Hello! Here’s what’s happening on Wednesday.
1. Trump moved forward with tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods in escalating trade war. The goods are mostly industrial products ranging from chemicals to tractors, and brings the total amount of Chinese tariffs up to $50 billion.
2. An associate of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was grilled on the witness stand in a second day of testimony. Rick Gates at one point said some of the money he improperly took from Manafort was used to finance an extramarital affair.
3. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has demanded former foreign secretary Boris Johnson apologize for comparing women in burqas to bank robbers and letter boxes. However, a source close to Johnson insisted that he would not apologize.
4. Chinese state media tentatively welcomed Google back to China. The now-deleted post followed reports that Google was planning to relaunch a search service in mainland China, complete with government censorship.
5. Saudi-owned media upped its attacks on Canada in a series of bizarre videos. The escalating feud between the countries began with a tweet about Saudi Arabia's human-rights record.
6. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty to new money laundering charges. The charges relate to the transfer of $10.3 million into his personal bank accounts from the country's 1MDB fund.
7. A Saudi prince bought up $250 million worth of stake in Snap, making him one of the company's biggest investors. The prince built up his stake gradually, completing it in May when Snap's stock was near its low ebb.
8. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced a proposal to take his electric-car company private. He added that a shareholder vote must be held before a final decision is made.
9. The West Hollywood city council decided President Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame should be removed. The council cited "his disturbing treatment of women" in addition to several of his administration's policies, as reasons the star should be removed. The final decision rests with the city of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The local governing body has previously said it would not oblige the request.
10. One of the world's largest banks warned that Earth is running out of the resources to sustain life. HSBC said companies and governments are not "adequately prepared" for climate effects.
And finally ...
