An agreement on the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union is “slightly less likely” now after the resignations of two key players, said Lord William Hague, former U.K. foreign secretary. Late Sunday night, the U.K.’s main Brexit negotiator, David Davis, quit. Less than 24 hours later, Boris Johnson resigned as the U.K.’s foreign secretary. […]
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Using NATO allies as ‘punching bags’ will backfire on Trump: Former Air Force secretary
President Donald Trump’s tactics towards NATO allies are “way, way over the top,” said Deborah Lee James, former secretary of the Air Force. As the NATO summit opened in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday, Trump slammed Germany as being “totally controlled” by Russia and went after leaders for not contributing more to defense spending. While the […]
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Trump and Merkel put on a brave face to the press at NATO summit after awkward build-up
President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel put a brave face on the war of words taking place on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on Wednesday. Leading up to the meeting, Trump took several opportunities to criticize Berlin for its low level of spending on defense, despite a 2014 voluntary commitment […]
Read moreCongressional Republicans who oppose the Trump administration’s mounting trade conflicts around the globe appear increasingly helpless as the president threatens more tariffs on top trading partners. As a trade war with China could widen and damage a broader swath of the U.S. economy ahead of November’s midterm elections, GOP lawmakers hold little leverage over a […]
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Trump’s insults distract from valid concerns about German dependence on Russian energy: Ex-NATO ambassador
The negative implications of Germany, and other European countries, being too beholden to Russia for energy should concern President Donald Trump and the broader NATO alliance, according to a former diplomat who advised both Republican and Democratic administrations. But for the U.S. president to say “Germany is a captive nation of Russia, that’s just a […]
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How Trump’s NATO summit and Putin meeting could shape the future of the West
The combination of a high-stakes NATO summit and a one-on-one meeting between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could bring about the most dramatic geopolitical sea change since the end of the Cold War, analysts have told CNBC. The U.S. president’s working trip to Europe started with a two-day international gathering of […]
Read moreA slight increase in the number of homes for sale may be helping to juice the mortgage market. After falling for two straight weeks, mortgage application volume rose 2.5 percent last week, seasonally adjusted, compared with the previous week. The increase was driven entirely by purchase applications. Still, total volume is 4.3 percent lower than […]
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Germany says it 'can cope' with Trump's comments on Russian influence
Germany can take President Donald Trump’s criticisms in its stride, the country’s Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told CNBC Wednesday. Trump kicked off this week’s NATO summit with scathing words for Europe’s economic powerhouse, calling it “captive” to Russia over its plans for a $11 billion gas pipeline that would connect the two countries […]
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Trump launches tirade at NATO summit: 'Germany is a captive of Russia'
President Donald Trump claimed Germany is “totally controlled” by Russia on Wednesday. Speaking in Brussels, Belgium on the first leg of his European trip, the U.S. president said a slew of “inappropriate” energy deals had given Moscow far too much influence over the continent’s largest economy. This is a breaking news story, please check back […]
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Facebook faces UK fine of around $660,000 after data scandal found to be illegal
Facebook will be fined £500,000 ($662,900) in the U.K. after the country’s privacy watchdog said its data sharing scandal broke the law. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is hitting the social network with the maximum possible fine it can impose, for two breaches of the U.K.’s Data Protection Act. Facebook failed to safeguard people’s information, […]
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