Tag: President Barack Obama

• Thursday, July 23rd 2015 - 07:15 UTC

  Obama administration drafting plan to definitively close Guantánamo prison

  

  The White House said it was in the final stage of drafting a plan for closing the Guantánamo prison for foreign terrorism suspects, racing against time to resolve one of President Barack Obama's most intractable problems. Spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration hoped to “short circuit” opposition from Republicans in Congress who have blocked Obama from closing the prison.

• Wednesday, July 8th 2015 - 08:03 UTC

  Obama calls Merkel and Tsipras calling for constructive talks

  

  President Barack Obama on Tuesday analyzed the Greek situation in separate telephone calls to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the White House said. Obama began his day with a phone conversation with Merkel, followed by another call to Tsipras.

• Friday, July 3rd 2015 - 09:04 UTC

  Rousseff enjoys a day at 'Google-land' before returning to real life in Brazil

  

  Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff capped off her U.S. tour on Wednesday with a visit to Silicon Valley, where she met with top technology executives and took a ride in Google Inc's self-driving car. Rousseff used her visit to strengthen ties with U.S. technology companies after visiting Washington, D.C. and New York City earlier in the week.

• Friday, July 3rd 2015 - 07:45 UTC

  Republicans anticipate they will not approve a US ambassador to Cuba

  

  United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday that his chamber is unlikely to approve a US ambassador to Cuba, sending a quick rebuff to President Barack Obama and his drive to normalize relations with the U.S. neighbor and longtime Cold War foe.

• Thursday, July 2nd 2015 - 05:17 UTC

  US embassy will be opened on July 20; Kerry will raise the flag in Havana

  

  President Obama formally announced on Wednesday that the United States and Cuba have both agreed to open embassies in each other’s capitals following more than a half-century of hostilities between the two nations.

• Wednesday, July 1st 2015 - 05:52 UTC

  Obama and Rousseff agree their nations are 'natural partners' and working on an 'upward trajectory'

  

  President Barack Obama and visiting Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff sought Tuesday to cast their nations as “natural partners” collaborating closely on critical issues like climate and regional diplomacy, glossing over recent tensions over spying that have strained relations between the first and seventh world economies.

• Wednesday, July 1st 2015 - 03:51 UTC

  US and Cuba ready to announce embassies opening in Havana and Washington

  

  President Obama will announce on Wednesday that the U.S. and Cuba have reached an agreement to open embassies in Havana and Washington, an administration official has confirmed. The announcement marks a major step in ending hostilities between the longtime foes and an opportunity to re-establish formal diplomatic relations and apparently will be simultaneous from Havana.

• Monday, June 29th 2015 - 06:20 UTC

  Greek banks closed and Tsipras takes the dispute with ECB and IMF to the brink

  

  Greek banks are to remain closed and capital controls will be imposed, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced. Speaking after the European Central Bank (ECB) said it was not increasing emergency funding to Greek banks, Tsipras underlined Greek deposits were safe.

• Monday, June 29th 2015 - 06:08 UTC

  Loathed at home, Dilma Rousseff tries to rebuild image among US investors

  

  Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff met Sunday with investors in New York on the first day of a long-delayed US visit aimed at overcoming strains caused by the NSA spying scandal. Revelations two years ago that the US National Security Agency electronically eavesdropped on Rousseff's email and other communications prompted her to angrily call off an official visit to Washington that had been set for October 2013.

• Friday, June 26th 2015 - 06:25 UTC

  Obama given authority to conclude trade agreements and US workers financial aid for possible job loss

  

  The United States House of Representatives concluded a tumultuous three-week debate Thursday on trade when Democrats reversed themselves and approved a bill designed to provide financial help to US workers who can show they lost their job because of international trade.