London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes his debut on the global stage at the G7 summit this weekend, where all eyes will be on his chumminess with US President Donald Trump. The summit in France opens on Saturday, the one-month anniversary of the gaffe-prone Brexit cheerleader …
Read More »Is Trump’s love affair with Fox News fading?
Washington, United States | AFP | Last month after Donald Trump watched Fox News lob what he called “softball questions” at a Democratic lawmaker, the US president delivered a crisp smackdown of his favorite network: “Fox sure ain’t what it used to be.” After years of often fawning coverage by Fox, …
Read More »Fears in US of bad peace deal with the Taliban
Washington, United States | AFP | An Afghanistan peace agreement that the US seems close to reaching with the Taliban has prompted worries that President Donald Trump’s desire to quickly withdraw US troops could further plunge the country into civil war. Trump said Friday he was pleased with talks on ending …
Read More »Trump on summer vacation but not in summery mood
Berkeley Heights, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump is on summer vacation. Just don’t call it that. “It’s never a vacation,” he said before leaving the White House last Friday for the 10-day non-vacation at his luxury golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The former real estate dealer …
Read More »Fossil fuels? Plastic? Trump says more is better
Monaca, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump has seen the future and it is oil. And plastic. Where most environmental scientists and most US allies fear that overuse of fossil fuels is driving the planet into crisis, the US president spies only opportunity. In a speech on Tuesday to …
Read More »Jay Inslee, 2020 Democrat battling Trump’s climate ‘degradation’
Clear Lake, United States | AFP | Rarely has a candidate gone far in a US presidential race highlighting a singular issue, but Democrat Jay Inslee is aiming to buck that trend with his commitment to tackling climate change. Unless he does something to dramatically change his trajectory — he has …
Read More »Has Trump ally King gone too far even for conservative northwest Iowa?
Clear Lake, United States | AFP | Amid heightened tensions over US nativism, deeply conservative northwest Iowa finds itself mulling whether to re-elect a firebrand lawmaker accused of espousing white nationalist ideology. Republican Steve King represents Iowa’s fourth congressional district, a largely rural area that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump …
Read More »Huawei launches own operating system to rival Android
Dongguan, China | AFP | Chinese telecom giant Huawei unveiled its own operating system on Friday, as it faces the threat of losing access to Android systems amid escalating US-China trade tensions. The highly-anticipated software is considered crucial for the tech group’s survival as it confronts a looming White House ban …
Read More »Candidates descend on Iowa state fair to make pitch for 2020
Des Moines, United States | AFP | Deep-fried corn dogs, a blistering summer sun, and discerning American voters greet the presidential candidates at Iowa’s state fair, a must stop on the early road to the White House. Two dozen candidates — 23 Democrats and a longshot Republican primary challenger to President …
Read More »Chinese yuan falls to weakest level against dollar since 2010
Shanghai, China | AFP | China’s decision to let its currency weaken against the dollar on Monday sent global markets diving further into the red and provoked a Twitter tirade from US President Donald Trump. The deteriorating picture appeared to worsen as official Chinese media reported Beijing ceased purchases of …
Read More »