52 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy hails ‘good progress’ on minerals deal talks

Ukrainian president says legalities almost finalised and officials signal US concessions in talks that are progressing ‘quite fast’; deadly Shahed strike on Dnipro. What we know on day 1,149Minerals deal negotiators have made “good progress”, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Wednesday. A senior official with knowledge of the negotiations told Agence France-Presse that newer drafts of the US-Ukraine accord appeared not to recognise previous US military aid as a debt owed by Ukraine, adding that talks were moving forward “quite fast”. That assessment echoed a report by Bloomberg News that said Washington had eased a demand that Kyiv pay for aid already delivered since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.“The basic legal stuff is almost finalised, and then, if everything moves as quickly and constructively, the agreement will bring economic results to both our countries,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address on Wednesday. The Trump administration has demanded some sort o...

Economics

66 h. ago WHO member countries agree on a draft 'pandemic treaty' to try to avoid COVID

The World Health Organization's member countries agreed on a draft pandemic treaty that sets guidelines for how the international community might face the next global health crisis

Events

3 d. ago Feeling saucy! Trump slapping 21 percent tariff on tomatoes coming from Mexico

Mexico’s president hopes the countries can renew a bilateral agreement

Politics

3 d. ago JD Vance says US is ‘working very hard’ on negotiating ‘great’ UK trade deal amid Trump tariffs chaos

‘I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries’ - JD Vance

Economics

6 d. ago ‘There’s no way’: Experts doubt Trump team’s plan to reach 90 trade deals in three months

‘There's no way during this timeframe we're doing a comprehensive agreement with any of these countries,’ one expert said

Politics

8 d. ago Brazil to prioritize negotiation after US trade tariffs, official says

Brazil’s strategy to address extra tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump is to combine negotiations with the U.S. while it expands trade agreements with other countries, a top foreign trade official said Thursday

Politics

1 week ago Trump trade chief says US 'running up the score' on Australia as senator slams tariff – video

During a US Senate finance committee hearing, senator from Virginia Mark Warner slams Donald Trump's 10% tariff on Australian imports, referencing the free trade agreement between the two countries and the US trade surplus with Australia. Warner labels the new tariff policy 'insulting' and 'ridiculous', calling Australia 'one of our strongest allies'. Trump's trade chief Jamieson Greer replies that 'we should be running up the score against Australia'► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTubeDonald Trump flags ‘major tariff on pharmaceuticals’ as US senator criticises ‘whack’ on AustraliaAustralian stock market bounces back despite tariff threats after worst session in five yearsDonald Trump hits Australian exporters with 10% tariffs in ‘liberation day’ speech Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The Guardian view on the return of landmines: a deadly peril resurges | Editorial

Russia’s military threat and the junta’s war in Myanmar have undermined the international treaty against themEleven years ago, members of the Ottawa treaty banning the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of antipersonnel mines agreed a deadline for completing their obligations: 2025.The ambitious timeline reflected the immense progress made since the pact was signed in 1997. Back then, 25,000 people were killed or injured each year by landmines; by 2013, that number had fallen to 3,300. Tens of millions of mines have been destroyed, and by last year, 164 countries had committed themselves to the agreement. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago ‘Only job I know’: tiny Lesotho’s garment workers reel from Trump’s tariffs

Impoverished African country is hit with highest tariff rate at 50%, overturning decades of global trade policyThe day after Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, Lesotho’s garment workers feared for their jobs.Last year, Lesotho sent about 20% of its $1.1bn (£845m) of exports to the US, most of it clothing, as well as diamonds, under a continent-wide trade agreement meant to help African countries’ development via tariff-free exports. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Only job I know’: tiny Lesotho’s garment workers reel from Trump’s 50% tariffs

Impoverished African country is hit with highest tariff rate, overturning decades of global trade policyThe day after Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, Lesotho’s garment workers feared for their jobs.Last year, Lesotho sent about 20% of its $1.1bn (£845m) of exports to the US, most of it clothing under a continent-wide trade agreement meant to help African countries’ development via tariff-free exports, as well as diamonds. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago China looks south as it seeks to reduce reliance on a capricious United States

China wants to protect against the volatility of Trump’s tariffs, and now has more than a dozen free trade agreements with global south countriesChinese vice-premier Ding Xuexiang has pledged to give stronger policy support to the Chinese economy as he delivered the keynote speech at a forum focused on bolstering the country’s role in Asia and ties with the global south.With the tariffs on Chinese goods mounting, China is trying to find a foundation for growth that does not rely on an increasingly capricious United States. At the Boao Forum for Asia, a conference in south China’s Hainan province, Chinese officials and academics stressed the need for partnerships with global south countries. Despite its rapid economic growth in the past three decades, China still identifies as being part of this group. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Russian strikes show Moscow does not want ‘real peace’, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president said drone attacks just hours after ceasefire talks were ‘a clear signal to the whole world’See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine’s president has accused Russia of being insincere about moving towards peace as he reported an attack by 117 drones, just a day after both countries had agreed to a maritime ceasefire subject to Moscow obtaining agricultural sanctions relief.Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that launching nationwide strikes after the peace negotiations was proof of Russia’s true intentions, though the Kremlin insisted the US-brokered talks were proceeding constructively. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Starmer warns Putin of ‘severe consequences’ if he breaches peace deal

UK leader says Russia cannot veto how Ukraine defends itself as western military officials meet to draft security plansAnalysis: UK turns to the EU for defensive tiesVladimir Putin will face “severe consequences” if he breaches a peace deal with Ukraine, Keir Starmer has warned as western military planners begin drawing up plans to enforce any agreement between the two countries.The British prime minister issued his warning to the Russian president after meeting officials from 31 countries at the Northwood military base outside London, where they have started sketching out which western forces might be deployed to protect Ukraine in the future. Continue reading...

Events