Rubio to begin Israel visit in aftermath of Qatar strike
Jerusalem, Undefined -- Top US diplomat Marco Rubio begins a visit to Israel on Sunday, after expressing the Trump administration's unwavering support for its ally in the war with Hamas following a strike in Qatar that drew broad criticism of Israel. The trip is taking place after President Donald Trump...
Trump trade war pushes firms to consider stockpiling
Even if they don't all acknowledge it so openly, firms in many different sectors are stockpiling their products in the United States. In March, exports of Swiss watches to the United States jumped nearly 14 percent compared to the same month last year.Tariff war: Xi says China must ‘overcome’ AI chip challenges
Beijing, China - President Xi Jinping said China must "overcome" the challenges of developing core AI technologies including high-end chips, state media reported Saturday, as Beijing seeks to become a world leader in the rapidly developing industry. China aims to dominate the artificial intelligence sector, a goal complicated by the...Huge crowds flock to Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral
Tens of thousands of mourners flooded into St Peter's Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, the champion of the poor and the Catholic Church's first Latin American leader.Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel ‘will happen’: Trump
"Saudi Arabia will go into the Abraham accords," Trump said, referencing the historic agreement struck at the end of his first term in 2020, which saw United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalize relations with Israel.The game of ‘chicken’ being played with the world economy can be brought to a cooperative end
A meaningful “G3” accord between the US, Europe, and China must include coordinated fiscal, monetary, development, and trade policies. From reducing the US fiscal deficit to boosting China’s domestic consumption and reforming global trade norms, such a grand bargain could modernize outdated systems and spark a long-overdue recalibration of global...Trump eyes ‘fair deal’ with China, but path to ending tariff war remains unclear
Trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies have soared as Trump ramped up levies on imports from China this year, imposing an additional 145 percent tariff on many products over practices Washington has deemed unfair, and other issues.Trump to visit Saudi, Qatar, UAE in May amid tensions over Iran, trade, and security
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat held talks in Washington earlier this month to lay the groundwork for a visit by Trump in a reprisal of 2017, when the oil-rich, conservative kingdom was the first destination of his first term in office.Trump, Zelensky to attend Pope Francis’s funeral Saturday
Pope Francis's funeral will be held on Saturday, the Vatican announced, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader.Trump tariffs have increased financial stability risks: IMF report
The IMF's Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) was published as world financial leaders gather for meetings in Washington under the cloud of policy uncertainty triggered by Trump's tariff announcements. The administration's tariff plans "triggered a bout of policy uncertainty," which was only exacerbated by the retaliatory measures unveiled by China,...DHL to stop global shipments worth over $800 to US consumers
Washington, United States -- Global shipping giant DHL will "temporarily" suspend the shipping of parcels worth more than $800 from businesses to individuals in the United States as of Monday, the company said, citing delays in US customs clearances. "As a result of recent US Customs regulatory updates, we are...Gold hits record, dollar drops as tariff fears dampen sentiment
With several markets still closed for the Easter holiday, business was limited ahead of a week that will see the release of key data that should give an insight into the impact of the US president's trade war. Several nations have moved to cut a deal with Washington to stem...Beijing slams ‘appeasement’ of US in trade deals that hurt China
China on Monday hit out at other countries making trade deals with the United States at Beijing's expense, promising countermeasures against those who "appease" Washington in the blistering tariff war.From tariffs to deportations, Trump’s first 100 days signal imperial shift in US leadership
Trump has also stepped up the sense of an endless reality show in which he is the star, as he signs executive orders and takes questions from reporters in the Oval Office almost daily.Global tax plans targeting super rich and tech giants stall under Trump
Paris, France -- Global tax plans targeting billionaires and multinational companies are running aground, with the United States torpedoing reforms under President Donald Trump. The billionaire real estate tycoon has pulled the United States out of an international deal on taxing multinationals and threatened tariffs on countries that target US...‘Resist Tyranny’: Another round of anti-Trump demonstrations hit major US cities
Many took aim at Trump's deportations of undocumented migrants, chanting "No ICE, no fear, immigrants are welcome here," a reference to the role of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in rounding up migrants.US Supreme Court intervenes to pause Trump deportations
Washington, United States - The US Supreme Court, in a dramatic nighttime intervention Saturday, paused President Donald Trump's unprecedented use of an obscure law to deport Venezuelan migrants without due process. The emergency ruling, delivered in two terse paragraphs, noted that two of the most conservative of the nine justices...Putin announces ‘Easter truce’ in Ukraine set to last until midnight on Sunday
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced a surprise Easter truce in Ukraine, set to last until midnight on Sunday in what would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict.Iran, US to resume high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome amid sanctions and mutual distrust
Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons - an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.Trump’s tariffs fallout: Why trade tensions are a ‘storm cloud’ over financial markets
Stocks later rallied after Trump announced a 90-day pause on additional higher tariffs that were set to impact around 80 countries. Today, trade tensions persist as governments and business leaders negotiate tariffs rates and exemption policies, fuelling uncertainty and turbulence in financial markets, he adds.Chinese vent anger at Trump’s trade war with memes, mockery
Beijing, China -- While China's leaders use their economic and political might to fight Donald Trump's trade war "to the end", its army of social media soldiers are embarking on a more humorous campaign online. The US president's tariff blitz has seen Washington and Beijing impose eye-watering duties on imports...Deadly US strikes hit Yemen fuel port used by Huthis
The US military said it had destroyed a key Yemeni fuel port as it targets the country's Huthi rebels, who said Friday that 20 people had been killed in the strikes.TSMC first-quarter net profit soars
Its net revenue for the quarter soared nearly 42%.OPEC lowers 2025 oil demand forecast over impact of US tariffs
The Saudi-led oil cartel said in a monthly report that it now expects demand to grow by 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025, down from a previous forecast of 1.4 million bpd. The "minor adjustment" was mainly due to first-quarter data and "the expected impact on oil demand...Trump says Russian strike on Ukraine ‘a horrible thing’
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy that killed at least 34 people was "a horrible thing."US Pentagon chief says military ready to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear bomb
Washington, United States -- The US defense secretary reiterated Sunday that the United States hopes for a diplomatic solution to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, but if that failed the military was ready "to go deep and to go big." US and Iranian diplomats opened indirect talks Saturday...US-funded Arabic network ends broadcasts after Trump cuts
The network went on air in 2004, when US officials were complaining about coverage of the Iraq war from Qatar-backed Al-Jazeera -- which two decades later maintains a dominant role in Arabic-language media. Alhurra says it reaches more than 30 million people each week across 22 countries.US exempts several consumer electronics from Trump’s import tariffs
Washington, United States -- The Trump administration has exempted a raft of consumer electronics from its punishing import tariffs -- offering relief to US tech firms and partially dialling down a trade war with China. A notice late Friday by the US Customs and Border Protection office said smartphones, laptops,...Trump – oldest elected US president – undergoes physical
Washington, United States - Donald Trump had his first annual medical checkup Friday since returning to power, putting focus on the fitness of the 78-year-old who is the oldest US president ever elected and has been accused of dodging questions about his health. Republican Trump has repeatedly boasted about his...Why investors rush to gold in uncertain economic times?
London, United Kingdom -- Why do investors flock to gold when economic times turn tough? As the precious metal reaches record highs AFP explains why it remains such a trusted lifeline. The trading turmoil unleashed by US President Donald Trump's tariffs has triggered a record run for gold, widely viewed...Trump admits trade war ‘cost’ as markets hit
Jitters about US tariffs hammered Asian stocks again early Friday as President Donald Trump acknowledged a "cost" to his surging trade offensive against superpower rival China..In skies, as on land, European forces face gaps if US pulls back
Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Fighter jets from the United States, France, Finland and Germany roar into the skies from a Dutch base as part of NATO's biggest air exercise this year. The aim: to practice stopping -- and then defeating -- an enemy attack against the alliance as Russia's war in Ukraine...China retaliates with 84 percent tariffs on US products
Beijing, China -- China will impose 84 percent tariffs on US imports, up from 34 percent, the finance ministry said Wednesday, hours after similar levies by the United States came into force. US President Donald Trump's latest salvo of tariffs came into effect on dozens of trading partners Wednesday, bringing...Hamas official says ‘necessary to reach a ceasefire’ in Gaza
A Hamas official told AFP on Tuesday that it was "necessary to reach a ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, three weeks after Israel resumed bombardments on the Palestinian territory.Trump’s new tariffs take effect, with 104% on Chinese goods
US President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs on dozens of economies came in force Wednesday, including over 100 percent in levies against Chinese goods, dramatically ramping up a devastating global trade war.Amid Israeli warning of military action, Iran says deal can be reached if US shows goodwill
Trump made the surprise announcement that his administration would open talks with Iran during a White House meeting on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country is an arch foe of Tehran.China vows ‘fight to the end’ as Trump warns 50% more tariffs
China vowed on Tuesday to "fight to the end" against fresh tariffs of 50 percent threatened by US President Donald Trump, further aggravating a trade war that has already wiped trillions off global markets.Netanyahu meets Trump for tariff and Gaza talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, becoming the first foreign leader to personally plead for a reprieve from stinging US tariffs that have shaken the world.Trump’s tariffs shake up MENA economies, hitting allies, adversaries, oil trade and emerging industries: Report
Trump's sweeping tariffs are reshaping trade dynamics across MENA, impacting oil-exporting Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, according to Atlantic Council experts.Stocks sink again as Trump holds firm on tariffs
Trading floors across the globe were overcome by waves of further selling after last week's sharp losses, with Trump telling Americans to "be strong, courageous, and patient," minutes before the New York stock market opened to drops of over three percent.Saudi stocks take 5-year record fall, plunge nearly 7% after US tariffs spark global market turmoil
Other Gulf markets also took a dive, reflecting global trends as countries around the world grapple with Trump's shock tariffs affecting US allies and rivals alike.Tens of thousands march in US against Trump ‘devastation’
Opponents of the Republican president's policies -- from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties -- rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations. "I am so angry, I'm so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged...TikTok’s US future uncertain
It must find non-Chinese owner to avoid ban.Pausing production, raising prices: Automakers shift gears after Trump tariffs
Paris, France -- Automakers have already started to adapt to the 25-percent tariff imposed on car imports by US President Donald Trump, from pausing production to raising prices or halting certain models. The additional levy came into effect on Thursday and applies to all cars that are not manufactured in...Stocks, oil slump as China retaliates and Trump digs in heels
Despite the market turmoil, Trump insisted: "my policies will never change". Wall Street stocks fell more than two percent at the start of trading, with the blue-chip Dow falling below 40,000 points for the first time since August, a day after the S&P 500 experienced its largest drop since the...Trump defiant as tariffs send world markets into panic
Wall Street led a global markets bloodbath Thursday as countries around the world reeled from President Donald Trump's trade war, while the White House insisted the US economy will emerge victorious.Trump’s tariffs on allies, China could shrink global merchandise trade volumes 1% in 2025, warns WTO
After Trump on Wednesday unveiled a blitz of harsher-than-expected levies aimed at countries around the globe, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned the measures would "have substantial implications for global trade and economic growth prospects".Trump stings friends and foes alike in his tariffs war, countries eye trade talks
The tariff announcements rattled stock markets while safe haven gold hit a new record high, oil prices fell and the dollar slumped against other major currencies.China says opposes new US tariffs, vows ‘countermeasures’
China on Thursday said it "firmly opposes" sweeping new US tariffs on its exports and vowed "countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests".US university calls for release of detained Turkish student
New York, United States - Tufts University on Wednesday publicly backed its student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national detained by federal agents last week as part of US President Donald Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. In a legal declaration signed by the Massachusetts university's president Sunil Kumar, Tufts demands...Tesla Q1 sales sink 13 percent
The dip occurred amid lower production during factory upgrades.