Bhinneka News Online: Friday Morning Briefing: After Trump's Kabul visit, Taliban says ready to resume peace talks

Friday, 29 November 2019

Top Stories

The Taliban said on Friday they were ready to restart peace talks with the United States, a day after President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and said he believed the radical group would agree to a ceasefire.

U.S. consumers splurged more than $2 billion online in the first hours of Thanksgiving shopping, while crowds were largely thin at retailers on the eve of Black Friday, reflecting the broader trend away from shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed “great satisfaction” over the latest test of a large multiple-rocket launcher, state media said on Friday, a launch that experts said showcased improving performance by the system and its crews.

Hong Kong police on Friday withdrew from the wreckage of a university campus damaged in weeks of clashes, as pro-democracy activists canvassed social media for support for more rallies at the weekend.

World

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was best if President Donald Trump did not get involved in Britain’s upcoming election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week.

The Malta government turned down a request from one of the island’s richest men on Friday for a pardon in return for his cooperation in the investigation into a journalist’s murder, after freeing a top official he was said to implicate.

Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric on Friday condemned attacks on protesters and urged lawmakers to reconsider their support for the government, an apparent suggestion that they seek a change of leadership as violence spirals in the war-weary country.

Business

BMW, Great Wall to build new China plant for electric cars

BMW and its partner Great Wall Motor said they plan to build a plant in China with a capacity of 160,000 cars per year, and which will produce BMW’s electric MINI brand and Great Wall Motor models.

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Mexico's Pemex fights in court to suspend clean diesel rule - documents

Mexico’s state-run oil company Pemex has been fighting for almost a year in court to suspend a rule issued by the previous government, requiring the nationwide sale of clean diesel to start this year, court documents seen by Reuters show.

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Big four auditors face investor calls for tougher climate scrutiny

European investors managing assets worth more than 1 trillion pounds ($1.28 trillion) are pressing top auditors to take urgent action on climate-related risks, warning that failure to do so could do more damage than the financial crisis.

5 min read