Trump, oldest elected US president, has second medical this year
Donald Trump on Friday had his second medical checkup this year, a day after the oldest elected president in US history insisted that he was in “great shape.”The 79-year-old Trump saw physicians at Walter Reed military hospital on the outskirts of the capital Washington.He gave reporters the thumbs-up on his return to the White House when they asked how the checkup had gone, but did not comment.The White House is expected to release details of his checkup later.It comes three months after the White House announced Trump was diagnosed with a vein condition following speculation about frequent bruising on his hand and his swollen legs.The White House had said earlier this week that Friday’s checkup would be an “annual” one — despite the fact that Trump had already undergone one of those in April.Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he was “going to do a sort of semi-annual physical.””I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know. But no, I have no difficulty thus far… Physically, I feel very good. Mentally, I feel very good.”Republican Trump then embarked on one of his trademark tirades comparing his health with that of former presidents, particularly his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.Trump said that during his last checkup “I also did a cognitive exam which is always very risky, because if I didn’t do well, you’d be the first to be blaring it, and I had a perfect score.”Trump then added: “Did Obama do it? No. Did Bush do it? No. Did Biden do it? I definitely did. Biden wouldn’t have gotten the first three questions right.”- Bruised hand -But Trump has repeatedly been accused of a lack of openness about his health despite huge interest in the well-being of America’s commander-in-chief.In September, he dismissed social media rumors swirling about his health — including false posts that he had died.In July, the White House said Trump was diagnosed with a chronic but benign vein condition — chronic venous insufficiency — following speculation about his bruised hand and swollen legs.The hand issue, it said, was linked to the aspirin he takes as part of a “standard” cardiovascular health program.Trump is regularly seen at public events with heavy make-up on the back of his right hand which he uses to conceal the bruising.At his last checkup the White House said Trump was in good health, saying he had a “normal cardiac structure and function, no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”
Trump announces new 100 percent China tariff, threatens to scrap Xi talks
US President Donald Trump announced an additional 100 percent tariff on China Friday and threatened to cancel a summit with Xi Jinping, reigniting his trade war with Beijing in a row over export curbs on rare earth minerals.Trump said the extra levies, plus US export controls on “any and all critical software,” would come into effect from November 1 in retaliation for what he called Beijing’s “extraordinarily aggressive” moves.”It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History,” he said on Truth Social.Stock markets fell as the simmering trade war between the United States and China reignited, with the Nasdaq down 3.6 percent and the S&P 500 down 2.7 percent.Chinese goods currently face US tariffs of 30 percent under tariffs that Trump brought in while accusing Beijing of aiding in the fentanyl trade, and over alleged unfair practices.China’s retaliatory tariffs are currently at 10 percent.Trump had threatened the tariffs hours earlier in a lengthy surprise post on his Truth Social network that said China had sent letters to countries around the world detailing export controls on rare earth minerals.Rare earth elements are critical to manufacturing everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware and renewable energy technology. China dominates global production and processing of these materials.”There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World ‘captive,'” Trump wrote, describing China’s stance as “very hostile”.The US president then called into question his plans to meet Chinese president Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this month.It was to be the first encounter between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies since Trump returned to power in January.”I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” he wrote.Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that he hadn’t canceled the meeting.”I haven’t canceled, but I don’t know that we’re going to have it. But I’m going to be there regardless, so I would assume we might have it,” he said.- ‘Lying in wait’ -The US president said he did not understand why China was choosing to act now. “Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile,” he said.Trump said other countries had contacted the United States expressing anger over China’s “great Trade hostility, which came out of nowhere.”He also accused Beijing of “lying in wait” despite what he characterized as six months of good relations, which has notably seen progress on bringing TikTok’s US operations under American control as required by a law passed by Congress last year.His outburst comes just weeks after he had spoken of the importance of meeting Xi at the APEC summit and said that he would travel to China next year.Washington and Beijing engaged in a tit-for-tat tariffs war earlier this year that threatened to effectively halt trade between the world’s two largest economies.Both sides eventually agreed to de-escalate tensions but the truce has been shaky.Trump said last week that he would push Xi on US soybean purchases as American farmers, a key voting demographic in his 2024 election win, grapple with fallout from his trade wars.China had said earlier Friday that it would impose “special port fees” on ships operated by and built in the United States after Washington announced charges for Chinese-linked ships in April.In a further development, the US communications watchdog said it had successfully managed to get “millions” of listings for banned Chinese items removed from commerce platforms.”The Communist Party of China is engaged in a multi-prong effort to insert insecure devices into Americans’ homes and businesses,” Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission, said on X.
Trump announces new 100 percent China tariff, threatens to scrap Xi talks
US President Donald Trump announced an additional 100 percent tariff on China Friday and threatened to cancel a summit with Xi Jinping, reigniting his trade war with Beijing in a row over export curbs on rare earth minerals.Trump said the extra levies, plus US export controls on “any and all critical software,” would come into effect from November 1 in retaliation for what he called Beijing’s “extraordinarily aggressive” moves.”It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History,” he said on Truth Social.Stock markets fell as the simmering trade war between the United States and China reignited, with the Nasdaq down 3.6 percent and the S&P 500 down 2.7 percent.Chinese goods currently face US tariffs of 30 percent under tariffs that Trump brought in while accusing Beijing of aiding in the fentanyl trade, and over alleged unfair practices.China’s retaliatory tariffs are currently at 10 percent.Trump had threatened the tariffs hours earlier in a lengthy surprise post on his Truth Social network that said China had sent letters to countries around the world detailing export controls on rare earth minerals.Rare earth elements are critical to manufacturing everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware and renewable energy technology. China dominates global production and processing of these materials.”There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World ‘captive,'” Trump wrote, describing China’s stance as “very hostile”.The US president then called into question his plans to meet Chinese president Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this month.It was to be the first encounter between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies since Trump returned to power in January.”I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” he wrote.Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that he hadn’t canceled the meeting.”I haven’t canceled, but I don’t know that we’re going to have it. But I’m going to be there regardless, so I would assume we might have it,” he said.- ‘Lying in wait’ -The US president said he did not understand why China was choosing to act now. “Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile,” he said.Trump said other countries had contacted the United States expressing anger over China’s “great Trade hostility, which came out of nowhere.”He also accused Beijing of “lying in wait” despite what he characterized as six months of good relations, which has notably seen progress on bringing TikTok’s US operations under American control as required by a law passed by Congress last year.His outburst comes just weeks after he had spoken of the importance of meeting Xi at the APEC summit and said that he would travel to China next year.Washington and Beijing engaged in a tit-for-tat tariffs war earlier this year that threatened to effectively halt trade between the world’s two largest economies.Both sides eventually agreed to de-escalate tensions but the truce has been shaky.Trump said last week that he would push Xi on US soybean purchases as American farmers, a key voting demographic in his 2024 election win, grapple with fallout from his trade wars.China had said earlier Friday that it would impose “special port fees” on ships operated by and built in the United States after Washington announced charges for Chinese-linked ships in April.In a further development, the US communications watchdog said it had successfully managed to get “millions” of listings for banned Chinese items removed from commerce platforms.”The Communist Party of China is engaged in a multi-prong effort to insert insecure devices into Americans’ homes and businesses,” Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission, said on X.
Le Nobel de la paix à l’opposante vénézuélienne Maria Corina Machado
Le Nobel de la paix a été attribué vendredi à la cheffe de l’opposition vénézuélienne Maria Corina Machado, contrainte de vivre cachée dans son pays et qui a dit compter sur l’aide de Donald Trump à qui elle a dédié son prix.La lauréate de 58 ans a été réveillée en pleine nuit par l’appel du secrétaire du comité Nobel norvégien qui l’a informée, la voix étranglée d’émotion, de son prix.”Nous travaillons très dur pour y parvenir, mais je suis sûre que nous l’emporterons”, a-t-elle dit lors de cet appel filmé.”Plus que jamais nous comptons sur le président Trump” qui a déployé des bateaux de guerre dans les Caraïbes, a-t-elle ensuite écrit sur X, dédiant son Nobel au peuple vénézuélien et au président américain.A Washington, où Donald Trump ne faisait pas mystère qu’il convoitait la prestigieuse récompense, le directeur de la communication de la Maison Blanche, Steven Cheung a estimé que le comité Nobel avait fait passer “la politique avant la paix”. Mme Machado “est l’un des exemples les plus extraordinaires de courage civique en Amérique latine”, a souligné le président du comité Nobel norvégien, Jørgen Watne Frydnes.Entrée en politique au début des années 2000 en militant pour un référendum contre Hugo Chavez, Mme Machado, aujourd’hui considérée comme une ultralibérale pro-Trump, a fait de la chute du régime chaviste la cause de sa vie.Mère de trois enfants, elle a été empêchée, malgré sa popularité, de se présenter à la présidentielle de 2024, où le sortant Nicolas Maduro a été déclaré vainqueur malgré les protestations de l’opposition.L’Union européenne, les Etats-Unis et de nombreux autres pays n’ont pas reconnu la victoire de M. Maduro, au pouvoir depuis 2013. Washington estime qu’Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, derrière lequel Mme Machado s’est rangée, était le “président élu”.- “Système criminel” -L’ONU a estimé que ce Nobel reflétait les aspirations des Vénézuéliens à des élections “libres et équitables”.Près d’une douzaine d’heures après l’annonce, les autorités vénézuéliennes n’avaient pas réagi.A New York, Samuel Moncada l’ambassadeur vénézuélien aux Nations Unies a ironisé après une réunion du conseil de sécurité sur son pays : “Je ne connais pas la réaction de mon gouvernement, mais je vais vous dire la mienne (…) J’espérais qu’elle gagne le prix Nobel de physique, parce qu’elle a les mêmes références pour le Nobel de physique que pour le Nobel de la paix”.Magalli Meda, ancienne cheffe de campagne de Mme Machado, assure que ce Nobel est “une profonde blessure à la colonne vertébrale d’un système criminel”. Elle a justifié la dédicace à Trump : “ici, la paix s’obtiendra par la force (…) ils ne sont pas prêts à céder le pouvoir”.Selon M. Frydnes, “le Venezuela est passé d’un pays relativement démocratique et prospère à un Etat brutal et autoritaire en proie à une crise humanitaire et économique” où “près de huit millions de personnes ont quitté le pays”.Mme Machado, qui vit dans la clandestinité depuis plus d’un an, refuse de quitter son pays. “L’esprit de liberté ne peut être emprisonné”, a commenté la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen. Emmanuel Macron a salué son “engagement résolu” pour la démocratie.A Caracas, une retraitée, préférant garder l’anonymat, se félicitait du prix: “Je prie Dieu pour qu’il l’aide. Qu’elle arrive (au pouvoir) pour faire quelque chose pour nous, les humbles”.Technicien, Luis Torres, 65 ans, estimait au contraire que “c’est une honte après tout le mal qu’elle a fait au Venezuela” en référence aux sanctions internationales visant son pays.Dans un communiqué, Mme Machado a écrit: “A chaque Vénézuélien, ce prix est à toi”, évoquant “26 ans de violence et d’humiliation aux mains d’une tyrannie”, depuis l’arrivée au pouvoir d’Hugo Chavez en 1999.”La machine de l’oppression a été brutale et systématique, caractérisée par des détentions, des tortures, des disparitions forcées et des exécutions extrajudiciaires qui constituent des crimes contre l’humanité et du terrorisme d’État”, a-t-elle ajouté. – Pas de Nobel pour Trump -Le prix échappe donc à Donald Trump. Depuis son retour à la Maison Blanche en janvier, il martèle qu’il “mérite” le Nobel, revendiquant un rôle dans la résolution de huit guerres, dont celle de Gaza. Une affirmation largement exagérée, selon les observateurs.Donald Trump “déteste Maduro”, a relevé l’historien Asle Sveen, spécialiste du prix Nobel, auprès de l’AFP. “Il bombarde les bateaux de pêche soupçonnés de transporter des stupéfiants. Il aura donc du mal à s’attaquer à ce prix”, a-t-il estimé.L’administration Trump a frappé en mer au moins quatre embarcations présentées comme étant celles de narcotrafiquants. M. Maduro accuse Washington d’utiliser le trafic de drogue comme prétexte “pour imposer un changement de régime” et s’emparer des réserves de pétrole du pays.Le prix sera remis le 10 décembre à Oslo et l’Institut Nobel enquête si des fuites ont précédé l’attribution, après une soudaine envolée de la cote de Mme Machado chez des bookmakers.