Donald Trump

US Opens Door to Tariffs on Pharma, Semiconductors

The United States opened the door Monday to tariffs targeting high-end technology and pharmaceuticals, feeding the uncertainty gripping the global economy in a trade war that Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned can have "no winner." After weeks of indications such a move was coming, the US Commerce secretary formally announced ...

Ukraine-US Hold 'Constructive' Talks on Minerals Deal

Talks last week between the United States and Ukraine on a proposed minerals deal were "constructive," a senior official familiar with the discussions told AFP on Monday. "The meeting was normal, no problems; everyone says that they talked constructively," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, after a meeting in Washington on ...

Iran's Top Diplomat to Head to Russia after US Nuclear Talks

Iran's foreign minister is to visit ally Russia this week to discuss nuclear negotiations with the United States, ahead of a new round of talks between the foes planned for Rome. On Saturday, Abbas Araghchi held talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman -- the highest-level negotiations since the 2015 nuclear accord collapsed. US ...

European Stocks Jump Over 2% After Tech Tariff Exemptions

European stock markets rose sharply Monday after the United States announced exemptions from sweeping tariffs for smartphones, laptops, semiconductors and other electronic products, tempering trade war fears. Despite US President Donald Trump suggesting that the exemptions could be short-lived, European stocks rallied around two percent at the ...

Trump Says no One 'Off the Hook' on Tariffs but Markets Rise

Markets on Monday welcomed a US tariffs reprieve for electronics, but President Donald Trump warned no country would get "off the hook" in his trade war -- especially China. The world's two largest economies have been locked in a fast-moving game of brinkmanship since Trump launched a global tariff assault that particularly targeted ...

Meta Faces Landmark US Antitrust Trial

Social media juggernaut Meta stands trial on Monday facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors. By moving forward, the trial in a Washington federal court dashes the hopes of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg that the return of Donald Trump to the White ...

Chinese exports soared in March ahead of Trump's 'Liberation Day'

Chinese exports soared more than 12 percent last month, according to data Monday, beating expectations as businesses rushed to get ahead of swingeing tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on his so-called "Liberation Day". Beijing and Washington have been locked in a fast-moving, high-stakes game of brinkmanship since Trump launched a ...

Asian Stocks Rise on Electronics Tariffs Exemption, Gold Hits New High

Asian stocks rose Monday as trade war fears were tempered by Donald Trump's announcement of tariff exemptions for electronics, though the dollar weakened and safe-haven gold hit a fresh record amid fears the relief would be short-lived. After the wild gyrations witnessed last week, markets got off to a relatively stable start following news ...

Trump Replaces Obama Portrait with Painting of... Himself

Donald Trump took his rivalry with Barack Obama to the walls of the White House Friday, replacing a portrait of the former US president with one of himself surviving an assassination attempt. The 78-year-old Republican moved the picture of the Democrat, the only Black US president, to the opposite side of the famed residence's grand entrance ...