Hammond spies end of UK’s deficit despite Budget spending increase November 5, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond has said he believes the government’s target of eliminating the UK’s deficit is “within touching distance”, despite ramping up public spending and tax cuts in the Budget. Appearing before the Treasury Select Committee this evening, Hammond denied his 2016 plans to reach a budget surplus by the mid-2020s had been abandoned. However, he [...]
The US midterms show that mixing politics and advertising makes a volatile concoction November 5, 2018 The US midterm elections tomorrow are set to be a significant milestone. With record voter attendance expected and the structural balance of Congress at stake, these midterms will either reduce Donald Trump’s power, or give him a mandate to pursue his political goals. It is of no surprise then, with so much on the line, [...]
US imposes ‘toughest ever’ sanctions on Iran hitting key oil sector November 5, 2018 The US has imposed its “toughest ever” round of sanctions on Iran hitting the nation's key oil export sector. Major parts of the Iranian economy including oil exports, shipping and banking will be affected, as President Donald Trump reintroduces sanctions that were scrapped under the Iran nuclear deal. Crowds gathered in Tehran yesterday evening with [...]
Markets rally as Trump claims US and China are discussing possible trade agreement November 2, 2018 Markets moved upwards this morning on hopes the US’s trade war with China might be easing. The Stoxx Europe 600 – which tracks Europe’s biggest firms including the FTSE 100 – rose by one per cent while Asian stocks rallied. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index grew by over four per cent and China's Shanghai Composite [...]
Trump ramps up the pressure on Venezuela with fresh sanctions November 1, 2018 US President Donald Trump today turned up the heat on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, signing an executive order to place new sanctions that will affect the country’s gold exports. The order bans anyone in the US from engaging with people or businesses involved in “corrupt or deceptive” Venezuelan gold sales, which Trump believes had been used [...]
US restricts Chinese chip maker from buying American parts October 30, 2018 The US is to curb American firms from exporting goods to a state-supported Chinese chip maker over national security concerns, in a move that is likely to exacerbate the brewing trade war tensions between Beijing and Washington, D.C. In a statement this morning the US Commerce Department said Chinese company Fujian Jinhua would not be [...]
Police intercept another suspicious package sent to CNN as suspect set to appear in court October 29, 2018 A third suspicious package sent to CNN in a week was intercepted in Atlanta today. The package was identical to the others allegedly sent by pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc, the news agency reported. "There is no imminent danger to the CNN Center,” CNN president Jeff Zucker told staff in a memo, according to CNN. [...]
Suspect arrested after pipe bombs addressed to Democratic senator and former intelligence chief intercepted October 26, 2018 A suspect has been arrested in connection with the pipe bomb campaign against prominent critics of US President Donald Trump. Federal authorities arrested a man in Florida, US officials say. The arrest comes hours after two further home made bombs addressed to former US intelligence head James Clapper and Democratic senator Cory Booker were intercepted [...]
Market falls: cause for alarm or calm? October 26, 2018 | City Talk Stock markets globally have been falling since the end of September. Economic worries including a potential trade war between the US and China, currency crises in Turkey and Argentina, debt problems in Italy and rising interest rates have seen stocks globally begin to fall from record highs. As the chart shows, since 31 August emerging [...]
Police intercept suspicious package addressed to former US vice president Joe Biden October 25, 2018 Police said today that they have intercepted a suspicious package addressed to former US vice president Joe Biden. The package is similar to pipe bombs sent to several prominent Democrats, a restaurant belonging to actor Robert de Niro and news studio CNN. Bomb squads are dealing with the package in a Delaware postal centre, NBC [...]