News Headlines - 13 July 2019
Donald Trump abandoned the Iran nuclear deal as an act of ‘diplomatic vandalism’ to spite his predecessor Barack Obama, Britain’s Ambassador to Washington wrote in a bombshell memo to Downing Street.
Sir Kim Darroch’s claim - made after Boris Johnson made a doomed trip to the White House to change the President’s mind - is revealed in leaked cables and briefing notes which led to Sir Kim’s resignation last week.
The new revelation comes after an extraordinary row over the freedom of the press blew up this weekend, with Mr Johnson and leadership rival Jeremy Hunt leading the condemnation of Scotland Yard over its threats to prosecute this newspaper.
▽UK to send a second warship to the Gulf amid crisis with Iran | The Guardian
The UK is stepping up its military presence in the Gulf by sending a second warship to the region to protect British commercial oil tankers, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer, will be deployed within days after it completed a course of Nato exercises in the Baltic Sea with the aim to be in the Gulf region by next week.
The ship will work alongside the Royal Navy’s frigate HMS Montrose and US Gulf allies, but will not participate in Washington’s proposed global maritime coalition to protect shipping in the area.
▽Taiwan leader in U.S. after warning of ‘overseas forces’ threat：The Asahi Shimbun
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in the United States on Thursday on a trip that has angered Beijing, warning that democracy must be defended and that the island faced threats from "overseas forces," in a veiled reference to China.
China, which claims self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as its own and views it as a wayward province, had called on the United States not to allow Tsai to transit there on her overseas tour.
▽U.S. Budget Deficit Grew 39% in First Eight Months of Fiscal Year - WSJ
Government tax revenue continued to rise in May thanks to a sturdy labor market, but not enough to offset higher federal outlays, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.
The U.S. budget gap widened last month as government spending outpaced tax collection, boosting the deficit 39% during the first eight months of the fiscal year. The government ran a $739 billion deficit from October through May, compared with $532 billion during the same period a year earlier, the Treasury said.
▽UK unveils draft law to tax tech giants
Britain on Thursday unveiled draft legislation for a "digital services tax" on global tech giants, which it plans to impose until leading economies reach an agreement on the contentious issue.
The proposed levy, which will be consulted on until September, will target "large digital businesses" and reflect "the value derived from their UK users", according to the country's finance ministry.
It said the 2.0 percent tax -- which it aims to introduce next April -- will not apply to small businesses or those making losses in Britain, in order to protect start-ups.
