Contents tagged with USA
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Pakistan refuses to release to the US the doctor who helped kill Bin Laden
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said that his country will not release physician Shakil Afridi, whom Washington values for his participation in the operation to kill terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, from prison. Pakistan will also not extradite him to the US.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s Press Office, the Minister made assurances at a briefing that the extradition of Afridi, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison, is not even under discussion.
Faisal was …
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Number of Russian citizens applying for refugee status in the United States reaches a record high
The number of asylum applications by Russian citizens in the United States hit a 24-year high in 2017, jumping nearly 40 percent from the previous year, as reported by Radio Liberty. Applications have been increasing since the return of Vladimir Putin to power in Russia in 2012.
The US government received 2,664 new asylum applications from Russian nationals in fiscal year 2017 ending on September 30, which was a 39-percent increase compared to 2016. The 2017 figure is more than double the …
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US to double cybersecurity aid to Ukraine
The United States has decided to double the amount it gives in financial assistance to Ukraine to enhance cyber security from $5 million to $10 million dollars.
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs A. Wess Mitchell told journalists about the decision after a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv.
"We also discussed the issue of cyber security, and I can proudly announce that we will double the amount of assistance in this direction, in …
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US Assistant Secretary of State urges Russia to 'withdraw troops from Georgia'
Georgian television channel 1TV reports that US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs A. Wess Mitchell declared Russia "must withdraw its troops" deployed in the territory of Georgia in 2008 during the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The American diplomat made this statement from the Georgian side of the demarcation line, which Tskhinvali and Moscow consider to be the state border of South Ossetia. "Ten years have passed since the war [Russia-Georgia 2008 war] …
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State Department announces launch of new US operation against IS in Syria
State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert published a tweet stating that the United States has begun an operation in Syria to liberate the last strongholds of the Islamic State group.
According to the Nauert, the operation will be conducted by the United States-led coalition and "local partners", including the Syrian Democratic Forces. "The fighting will be difficult, but we and our partners will prevail," the statement said.
Nauert stressed that the US intends to protect the borders of …
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US removes Russian flag from consulate in Seattle
On Tuesday night, the Russian Embassy in the United States announced that US authorities had removed the Russian flag from a residence owned by the Russian Consul General in Seattle. Russian diplomats had recently left the residence in accordance with Washington's recent policy decision.
"Today, under the cloak of night, the US authorities removed the state flag of the Russian Federation from the residence of Russia’s Consul General," the Russian embassy in the United States said.
The Russian …
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Israel intends to stop Iran with the help of the United States
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is encouraged by the US readiness to lead and support a campaign against Iran's nuclear ambitions, RIA Novosti reported.
On Sunday, April 29, Netanyahu met in Tel Aviv with the new US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who stated that the US administration has a "comprehensive Iranian strategy" that takes into account not only Tehran's nuclear project but also "non-nuclear" threats, including a military presence in Syria.
"Iran must be stopped. …
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United States plans to sell combat helicopters and missiles to Bahrain
US Department of Defense intends to sell combat helicopters and aircraft missiles to Bahrain for an estimated cost of $911.4 million. The Pentagon has delivered the required certification notice to the Congress. The statement emphasizes that the State Department doesn’t object to the supply of such arms.
Bahrain has requested attack helicopters AH-1Z, replacement engines, AGM-114 and APKWS II missiles, as well as radars, communications systems and other equipment. The US Defense Ministry …
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Turkey decides to work together with US in Syria
Turkey will operate together with the United States in Syrian city of Manbij, as stated by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The Foreign Minister also added that Ankara is considering a "lucrative offer" to purchase a Patriot system from the US.
A day earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkey had agreed to cooperate with Italy and France on the purchase of air defense systems and had also discussed the possibility of acquiring similar …
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Merkel and Trump discuss Ukraine during their meeting
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated she and US President Donald Trump discussed the state of Ukraine during a recent conference, Ukrinform reports.
“Of course, we talked about Ukraine, which is where we work very closely together in regard to Russia’s actions concerning the occupation of Crimea and the situation in the east of Ukraine,” Merkel stated.
Merkel stated that she is pleased with the fact that the U.S. administration works very closely on this issue with its partners, which …