Rod Rosenstein, key figure in Trump probe, set to leave US justice department: reports January 9, 2019 US deputy attorney-general Rod Rosenstein, a key figure in the probe into Russia’s role in the 2016 US presidential election, is set to leave the Department of Justice in the coming weeks, according to multiple reports. Rosenstein is likely to leave after the appointment of William Barr, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Jeff Sessions [...]
Markets lift as US-China trade talks reach conclusion January 9, 2019 Trade talks in Beijing between China and the US have concluded, with the results of the negotiations expected to be announced shortly. Asian markets lifted this morning on hopes that a deal had been secured. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed up more than two per cent and the Shanghai Composite was up almost one [...]
A Brexit negotiated by Trump would have been a wild ride January 8, 2019 How would Donald Trump have approached negotiating Brexit? A few months ago, several commentators mused over this exact question. The current game of chicken between the President and Democrats in Congress, resulting in a partial US government shutdown, is perhaps the best insight we’ll get. And it shows the wild ride that a Prime Minister [...]
Financial markets 2018: the year in review January 7, 2019 | City Talk After two years of steady growth in asset prices, 2018 proved more of a challenge for investors, particularly in the last three months of the year. US president Donald Trump’s tax cuts had provided an added boost for investors heading into 2018, and US GDP growth accelerated to 4.2 per cent on an annualised quarterly basis [...]
Forex 2019: Dollar rally to fade? January 7, 2019 | City Talk The course of 2018 saw a firming in the US dollar against just about every other currency. But the factors that contributed to this steady rise may be starting to diminish. The big question facing the FX markets this year is whether the dollar can continue to push higher or whether the softening in December [...]
Asian markets boosted as US officials land in China for first round of fresh trade talks January 7, 2019 US officials have arrived in China for the first round of talks between the two countries since a 90-day truce was called on their ongoing trade war at the start of December. Asian markets were optimistic the two could make a breakthrough on Monday, with the Nikkei jumping more than three per cent and smaller [...]
Trump strikes upbeat tone on talks with China ahead of crucial trade summit January 6, 2019 President Donald Trump reiterated his confidence in striking a trade deal with China this evening after insisting that weaknesses in Beijing’s economy gave the country incentives to work with the US. Ahead of crunch talks between US and Chinese trade representatives in Beijing later this week, Trump said: “I think China wants to get it resolved. [...]
Donald Trump threatens to use executive power to build border wall as government shutdown talks continue January 5, 2019 US President Donald Trump has threatened to use his executive powers to force through his proposal for a border wall between the United States and Mexico with the government still in shutdown. A meeting will take place this weekend between a team of Democrats and trio of Republicans led by vice-president Mike Pence as they look [...]
US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell says he would refuse to step down if asked to by Trump January 4, 2019 US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has said he will not resign even if he is asked to by president Donald Trump. Powell responded “no” when asked whether he would resign if asked by the president at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting, CNBC reported. Powell was appointed by Trump, however the president has become [...]
House votes to end shutdown despite Trump veto threat over border wall January 4, 2019 The US House of Representatives has voted to end the partial government shutdown without funding President Donald Trump’s border wall. The congress, which is now under Democrat control, passed a bill to fund homeland security until 8 February, as well as measures to fund other federal agencies currently affected by the shutdown. But the move [...]