Headlines:

• Trump-Putin Meeting
• Venezuela’s Inflation to Hit 1 million percent
• Ozil Leaves German Football due to Racism

Trump-Putin Meeting

Much of the world as well as the US public is still recovering from the Summit between Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Trump’s unorthodox method of not preparing for meetings and improvising in them captured much of the media attention, but even before the meeting Trump criticised his own intelligence agencies claims of Russian interference in the US election that saw Trump win the presidency. Even before the meeting with Putin, Trump said that U.S.-Russian relations had reached their lowest point ever and that it was the Americas’ fault. The special counsel leading the investigation into Russian meddling, indictment of 12 Russians the Friday afternoon before the summit made Trump’s statements even more shocking for much of the American media. Treason and a Russian agent is how much of the media described Trump. The Republican Party lost out to an outsider and they are trying everything to undermine Trump, much like they did to Obama when he was president. With a rising China a detent with Russia will suit the US against China, whether Russia will take the bait, remains to be seen.

Venezuela’s Inflation to Hit 1 million percent

Economists with the International Monetary Fund have said the inflation rate for Venezuela’s economy will reach 1 million percent in 2018. Putting it on track to become one of the worst hyperinflationary crises in modern history. Venezuela’s economy has been in a free fall since the oil price slump. Declining oil production and the policies of President Nicolas Maduro’s government have helped intensify the decline. “We are projecting a surge in inflation to 1,000,000 percent by end-2018 to signal that the situation in Venezuela is similar to that in Germany in 1923 or Zimbabwe in the late 2000’s,” Alejandro Werner, director of the IMF Western Hemisphere department. President Nicolas Maduro says the country is victim of an “economic war” waged by opposition businesses with the support of Washington.

Ozil Leaves German Football due to Racism

Mesut Ozil, the most influential German player today, a World Cup winner in 2014, capped 92 times by his country. In a three-part statement on Sunday said: “I will no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst I have this feeling of racism and disrespect.” He went on further to say he “no longer want to wear the German national team shirt. “I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.” Germany has a long history of racism and in recent decades the right wing in the country have gained support in anti-immigration and anti-Muslim policies. Ozil is by no means the only player in recent German history who has come under attack. Jerome Boateng is of Ghanaian descent and came under verbal attack during the last World Cup from one right-wing politician, who said he wouldn’t want the Bayern Munich defender as his neighbour. Racism appears to be ripe in Germany, even for those who have taken part in German society.