Acting US defense secretary will send more missiles
I don’t know much about military affairs but I don’t have a shadow of a doubt that if Iran attacked the US it would be a very, very big mistake.
Archives of “Politics” category
rssNorth Korea said to have fired unidentified projectile
Yonhap reports, citing a leading South Korean official
No further details at this point, but I’ll update if there’s anything worth noting. I would assume it’s just another missile test but you can never really rule out anything these days.
Update: Projectile launch was said to be at 1630 local time and was fired eastward from northwest. Doesn’t look like it’s anything too serious but this continues to undermine the “trust” in the relationship between Kim and Trump surely.
South Korea Foreign Minister says Trump and Kim are willing to hold a 3rd summit!
Comments from the SK foreign minister
- Says North Korea did not show change in its nuclear strategy
- Trump and Kim are willing to hold a third summit
Srsly … those two statement together do not make much sense. Why meet again when the first one produced nothing and the second ended in a debacle?
Still, comments from South Korea. Gotta give him some latitude as he (and his countrymen and woman) have to live next door to the dangerous nut job.
Reuters report: Canada farm minister informed that China has blocked two Canadian pork exporters
The Chinese government has informed Canada’s agriculture department that two Canadian pork exporters have had their export permits suspended.
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said she has not yet received an official notice from China of the permit suspensions
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Curious news. I would have though with all the strife in China’s domestic pork industry restring import would be low on the list of actions to take.
US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin on trade talks with China. Says he had a nice dinner on Tuesday.
Srsly. Mnuchin says he met with the Chinese delegation head Vice Premier Liu He on Tuesday.
- They had a nice working dinner
This is likely the closest comment we’ll get to the truth out of the talks this week.
It does look like a lot of fun was had TBH.Chinese president Xi reportedly could travel to US to sign trade deal as early as June
SCMP reports, citing sources familiar with the matter
The report says that Xi’s visit will be arrange once trade negotiators finalise a deal to end the tariffs war. Adding that Xi is open to the idea of travelling to the US immediately if the two sides can finalise a deal, also saying that “June is an option but it could be later”.
Ugh. Too many caveats there for my liking i.e. “if” and “could be later”. Didn’t we see the something along the same headlines for a deal to be signed in April or May? I would be a bit skeptical if this report spurs a more risk-on tone in markets today.
ICYMI: North Korea’s Kim says US acted in ‘bad faith’ during talks in Vietnam
KCNA reports
The report says Kim told Putin that “the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point”, warning that the situation may “return to its original state” as the UK chose to act in ‘bad faith’ during recent talks.
While North Korea risk hasn’t really done much for markets in recent months, it’s best not to discount it completely given recent developments.
North Korea dictator Kim on his way to Russia for talks with Putin
Kim Jong UN is taking the train, so it could be a while before he arrives in Moscow.
Trump’s state visit to Britain confirmed for early June
Donald Trump’s long-awaited state visit to the UK will take place on June 3-5, Buckingham Palace and Downing Street have confirmed.
The US president and first lady will be a guest of the Queen during the visit and also hold talks with prime minister Theresa May in Downing Street. President Trump will also attend an event in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, involving live performances and military displays.
Number 10 said the event would be “one of the greatest British military spectacles in recent history” involving a fly-past of RAF aircraft and more than 11 Royal Navy vessels.
“The UK and United States have a deep and enduring partnership that is rooted in our common history and shared interests,” said Mrs May. “We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our co-operation.”
When President Trump last visited Britain in the summer of 2017 there were demonstrations in London and in other cities.
He also sparked controversy by criticising Mrs May in an interview with The Sun newspaper that ran the day before he met the UK leader. Mr Trump criticised the way she was handling Brexit and suggested that a US-UK trade deal was unlikely, although he rapidly backtracked.
A ‘powerful backbench figure’ will demand Theresa May resign tomorrow – report
Report from the Mail on Sunday
Harry Cole, deputy political editor at the Mail on Sunday, says a former Theresa May loyalist and ‘powerful backbench figure’ will be going public on Tuesday morning to demand that Theresa May resigns.
UK politics has been quiet for the past week because of Easter but the cannons will be firing again in the day ahead.
Cable is at session lows, down 15 pips to 1.2978, threatening Friday’s low of 1.2976.