North Korean state media have hailed President Donald Trump's "impromptu visit" to the country on Sunday as an "amazing event", reports the BBC. Trump, who became the first sitting US president to set foot in the country, travelled to South Korea following the G20 summit in Japan, and on Saturday tweeted a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, suggesting a meeting at the border. Kim accepted.
As Trump "revelled" in his "historic" stroll, administration officials were "at odds" over what demands to make of Kim Jong-un as they prepared to restart negotiations on a nuclear deal, says Edward Wong in The New York Times. National security adviser, John Bolton, a "prominent hawk", "reacted angrily" to a report about the possibility of an incremental approach, which would initially just ask for a freeze on nuclear activity.
However, negotiations stalled after a failed February summit at which Trump insisted that Kim give up his entire nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has given Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responsibility for restarting negotiations and officials are considering allowing "more robust humanitarian aid" or some "limited economic exchanges between the North and South" in return for a freeze on Kim's nuclear programme. Note, however, that South Korean president Moon Jae-in has been struggling to hold the North to its "most basic commitments" since his meeting with Kim in April 2018, says Andrew Jeong in The Wall Street Journal. This doesn't bode well for "loftier promises".
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Trump's methods are "unorthodox", but since he remains "subject to the checks and balances of the US system", he is able to make "big gestures that might engineer a diplomatic breakthrough", says The Daily Telegraph. Sometimes, "force of personality and a willingness to take a risk pays off."
-
How much could your cash ISA save you in tax?Official data reveals ISAs will collectively save us an estimated £6.7 billion in tax this year. We’ve crunched the numbers to find out how much a cash ISA could save you
-
The 8% pension rule: what is it and is it enough to retire on?
You are probably saving this amount into a pension each month without even realising with the 8% pensions rule. But is what is this and is it enough to give you a comfortable retirement?
