by Jacques LEMIEUX Agence France-Presse OTTAWA, Canada – Canadian politicians of all stripes rallied round their prime minister on Monday after his cautious and polite defense of free trade rules drew an extraordinary personal rebuke from US President Donald Trump. The United States is Canada’s single biggest trade partner, with two-way exchanges of goods and services totalling $673.9 billion in 2017, and Washington enjoys a $8.4 billion surplus. Nevertheless, Trump appears determined to up-end the […]
Tag: G7
Asian traders cautious after G7 debacle, eyes on Trump-Kim summit
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets fluctuated Monday after the Group of Seven meeting ended with deep divisions between the US and its allies, while investors are looking ahead to Donald Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While the historic gathering in Singapore is the big story of the week, key central bank decisions in the US and Europe will also be closely followed. Trump pulled out of endorsing a joint communique […]
Trade spat looms as Trump heads for hostile G7
by Dave Clark / and Laurence Benhamou © Agence France-Presse QUEBEC CITY, Canada (AFP) — Europe and hosts Canada warned US President Donald Trump on Thursday that they will not be intimidated at the G7 summit, despite fears that a trade war will weaken the Western alliance. With the leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies due in Quebec, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned the US leader that they would not roll over on […]
Trade war looms as US tariffs roil G7 meet
by Delphine TOUITOU / Douglas Gillison / with Heather Scott in Washington © Agence France-Presse WHISTLER, Canada (AFP) — The world’s largest economies stood at the precipice of all-out trade war as major US allies announced retaliation against stinging steel and aluminum tariffs that took effect on Friday. President Donald Trump’s decision Thursday not to extend exemptions for Canada and the European Union — the largest sources of foreign aluminum and steel respectively for […]
G7 united against Russia, doubts remain on Iran deal
by Dave Clark Agence France Presse TORONTO, Canada (AFP) — The Group of Seven industrialized nations presented a stern common front against Russian aggression Sunday at their foreign ministers conference in Toronto. But for all the talk of resisting the “malign activities” of Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, Washington’s European partners are still concerned that President Donald Trump will tear up the Iran nuclear deal. And all the G7 partners remain anxious for clues as to how […]
G7 calls on Russia to answer for Salisbury nerve agent attack
CANADA (AFP) — Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Monday called on Russia to come clean about a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain, calling it “a threat to us all.” “We call on Russia to urgently address all questions related to the incident in Salisbury,” they said in a joint statement. The G7 nations urged Russia to provide a “full and complete disclosure of its previously […]
G7 to focus on foreign fighter fallout from rout of IS
by Ella Ide Agence France-Presse ISCHIA, Italy – The threat of fresh attacks on the West by foreign fighters fleeing the fallen Islamic State stronghold of Raqa is set to dominate a G7 meeting of interior ministers in Italy. The two-day gathering, which kicked off Thursday on the Italian island of Ischia, comes just days after US-backed forces took full control of the jihadists’ de facto Syrian capital. Most foreign fighters are believed to have fled over the […]
China rebukes G7 over statement on seas
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China has urged the Group of Seven leading economies to “stop making irresponsible remarks” after the G7 summit expressed concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas. China has a dispute with Japan over small uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, while its claim to most of the South China Sea is challenged by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. In their closing communique in Italy […]
May and Macron discuss fight against terrorism at G7 summit
TAORMINA, Italy (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed leading the fight against terrorism on Friday (May 26) as they met at this year’s Group of Seven (G7) summit, hosted in the chic Sicilian resort town of Taormina. May is expected to leave a day early, following Monday’s (May 22) suicide bombing at a concert in northern England that killed 22 people and was allegedly carried out by a […]
After Manchester, May targets online extremism at G7
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May will urge internet companies to do more to remove extremist content Friday as she makes a shortened visit to the G7 summit following the Manchester attack. As British authorities hunt accomplices of the bomber who killed 22 people at a concert on Monday, May will use a meeting with world leaders in Italy to emphasize the importance of tackling the spread of terror online. “The threat […]
Japan looks to discuss North Korean issue and terrorism at G7
TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday (May 25) that he expected the North Korean missile threat and the bombing in Manchester to head the agenda at the Group of Seven leaders’ summit in Italy. Over the last two weeks North Korea successively launched two missiles, which are believed to be a significant advance in its technologies and drive for an intercontinental ballistic missile. At least 22 people were killed by […]
IMF chief urges eurozone to back Greece debt relief
BARI, Italy (AFP) – International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde on Friday urged eurozone lenders to be “far more specific” in their commitment to a debt-relief package for Greece. The IMF has made a package easing Greece’s repayment burden a condition of its participation in a 86-billion-euro ($94-billion) bailout. But several eurozone governments are dragging their heels, insisting on more evidence of debt-plagued Greece delivering on reforms as a condition of green-lighting the third rescue […]





