Wednesday Morning Briefing: Republicans in tight House races embrace gun control policy

Highlights

A majority of Republican lawmakers in the tightest congressional races are changing their message on guns, expressing new support for restrictions after last month’s high school shooting in Florida, according to a Reuters review of the candidates’ public statements.

Florida state lawmakers were due to vote once more on a gun-safety package that would raise the legal age for buying rifles, impose a three-day waiting period on all firearms sales and allow the arming of some public school personnel.

Economic nationalists appeared to gain the upper hand in a White House battle over trade with the resignation of Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, in a move that could ramp up protectionist measures that risk igniting a global trade war.

World

Britain’s grand welcome for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman begins with a lunch with Queen Elizabeth, as the two countries seek to widen longstanding defense ties. But as Prince Mohammed and Prime Minister Theresa May meet, demonstrators will be outside to protest against both countries’ roles in Yemen where war has killed an estimated 10,000 people.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said sanctions on North Korea will not be eased for the sake of a summit between the two sides as Chinese state media repeated Beijing’s line that talks are the only way to end the nuclear standoff.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said there is no chance of him going on trial at the International Criminal Court, because “not in a million years” would it have jurisdiction to indict him.

 

Italian vote heralds tougher EU stance on migration http://reut.rs/2tor6bV

11:06 AM - mar 6, 2018

Business

Exxon CEO struggles to reverse Tillerson's legacy of failed bets

Exxon Mobil's $200 million write-down last month on abandoned ventures in Russia - once its next big frontier - points to challenges facing Chief Executive Darren Woods in his second year leading the world’s largest publicly traded oil producer.

6 min read

Exclusive: Goldman puts London staff on notice for German move by June - sources

Goldman Sachs has put more than a dozen UK-based banking, sales and trading staff on notice to move to Frankfurt within weeks, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, as it braces for divorce between Britain and the European Union.

2 Min Read

German automakers gain ground in South Korea, outselling GM for first time

Mercedes and BMW both sold more cars in South Korea than General Motors for the first time last month, helped by the growing popularity of German premium brands and as consumers shied away from GM after it announced a major restructuring.

2 min read

Investors bet on component makers in electric car shift

As carmakers ramp up spending on self-driving and electric vehicles, many investors are betting their component suppliers will be the first winners from the technology shifts.

7 min read

Top Stories on Reuters TV

Military lockdown after clashes in Sri Lanka

Stormy Daniels sues Trump over 'hush' agreement