Posts by Amelia Frost
Trump Fires New Tariff Threats At Apple And EU
President Donald Trump ratcheted up the US trade war on Friday, threatening to impose a new 25 percent levy against Apple, and a 50 percent tariff on the European Union. Lamenting that negotiations with the EU “are going nowhere,” Trump said on Truth Social that he is recommending “a straight 50% Tariff on the European…
Read MoreMerz, Xi Discuss Ukraine War, Trade Woes Amid Global ‘Chaos’
Germany’s Friedrich Merz urged Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to support a Ukraine ceasefire push and discussed thorny economic ties, in the leaders’ first call since Merz became chancellor. Asia’s economic giant and Europe’s top economy have long-standing trade and business ties. This is despite political differences between Communist-ruled China and Germany that have…
Read MoreDismayed Chinese Students Ponder Prospects After Trump Harvard Ban
Dismayed Chinese students feared for their international futures on Friday after US President Donald Trump revoked Harvard University’s right to enrol foreign nationals. The sharp escalation in Trump’s longstanding feud with the elite Cambridge, Massachusetts-based college came as tensions simmer between Washington and Beijing over trade and other issues. Around 1,300 Chinese students are currently…
Read MoreBan On Ousted Ex-ruling Party Divides Bangladesh Voters
The banning of fugitive ex-leader Sheikh Hasina’s party offers a sliver of justice for Bangladeshis demanding she face trial for crimes against humanity but also raises concerns about the inclusivity of elections. “The government has taken the right decision,” said Jahangir Alam, whose 19-year-old son was killed during the mass uprising that forced Hasina into…
Read MoreUK Newspaper The Telegraph Set For US Ownership
British right-wing newspaper The Telegraph has agreed a takeover by US investment group RedBird Capital Partners, ending a two-year saga marked by UK government intervention over press freedoms. RedBird has struck an “in-principle agreement” to purchase The Telegraph Media Group (TMG), which comprises the 170-year-old paper’s print and online operations, for GBP500 million ($670 million),…
Read MoreGerman Growth Upgraded On Pre-tariff Export Surge
Germany’s economy grew more than previously thought at the start of the year, as its exports surged before US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs, official data showed Friday. Gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe’s biggest economy increased 0.4 percent from January to March compared to the previous quarter, according to final figures from federal…
Read MoreIran, US To Hold New Round Of Nuclear Talks In Rome
Iranian and US negotiators meet in Rome on Friday for a fifth round of nuclear talks, after a public disagreement over Tehran’s uranium enrichment. The talks, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the foes since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during President Donald Trump’s first term. Since returning…
Read MoreCannes Maitre D’hotel Retires With Memories Of Stars
French maitre d’hotel Jean-Francois Pomares says he never has time to see a film at the Cannes Festival, but he has met many of its stars over the years including a young Sharon Stone. “It was at table 24, I still remember,” said the 61-year-old who oversees the dining room at the Carlton hotel in…
Read MoreJapan Core Inflation Tops Forecasts As Rice Prices Almost Double
Japanese inflation spiked at a two-year high in April, data showed Friday, as rice prices almost doubled, turning focus on the central bank as it mulls more interest rate hikes amid Donald Trump’s trade war. The news also puts pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of elections in July and after a minister was…
Read MoreUS Tariff Tensions Test Southeast Asian Leaders At Regional Summit
Southeast Asian leaders will express deep concern over US President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz when they meet at a summit Monday, warning that the unilateral move posed huge challenges to economic growth and stability in the region, according to a draft statement seen by AFP. Trump’s tariffs has roiled global markets and upended international commerce,…
Read MoreVerdict Due In Kardashian Paris Robbery Trial
A French court is to give a verdict on Friday in the trial of 10 people accused of robbing reality TV star Kim Kardashian of some $10 million worth of jewellery in Paris. Nine men and one woman have been standing trial since April, with prosecutors seeking the toughest jail terms of 10 years for…
Read MoreDid George Floyd Protesters Miss Their Moment For Change?
Outrage over George Floyd’s killing by police catapulted Black Lives Matter into one of the largest protest movements in US history, with angry crowds chanting the slogan at rallies from Los Angeles to Washington. But five years on, the protesters are gone and an iconic monument outside the White House has been erased, leaving many…
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