‘Constructive’: US and China meet in bid to cool tensions June 18, 2023 US secretary of state Anthony Blinken and China’s foreign minister Qin Gang met today in Beijing to begin a two-day set of talks. Whilst neither side expects a major breakthrough to emerge, US officials said the main goal is to stabilise a relationship that has become extremely tense. The talks come at a time of [...]
Sunak defence deal takes off as UK and US launch space rocket June 15, 2023 A new space rocket is catalysing a defence deal struck by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and president Joe Biden between the UK and the US last week. Oxford-based startup Pulsar Fusion and aerospace company Princeton Satellite Systems are joining forces to build a “hyper-fast” rocket which can travel from Earth to Saturn’s moons in under [...]
US debt ceiling: Joe Biden expected to sign legislation two days before deadline June 3, 2023 President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation to raise the US debt ceiling, just two days before the US Treasury warned that the country would struggle to pay its bills. The bipartisan measure, which was approved this week by the US house and senate, eliminates the potential for an unprecedented government default. “Passing this [...]
US Senate approves debt ceiling bill narrowly avoiding traumatic default June 2, 2023 The US Senate approved a deal to lift the debt ceiling yesterday, avoiding a traumatic federal default by a matter of days. 63 senators backed the proposals on Thursday night after the deal secured bipartisan support in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of voting that the Bill’s [...]
US debt ceiling: “Agreement in principle” to end default showdown May 28, 2023 The White House has reached an “agreement in principle” with the Republicans on a deal to limit federal spending and resolve a looming debt crisis, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has confirmed. The deal on a two-year budget is believed to include a debt-limit increase and enhanced work requirements for food aid. Mr McCarthy said he [...]
Mike Lynch: UK tech tycoon who founded software firm Autonomy is extradited to US May 12, 2023 British technology tycoon Mike Lynch has been extradited to the US to face criminal charges. The founder of software firm Autonomy, who was once dubbed the UK’s Bill Gates, will stand trial on charges including fraud, which he denies. It comes weeks after he lost an appeal last month following an almost four-year court battle [...]
Cleverly talks down hopes of US trade deal on Washington trip May 10, 2023 Foreign secretary James Cleverly has talked down hopes of a UK-US trade deal during a visit to Washington DC. Speaking in the US on Tuesday, Cleverly said the government was not “prioritising” a free trade agreement (FTA) but aiming for “real economic coordination” with the superpower. His comments came at a press conference with US [...]
Ukraine ‘downs Russian hypersonic missile’ May 6, 2023 Ukraine’s air force claims to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using Patriot defence systems recently acquired from allies. It is the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow’s most modern missiles. Air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile was intercepted [...]
Joe Biden confirms 2024 White House run – meaning oldest president in history would be 86 at end of second term April 25, 2023 US president Joe Biden has confirmed he is running for reelection to the White House in 2024. The announcement came in a three-minute long video posted to Biden’s personal Twitter feed. His pitch to US voters opens with the word ‘Freedom’ and is narrated by the 46th president himself. The Democratic Party is almost certain [...]
Post Brexit UK-US trade deal talks still on ice as Biden visits Northern Ireland April 12, 2023 Talks between the US and the UK on a post-Brexit free trade deal are not expected to resume until 2025, according to reports. Prime minister Rishi Sunak and US president Joe Biden are not said to have discussed the matter during a visit to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday [...]