Forget Trump, the midterms are about populism November 6, 2018 When the results of the US midterms start to come in this evening, some here in the UK will roll their eyes and think “what a crazy country”. Others will wonder why Britain and America are such anomalies with Brexit and Trump, and wish that we could be more like, say, Germany. The truth is [...]
Truce or dare: A Trump stunt, or the end of the US-China trade war? November 6, 2018 Last Thursday, Donald Trump took to Twitter to tell the world that trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping were “moving along nicely”. His words prompted a rise in Asian stock markets; the Shanghai Composite index climbed by almost 2.7 per cent during trading on Friday, and the Hang Seng surged by about 4.2 per cent, [...]
Which way for markets? It’s all about the midterms November 6, 2018 Americans will cast their vote in the US midterm elections today, and the results will set the tone for stock markets around the world. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, while 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be on offer too. The big picture result will centre around [...]
Hammond spies end of UK’s deficit despite Budget spending increase November 5, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond has said he believes the government’s target of eliminating the UK’s deficit is “within touching distance”, despite ramping up public spending and tax cuts in the Budget. Appearing before the Treasury Select Committee this evening, Hammond denied his 2016 plans to reach a budget surplus by the mid-2020s had been abandoned. However, he [...]
The US midterms show that mixing politics and advertising makes a volatile concoction November 5, 2018 The US midterm elections tomorrow are set to be a significant milestone. With record voter attendance expected and the structural balance of Congress at stake, these midterms will either reduce Donald Trump’s power, or give him a mandate to pursue his political goals. It is of no surprise then, with so much on the line, [...]
US imposes ‘toughest ever’ sanctions on Iran hitting key oil sector November 5, 2018 The US has imposed its “toughest ever” round of sanctions on Iran hitting the nation's key oil export sector. Major parts of the Iranian economy including oil exports, shipping and banking will be affected, as President Donald Trump reintroduces sanctions that were scrapped under the Iran nuclear deal. Crowds gathered in Tehran yesterday evening with [...]
Markets rally as Trump claims US and China are discussing possible trade agreement November 2, 2018 Markets moved upwards this morning on hopes the US’s trade war with China might be easing. The Stoxx Europe 600 – which tracks Europe’s biggest firms including the FTSE 100 – rose by one per cent while Asian stocks rallied. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index grew by over four per cent and China's Shanghai Composite [...]
Trump ramps up the pressure on Venezuela with fresh sanctions November 1, 2018 US President Donald Trump today turned up the heat on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, signing an executive order to place new sanctions that will affect the country’s gold exports. The order bans anyone in the US from engaging with people or businesses involved in “corrupt or deceptive” Venezuelan gold sales, which Trump believes had been used [...]
US restricts Chinese chip maker from buying American parts October 30, 2018 The US is to curb American firms from exporting goods to a state-supported Chinese chip maker over national security concerns, in a move that is likely to exacerbate the brewing trade war tensions between Beijing and Washington, D.C. In a statement this morning the US Commerce Department said Chinese company Fujian Jinhua would not be [...]
Police intercept another suspicious package sent to CNN as suspect set to appear in court October 29, 2018 A third suspicious package sent to CNN in a week was intercepted in Atlanta today. The package was identical to the others allegedly sent by pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc, the news agency reported. "There is no imminent danger to the CNN Center,” CNN president Jeff Zucker told staff in a memo, according to CNN. [...]