6 d. ago China can live with Trump’s tariffs – his bullish foreign policy will help Beijing in the long term | Steve Tsang

By turning his back on US allies and global institutions, Trump will help Xi Jinping advance his plan for a China-centric worldIs Donald Trump China’s worst nightmare or a dream come true? He is both, but not in equal measure. In the near-term, his tariff-led approach to trade will cause problems for Beijing. However, in just a few weeks he has done more damage to the liberal international order, the cohesion of the democratic west, and the US’s global standing, than all the combined efforts to undermine them in the entirety of the cold war. This goes beyond the wildest dreams China’s leaders could have had.The tariffs already levied are serious enough, and Beijing cannot but see them as a harbinger of more to come. Unlike during his first term, this time Trump seems prepared to deliver the threats he makes. With China’s economy already misfiring, an intensified trade war is the last thing Beijing needs, despite the bravado of its diplomats.Steve Tsang is director of the China Insti...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump confirms detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil: ‘the first arrest of many to come’ – live

Trump says Ice took the Palestinian student protester into custody after his executive order‘Reeks of McCarthyism’: outrage after Ice detains Palestinian student activistSecretary of state Marco Rubio has announced that USAid will cancel the majority of its programs, while the rest will be folded into the state department.Writing on X, Rubio said:After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump confirms arrest and detention of Palestinian activist: ‘the first arrest of many to come’ – live

Trump says Ice took Mahmoud Khalil into custody after his executive order‘Reeks of McCarthyism’: outrage after Ice detains Palestinian student activistSecretary of state Marco Rubio has announced that USAid will cancel the majority of its programs, while the rest will be folded into the state department.Writing on X, Rubio said:After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Marco Rubio announces cancellation of most USAid programs – live

Secretary of state says on social media that 83% of the programs at USAid are being cancelledSecretary of state Marco Rubio has announced that USAid will cancel the majority of its programs, while the rest will be folded into the state department.Writing on X, Rubio said:After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump administration cancels $400m in grants and contracts to Columbia University over ‘harassment of Jewish students’ – live

The New York university has been a target of the Trump administration after it became a major encampment for students protesting the war in GazaCanadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has scrambled to convince Donald Trump to lift tariffs on his country, which together with Mexico and China is one of the US’s largest trading partners.That effort included a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, which appears to have had some effect – on Thursday, Trump exempted Canada from some of the tariffs he had imposed, along with Mexico.Trudeau responded Tuesday by placing tariffs on the US, and he questioned whether further negotiations would make any difference, accusing Trump of acting in “bad faith.” The two leaders eventually spoke Wednesday morning, an exchange Trump said ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner. A person familiar with the matter said the call grew heated and included profanity. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump claims it’s ‘easier’ to deal with Russia for Ukraine ceasefire and says he’s planning tariffs on Canadian lumber and dairy – live

Asked whether he believes Putin wants peace, US president says ‘I believe him’Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has scrambled to convince Donald Trump to lift tariffs on his country, which together with Mexico and China is one of the US’s largest trading partners.That effort included a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, which appears to have had some effect – on Thursday, Trump exempted Canada from some of the tariffs he had imposed, along with Mexico.Trudeau responded Tuesday by placing tariffs on the US, and he questioned whether further negotiations would make any difference, accusing Trump of acting in “bad faith.” The two leaders eventually spoke Wednesday morning, an exchange Trump said ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner. A person familiar with the matter said the call grew heated and included profanity. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Trump touts private sector jobs in latest employment data – live

Comments come as Trump vows to dramatically downsize government, including with mass firings of federal employeesCanadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has scrambled to convince Donald Trump to lift tariffs on his country, which together with Mexico and China is one of the US’s largest trading partners.That effort included a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, which appears to have had some effect – on Thursday, Trump exempted Canada from some of the tariffs he had imposed, along with Mexico.Trudeau responded Tuesday by placing tariffs on the US, and he questioned whether further negotiations would make any difference, accusing Trump of acting in “bad faith.” The two leaders eventually spoke Wednesday morning, an exchange Trump said ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner. A person familiar with the matter said the call grew heated and included profanity. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump to make unscheduled address after calling tariff exemptions on Canada and Mexico ‘a fair thing to do’ – live

White House announces president will speak from the Oval Office but the subject of the address was not specifiedCanadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has scrambled to convince Donald Trump to lift tariffs on his country, which together with Mexico and China is one of the US’s largest trading partners.That effort included a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, which appears to have had some effect – on Thursday, Trump exempted Canada from some of the tariffs he had imposed, along with Mexico.Trudeau responded Tuesday by placing tariffs on the US, and he questioned whether further negotiations would make any difference, accusing Trump of acting in “bad faith.” The two leaders eventually spoke Wednesday morning, an exchange Trump said ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner. A person familiar with the matter said the call grew heated and included profanity. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Donald Trump says he sent letter to Iran to negotiate nuclear deal – US politics live

President tells Fox ‘I think they want to get that letter because we can’t let another nuclear weapon’Tens of thousands of US federal employees could lose their jobs after the Trump administration moves to reduce the size of the federal workforce dramatically.With Elon Musk at the helm of the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), which is overseeing efforts to cull federal employment, the White House has embarked on multiple plans to cut down on virtually all areas of federal employment. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago China vows action over ‘arbitrary’ tariffs as Trump pauses measures against Canada and Mexico – US politics live

Foreign minister calls measures ‘two-faced acts’ Staff on hundreds of foreign aid projects left in limbo by the Trump administration’s funding freeze have received a survey that asks them to justify their work under an eccentric list of criteria that meet the White House’s new national security priorities.The survey, copies of which have been obtained by the Guardian, asks foreign aid programme staff to detail whether they contribute to limiting illegal immigration or securing US borders, “combatting Christian prosecution”,and whether they help the US secure access to rare earth minerals.Trump told his cabinet secretaries that they are in charge of hiring and firings at their agencies, not Elon Musk.The House has voted to censure Democratic congressman Al Green for disrupting Trump’s address to this week’s joint session of Congress. The motion was approved with 224 votes in favor and 198 opposed, with 10 Democrats in support.In an escalation of his pressure campaign, Trump said the ...

Politics

2 w. ago U.S. forecast to enter recession after Trump crashes markets with tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico: Live

President’s trade aggression causes unease after he suspends American aid for Ukraine

Economics

2 w. ago Trump threatens China with additional 10% tariff in escalation of trade war

US president also insists delayed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on 4 MarchUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has threatened China with an additional 10% tariff on its exports to the US, setting the stage for another significant escalation in his trade war with Beijing.The US president also claimed that he plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, having delayed their imposition last month following talks with his counterparts. Continue reading...

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