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 [...]
Government sets date for Brexit vote as MPs urge May to avoid no-deal departure January 7, 2019 The government is set to hold the delayed parliamentary vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal on 15 January, it is reported. The original vote was scheduled for 11 December, but was delayed as parliamentary arithmetic made it clear that May’s deal faced a heavy defeat. Now, the BBC reports that the vote is scheduled to [...]
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. [...]
Theresa May urges MPs to back her Brexit deal as crunch vote approaches January 6, 2019 Theresa May has issued another plea to MPs to back her Brexit deal, saying it is the only way to honour the result of the referendum and protect jobs. MPs will return to parliament tomorrow where they will be preparing for the second vote on Brexit, after the first was ceremoniously pulled by May in the [...]
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 [...]
‘No way’ DUP will back May’s Brexit deal, says senior party member January 4, 2019 A senior DUP member has said there is “no way” his party will back Theresa May’s Brexit deal due to concerns over the backstop agreement. Sammy Wilson, who is Brexit spokesperson for the DUP, said he was “more alarmed” than ever about the impact the deal would have on Northern Ireland. “It’s not just because of [...]
Government finds 150 lorries to test Dover crossing congestion in case of no-deal Brexit January 4, 2019 Operation Brock, the system designed to minimise disruption at the border in the event of a no-deal Brexit, will be tested for the first time next week. A total of 150 HGV lorries will trial the route from Manston Airport to Dover as part of the Department for Transport’s contingency planning for the UK’s departure from [...]
Brexit in 2019: The only certainty is uncertainty January 4, 2019 Predicting what will happen in the world of politics is a notoriously difficult task at the best of times, but in the current all-bets-are-off climate, surely only a fool would give it a go. City A.M.’s Owen Bennett is that fool, and here are his tips for what to look out for. Brexit May's Brexit [...]
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 [...]