LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May's time as Conservative Party leader ended Friday, not with a bang but a whimper. May, who announced her departure two weeks ago after her career was undone by the Brexit mess, formally stepped down in a private exchange of letters with the party,...
Making Nice at End, Trump Praises Outgoing Theresa May
LONDON — Making nice at the end, President Donald Trump eased up Tuesday on his frequent criticism of outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May over her handling of the tortured Brexit deal, declaring history will remember her fondly if the United Kingdom can successfully leave the European Union. The latest...
US Delay to Huawei Ban Gives Tech Sector Time to Adjust
BEIJING — The United States is delaying restrictions on U.S. technology sales to Chinese tech powerhouse Huawei in what it calls an effort to ease the blow on owners of its cell phones and smaller U.S. telecoms providers that rely on its networking equipment. The Trump administration insists the sanctions...
Honda to Shut Plant in Brexit-Shaken Britain
LONDON — Japanese carmaker Honda plans to close its car factory in western England in 2021, a fresh blow to the British economy as it struggles with the uncertainty associated with leaving the European Union next month. The company announced the decision, which will imperil 3,500 jobs and possibly many...
Fears Grow: 1/3 of UK Firms Consider Move Abroad Over Brexit
LONDON — Nearly a third of U.K. firms may shift their operations abroad because of Britain's looming departure from the European Union, a survey of 1,200 company directors suggested Friday, as the political stalemate over a Brexit deal heightened jitters among businesses. The survey by the Institute of Directors, an...
The EU is a Great Idea That has Gone Awry
As we watch Britain going through the paroxysms relating to Brexit, it is easy to view its decision to leave the European Union as an act of foolishness, a self-inflicted wound that will impoverish Britons for years to come. Europe is Britain's largest market, taking in almost half of the...
UK’s May Has Eye on Rebellion as EU Prepares for Brexit Push
LONDON — The U.K. and the European Union plowed ahead Monday with plans to have their divorce deal signed, sealed and delivered within days as British Prime Minister Theresa May waited to see whether rebel lawmakers opposed to the agreement had the numbers to challenge her leadership. The draft agreement...
Germany Presses for EU Unity on Arms Sales Freeze to Saudis
BERLIN — A top German official pressed Monday for the European Union to show a united front on arms exports to Saudi Arabia after Berlin backed a freeze on such exports over the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi. Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday that arms exports to Saudi Arabia "can't...
Singer Bono Offers Solution to a Fracturing Europe: Zakaria
Bono, the lead singer for the band U2, thinks the European Union is misunderstood. He wants to increase EU pride as a way to counter the continent's growing nationalist sentiment. As he told Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria, “Europe needs to go from being seen as a bore, a bureaucracy, a...
Zakaria: High Costs, Low Benefits Of Trump's Negotiating Prowess
The Trump two-step. That's how Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria describes President Donald Trump's negotiating style. "It goes something like this: Begin by hurling insults at the other side, some of which have a basis in reality but are mostly wild exaggerations. Threaten extreme consequences. Then meet with the other side,...