News | 22 March 2018

EU hopes to avoid US trade tariffs +++ China warns Trump on tariffs +++ Zuckerberg breaks silence on FB scandal

EU hopes to avoid US trade tariffs +++ China warns Trump on tariffs +++ Zuckerberg breaks silence on FB scandal +++ Syria rebels evacuate east Ghouta +++ French strikes cause disruption +++ Sarkozy faces investigation over Libya funds +++ Austrian smoking ban cancelled +++ New Slovak government sworn in +++ The weather

22. April 2018, 02:00

News | 22 March 2018

Joanna King

EU hopes to avoid US trade tariffs

European Union leaders at a summit beginning in Brussels are to discuss the threat of United States tariffs. EU Trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, has just returned from emergency talks in the US where she hoped to dissuade the Trump administration from imposing new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from EU countries. European Council president, Donald Tusk, has said he is cautiously optimistic that Brussels can negotiate an exemption.

China warns Trump on tariffs

China has said it will retaliate if US president Trump goes ahead with an expected announcement of more tariffs on Chinese imports. US media are reporting that the White House is considering between 30 billion and 60 billion dollars worth of tariffs as well as measures that would restrict Chinese investment.

Zuckerberg breaks silence on FB scandal

The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has broken his silence over the scandal surrounding the company, after it emerged that millions of Facebook users had their data harvested and improperly shared with the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg said Facebook will change the way it shares data with third-party applications, and promised to stop any future attempts to influence elections: “There is a lot of hard work that we need to do to make it harder for nation states like Russia to do election interference, to make it so that trolls and other folks can’t spread fake news.”

Syria rebels evacuate east Ghouta

Evacuations are underway of rebel fighters and their families from the town of Harasta in the enclave of eastern Ghouta outside the Syrian capital, Damascus. Syrian government media say they will be transferred to rebel-held areas in north Syria, before Harasta is handed over to government control.

French strikes cause disruption

In France, nationwide strikes by transport and public sector workers are causing major disruptions. The protests are over President Emmanuel Macron's plans to cut benefits and radically reduce the number of public sector jobs.

Sarkozy faces investigation over Libya funds

The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation for illegal campaign financing. Sarkozy has dismissed as grotesque allegations that he received millions of euros for his successful election campaign in 2007 from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Austrian smoking ban cancelled

In Austria, legislation put forward by the ÖVP-FPÖ government has passed parliament, cancelling a ban on smoking in cafes and restaurants that was due to come in to force in May. Over half a million people have signed a petition calling for the ban to come into force.

New Slovak government sworn in

In Slovakia, president Andrej Kiska has sworn in the new government under prime minister Peter Pellegrini, as part of a major shake-up following the recent murder of an investigative journalist. Newly appointed Interior Minister Tomas Drucker has called for the leadership of the country's police force to be replaced.