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Tusk lashes out at Trump stance on Europe

10 Nov 2018; AFP: European Union chief Donald Tusk on Saturday accused US President Donald Trump of being averse to a "strong and united" Europe and also warned against the emergence of a "brownshirt" nationalist front in EU elections next year.

His comments came as Trump, in France for World War I centenary commemorations, blasted French President Emmanuel Macron over his proposals for a European army.

Major oil producers to consider cuts after price slide

11 Nov 2018; AFP: Major oil producers meet in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to consider reverting to output cuts after a sharp slide in crude prices revived fears of a 2014-style crash.

Oil prices shed a fifth of their value in just one month after surging to a four-year high in early October, driven by a combination of factors centred on higher supply and fears of sluggish demand.

Brent crude dropped below $70 a barrel on Friday for the first time since April while the New York's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) sank below $60 a barrel, a nine-month low.

France’s Macron defends Europe from all sides _ including US

PARIS (AP) — After French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe needs to defend itself from the United States, aides said he was misunderstood.

But the idea isn’t so far-fetched.

Macron is leading a rearguard action to salvage the system of international cooperation the U.S. helped build, but which President Donald Trump has chipped away at since taking office.

While Trump came all the way to Paris for commemorations marking 100 years since the armistice that ended World War I, he’s skipping an international peace forum that Macron is launching Sunday.

Trump, Macron try to project unity

PARIS (AP) — President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are trying to project unity after Trump lashed out at one of America’s strongest allies in Europe.

Trump had claimed Macron insulted the United States when the French president pushed the idea of the continent having its own defense force.

The American and French leaders have had an up-and-down relationship, but they told reporters that they are good friends as they prepared for talks at the Elysee Palace on Saturday.

Cinese spent $14 billion in 2 hours of online shoppiong

SHANGHAI (AP) — Online shoppers spent more than $14 billion within the first two hours of China’s annual buying frenzy on Sunday, once again breaking records as the consumer tradition enters its 10th year.

The spending binge breaks from gloomy forecasts about the world’s second-largest economy, which is struggling with a tariff war with the U.S., a stock market slump and slowing overall growth.

China, US sparring continues over South China Sea

WASHINGTON (AP) — China bluntly told the United States to stop sending ships and military aircraft close to islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, during talks that set the stage for a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping later this month.

The U.S. pushed back Friday, insisting it will continue to “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.” In late September, U.S. and Chinese vessels nearly collided near a disputed reef.

Pentagon backs Saudi decision to refuel aircraft on its own

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced Friday that Pentagon backs Saudi Arabia's decision to use the Saudi-led coalition's own military capabilities to refuel aircraft engaged in Yemen.

"We support the decision by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after consultations with the U.S. Government, to use the Coalition's own military capabilities to conduct inflight refueling in support of its operations in Yemen," said Mattis in a statement released Friday night.

Venezuela to boost gold production in spite of U.S. sanctions

CARACAS, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that his administration will continue to boost the production of minerals, and gold in particular, in spite of sanctions imposed by the United States.

"Venezuela will never follow the orders of the U.S. empire and Venezuela will continue to produce gold," Maduro said, referring to the latest sanctions imposed by Washington on Venezuela.

Iran urges global condemnation of U.S. sanctions

TEHRAN, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's ambassador to the United Nations urged global condemnation of the recent U.S. unilateral sanctions against the Islamic republic, Press TV reported on Saturday.

"U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal and restoration of its sanctions on Iran is a challenge to the international law and global order," Gholamali Khoshroo said in a letter to the UN Security Council on Friday.

The global community "should not allow the United States to pursue its unilateral, arrogant and self-centered policy," he said.

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