Huang Chao came to Mexico looking for business, not friends, but the Chinese sales manager says he found unexpected common ground with his prospective clients on one thing: Donald Trump "is crazy."
Chao, 31, was in Mexico City this week representing his textile company at a trade fair called Expo China HomeLife, whose goal is to connect Chinese suppliers with merchants in different countries around the world.
Mexico was set to be just another stop for the enormous expo -- until the US president threatened last week to impose five-percent tariffs on all Mexican imports.
The tariffs are due to start Monday and rise in monthly increments to 25 percent by October, unless Mexico slows the US-bound flow of undocumented migrants to Trump's satisfaction.
That effectively made Mexico the second major front after China in Trump's spiraling trade wars.
It also gave vendors and customers in Mexico City a new topic to discuss in stilted English as they brokered deals for mass quantities of home ...

Chinese vendors, Mexican clients commiserate on Trump tariffs at trade expo

PTI Automatic

The editor of The Atlantic magazine faced an outcry on Friday, accused of sexism and racism, after seeming to suggest in an interview that few women are capable of writing long-form journalism.
"It's really, really hard to write a 10,000-word cover story. There are not a lot of journalists in America who can do it. The journalists in America who do it are almost exclusively white males," Jeffrey Goldberg said in an interview with Harvard University's Nieman Journalism Lab published on Thursday.
Goldberg, a prominent magazine writer and columnist who became editor of The Atlantic in 2016, made the comments as part of a lengthy interview about the role of women at the magazine.
Goldberg's statements were met with outrage, with commenters online calling him "toxic," "racist," and "sexist."
"The top editor of a major publication should not express such a sexist and racially insensitive view," the National Association of Black Journalists said in a statement.
Goldberg later apologised, ...

Atlantic editor's comment on women journalists causes uproar

US President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday that NASA should stop talking about going back to the Moon, which caused confusion since his administration aims to restart Moon landings by 2024.
"For all the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago," Trump tweeted from Air Force One while returning from a visit to Europe.
"They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!" Trump said.
Trump's exact meaning was uncertain, but he may have been urging the US space agency to put more of a focus on the voyage to Mars, with the Moon serving as just a stepping stone.
Vice President Mike Pence announced plans in April to return to the Moon by 2024 although some space experts doubt whether the deadline can be met.
On its website, NASA, which made six manned Apollo missions to the Moon between 1969 and 1972, says that "exploration of the Moon and Mars is ...

Trump says NASA should stop talking about going back to the Moon

The United States on Friday gave Turkey until the end of July to abandon a deal made with Russia to buy an S-400 missile defense system, which Washington considers incompatible with Ankara's participation in the F-35 fighter jet program.
If by July 31 Turkey does not give up on the S-400 system, Turkish pilots currently training in the United States on the F-35 will be expelled, and agreements with Turkish firms sub-contracted for manufacturing the F-35 stealth warplane will be cancelled, Ellen Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, told reporters.
Lord said the deadline "will allow sufficient time for Turkish personnel associated with the F-35 program to be reassigned and depart the United States... to facilitate an orderly cessation of Turkish participation."
She justified the US ultimatum by the fact that Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States, had already sent its personnel to Russia to start training with the S-400.
On Tuesday Turkish President Recep .

US gives Turkey to July 31 to backtrack on Russia missile deal

Former German international footballer Mesut Ozil was married in Istanbul on Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as his best man.
The 30-year-old Ozil, who has Turkish family roots, sparked controversy last year when he was photographed with Erdogan, raising questions about the footballer's loyalty to Germany on the eve of their disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign.
The Turkish leader arrived in the early evening for Friday's ceremony at a luxury hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus to see the former Arsenal midfielder marry his fiancee, former Miss Turkey Amine Gulse.
A smiling Erdogan and his wife Emine were seen standing next to the young couple as their marriage was formalised.
After 92 appearances for Germany, including a key role in the 2014 World Cup victory, Ozil suddenly quit the national squad last July, accusing German football officials of racism.
Ozil announced in March that he had asked Erdogan to be his best man.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of ...

Ozil marries in Istanbul, with Erdogan as best man

The United States on Friday gave Turkey until the end of July to abandon a deal made with Russia to buy an S-400 missile defense system, which it considers incompatible with Ankara's participation in the F-35 fighter jet programme.
If by July 31 Turkey does not give up on the S-400 system, Turkish pilots currently training in the United States on the F-35 will be expelled, and Turkish firms will not participate in the joint F-35 development program, Ellen Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, told reporters.

US gives Turkey to July 31 to backtrack on Russian missile deal

US President Donald Trump said Friday that there is a "good chance" that a deal can be reached with Mexico on controlling migrants to avert the imposition of trade tariffs.
But Trump warned that if an agreement cannot be reached in crunch talks between US and Mexican officials in Washington, that the five-percent tariffs will go into place on Monday -- a move which could clobber Mexico's economy.
"If we are able to make the deal with Mexico, & there is a good chance that we will, they will begin purchasing Farm & Agricultural products at very high levels, starting immediately," Trump tweeted.
"If we are unable to make the deal, Mexico will begin paying Tariffs at the 5% level on Monday!," he said.
Trump made the Twitter comments from Air Force One as it was returning from Europe to Washington, where Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard was meeting with US officials at the State Department for the  third day to discuss US demands for a crackdown on Central American migrants ...

Trump says deal possible with Mexico in migration row

A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced Friday to 12 years and six months in prison for the fatal shooting of an unarmed Australian woman who had been trying to report a crime.
Mohamed Noor, 33, was convicted in April of second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder in the 2017 death of Justine Damond, in a case that shocked the Midwestern city and sparked outrage in the victim's home country.
Noor was responding to her late-night report of a possible sexual assault in an alley in Minneapolis.
At sentencing Noor told the judge of his fear of an ambush and then his horror over learning he had shot an innocent woman.
"That mistake is my hardship to bear," Noor told the judge, his voice breaking.
"The act may have been based on a miscalculation, but it was an intentional act," Hennepin County District Court Judge Kathryn Quaintance said in handing down her sentence.
During the trial Noor testified that he shot Damond, an Australian who had moved to the US, to protect his ..

Ex-cop sentenced to 12.5 years for killing of Australian woman

Facebook said Friday it would stop allowing pre-installation of its social networking apps on Huawei devices to comply with US sanctions against the Chinese technology giant.
The social media giant said it took the step after US President Donald Trump's order barring Huawei from US technology exports over concerns that it works with Chinese intelligence.
"We are reviewing the Commerce Department's final rule and the more recently issued temporary general license and taking steps to ensure compliance," a Facebook spokesperson told AFP.
The California company said people with existing Huawei smartphones with Facebook apps will continue to be able to use and download app updates provided by Facebook.
The move by Facebook is the latest to isolate Huawei, which had become the world's second largest smartphone vendor despite security concerns voiced in Washington.
Google last month said it would cut ties to Huawei, making it harder to obtain major apps from the US giant.
The Google decision 

Facebook to cut off Huawei to comply with US sanctions

British police said they had arrested four teenagers on Friday after a gang of males beat up a lesbian couple who refused to kiss for them on a London night bus.
Melania Geymonat, 28, said she and her girlfriend Chris were left covered in blood after the attack last week.
"They started behaving like hooligans, demanding that we kissed so they could enjoy watching, calling us 'lesbians' and describing sexual positions," she wrote on Facebook.
"It was only them and us there. They kept on harassing us, throwing us coins. The next thing I know is that Chris is in the middle of the bus fighting with them. On an impulse, I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. The next thing I know is I'm being punched."
Both were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.
Police said the incident happened at around 2:30am on May 30 after the two women, both in their 20s, got on the bus in north London.
"They were approached by a group of four males who ...

Lesbians attacked on London bus for refusing to kiss for men

Ethiopia's prime minister Friday called for a "quick" democratic transition in Sudan as he met the country's ruling generals and protest leaders, days after a deadly crackdown killed dozens of demonstrators in the capital.
Abiy Ahmed arrived in Khartoum to revive talks between the Sudanese generals and protest leaders after the African Union suspended Sudan on Thursday until the military makes way for a civilian-led transitional authority.
The move by the African bloc was backed by the European Union amid a chorus of condemnation of Sudan's military rulers over Monday's deadly crackdown on a weeks-long sit-in outside army headquarters demanding civilian rule.
"The army, the people and political forces have to act with courage and responsibility by taking quick steps towards a democratic and consensual transitional period," Abiy said in a signed statement issued to reporters after he held separate meetings with the generals and protest leaders.
"The army has to protect the security of .

Ethiopia PM urges democratic transition in Sudan after deadly crackdown

A New Yorker described as sympathizing with Islamic extremists was to face a judge Friday after being arrested on suspicion of planning an attack in Times Square.
US news outlets say the man of Bangladeshi origin had been under surveillance and was detained while trying to buy a gun with an unreadable serial number.
After telling people he wanted to attack politicians in New York and Washington, the suspect from the Queens borough instead focused on Times Square.
News outlets citing sources close to the probe said the man was acting alone and did not pose an imminent threat of actually staging an attack, although his behavior warranted his being arrested.
A court source confirmed the man was arrested Thursday and due to go before a judge on Friday.
New York police referred all queries to the FBI, which had no comment.
The emblematic Manhattan plaza is often the target of attacks or attempted ones.
In 2017 a man named Richard Rojas rammed his car into a crowd, killing a young woman and 

NY police arrest man allegedly planning Times Square attack

Novak Djokovic's Roland Garros semi-final clash with Dominic Thiem was halted for the day in the third set on Friday due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Austrian fourth seed Thiem led 6-2, 3-6, 3-1 against the world number one when the players left Court Philippe Chatrier.
The semi-final will resume at 1000GMT (12:00) on Saturday, organisers said.  The winner will play Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final, after the 11-time champion beat old rival Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 earlier on Friday.

Djokovic, Thiem to resume Saturday after play called off

Fierce clashes between Russia-backed government forces and jihadists have killed more than 100 combatants in northwestern Syria in the past 24 hours, a war monitor said on Friday.
The clashes on the edge of the jihadist-controlled Idlib region have killed at least 53 government loyalists along with 48 jihadists and Islamist fighters since Thursday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The region of some three million people -- almost half of them displaced from other parts of the country -- is dominated by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.
The alliance administers a region that spans most of Idlib province as well as adjacent slivers of the neighbouring Latakia, Aleppo, and Hama provinces.
The region has seen a spike in bombardment since late April, with regime forces seizing several towns on the region's southwestern flank.
Late Thursday, the jihadists and allied rebels launched a counterattack against regime forces in 

Syria flare-up kills over 100 fighters: Monitor

Russia will begin delivering S-400 air defence systems to Turkey in two months, the head of state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec said on Friday.
"Everything is on track with the Turks. I hope that we will begin to deliver in about two months," Sergei Chemezov told NTV channel, according to Russian agencies.
"The credit money has been spent, the technology was produced. And we completed training of all the military personnel," he said.
Turkey's S-400 purchase has ruffled feathers in the US, and Pentagon officials warned of "devastating consequences" for the NATO member which also plans to buy F-35 fighters from the US.
Washington wanted Turkey to opt for American Patriot missiles instead of the S-400 system, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Russia made a better proposal.  He said this week Turkey was "determined" to buy from Russia.
Russian agencies reported that the purchase concerns four systems valued at USD 2.5 billion.

Russia plans to deliver S-400s to Turkey in two months: Official

Hundreds of demonstrators packed the centre of the Algerian capital on Friday calling on the interim president to quit a day after he called for dialogue aimed at fixing a new date for elections as soon as possible.
A vote planned for July 4 was cancelled Sunday in the face of widespread protests as demonstrators who forced the ouster of veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April continued to demand a broad political overhaul.
Algeria's constitutional council said it was impossible to hold elections to choose a successor to Bouteflika after the only two candidates were rejected.
Interim Algerian president Abdelkader Bensalah on Thursday urged the political class and civil society to hold an "inclusive dialogue" aimed at fixing a new date for elections "as soon as possible".
But demonstrators who flooded central Algiers for the 16th consecutive Friday continued to demand change in the North African country, chanting "we're fed up with these rulers".
They also called on Bensalah ...

Algerians rally for change after presidential polls scrapped

Belgrade's top diplomat on Friday drew criticism from the US embassy for writing a nationalist slogan -- "Kosovo is Serbia" -- on a USD 100 bill as part of a social media campaign this week.
The online trend has seen Serbs scrawl the phrase, which reflects Belgrade's denial of the independence of former province Kosovo, on foreign currencies and post images of the bills on social media.
Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic also played along and was seen in an Instagram photo grinning and holding up a USD 100 note, which features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin on one side, with the phrase written in pen.
The US embassy was not as amused.
"Instead of defacing the great American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin, Minister Dacic might want to reflect on his ideas: 'Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors'," it said in a statement when asked to comment.
Dacic defended the move, telling local newspaper Blic: "This is our politics, I say this all the time, why shouldn't I ...

Serbian FM scolded for 'defacing' USD 100 bill

Former UK foreign minister Boris Johnson's bid to succeed Theresa May as prime minister received a big boost Friday when a London court quashed his summons to answer charges that he lied during the Brexit referendum campaign.
His lawyers claimed that the private prosecution was "politically motivated" and had no precedent in common law.
The two-judge High Court panel said it was persuaded by their case.
The ruling was issued after nearly four hours of hearings into whether Johnson knowingly mislead the nation while arguing in favour of Britain's split from the European Union during the 2016 referendum campaign.
Johnson was both a member of parliament and mayor of London in the run-up to the highly contentious vote.
His most famous claim was that Britain would no longer have to make weekly payments of 350 million pounds (USD 445 million, 395 million euros) to Brussels.
The case against him argued that he had committed the criminal offence of misconduct in a public office by using his ..

Boris Johnson wins Brexit case hounding his leadership bid

The United States on Friday hit Iran's petrochemical group PGPIC with economic sanctions due to its ties with the country's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the Treasury Department announced.
The move aims to choke off financing to the country's largest and most profitable petrochemical group and extends to its 39 subsidiaries and "foreign-based sales agents," the Treasury Department said in a statement.
"This action is a warning that we will continue to target holding groups and companies in the petrochemical sector and elsewhere that provide financial lifelines to the IRGC," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.
Treasury warned that international companies continuing to partner with PGPIC or subsidiaries and sales agents "will themselves be exposed to US sanctions".
The US efforts over the past year to choke off Iran's economy, following President Donald Trump's decision to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor, has angered allies as foreign ...

US hits Iran petrochemical group PGPIC with sanctions

Egyptian security forces have killed eight suspected jihadists who were involved in a deadly attack this week on a police checkpoint in the restive Sinai Peninsula, the interior ministry said Friday.
Eight policemen were killed in Wednesday's attack on a checkpoint, claimed by the Islamic State group, southwest of El-Arish, the capital of North Sinai.
Police received reports that a group of militants was "hiding in an olive grove south of El-Arish", the ministry said in Friday's statement, adding that sweep operations were ongoing in the area.
After being surrounded, "they opened heavy fire at the (security) forces, who responded killing eight terrorists", it said, without specifying when it occurred.
Five automatic rifles, an explosive device and two explosive belts were seized, the ministry added.
On Thursday security forces killed 14 suspected militants in response to the deadly checkpoint attack.
In February 2018, the army launched a nationwide offensive against the militants, ...

AFP

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