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President Donald Trump said on Friday (Feb 15) the trade negotiations with China were going "extremely well" and again offered the possibility of extending the Mar 1 deadline for a sharp rise in punitive tariffs. (Left-right) US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Feb 15, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Mark Schiefelbein) Senior officials completed two days of high-stakes talks in Beijing on Friday as they try to avert the US threat to more than double tariffs on US$200 billion in Chinese goods, which would be an unwelcome shock to the world's second largest economy as it already has shown signs of slowing. "It is going extremely well," Trump said of the talks. "The tariffs are hurting China very badly. They don't want them and frankly if we can make the deal it would be my honour to remove them," he told reporters at the White House. The president confirmed his comments … [Read more...] about Trump says could extend China tariff deadline

DIYARBAKIR: Turkish police on Friday (Feb 15) prevented supporters from rallying outside the home of a pro-Kurdish lawmaker on hunger strike for 100 days. Guven launched her hunger strike on November 8 AFP/ILYAS AKENGIN The protest bid coincides with the 20th anniversary of the capture of Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is jailed in a notorious prison island near Istanbul. Leyla Guven of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), launched her action on Nov 8 while in jail to protest against Ocalan's prison conditions. She was freed last month under judicial supervision but continued her protest, refusing any treatment. Guven, 55, is consuming only sugared- or salted water. Police on Friday blocked supporters from approaching Guven's house in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir after a rally called by the HDP, an AFP correspondent said. "The biggest task ahead of us today is to turn every aspect of life into an arena for struggle and support hunger … [Read more...] about Turkey bans rally for Kurdish MP on hunger strike

Europe would need to boost defence spending by more than US$100 billion to hit the NATO spending pledge that has stirred much anger by US President Donald Trump, a study showed Friday (Feb 15). The International Institute for Strategic Studies says European NATO members would "collectively have had to increase their spending by 38 percent" to hit the the alliance's target in 2018 AFP/Jonathan NACKSTRAND The failure of many European allies to get even close to the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of their national output on defence by 2024 has infuriated Trump, who accuses them of freeloading. Figures from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) showed that NATO's 27 European countries fell short of the 2 per cent target by US$102 billion in 2018. The IISS's annual "Military Balance" report said European NATO members would "collectively have had to increase their spending by 38 per cent" to hit the 2 per cent target in 2018. Trump's anger over spending has … [Read more...] about Europeans US$100 billion short of NATO spending pledge: Study

The European Parliament on Friday (Feb 15) cancelled an event that was to be attended by Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, citing "security threats". Puigdemont has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since Spain cracked down on his efforts to lead the Catalonia region to independence via a referendum AFP/Odd ANDERSEN "There is a high risk that the proposed event could pose a threat to the maintenance of public order on Parliament's premises," the speaker's office said. Puigdemont has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since Spain cracked down on his efforts to lead the Catalonia region to independence via a referendum. He had been due to meet reporters on Monday in the European Parliament at an event hosted by the Belgian MEP Ralph Packet. But his presence was furiously opposed by Spanish lawmakers, who regard his secession bid as illegal, and the assembly president ordered a security review. The review noted increased tensions surrounding the … [Read more...] about EU parliament cancels Catalan separatist”s event

Valentine's Day wasn't getting much love in the world's biggest Muslim majority nation on Thursday (Feb 14) as Indonesian authorities urged amorous couples to call it quits and carried out raids to quash any wayward gift-giving. About 100 students in Surabaya city protested against Valentine's day, saying it promoted Western decadence and casual sex. (Photo: AFP/Juni Kriswanto) About 100 students in the second-biggest city, Surabaya, demonstrated against the chocolates-and-flowers celebration, saying it promoted Western decadence and casual sex. "Say no to Valentine's now!" chanted the high schoolers, most of them teenaged girls in hijab head coverings. Some held placards with phrases like "Sorry Valentine's Day, I am Muslim". School principal Arief Himawan warned that couples giving each other chocolates or other treats can quickly lead to sin. "We want to remind our young generation not to be caught up in Western culture," he told AFP. Authorities conducted raids in … [Read more...] about Valentine”s Day not feeling the love in Indonesia