Posts by Amelia Frost
Scottish Refinery Closure Spells Trouble For Green Transition
Andrew Petersen is a third-generation oil refinery worker from a small, industrial Scottish town. When he was growing up, working at Grangemouth refinery meant you “had a job for life”. But last month “everything changed”, Petersen told AFP near the refinery, its giant cooling towers looming in the background. On April 29, owner Petroineos announced…
Read MoreU.S. and China Will Meet for Second Day of Trade Talks
Top economic officials from the United States and China will meet on Sunday in Geneva for their second day of high-stakes negotiations, discussions that are aimed at easing tensions stemming from President Trump’s trade war. The talks have major implications for the global economy, which has been rocked by the tariffs that the United States…
Read MoreWhy America’s ‘Beautiful Beef’ Is a Trade War Sore Point for Europe
Hendrik Dierendonck, a second-generation butcher who has become, as he describes it, “world famous in Belgium” for his curated local beef, thinks Europe’s way of raising cattle results in varied and delicious cuts that European consumers prize. “They want hormone-free, grass-fed,” Mr. Dierendonck explained recently as he cut steaks at a bloody chopping block in…
Read MoreLeo XIV To Address Faithful With St Peter’s Prayer
Pope Leo XIV will lead the Regina Coeli prayer from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, in his second official public appearance since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church. The noon (1000 GMT) prayer is expected to draw thousands of people anxious for a closer look at the modest pontiff, born Robert…
Read More‘Treasure Hunt’: Tourists Boost Sales At Japan’s Don Quijote Stores
Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from nostril-hair wax to compact gadgets and colourful party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists but also inflation at home. At a large Don Quijote store in Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya district, hundreds of tourists rush to fill their baskets with snacks…
Read MoreAs Trump Family’s Gulf Empire Grows, Rulers Seek Influence, Arms, Tech
Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s Gulf visit next week, his son Eric was promoting his crypto firm in Dubai, while Don Jr prepared to talk about “Monetising MAGA” in Doha. Last month, the Trump Organization struck its first luxury real estate deal in Qatar, and released details of a billion-dollar skyscraper in Dubai whose…
Read MoreS. Korea Conservatives Choose Presidential Candidate After Last-minute Chaos
South Korea’s People Power Party registered former labour minister Kim Moon-soo as its official presidential candidate on Sunday, a day after it attempted to cancel his candidacy. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has been in turmoil since former president Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted after he declared martial law in December. Last week, Kim…
Read MoreTrump Hails ‘Total Reset’ In US-China Trade Relations As Talks Continue
US President Donald Trump hailed a “total reset” in US-China trade relations, ahead of a second day of talks Sunday between top officials from Washington and Beijing aimed at de-escalating trade tensions sparked by his aggressive tariff rollout. In a Truth Social post early Sunday, Trump praised the “very good” discussions and deemed them “a…
Read MoreChampions League Race Hots Up As Man City Held, Villa Win
Manchester City were held to a shock goalless draw by Premier League basement club Southampton on Saturday while Aston Villa beat Bournemouth as the race for Champions League places hots up. Pep Guardiola’s dethroned champions were expected to waltz to three points on England’s south coast and pull level with second-placed Arsenal on 67 points.…
Read MoreIndia Claims Pakistan Violated Truce, Says It Is Retaliating
India accused Pakistan of violating a fragile ceasefire agreement Saturday and said it was retaliating, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the nuclear-armed neighbours had stepped back from the brink of full-blown war. There was no immediate response from Pakistan to the claim from Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri, who said there had…
Read MoreUS Envoy Calls Enrichment ‘Red Line’ Ahead Of New Iran Talks
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear talks Sunday in Oman ahead of a visit to the region by Donald Trump, whose key negotiator staked out an increasingly hard line on the issue of uranium enrichment. Trump, who will visit three other Gulf Arab monarchies next week, has voiced hope…
Read MoreGroundbreaking Cameroonian Curator Kouoh Dies: Cape Town Art Museum
Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, the head of the top contemporary art museum in Africa and first African woman appointed to lead the Venice Biennale, has died Saturday, the Zeitz MOCAA museum said. Born in 1967, Kouoh had headed the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), in South Africa’s Cape Town, since 2019. She…
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