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Iran Protests: after a week of relatively (vs 2009) broad-based but thinly supported demonstrations a coherent leadership or set of demands remained elusive. This has allowed all sides of the political divide to try and claim ownership, regardless of the ‘attack everyone’ attitude of the crowds. Rouhani is asserting that the disgruntled Iranian people want more social, economic and political reforms.
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North-South Korea Talks: although the scope and agenda of meetings between the countries is limited to the Olympics the resumption of a dialogue has been received in a generally positive way. Many commentators believe the North is trying to generate some distance between Seoul and Washington, while Trump is (characteristically) attempting to claim victory for his tough rhetoric.
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China Trade Tensions: Alibaba boss Jack Ma had his US$1.2bn Ant Financial bid for Moneygram blocked on national security grounds. Huawei lost out on a new attempt to enter the U.S. market when AT&T walked away from a deal to use its smart phones. In Germany, using new legislation, the government has started a review of a Chinese bid for Cotesa, a small high-tech aerospace company.
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