Politics
Economic ministers of the ASEAN regional bloc committed on Thursday “to not impose any retaliatory measures” against the United States over sweeping tariffs and said they were ready to engage in talks. “ASEAN, being the fifth largest economy in the world, is deeply concerned over the recent introduction of unilateral
Politics
Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed off his tariffs on most nations for 90 days even as he further jacked up the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125 percent. It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war
Politics
China vowed on Wednesday it would take “firm and forceful” steps to protect its interests, after steep US tariffs of 104 percent came into effect. Following the sweeping 10 percent tariffs imposed over the weekend, rates on imports to the United States from exporters including the European Union and Japan
Politics
The United States and Russia will hold talks on Thursday in Istanbul on restoring some of their embassy operations that have been drastically scaled back following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the US State Department said. The talks, the second of their kind, come after President Donald Trump reached out
Politics
Several powerful Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq are prepared to disarm for the first time to avert the threat of an escalating conflict with the US Trump administration, 10 senior commanders and Iraqi officials told Reuters. The move to defuse tensions follows repeated warnings issued privately by US officials to
Politics
Leading contenders began to throw their hats in the ring on Tuesday as South Korea officially set June 3 for a snap presidential election triggered by last week’s removal from office of impeached leader Yoon Suk Yeol. The power vacuum at the top of government has impeded Seoul’s
Politics
President Donald Trump said the United States would start direct, high-level talks with Iran over its nuclear program on Saturday, in a shock announcement during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started,” Trump told reporters in the Oval
Politics
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington on Monday to meet Donald Trump, whom he will likely ask for a reprieve from US tariffs while seeking further backing on Iran and Gaza. Netanyahu becomes the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the US capital since the “Liberation Day”
Politics
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday lamented the lack of a US response to Russia’s refusal to agree “a full, unconditional ceasefire” as two people were killed in Moscow’s latest aerial bombardment. Russia mounted a “massive” missile and drone attack on Ukraine that also wounded seven people,
Politics
The Philippine and US air forces kicked off joint exercises Monday aimed at boosting operational coordination and enhancing “strategic deterrence,” Manila’s military said. The drills follow months of confrontations between Beijing and Manila over disputed areas of the South China Sea, with significantly larger US-Philippine air, land and sea
Politics
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said he would hold a trilateral summit on the situation in Gaza with Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Israel has pushed to seize territory in Gaza since the collapse of a short-lived truce in its war with Hamas,
Politics
US customs agents began collecting President Donald Trump’s unilateral 10 percent tariff on all imports from many countries on Saturday, with higher levies on goods from 57 larger trading partners due to start next week. The initial 10 percent “baseline” tariff paid by US importers took effect at US
Politics
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has warned in his annual state of the nation speech that the country faces a challenging financial future that would need sacrifices. Faye spoke after authorities and the International Monetary Fund said the previous government had underestimated the West African nation’s debt levels.
Politics
India’s prime minister urged Bangladesh’s interim leader to avoid rhetoric that marred bilateral relations during their first meeting on Friday since the ouster of Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina, India’s foreign ministry said. Relations between the South Asian neighbors, which were robust under Hasina, have deteriorated since she
Politics
President Donald Trump goaded China on Friday after the US’s chief economic rival retaliated against his tariffs, and he dismissed falling stock markets over the growing global trade war, touting it as a chance to “get rich.” “China played it wrong, they panicked — the one thing they cannot afford
Politics
Britain and France on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks to bring a halt to fighting in Ukraine and ramped up pressure on Moscow by insisting that he owes the United States an immediate answer. Russia has effectively rejected a US proposal for