Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump’s administration announced Wednesday it would soon ban flavored e-cigarette products to stem a rising tide of youth users, following a spike in vaping-linked deaths. The move could later be extended to an outright prohibition of vaping if adolescents migrate to tobacco …
Read More »Trump fires hawkish national security chief Bolton
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the firing of hawkish national security advisor John Bolton, a move widely seen as boosting the president’s push to negotiate with US foes in Afghanistan, North Korea and other trouble spots. Trump, who said he had disagreed “strongly” with …
Read More »In bombshell, Trump calls off secret summit, talks with Taliban
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump said Saturday he had called off a secret summit with the Taliban and Afghanistan’s leader, abruptly slamming the door on a year of diplomacy to end America’s longest war. In a Saturday evening bombshell, Trump said that he had planned unprecedented, …
Read More »Trump hardens tone on China as trade war rattles economy
Washington, United States | AFP | Amid fresh signs his trade wars are rattling the US economy, President Donald Trump on Tuesday sent stern warnings to China, urging the Pacific power not to drag its feet in trade negotiations. After a month of escalations in the year-long battle with Beijing, Trump …
Read More »Trump moves ahead with new tariffs on Chinese products
Washington, United States | AFP | Washington moved ahead Sunday with new tariffs on Chinese imports as it stepped up a high-pressure campaign aimed at coercing Beijing to sign a new trade deal even amid fears of a further slowing of US and world growth. The additional 15 percent tariffs, affecting …
Read More »Trump cancels Poland visit as hurricane heads for Florida
Miami, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump canceled a trip to Poland as Hurricane Dorian headed towards Florida, strengthening on Thursday to a Category 2 storm. Trump, who had been scheduled to attend World War II anniversary commemorations this weekend, said he would focus instead on preparations for …
Read More »In first press brief, Pentagon chief aims to keep Trump happy
Washington, United States | AFP | New US Defense Secretary Mark Esper picked his way through a political minefield in his first public meeting with the media Wednesday, skirting anything that could irritate his irascible boss President Donald Trump. Just hours after predecessor James Mattis wrote that Trump’s policies toward US …
Read More »Trump in Warsaw, 80 years after WWII outbreak
Warsaw, Poland | AFP | US President Donald Trump, fresh from hob-nobbing with his G7 partners at a glitzy French resort town, will on Sunday attend sombre commemorations in Warsaw of the outbreak of World War II 80 years ago. Trump will be the first US head of state to come …
Read More »Could Trump gamble big on Iran? Skepticism reigns
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 …
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