Trump cancels Davos trip over US-Mexico border wall row

[WASHINGTON] President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled his upcoming trip to the annual international conference at Davos, blaming the ongoing row in Washington over building wall on the border with Mexico.

"I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum," he said in a tweet.

Mr Trump blamed opposition Democrats' "intransigence" over his demand for US$5.7 billion to extend a border wall with Mexico. As a side-effect of the row, swaths of the US government are temporarily closed, leaving more than 800,000 employees without pay.

Mr Trump had been due to make a brief appearance at the annual Davos get-together, which runs between January 21-25.

AFP