San Francisco, United States | AFP | Former US President Barack Obama is in negotiations with Netflix about producing a series of shows for the online streaming giant, according to US media reports. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama would provide Netflix with exclusive content, with the format …
Read More »Macron warns Trump all sides would lose in ‘trade war’
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned his US counterpart Donald Trump against forging ahead with planned tariffs on European steel and aluminium, saying it risked starting a mutually destructive “trade war”. In a telephone call with Trump, the French leader expressed his “deep concerns”, …
Read More »N.Korea talks invite vindicates isolation strategy: Pence
Washington, United States | AFP | Kim Jong Un’s decision to invite Donald Trump to a historic summit is evidence that the American leader’s efforts to isolate his North Korean counterpart are bearing fruit, US Vice President Mike Pence said Friday. “North Korea’s desire to meet to discuss denuclearization — while …
Read More »Twitter-blocked by Trump? Judge hears ‘free-speech’ case
New York, United States | AFP | A New York judge sought to avoid a testy tech-age free-speech showdown between Donald Trump and people blocked from his Twitter account Thursday, proposing the president just mute rather than block them. In a unique case given rise by Trump’s relentless use of …
Read More »China says US tariffs ‘a serious attack’ on global trade system
Beijing, China | AFP | China on Friday denounced US tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, saying that they would profoundly harm the international trade environment. The US’s “abuse” of national security concerns as a reason for implementing the measures will lead to “a serious attack on normal international trade …
Read More »Video games linked to violence, Trump tells industry
Washington, United States | AFP | Video games have been linked to real-world violence, US President Donald Trump told gaming industry leaders in a meeting Thursday after a school shooting last month reignited a national debate over guns. The talks between Trump and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) trade group …
Read More »‘Dotard’ Trump and Kim ‘Rocket Man’ Jong Un to meet: what happens next?
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | The stunning announcement that US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold an unprecedented meeting is the latest and most astonishing step forward in a flurry of diplomacy. The two and their respective allies fought each other to a …
Read More »US to upgrade Qatar air ops center despite Gulf crisis
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States has approved a request from Qatar to upgrade the emirate’s air force operations center, officials said Thursday, despite the Gulf diplomatic crisis. Qatar has fallen out with fellow US allies in the Gulf, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Araba …
Read More »World Bank hopes Trump ‘careful’ on tariffs
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The chief executive of the World Bank urged US President Donald Trump on Thursday to be “careful” before imposing steel and aluminium tariffs and weigh up possible effects on global trade. Kristalina Georgieva said Trump should assess the “implications” before going ahead with a plan …
Read More »Africa, US move on from ‘shithole’ remarks as Tillerson starts tour
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Washington’s top diplomat began his first Africa tour Thursday by meeting with the African Union chief, who said the continent had moved on from a reported insult by President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and AU commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed security …
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