Tuesday, February 17

Tag: US

US accuses South Africa military of ‘cosying up to Iran’
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World

US accuses South Africa military of ‘cosying up to Iran’

Warships from Iran and other Brics+ nations are conducting drills off the coast of South Africa The US has accused South Africa's defence ministry of refusing to obey orders from its own government to send home Iranian warships that have been conducting naval exercises in the African country's waters.  "South Africa can't lecture the world on 'justice' while cozying up to Iran," it said in a statement. In response, South Africa's defence ministry said it was launching an inquiry to get to the root of these "serious allegations". Washington has criticised South Africa for inviting Iran at a time when a brutal crackdown against protests was happening in the Middle Eastern country. It said the South African military's actions did not amount to "non-alignment" but...
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South Africa’s strained ties with US face new test – war games with China, Iran and Russia
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South Africa’s strained ties with US face new test – war games with China, Iran and Russia

The participation of warships from China, Iran and Russia in military exercises hosted by South Africa could further strain the country's relationship with the US, which are already at an all-time low. A News24 report suggesting South Africa is hoping to persuade Iran to become an observer rather than an active participant points to the sensitivities over how the war games may be viewed by US President Donald Trump. Vessels flying Chinese, Iranian and Russian flags have been seen sailing into South Africa's main naval base in Simon's Town on the Cape Peninsula in recent days. The week-long drill got under way on Friday. It is being led by China - and involves other members from an alliance of major developing countries, which when it was launched in 2006 was known as Bric. ...
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US halts assistance to Somalia over claims food aid was illegally seized
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US halts assistance to Somalia over claims food aid was illegally seized

It is estimated that more than four million Somalis are facing crisis levels of hunger The US has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized "donor-funded food aid". "The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance," said a US state department statement on X. The message, posted on the account of the under secretary for foreign assistance, said reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for "vulnerable Somalis". Somali has denied the allegations, saying that the expansion work under way in the Mogadishu port, where the warehouse is located, had not affected any aid stora...
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Dada Joe Remix: DSS, FBI, and Ghana Police collaborate to extradite alleged romance scam leader to US
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Dada Joe Remix: DSS, FBI, and Ghana Police collaborate to extradite alleged romance scam leader to US

The U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) has confirmed that its special agents stationed at the United States Embassy in Accra collaborated with Ghanaian authorities to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the extradition of Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, also known as “Dada Joe Remix.” In a Facebook post, the DSS stated, “Diplomatic Security Service special agents at U.S. Embassy Ghana worked with Ghanaian authorities to assist the FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation in the extradition of Joseph Badu Boateng aka Dada Joe Remix. Boateng was indicted on charges of running a fraud ring that used romance and inheritance schemes to defraud U.S. victims of several million dollars. The subject is now in the United States to face justice.” Boateng was arrested in Ghana on Ma...
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The expelled envoy at the heart of the latest US-South Africa row
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The expelled envoy at the heart of the latest US-South Africa row

South Africa's Ebrahim Rasool is an experienced politician and had been serving his second stint as ambassador in the US As a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle and himself a victim of the inequities of that racist system of government, Ebrahim Rasool was always unlikely to mince his words when it came to assessing the new US administration. But in a message to family and friends, South Africa's top envoy in Washington sounded almost relaxed about the diplomatic ructions that he had caused. Soon after it was announced at the weekend that he was going to be expelled from the US, Ambassador Rasool wrote that he and his family were "all packed up and looking forward to returning to South Africa" and said he was leaving the US with "no regrets". On Friday, his prepared remarks ...
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TikTok goes offline in the US hours before ban due to come in
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TikTok goes offline in the US hours before ban due to come in

TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect. A message appearing on the app for US users said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning "you can't use TikTok for now". The video-sharing app was banned over concerns about its links to the Chinese government and had been given a deadline of 19 January to be sold to an approved US buyer. President Joe Biden had said he would leave the issue to his successor, Donald Trump. Trump has said he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban once he takes office on Monday.  "The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump told NBC News on Saturday.  "If I decide to do that, I'll probably an...
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US Treasury says it was hacked by China in ‘major incident’
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US Treasury says it was hacked by China in ‘major incident’

A Chinese state-sponsored hacker has broken into the US Treasury Department's systems, accessing employee workstations and some unclassified documents, American officials said on Monday. The breach occurred in early December and was made public in a letter penned by the Treasury Department to lawmakers notifying them of the incident. The US agency characterised the breach as a "major incident", and said it had been working with the FBI and other agencies to investigate the impact. The BBC has reached out to the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC for comment. The Treasury Department said in its letter to lawmakers that the China-based actor was able to override security via a key used by a third-party service provider that offers remote technical support to its employees. The ...
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US woman jailed for fatally shooting neighbour through door
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US woman jailed for fatally shooting neighbour through door

A Florida woman who fatally shot her neighbour through her front door last year has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.  Susan Lorincz, 60, opened fire on 35-year-old Ajike "AJ" Owens as she knocked on Lorincz's locked door during a dispute about the victim's children playing outside in the city of Ocala. According to Owens's family and an affidavit, Lorincz, who is white, had shouted racial epithets at the children of Owens, who was black, before the shooting on 2 June 2023. A jury convicted Lorincz in August of one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault. The trial tested Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which permits use of deadly force in self-defence. The fatal shooting followed a series of quarrels between Lorincz and Owens that resulted ...
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