Antony Blinken and the tragedy of America’s foreign policy establishment November 30, 2020 I was recently speaking to an DC-insider friend of mine about the appointment of Antony Blinken as America’s next secretary of state. My old colleague — a veteran of my seminal struggles with the neo-conservatives around the time of the Iraq War, a passionate Republican Never-Trumper and card-carrying member of the Washington establishment — summed [...]
Before the bell: Calm day expected as US celebrates Thanksgiving November 26, 2020 Equity markets were relatively quiet yesterday as some dealers banked their profits from the ground that was gained earlier in the week. “The mood in the markets was assisted by the growing feeling that there will be a smooth had over of power from President Trump to President-elect, Joe Biden,” David Madden, market analyst at [...]
Before the bell: Quiet start for Europe as all eyes are on US data November 25, 2020 It was another bullish day for global stock markets yesterday as sentiment was lifted by the vaccine hopes as well as the prospect of President Trump departing from his role in January in a calm and measured manner. The update on Monday from AstraZeneca-Oxford University that its potential Covid-19 vaccine has made great progress in [...]
Investor sentiment in City upbeat as Trump hints at orderly transfer of power November 24, 2020 Despite the lacklustre start to this week’s trading, investor sentiment in the City and beyond is certainly becoming much less pessimistic. This renewed push appears to have come about as a result of overnight events in the US, where Joe Biden is starting the transition process to a new US administration next year. “President Trump [...]
Trumped: President gives green light for peaceful transition of power to Joe Biden November 24, 2020 After weeks of pushback, President Donald Trump’s administration last night cleared the ground for President-elect Joe Biden to enter the White House. The Repuplican has repeatedly claimed widespread voter fraud since the 3 November presidential election, but failed to muster up any evidence. His administration has instead filed legal challenges to vote counts across the [...]
In tearing up America’s democratic norms, Donald Trump leaves behind a poisonous legacy November 15, 2020 As I write this, with the states of Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina circling around him, the first term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States is about to come to a shattering end. Notice that I said first term. For there is little doubt that the Republican Party remains [...]
Trump acknowledges Biden won US election, even though it was ‘rigged’ November 15, 2020 President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge publicly for the first time today that Democrat Joe Biden won the US presidential election, even though he asserted that it was “rigged”, reiterating his false claims of widespread voting fraud. Trump acknowledged Biden’s victory in a Twitter post in which he listed unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. Biden defeated [...]
China urges US to stop ‘arbitrary suppression of investments’ November 13, 2020 China hit back at Trump’s ban on U.S. companies investing in firms linked to the Chinese military. During a press conference earlier today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin answered a reporter’s question on the ban by saying the US should stop its “arbitrary suppression of investments”. He added that the US government had been [...]
China congratulates Joe Biden on presidency after week-long silence November 13, 2020 China’s foreign ministry has broken its week-long silence to congratulate US President-elect Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris on their White House victory. “We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular daily briefing. In a faint [...]
Trump bans US investments in firms controlled by Chinese military November 12, 2020 Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning U.S. investments in Chinese firms that Washington says are owned or controlled by its military. The order could impact some of China’s biggest companies, including telecoms firms China Telecom Corp Ltd, China Mobile Ltd and surveillance equipment maker Hikvision. The move is designed to deter U.S. investment [...]