United States

Monday, December 19th 2016 - 10:13 UTC
US ups reward to $25 million for the capture of ISIS' so-called caliph

The United States raised the previous offer for information on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The reward is now worth US$ 25 million for information that would help locate, arrest or convict him, it was announced in a statement. In October 2011, the State Department offered $10 million for information on Baghdadi through its Rewards for Justice program.
Monday, December 19th 2016 - 09:31 UTC
Russian cyber-attacks: top US Senators from both parties call for a Select Committee

Pressure mounted on Sunday for a broader congressional investigation of Russian cyber-attacks aimed at influencing the United States election, even as President-elect Donald J Trump team says there was no conclusive evidence of foreign interference.
Monday, December 19th 2016 - 08:58 UTC
Street protests in California against president-elect Trump and announced policies

A coalition of activist groups took on Sunday the streets of downtown Los Angeles to protest against some of the labor and immigration policies proposed by President-elect Donald Trump, a day before he is expected to officially claim victory in the nation’s presidential contest.
Monday, December 19th 2016 - 08:50 UTC
China ready to return US submarine drone: Trump accuses Beijing of “stealing”, tells them, “keep it!”

China says it will hand over an underwater U.S. drone it seized in the international waters of the South China Sea, prompting President-elect Donald Trump to say the United States should tell China to keep the device. Trump does not assume power for another month, but weighed in on the maritime incident in which Chinese naval forces seized the unmanned submersible while it was collecting unclassified scientific data on Thursday.
Monday, December 19th 2016 - 07:42 UTC
US Electoral College 538 ballots set to confirm Trump as president despite controversial campaign

The next chapter in the tumultuous U.S. presidential election takes place on Monday at the Electoral College which is expected to officially confirm that billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump as the US 45th president.
Thursday, December 15th 2016 - 14:02 UTC
Israel welcomes Donald Trump’s plan to move US embassy to Jerusalem

Israel's officials have welcome Donald Trump’s campaign promise to switch the US embassy from Tel Aviv, saying it would be as easy as changing a sign on a building. But other Middle East countries fear such a move will not help the overall situation.
Thursday, December 15th 2016 - 13:03 UTC
Temer talks to Trump and they agree to promote trade and investments

Brazil's President Michel Temer called U.S. President-elect Donald Trump agreeing to work together to improve business relations between the two largest economies in the Americas, a statement from Temer's office said. Brazil is keen to explore business opportunities that could open up if Trump follows through on campaign promises to rewrite a trade deal with Mexico.
Thursday, December 15th 2016 - 00:18 UTC
Fed raises rate 25 points to 0.75%, anticipates further increases while US dollar jumps in Asian markets

The U.S. Federal Reserve increased its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of between 0.5 and 0.75%. The higher rate will affect the what savers and borrowers get on their variable rate products from banks, and the fine print of the bank's policy decision shows that a majority of Fed members expect more rate hikes to come, as many as three in the next 12 months, after previously signaling it was expecting only two.
Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 14:54 UTC
Philippine President Duterte admits avoiding Obama at APEC summit on false pretexts

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged he skipped an evening event at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima to avoid having to shake hands with Barack Obama. In a speech published Tuesday in a Manila newspaper, Duterte made it clear his absence had not been due to a an upset stomach, but rather a move to avoid an awkward situation.
Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 05:10 UTC
Trump challenges Congress and nominates close friend of Putin, Rex Tillerson Secretary of State

Donald Trump officially announced his plan Tuesday to nominate ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, a pick that could pose complications in the confirmation process due to Tillerson's ties to Russia. Tillerson, 64, has no government or diplomatic experience but has done extensive work overseas on behalf of his petroleum company.