US President Donald Trump has imposed significant tariffs on various countries, including Canada (25% on all goods), Mexico (25%), China (145%), and steel and aluminum from other countries (25%). The UK is not among the countries hit with additional tariffs due to its higher imports. Trump has met with top officials and leaders like UK's Starmer to discuss potential trade deals, including a transatlantic deal. He has also considered exemptions for child-related products such as car seats and diapers to reduce their cost.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14691309/Trump-reveals-big-trade-deal-UK.htmlEconomists and businesses warn that tariffs could lead to increased prices for consumer products as President Trump aims to use them to restore manufacturing jobs lost to lower-wage countries, shift tax burden away from U.S. families, and pay down the national debt. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, which can be absorbed by importers or passed on to consumers through higher prices.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/trump-plans-to-announce-first-major-trade-deal-on-thursday/article_c9009ada-5419-5099-acf8-3157e470ddcc.htmlThe Biden administration views China as a top rival but seeks cooperation in areas like climate change and fentanyl curbing. In contrast, former President Trump has pursued a strategy of countering China through alliances, including shifting US forces to southern Japan and northern Philippines, and rejecting Chinese high-technology. China has responded by reaching out to close US allies Japan and South Korea to explore a free-trade deal. Analyst Ali Wyne believes Trump's actions are undermining US leverage against China, which is now prioritizing self-sufficiency and projecting itself as a stabilizing force.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/trump-talks-tough-on-china-but-early-focus-elsewhere/article_cee48113-27ae-5455-abc3-2de7496601e8.htmlIndia and Japan strengthened their strategic partnership during the third India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi on August 20, 2024. The meeting was attended by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko KAMIKAWA, and Defence Minister Minoru KIHARA. The two nations reaffirmed their commitment to regional stability and global peace, with a focus on shared values and common visions.
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/india-pak-tensions-japan-condemns-all-forms/Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized the importance of respecting human rights in Ukrainian territories controlled by the Kiev regime, which he accused of destroying Russian cultural heritage and language after its violent seizure of power in 2014.
https://www.fakti.bg/en/world/969134-lavrov-since-2014-kiev-has-begun-to-destroy-everything-russian-language-culture-traditions-orthodoxyThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has emphasized the importance of strengthening the rule of law, reducing regulatory burdens, and promoting competition and innovation to aid Ukraine's recovery from the war. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal urged top economies to participate in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts, likening it to the Marshall Plan. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann expressed confidence in Ukraine's future prospects following a return to peace.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/3989930-oecd-calls-on-ukraine-to-lighten-regulatory-burdens-to-help-boost-investment.htmlPakistan is exploring opportunities in global trade amid shifting patterns and market volatility. Experts discussed the need to address investment, financing, and logistics challenges for sustaining competitive exports. The panelists, including Ehsan Malik, Yousaf Bashir, and Fahd Jafri, also examined evolving policy signals from major trading partners like Germany's Commerzbank, which may impact Pakistan's economic strategy.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40361410/rising-protectionism-could-derail-trade-flows-pbc-chiefPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed a US business delegation, led by Charles Freeman and Esperanza Gomez, to Pakistan, highlighting the country's investor-friendly environment. He promised a "mutually beneficial solution" to ongoing tariff issues and vowed to cut red tape for investors. With over 80 US companies already operating in Pakistan, Sharif called the country a "safe and profitable destination." The government plans to devise a strategy to lessen the impact of US tariffs, while Sharif also praised American firms for creating jobs and boosting exports.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40361437/tariff-row-solution-pm-assures-us-trade-team-of-beneficial-termsLarge numbers of Sudanese refugees are pouring into eastern Chad, with over 18,500 people arriving in the past two weeks alone, according to the UNHCR. The influx is largely due to the bombing of the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people in Darfur and the city of al-Fasher, which has left hundreds of thousands of people on the move. Many refugees, including children, elderly people, and pregnant women, are severely malnourished. Jean-Paul Habamungu, head of the UNHCR sub-office in Chad, describes the situation as "terrible" with many unaccompanied children, such as a 9-year-old boy searching for his parents. The UNHCR warns that hundreds more may die from hunger on their journey to Tawila and Tiné.
https://africanews.com/2025/05/06/new-wave-of-sudanese-refugees-flee-into-neighbouring-chad/