes were carried out by the regime or … [Read more...] about Air strikes kill 15 civilians in southern Syria: Monitor

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in Helsinki, on Monday (Jul 16). (Photo: AFP) The US and Russian presidents came out of their meeting in Helsinki expressing a desire to talk again on global challenges, after discussing an array of issues from Syria, Ukraine and China to trade tariffs and the size of their nuclear arsenals. There were indications of an arrangement to work together and with Israel to support a ceasefire in southern Syria, suggesting that the US administration is backing off its demand that Moscow's ally Bashar al-Assad step down. If that is anathema to many in Washington, Trump's apparent concessions to Putin over the elections controversy drew stinging condemnation from across the political divide. Standing alongside the Kremlin boss at a joint news conference, Trump acknowledged that his intelligence chiefs believe Russia hacked and leaked Democrats' emails containing politically damaging … [Read more...] about At historic summit, Trump refuses to confront Putin on vote row

Spain's former king Juan Carlos is once again in the spotlight after his former mistress claimed he was involved in money laundering, sparking calls for an investigation. Spain's King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014. (AFP/CESAR MANSO) The scandal broke after two Spanish websites published recordings attributed to Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein in which she alleges Juan Carlos tried to hide money transfers and used her name to buy property in Monaco and Morocco. The German aristocrat, who is based in Monte Carlo, also said he told her he had moved money into the account of a cousin, Alvaro d'Orleans Bourbon, in Switzerland. In the recordings, which were released online last week, she claims he also pocketed money from a high-speed train contract with Saudi Arabia, saying he wanted money to divorce his wife Sofia and marry her. Several royal experts contacted by AFP said the voice in the recording was indeed that of Sayn-Wittgenstein. She has not denied that the voice in the … [Read more...] about Former Spanish king’s ex mistress says he laundered money

Chinese growth slowed slightly in the second quarter as the world's number two economy faced a snowballing trade fight with the United States. Growth was still higher than the annual target of around 6.5 percent set by the government - Photo source: AFP The economy expanded by 6.7 per cent in April-June, down from 6.8 per cent in the first quarter and in line with a 6.7 per cent rate tipped in an AFP survey of economists. Despite the quarterly deceleration, growth was still higher than the annual target of around 6.5 per cent set by the government. China faced an "extremely complex environment both at home and abroad", said Mao Shengyong, a spokesman for the national statistics bureau, noting growth remained strong. China is facing a multi-front battle to defend its economy, fighting to cut its debt mountain while the yuan and local stock markets tumble in the face of the trade conflict. "We should also be aware that external uncertainties are increasing and economic … [Read more...] about China economic growth slows to 6.7% in second quarter

Tesla shares tumbled on Monday as chief executive Elon Musk faced criticism over a public spat with a British diver who worked on the Thai soccer team rescue. Tesla shares were in a tailspin after CEO Elon Musk got into a Twitter spat with a British diver over the Thai cave rescue. (AFP/Alberto E. Rodriguez) Shares of the electric car maker were down 3.5 per cent in late-morning trading at US$307.82 on news that Musk could face a libel suit over the episode. Musk attacked British diver Vern Unsworth, who had dismissed the Tesla chief's efforts to help the rescue mission for the 12 boys as a "PR stunt" in a widely seen interview on CNN. Musk, without providing any justification or explanation, referred to Unsworth as "pedo guy" in a since-deleted tweet on Sunday. "Pedo" is short for paedophile. Unsworth told AFP on Monday he had not reviewed the tweets in full and had only heard about them. But asked if he would take legal action against Musk over the allegation, Unsworth … [Read more...] about Tesla shares tumble after Musk tweet controversy