4 h. ago Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

During his Southeast Asia trip in October, US President Donald Trump sealed deals with Malaysia and Thailand on the same day – both aimed at securing and diversifying America’s supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to step up cooperation on building and expanding critical minerals supply chains, according to a White House statement. They also agreed to strengthen the security of critical minerals and rare earths supplies in...

Politics

36 h. ago Beijing talks focus on trade, diplomacy, and ending Ukraine hostilities

Beijing talks focus on trade, diplomacy, and ending Ukraine hostilities  France 24

Politics

45 h. ago China and France should ‘understand and support each other’, Xi tells Macron

Chinese President Xi Jinping told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the two countries should “understand and support each other” and advance cooperation during a meeting on Thursday that touched on a range of issues, including the Ukraine war. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Xi described the discussions as “friendly, candid and fruitful”. He said the pair had agreed that the two countries “should uphold multilateralism, stand on the right side of history, adhere to equal...

Politics

50 h. ago Trump says next steps for Ukraine talks unclear after Putin meeting

The path ahead for Ukraine peace talks is unclear, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, after what he called “reasonably good” talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoys. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Putin accepted some US proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and was prepared to keep working to find a compromise. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner spent hours at the Kremlin, departing in the early hours of...

Politics

63 h. ago Macron arrives in China for talks with Xi on trade ties and Russia’s war in Ukraine

Macron arrives in China for talks with Xi on trade ties and Russia’s war in Ukraine  AP News

Politics

3 d. ago Macron arrives in China for talks with Xi on Ukraine war, trade

Macron arrives in China for talks with Xi on Ukraine war, trade  France 24

Politics

3 d. ago Ukraine talks: Putin meets Trump envoys in Russia, sends Europe a warning

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday for talks on a possible way to end the deadliest European conflict since World War II. Just before the meeting, Putin warned Europe that it would face swift defeat if it went to war with Russia, and he dismissed European counterproposals on Ukraine as being absolutely unacceptable to Russia. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the war but his...

Events

3 d. ago Russia says no Ukraine compromise reached after Putin meets Trump envoys

Russia and the US did not reach a compromise on a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine after a five-hour Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s top envoys, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. Trump has repeatedly complained that ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II has been one of the elusive foreign policy aims of his presidency. The US president has at times scolded both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Talks in Moscow between...

Politics

4 d. ago Zelensky says ‘not fair’ to exclude Europe from Ukraine reconstruction talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said it was “not fair” to exclude European allies from Ukraine reconstruction talks, as efforts to settle the war with Russia went into full swing. “The issue of money, restoration, in my opinion, I speak honestly, and we talked about it, undoubtedly, without the presence of European partners, it is not easy to accept. It is difficult because the money is in Europe, and I think this is not very fair,” he told a press conference with French...

Society

4 d. ago Ukraine’s Zelensky reinforces European support as he eyes Trump talks on US deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he expected to discuss “key issues” with Donald Trump as the American-led push to end Russia’s war on Ukraine accelerated, with the US president’s envoy heading to Moscow. Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov said “significant progress” had been achieved in two days of talks with US officials on Trump’s plan to end the war, even though more work was needed on “challenging” issues. The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff was due to meet...

Politics

4 d. ago Zelensky reinforces European support as he eyes Trump talks on US deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he expected to discuss “key issues” with Donald Trump as the American-led push to end Russia’s war on Ukraine accelerated, with the US president’s envoy heading to Moscow. Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov said “significant progress” had been achieved in two days of talks with US officials on Trump’s plan to end the war, even though more work was needed on “challenging” issues. The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff was due to meet...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump confirms phone call with Venezuela’s Maduro amid tensions

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but did not provide details on what the two leaders discussed. “I don’t want to comment on it. The answer is yes,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if he had spoken to Maduro. When asked to elaborate, after reports that the call included discussions about a possible meeting or amnesty conditions if Maduro were to step down, Trump would only say: “I wouldn’t say it went well...

Politics

5 d. ago Rubio sees progress in Florida talks with Ukraine but more work needed for deal

US and Ukrainian officials held what both sides called productive talks on Sunday about a peace deal with Russia, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing optimism about progress despite challenges in ending the more than three-year war “We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is but optimistic, particularly given the fact that as we’ve made progress, I think there is a shared vision here that this is not just about ending the war it is about securing Ukraine’s future, a...

Economics

5 d. ago US sees progress after Ukraine talks in Florida as Trump envoy heads to Russia

US and Ukrainian officials held what both sides called productive talks on Sunday about a Russia peace deal, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing optimism about progress despite challenges to ending the more than three-year-long war. Rubio met with a Ukrainian delegation led by a new chief negotiator in Florida, his home state, for talks that he said were meant to create a pathway for Ukraine to remain sovereign and independent. “We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is,...

Politics

5 d. ago US sees progress after latest Ukraine talks as Trump envoy heads to Russia

Diplomats faced an uphill battle to reconcile Russian and Ukrainian positions as a renewed US-led push to end the more than three-year war gathered steam, with Ukrainian officials attending talks in the US over the weekend and a Washington official expected in Moscow this week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with a Ukrainian delegation led by a new chief negotiator in Florida, his home state, for talks that he said were meant to create a pathway for Ukraine to remain sovereign and...

Politics

6 d. ago Russian drone strike kills 1 near Kyiv amid flurry of peace talks

A Russian drone attack has killed one person and wounded 11 on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, the regional governor said on Sunday. Mykola Kalashnyk, the Kyiv regional governor, reported “another enemy drone attack” and said rescuers were evacuating residents of a high-rise building and firefighting was ongoing. “Unfortunately, as a result of the enemy attack on Vyshgorod, one person was killed and 11 were wounded. Among them is one child,” Kalashnyk wrote on social media. The latest...

Events

6 d. ago US halts asylum cases after troop killing as Trump steps up migrant crackdown

The United States is freezing all asylum decisions, officials said on Friday, as President Donald Trump hardens his anti-migrant stance after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members this week in Washington. Wednesday’s attack on the soldiers – one of whom died from her injuries – has ignited a fresh crackdown on foreigners in the United States, with Trump also pledging to suspend migration from “third world countries”. Joseph Edlow, director of the US Citizenship and...

Events

9 d. ago China waits in the wings for opportunity as Trump makes Ukraine peace push

While Beijing has remained largely offstage during US President Donald Trump’s latest push to end the war in Ukraine, China still sees significant stakes in how any peace deal could reshape its strategic environment – from the global balance of power to post-war reconstruction opportunities, according to observers. A Trump-brokered peace plan to end the nearly four-year war, first reported last week, remains fluid, but the proposed settlement has reportedly been reduced to 19 points after the...

Politics

1 week ago Zelensky ready to advance Trump’s Ukraine plan, urges Europeans be included

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine was ready to advance a US-backed framework for ending the war with Russia and discuss disputed points with US President Donald Trump in talks he said should include European allies. US and Ukrainian officials have been trying to narrow the gaps between them over Trump’s plan to end Europe’s deadliest and most devastating conflict since World War II, with Ukraine wary of being strong-armed into accepting a deal largely on Russian terms,...

Politics

1 week ago Trump accuses Ukraine of ingratitude as officials report progress on peace plan

The United States said it had made significant progress on crafting a plan to end the war in Ukraine during talks on Sunday but no agreement was reached on how to guarantee Kyiv’s security amid concerns about the threat posed by Russia. Earlier, Trump said Ukraine had not been grateful for American efforts over the war, prompting Ukrainian officials to stress their gratitude to the US president for his support. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the talks in Geneva with a high-level Ukrainian...

Politics