57 m. ago Trump says US Justice Department may owe him ‘a lot of money’ over probes

US President Donald Trump said he believed the Justice Department probably owes him compensation, following a report that he was seeking some US$230 million after he faced multiple federal investigations. “As far as all the litigation, everything that’s going on, yeah, they probably owe me a lot of money,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday at the White House. The New York Times reported earlier that Trump had initiated administrative claim processes alleging violations of his rights. The...

Politics

2 h. ago Trump says Ukraine talks with Putin off for now, doesn’t want ‘wasted meeting’

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his plan for a swift meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was on hold because he doesn’t want it to be a “waste of time”. It was the latest twist in Trump’s stop-and-go effort to resolve the war in Ukraine. The decision to hold off on the meeting in Budapest, Hungary, which Trump had announced last week, was made following a call on Monday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “I don’t want to have...

Politics

2 h. ago Can Trump’s pragmatism override China hawks to keep ties from rupture?

China’s rocky trade relationship with the United States was on full display this month as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports. Separately, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denounced China’s move to expand curbs on rare earth exports, calling it “a sign of how weak their economy is”. He also described Li Chenggang, one of China’s trade negotiators, as “pretty unhinged and very aggressive”. Trade ties between the rival powers remain fraught, even...

Politics

2 h. ago Can Trump’s gut instinct win over Xi Jinping at Apec summit?

US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics...

Politics

2 h. ago Can Donald Trump’s gut instinct win over Xi Jinping at Apec summit?

US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics...

Politics

7 h. ago Europe, Ukraine prepare plan to end war, proposing peace board headed by Trump

European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia’s war along current battle lines, pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s renewed demands to the US for Kyiv to surrender territory in return for a peace deal. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee implementation of the proposed plan, according to people familiar with the matter. Once Russia follows Ukraine in agreeing to a ceasefire and both sides commit to halting territorial advances, the...

Politics

12 h. ago Why Trump’s ‘best for business’ diplomacy will fail with Russia or China

“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader. The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long...

Politics

13 h. ago Trump isn’t serious about deterring Beijing from attacking Taiwan: poll

Most people in Taiwan do not see US President Donald Trump as serious about deterring Beijing from a possible attack on the self-ruled island, according to a recent poll released on Tuesday. Asked whether Trump was willing to prevent mainland China from “invading Taiwan by force”, 44.8 per cent of the 1,070 respondents said no, while 34.3 per cent said yes in the poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation between October 13 and 15. And on a question as to whether the US leader was...

Politics

16 h. ago Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,...

Events

18 h. ago Air strikes and insults: Trump’s feud with Colombia threatens key alliance

For decades, Colombia and the United States have been devoted allies, sharing military intelligence, a robust trade relationship and a multibillion-dollar fight against drug trafficking. Now that is all at risk as the US ramps up deadly air strikes off Colombia’s coast and the leaders of both nations trade scathing verbal attacks. US President Donald Trump called Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter and Colombia’s first leftist president, an “illegal drug dealer”. Petro called Trump “rude”...

Events

24 h. ago US appeal court lets Trump send National Guard troops to Portland

A divided US appeal court ruled on Monday that US President Donald Trump can send National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon, despite objections by the leaders of the city and state, giving the Republican president an important legal victory as he dispatches military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led locales. A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Justice Department’s request to put on hold a judge’s order that had blocked the deployment while a legal...

Politics

27 h. ago Demolition begins on East Wing of the White House to build Trump’s new ballroom

The White House on Monday started tearing down part of the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady, to build US President Donald Trump’s ballroom. The Washington Post shared dramatic photos of the demolition work on its website showing a backhoe tearing through the East Wing, with windows and other building parts in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched from a park near the Treasury Department, which is next door to the East Wing. The clearing of trees and other...

Politics

27 h. ago Trump begins White House demolition to prepare for new US$250 million ballroom

Demolition crews were tearing down part of the White House’s storied East Wing on Monday to begin building US President Donald Trump’s ballroom, a project he had said would not interfere with the existing landmark. Large construction equipment was seen picking apart the facade of the building, a part of the White House complex that has housed the first lady’s offices, a theatre and a visitor’s entrance that welcomes foreign dignitaries. The ballroom project is expected to cost upwards of US$250...

Politics

27 h. ago Demolition begins at White House for Trump’s US$250 million ballroom

Demolition crews were tearing down part of the White House’s storied East Wing on Monday to begin building US President Donald Trump’s ballroom, a project he had said would not interfere with the existing landmark. Large construction equipment was seen picking apart the facade of the building, a part of the White House complex that has housed the first lady’s offices, a theatre, and a visitor’s entrance that welcomes foreign dignitaries. The ballroom project is expected to cost upwards of US$250...

Politics

30 h. ago Trump downplays Beijing threat to Taiwan as Australia touts rare earths deal

After nearly a year waiting to meet US President Donald Trump, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to argue his country’s strategic value Monday – only for the “America first” leader to dominate the encounter by opining that Beijing had no plans to invade Taiwan and posed no real threat in the Indo-Pacific. “China doesn’t want to do that,” he insisted on Taiwan, during a press gaggle alongside Albanese, but later stated that the island will be one of the topics of discussion when...

Politics

33 h. ago Argentina formalises US$20 billion lifeline from Trump as Milei faces poll test

Argentina on Monday formalised a currency swap agreement with the United States for up to US$20 billion aimed “at contributing to Argentina’s economic stability,” the South American country’s central bank said. The deal is part of huge financial support from the administration of Donald Trump, a strong backer of Argentine President Javier Milei, who is under pressure ahead of midterm elections on October 26. The peso has been fluctuating wildly ahead of the vote, disrupting the savings and...

Politics

39 h. ago Will Zelensky join Trump and Putin in Budapest for peace talks? Only if invited

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would be ready to join Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump at their summit in Hungary if he is invited. Trump and Putin said they would meet in the Hungarian capital, possibly in a matter of weeks, as the US leader continues to try to broker a peace deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion. “If I am invited to Budapest – if it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three...

Politics

40 h. ago China's rare earth clampdown reopens fault lines in US trade relations

China's rare earth clampdown reopens fault lines in US trade relations  digitimes

Politics

45 h. ago End Russian oil imports or ‘massive’ tariffs will remain, Trump warns India

US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him India would stop buying Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue paying “massive” tariffs if it did not do so. “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Asked about India’s assertion that it was not aware of any conversation between Modi and Trump, Trump replied: “But if they...

Events

52 h. ago President Trump defends approach to China during Fox News interview

President Trump defends approach to China during Fox News interview  Straight Arrow News

Politics