In just a couple of days Trump has criticised Angela Merkel, Theresa May, and NATO as a whole and showed his affiliation towards Russia and Putin in particular. He did not however, amidst rumours, remove the US from NATO all together, thankfully.
Global News
- Trump has said that “Germany is a captive of Russia” because Germany buys power from Russia.
- He also said that NATO members should increase their contributions, first saying that they should contribute 2% and then he doubled it to 4%.
- Trump’s trade war has started to roll-out, with both China and the US so embroiled that it is difficult for either party to back out. There have, however, been indications that both parties are prepared to enter into negotiations. The implications of this are yet to be seen, however, markets are up this week. For further analysis follow the link.
- Donald Trump also appointed Brett Kavanaugh to the US supreme court. This appointment means that the judiciary in the US is now right-leaning, potentially having profound ramifications for everything from abortion rights and gay rights to immigration.
- Boris Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary this week. He is the third official to hand in their resignation after Theresa May announced a Brexit proposal that would keep Britain close to the European Union on trade and regulations.
- In a good news story, all the boys who were trapped in a cave in Thailand have been rescued along with their coach. The international community came together in collaboration to coordinate the cave rescue.
Local News
- After a prolonged stint in Dubai, Duduzane Zuma appeared in court twice this week for charges against him of culpable homicide and charges of corruption – both court dates were postponed.
- Cyril Ramaphosa has secured a US$10 billion investment from Saudi Arabia. The investment will be directed towards energy and power generation.
- South African, Kevin Anderson, has made it to Wimbledon’s semi-final after beating Roger Federer. He is the first South African to be in the semis in 35 years.