Alan Lorenz, Author at Zoom News

Coronavirus Also Affects Burberry Fashion House

7Feb

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, News

Coronavirus Also Affects Burberry Fashion House

The outbreak of the new coronavirus is evident in the world of luxury clothing and accessories. The British fashion house Burberry notices that the demand of the usually so eager to buy Chinese has dropped considerably. That is why the concern, known for its clothing and bags in an iconic checkered pattern, has thrown its financial forecasts overboard. In January Burberry presented optimistic sales expectations for the current financial year ending in March, partly due to strong demand for the new collection by designer Riccardo Tisci. But in the meantime, it has become clear that a few percent cannot meet the expected growth in turnover. Burberry has temporarily shut down 24 of its 64 sites in China due to the coronavirus. The stores that are open work with shorter opening hou...

EU and UK both want Ambitious Trade Agreements but Under Different Conditions

3Feb

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK, US

EU and UK both want Ambitious Trade Agreements but Under Different Conditions

The European Commission wants to reach an ambitious free trade agreement with the United Kingdom in the coming year, following the Brexit last weekend. But she does expect the British to compete with Europe in an "open and honest" way. The British government, for its part, does not just want to accept all European rules. The Frenchman Michel Barnier, who will lead the forthcoming negotiations on a free trade agreement on the European side, commissioned by the European Commission, proposed a draft negotiating mandate this morning. That negotiating mandate determines the conditions under which the European Commission may discuss a new agreement with the United Kingdom. Now that the British have officially left the European Union last weekend, it is necessary to negotiate how the ...

McConnell has Faith at the End of the Impeachment Process

30Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

US, News

McConnell has Faith at the End of the Impeachment Process

The leader of the Republican majority in the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, would now trust that he has enough senators behind him to quickly put an end to the deposition process against President Trump. The broadcaster ABC reported that, according to sources from the Republican Party McConnell, a proposal by the Democrats to call witnesses is being voted down. A vote can then follow on Friday as to whether Trump would have been guilty of abuse of power. A majority of senators are predictable to vote for acquittal. A few days ago, McConnell thought aloud that he would not have enough votes to stop witness hearings. Many Republican senators allegedly began to feel interrogated, mainly because of claims made by a former Trump adviser, John Bolton, in a partially leaked manuscript. B...

Is Former Security Adviser John Bolton Going to Testify Against Us President Trump?

28Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

US, News

Is Former Security Adviser John Bolton Going to Testify Against Us President Trump?

Will John Bolton, the former security adviser to US President Donald Trump, still testify to the settlement process against the president? The Democrats insist on this now that The New York Times newspaper unpacked excerpts from the manuscript of Bolton's forthcoming book. According to the newspaper, Bolton writes that Trump personally told him that he would withhold US aid to Ukraine as long as Ukraine did not start a corruption investigation into Trump's political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter. "The room where it happened" is the name of the book by John Bolton, the US President's security adviser who was fired in September last year. The book is due mid-March. The manuscript still needs to be approved by the National Security Council in the White House. But even before t...

Russia is Blacklisting D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma

27Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Russia, News

Russia is Blacklisting D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma

Russia has blacklisted D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. This means that he will not be able to join a delegation from MPs to Moscow next month. Foreign minister Stef Blok has already called on the Russian ambassador, but that has not led to a different position. The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs would visit Russia at the request of the Duma, the Russian parliament. Only recently did it become clear that Sjoerdsma is not welcome. A reason was not mentioned. Russia would internally suggest that the Netherlands also has a sanction list and that they are also free to use a checklist. Sjoerdsma reacts laconically. "If the Russian government thinks that because of this pressure I will swallow my criticism of, for example, MH17 and human rights violations, they will come home from a c...

Ebola Congo: Due to the Flared-up Violence, We Have to Start Almost from Scratch

23Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Congo, News

Ebola Congo: Due to the Flared-up Violence, We Have to Start Almost from Scratch

In Eastern Congo people were well on their way to end the Ebola epidemic after eighteen months. But due to a flare-up of violence, new people became infected. Ebola has not yet been challenged in Eastern Congo, that much is clear. The epidemic, which has now been going on for a year and a half, has already killed more than 2,300. Although the disease seemed as good as fought, 16 infections appeared again last week. The flare-up violence is the cause of this. "We now have to start almost from scratch," says Dr Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the national Ebola coordinator. Ebola is one of the biggest challenges for President Félix Tshisekedi, who has been in power in Congo for one year now.

Australia Ravaged by Sandstorms and Hail Balls

20Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Australia, News

Australia Ravaged by Sandstorms and Hail Balls

Australia Ravaged by Sandstorms and Hail Balls. Australia is preparing for heavy thunderstorms, including in many areas affected by the massive forest fires. There is a risk of flooding in some places. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a 'warning of heavy thunderstorms' on Monday and warned of strong winds, hail and heavy rainfall in large parts of New South Wales, southern Queensland and many areas in Victoria. Last week rain fell in three states affected by the massive forest fires, which brought some relief to the exhausted firefighters who have been fighting the fire since September. But in Queensland, many highways were closed and people had to be evacuated during the weekend due to flooding. Canberra, the capital of the country, had to deal with wind and a ...

President Vladimir Putin is Going to Conference on Conflicts in Libya

17Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

International, News

President Vladimir Putin is Going to Conference on Conflicts in Libya

President Vladimir Putin is going to the international conference on the conflicts in Libya on Sunday. The Kremlin reported that he is participating in the conference in Berlin, which should lead to a peace settlement. It was not confident whether Putin himself would come. The Kremlin reported that Putin had received a letter from Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar. Last Monday an unsuccessful attempt was made in Russia to bring the warring parties to a file. Haftar wrote to his "good friend" Putin that he would like to continue the dialogue that started Monday and is prepared to come to Moscow again for that. But the parties involved are already talking to each other in Berlin on Sunday, along with a series of countries that are included in the fight. These are in particular Turkey,...

The European States Activate Sanction Mechanism with Iran Deal

14Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Europe, Iran

The European States Activate Sanction Mechanism with Iran Deal

France, the United Kingdom and Germany have activated a sanction mechanism in the nuclear deal with Iran. That brings the end of the 2015 agreement a step closer, although the three countries say they are not after it. After the US withdrew from the agreement and again introduced sanctions against Tehran, Iran also scaled back its commitments to the Iran deal. France, Germany and the United Kingdom are therefore not set up and are now taking steps themselves. "We do not accept the argument that Iran should no longer fully comply with the agreement," it says in mutual communication. They say they have no choice but to activate the mechanism; that may lead to new sanctions in the long term. Yet they do not want to go as far as the United States, which in the meantime has wholly w...

Khalifa Haftar Asks for A Delay in Signing the Libyan Truce

13Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

International, News

Khalifa Haftar Asks for A Delay in Signing the Libyan Truce

Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar has requested an extension of the ceasefire agreement with the UN-recognized Libyan government. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that no deal has been reached as a result. The peace talks are organised by Turkey and Russia and are held in Moscow. Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) has been under siege for months to the capital of Tripoli, where the government of Fayez al-Serraj sits. The warlord does not recognise the current Libyan government. Russia and Turkey are calling for a ceasefire in the North African country.