11, November 2018
Trump, Macron agree on defense after row over call for European army 0
US President Donald Trump has reportedly reached consensus with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the need for more European military spending despite an earlier Trump tweet that had slammed Macron’s recent call for a European army without reliance on the US as “very insulting.”
“We had a great discussion and we are aligned,” French presidential Elysee place quoted Trump as saying on Saturday following a meeting there with his host Macron during which the two discussed trade, defense, Syria as well as the persisting controversy over last month’s murder in Istanbul of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“We want a strong Europe, it’s very important to us, and whichever way we can do it the best and more efficient would be something we both want,” Trump added after the meeting which was held a day before commemoration events in France to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
“We want to help Europe but it has to be fair. Right now the burden sharing has been largely on the United States,” the US president further emphasized.
This is while the French president also echoed such sentiments, insisting that he wanted Europe to bear a greater share of the defense costs within the US-led NATO military alliance, a point Macron has repeatedly made since taking office, together with his ambitions to establish Europe’s own military capability.
“That’s why I do believe my proposals for European defense are totally consistent with that,” Macron further underlined despite his recent remarks in which he appeared to regard the US as a threat.
Discussing the growing dangers from cyber-hacking, alleged meddling in electoral processes as well as Washington’s decision to withdraw from a key arms-control treaty with Russia, Macron emphasized during a radio interview last week that Europe needed to protect itself against China, Russia “and even the United States.”
Pointing to a need for a European army, he added: “Faced by Russia, which is on our borders and which has shown that it can be threatening… we need to have a Europe that can better defend itself by itself, without depending solely on the United States.”
Trump then slammed Macron’s remarks in a tweet message just prior to landing in Paris, stating: “Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the US subsidizes greatly.”
However, the Elysee described the harsh exchange of remarks by Macron and Trump as a “misunderstanding” caused by what it referred to as “exaggerated” US press reports. It further underlined that the confusion was cleared up during more than an hour of “substantial” and “very constructive” talks.
According to local press reports, while the talks between the two leaders covered trade and foreign policy issues, it was not clear if they also discussed European worries regarding Trump’s plans to abandon the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement (INF), signed with Russia in 1986.
Macron insisted during his Europe 1 radio interview last week that the “main victim” of the US withdrawal from the INF treaty was Europe and its security.
Moreover, the French president — who also tried but failed to talk Trump out of withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal earlier this year — has also raised concerns about the impact of the US-led sanctions on European companies doing business with Iran.
Meanwhile, the US president may also speak briefly with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday, when the two are among the 70 world leaders set to gather at the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris. Trump and Putin are further expected to hold formal talks later this month when both attend a G-20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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11, November 2018
Netanyahu says unaware of corruption linked to submarine deal 0
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he was unaware of any corruption linked to a deal to buy German submarines, after police recommended charging his lawyer in the investigation.
“As you know, there are no claims as to my involvement,” Netanyahu said late Saturday in his first comments on the issue since police issued their findings in the long-running investigation last week.
“Which is not a minute thing since people don’t hesitate to blame me with the most absurd claims.”
Asked about the alleged offences committed by his relative and family lawyer David Shimron, Netanyahu said: “You know I didn’t know.”
“Secondly, I suggest to wait until the end of the procedures and not rush to make a judgement,” he said before boarding a plane for Paris, where he will join world leaders in marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
Police said Thursday there was evidence to charge Shimron and others with bribery in connection with negotiations for Israel’s purchase of submarines and other vessels from German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp.
The investigation into the deals reportedly worth $2 billion is one of several cases that have put Netanyahu’s long tenure in office under the spotlight.
Besides Shimron, police said the former chief of Netanyahu’s office, David Sharan, is also suspected of bribery, as is the former head of the navy, Eliezer Marom.
Two other navy ex-generals were named as being suspected of similar offences, as was a former minister, Eliezer Zandberg.
Netanyahu was questioned as a witness and not a suspect in the case.
The police’s findings will now be handed over to the attorney general, who will decide whether the suspects should be charged.
Israeli opposition politicians have questioned how Netanyahu could be unaware of the alleged corruption and called for a commission of inquiry.
In February, police recommended Netanyahu be indicted in two other graft probes, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so.
Allegations against Netanyahu include seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel’s top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival.
Another case involves suspicions that the prime minister and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours.
Netanyahu denies all the allegations, calling them a bid by his political enemies to force him from office.
AFP
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The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
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