Trump’s USA

The Nobel Prize
Trump rails against Peace Prize: "Should have gone to the USA"

Donald Trump rails against the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to human rights defender Navi Pillay. The US President calls the choice "shameful" and believes it damages Norway's reputation, AFP reports.

"The Peace Prize should have gone to the USA, represented by me as president," he says at a campaign rally.

Trump says he has never heard of Pillay and accuses the Nobel Committee of being controlled by radical ideologues.

US Midterm Elections
One in four Trump voters: Distance yourselves from the president

One in four Republican voters believes the party's candidates in the midterm elections should break with President Donald Trump in order to win Senate seats. This is shown by a new survey by Politico and PF Global.

Michigan Republican candidate Mike Rogers has already taken this step. This week, he demanded an end to Trump's "tariff war" with Canada—a remarkable stance given that Rogers has repeatedly defended the president's decisions, Politico writes.

Just over half of voters still think Republican politicians should back Donald Trump, while 26 percent are indifferent.

Expert: Trump’s diesel deal is a "desperate bid for votes"

Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia should primarily be viewed as "a desperate bid for votes," says Robert Bergqvist, senior economist at SEB, speaking to DN. He emphasizes that the 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel destined for the US and global markets do not represent a particularly significant volume relative to global demand.

"As an economist, I wouldn't start tweaking any interest rate or inflation forecasts based on this agreement," he says.

 

Economy

EU-China Relations
China and EU agree to reduce hybrid car exports

China has agreed to significantly reduce exports of hybrid cars to the EU. This was announced by EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, according to Bloomberg.

"This opens up the possibility of halving China's exports," says Šefčovič, who held several meetings this week with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Vice Premier He Lifeng.

On Thursday, EU leaders will gather to decide how to address the fact that the EU imports far more from China than the other way around. China hopes the new agreement will lead to the scrapping of EU demands for tariffs and other countermeasures against the country.

China’s Ministry of Commerce states that the agreement also includes a "green channel" designed to facilitate export licenses for rare earth metals to the EU. 

EU Budget
Sweden slams new compromise proposal: "Unreasonable"

Ireland wants to cut the EU's next long-term budget by eight percent compared to the European Commission's proposal, Politico reports. Sweden considers the reduction still insufficient ahead of next week's summit.

"The proposal remains unreasonable. The total budget must be reduced significantly," writes EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz (Moderate Party) on X.

Sweden and five other countries want to cut the budget by several hundred billion euros. Other member states want to protect funding for agriculture and regional development. The budget covers the period 2028–2034 and requires approval from all member states. The goal is to reach an agreement before the turn of the year.

Market Sentiment
Leading strategist: AI bubble to burst in 2027 or 2028

Joachim Klement, chief strategist at the British investment bank Panmure Liberum, believes that the AI ​​hype has created a stock market bubble.

"My fundamental conviction is that the AI ​​bubble will burst in either 2027 or 2028—that is, sometime within the next two years," he tells Bloomberg.

This conclusion is based on the fact that several tech giants are facing strained cash flows while borrowing costs are rising. The result could be the worst stock market crash since the 2008 financial crisis.

Klement predicts that Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index will plummet 36 percent by the end of next year. This makes him by far the most pessimistic of the strategists tracked by Bloomberg.

Oil market

Trump: "I suggest they get a new leader"

US President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging him to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, according to Reuters.

"He’d better stop," he says, adding:

"I suggest they get a new leader who can strike a deal."

On Friday, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Russia and Vladimir Putin regarding diesel supplies to the global market.

Harsh criticism of diesel deal: "Birthday gift for Putin"

Both Democrats and Republicans are objecting to the new US agreement concerning Russian diesel, reports The Guardian. Critics argue that the deal is immoral and undermines the package of sanctions and tariffs on importers of Russian oil and gas that Donald Trump signed in September.

"President Trump failed to live up to his promises to lower costs for Americans. Now he is failing to protect the US from its adversaries," says Democrat Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader.

According to Trump, the agreement entails Russia supplying 300,000 tons of diesel to the US and the global market "immediately." Subsequently, several million additional tons of diesel are to be delivered.

"Lower prices for Americans—especially our amazing farmers, ranchers, and truck drivers—are my top priority," Trump writes on Truth Social following a phone call with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls the deal "a birthday present for Putin."

"It is absolutely terrible," he tells Axios.

Analysis: Trump’s "stopgap measure" may be in vain

Donald Trump’s decision to import millions of tons of Russian diesel into the US marks a remarkable about-face, writes the BBC’s Anthony Zurcher in an analysis. Just a few weeks ago, the president signed a law authorizing the US to impose sanctions and tariffs on countries importing Russian oil and gas.

Furthermore, it is unclear whether the deal will succeed in appeasing disgruntled voters and aiding the Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, according to Zurcher.

"It is not certain that Americans will notice any major immediate difference" regarding fuel prices, he writes.

Analysts consulted by CNN are also skeptical about whether the diesel deal will have a satisfactory impact on energy prices.

"It would just be a temporary stopgap measure, and nothing more," writes Gregory Brew, an analyst at Eurasia Group’s energy, climate, and natural resources practice.

 

Elijah Magnier: Saudi Arabia’s War on Yemen Escalates - Will Iran and the Houthis Open a New Front?

World Affairs In Context

 

 

 

Iran war expands: Why is Saudi Arabia attacking Yemen?

Geopolitical Economy Report

 

 

The U.S. Is Preparing for War — But Russia and China Changed the Game! | Scott Ritter & Ray McGovern

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Saudi Arabia's Oil Lifeline Is Under Attack — What Happens Next? | Scott Ritter

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TRUMP’S IRAN WAR TRAP — IS AMERICA RUNNING OUT OF MISSILES AND OPTIONS? | Larry C. Johnson

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U.S.–IRAN ON THE BRINK — COULD TRUMP’S NEXT STRIKE UNLEASH A WAR AMERICA CAN’T END?|Larry C. Johnson

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U.S.–IRAN SHOWDOWN — CAN AMERICA SHIELD SAUDI ARABIA FROM HOUTHI MISSILES? | Larry C. Johnson

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U.S.–IRAN SHOWDOWN — CAN AMERICA SHIELD SAUDI ARABIA FROM HOUTHI MISSILES? | Larry C. Johnson

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TRUMP’S NEXT STRIKE ON IRAN — COULD MASSIVE RETALIATION IGNITE AN ALL-OUT WAR? | Larry C. Johnson

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TRUMP’S NEXT IRAN STRIKE — COULD AMERICA IGNITE A WAR IT CAN’T CONTROL? | Larry C. Johnson

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