Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump is not afraid of surprises but could he take one of the biggest shifts of all in his foreign policy — easing sanctions on Iran? Washington is widely skeptical that Trump will shift course on Iran, with his hawkish advisors long …
Read More »Tamer Trump on show at G7, but brash US leader never far
Biarritz, France | AFP | Like Superman disguised as the mild-mannered Clark Kent, Donald Trump showed his tamer side at the G7 — but the maverick showman expected by the world didn’t take long to burst back out. Before the summit in France’s Biarritz, speculation was rife over how Trump might …
Read More »UK opposition seek ways to stop no-deal Brexit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will on Tuesday attempt to bridge deep divisions with other opposition parties on how to avoid Britain crashing out of the EU on October 31. Corbyn said he would “do everything necessary” to stop a no-deal Brexit, following leaked official warnings …
Read More »Why is China’s currency falling?
Shanghai, China | AFP | China’s yuan has sunk by around four percent in August to its lowest point in more than 11 years on Monday, a decline likely to further exacerbate trade tensions with Washington. Here are five things to know about the yuan’s slide: – Why has the …
Read More »Equities, yuan take hit as Trump dials up trade war with China
Hong Kong, China | AFP | Asian equity markets tanked and the yuan hit an 11-year low Monday after US President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war with China by hiking tariffs on more than half-a-trillion dollars worth of imports. However, dealers pared earlier steep losses after the president said …
Read More »Johnson seeks to push Trump at fractious G7
Biarritz, France | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Sunday seek to persuade President Donald Trump to offer flexibility on trade and also win concessions from the EU on Brexit, at a G7 summit hosted by France marked by stark divisions. Johnson was to hold his long-awaited first …
Read More »Trump heads to G7 with potshot at French hosts over taxes
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump threatened his French hosts with taxes on their wines Friday as he headed to a G7 summit in France with a series of parting shots, including another broadside at the Federal Reserve’s chairman. After a day that saw big falls on …
Read More »Gamers take aim at Trump’s criticism of virtual game violence
Cologne, Germany | AFP | Gamers at the industry’s biggest fair in Europe have taken aim at US President Donald Trump’s assertions that violence in video games was partly to blame for recent mass shootings. Experts and fans alike at the Gamescom trade fair in the German city of Cologne rejected …
Read More »French winemakers jittery over Trump tariff threats ahead of G7
Paris, France | AFP | French winegrowers are on tenterhooks as they wait to see whether Donald Trump will follow through with his repeated threats to raise tariffs on French wine in retaliation for the new GAFA tax. As the leaders of the world’s richest countries gather for the G7 opening …
Read More »UK’s Johnson to hold Brexit talks with Macron after Merkel offers glimmer of hope
Berlin, Germany | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Paris on Thursday, a day after Berlin offered a glimmer of hope that an agreement could be reached to avoid a chaotic “no deal” Brexit. On the second leg of his first foreign visit since taking office, Johnson will meet his …
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