鈥淲e received reports that teachers are really being forced to volunteer,鈥� TDC National Chairperson Benjo G. Basas said in Filipino in a statement yesterday.

鈥淪ome reports also stated that those who did not volunteer are still required to report to school, and even contribute money to pay the salary of the external tutor,鈥� he added.

The SRP aims to help learners from Grades 2 to 11 achieve grade-level proficiency in reading and mathematics. A network of tutors, such as teachers, para-teachers, pre-service teachers, and qualified volunteers, is set to deliver targeted interventions for students.

Under the 2026 budget, the Department of Education (DepEd) allocated P9 billion for the ARAL program, and is expected to hire about 448,000 tutors nationwide.

However, based on TDC鈥檚 initial survey, many teachers raised concerns about the 鈥渘on-voluntary nature鈥� of the program and questioned the absence of funding for external tutors.

鈥淭he regular teaching load is already burdensome, and yet they would still add this ARAL program that鈥檚 supposed to have a budget for external tutors,鈥� Mr. Basas said.

鈥淭hey are still expecting the tired teachers to carry the burden, so where did or where would the budget for the program go?鈥� he added.

TDC also flagged the low turnout of students for the summer remediation classes, which may 鈥渇oreshadow similar implementation problems鈥� once the ARAL program rolls out during regular school days.

鈥淚f we can鈥檛 implement it properly, it may be best to pause, review the problems encountered, and provide solutions for them before proceeding,鈥� Mr. Basas said.

鈥淥therwise, the money, time, and effort of everyone may go to waste because of a program that cannot be properly carried out,鈥� he added.

Mr. Basas noted that the ARAL program is a 鈥渂and-aid solution鈥� for the education sector鈥檚 long-term problems, such as a lack of classrooms, books, and teachers鈥� support. 鈥淚f all of these are addressed, there clearly won鈥檛 be a need for remediation.鈥�

The SRP, which runs from May 6 to Jun. 2, 2026, targets to support 2.7 million learners nationwide. 鈥� Almira Louise S. Martinez

Mr. Herbosa said that the joint liver transplant program between The Medical City (TMC) and Rizal Medical Center (RMC), which marked its first anniversary, has cut liver transplant costs by half.

From around P5 million for the procedure at TMC prior to the partnership, the cost has been reduced to around P2.4 million, close to the estimated P2.1 million cost of the procedure in India, excluding travel expenses.

Following this, Mr. Herbosa said it already 鈥渕akes no sense鈥� to send children in need of transplants to India, urging that the procedure be done in the country instead.

鈥淚 will fully support that they be done in the Philippines… As for the PhilHealth Z Benefits, we鈥檙e now working with Dr. Edwin M. Mercado, president of PhilHealth,鈥� Mr. Herbosa said in his keynote speech during the program鈥檚 anniversary media conference.

The health chief said that the Z Benefits package, PhilHealth鈥檚 financial coverage for catastrophic illnesses, for the transplant could reach around P2 million, including immunosuppression medication for kidney transplant patients, which costs around P40,000 a month.

鈥淪o we can actually take care of that. I think the money of PhilHealth can cover that,鈥� Mr. Herbosa said.

With the inclusion of liver transplants in the PhilHealth Z Benefits package, he said around 144 patients with biliary atresia 鈥� a rare liver disease among infants 鈥� could benefit.

Dr. Maria Rica M. Lumague, Medical Center Chief II of Rizal Medical Center, welcomed the proposal, saying that the P2 million coverage is a good start, noting that PhilHealth currently covers only around P50,000 for hepatectomy, or the removal of a portion of the donor鈥檚 liver.

鈥淥f course, higher will be better, but to start at P2 million is not bad,鈥� Ms. Lumague told reporters on the sidelines of the media conference.

鈥淲ith the help and endorsement of Secretary Ted, we hope it鈥檚 going to be a reality in the future,鈥� she added.

Meanwhile, TMC said that the joint liver transplant program, formalized through a memorandum of agreement in January 2025, has successfully performed liver transplants on a total of four patients, all of whom are children.

Moving forward, TMC aims to conduct more liver transplants by expanding its facilities and training a new generation of surgeons. 鈥� Edg Adrian A. Eva

Among those arrested were at least one aide and two other people connected to Raphael Arnault, a lawmaker from far-left party France Unbowed (LFI), who said on Tuesday that the aide, Jacques-Elie Favrot, had “stopped all parliamentary work”.

“It is now up to the investigation to determine responsibility,” Mr. Arnault said on X.

Another of Mr. Arnault’s assistants and one of his former interns were also among the detained, French media outlets reported. The prosecutor did not immediately confirm the report and Mr. Arnault did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Far-right activist Quentin Deranque, 23, died on Saturday after being beaten by hard-left activists outside a conference center in Lyon where Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament, was speaking.

Mr. Favrot’s lawyer Bertrand Sayn said his client has acknowledged committing violence and being present at the site, but said he was not “the author of the blows that caused the death of Mr. Deranque.”

Videos of the confrontation were widely shared on social media. Ms. Hassan and other members of the LFI have condemned the killing.

Seven of the suspects detained were investigated for possible murder while the other four were investigated for helping others escape police searches, the prosecutor’s office said.

The suspects detained on Tuesday evening will remain in police custody for at least 48 hours.

Both the hard left and hard right have been capitalizing on frustration with the minority centrist government ahead of local elections next month and a presidential vote next year, set to take place in a highly polarized environment.

Jordan Bardella, party president of the far-right National Rally, has called for Mr. Arnault’s resignation.

“The left and the far-left have crossed an unacceptable red line in our democracy: respect for the opinions and physical integrity of their opponents,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

The death of Mr. Deranque has echoed in neighboring countries such as Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was “a wound for the whole of Europe”, where “a climate of ideological hatred” is spreading.

The LFI’s national coordinator Manuel Bompard said his party was in no way responsible for Mr. Deranque’s death, and that it now felt threatened itself.

Shortly after the announcement of the arrests on Wednesday morning, the Paris headquarters of LFI received a bomb threat and had to be evacuated after police secured the scene and found no explosives. 鈥斅�Reuters

鈥淚 have a contract for one year. In the rubbish disposal business. The money is good,鈥� said Ajit, one of the men, speaking in English.

Faced with what the authorities say is an immediate shortage of at least 2.3 million workers, a shortfall exacerbated by the strain of Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine and one that Russia鈥檚 traditional source of foreign labor 鈥� Central Asians 鈥� is not able to fill, Moscow is turning to a new supplier: India.

INDIAN INFLUX HELPS RUSSIA MAKE UP LABOR SHORTFALL
In 2021, a year before Russia sent its troops into Ukraine, some 5,000 work permits were approved for Indian nationals. Last year, almost 72,000 permits were okayed for Indians 鈥� nearly a third of the total annual quota for migrant workers on visas.

鈥淐urrently, expatriate employees from India are the most popular,鈥� said Alexei Filipenkov, director of a company that brings in Indian workers.

He said workers from ex-Soviet Central Asia, who do not need visas, had stopped coming in sufficient numbers. Official figures show they still made up the majority of some 2.3 million legal foreign workers not requiring a visa last year, however.

But a weaker ruble, tougher migration laws, and increasingly sharp anti-immigrant rhetoric from Russian politicians have eroded their numbers and encouraged Moscow to boost visa quotas for workers from elsewhere.

The choice of India for unskilled labor reflects strong defense and economic ties between Moscow and New Delhi.

India has been buying discounted Russian oil that Moscow 鈥� due to Western sanctions 鈥� cannot easily sell elsewhere, although that may now be in question.

President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal in December to make it easier for Indians to work in Russia. Denis Manturov, Russia鈥檚 first deputy prime minister, said at the time that Russia could accept an 鈥渦nlimited number鈥� of Indian workers.

At least 800,000 people were needed in manufacturing, and another 1.5 million in the service and construction sectors, he said.

INDIANS WORKING IN RUSSIAN FACTORIES AND FARMS
Brera Intex, a Moscow textiles company, has hired around 10 workers from South Asia, including Indians, to make curtains and bed linen.

Sat at a sewing machine, 23-year-old Gaurav from India said he had been working in Russia for three months.

鈥淚 was told to come (over) to this side, that the work and money are good,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ussian life is very good.鈥�

Married with two children, he said he spoke to his family back in India by phone every day and told them he missed them.

Olga Lugovskaya, the company鈥檚 owner, said the workers 鈥� with the help of samples and supervision 鈥� had picked up the work in time and were highly motivated.

鈥淪ome of the guys who came in didn鈥檛 even know how to switch on a sewing machine,鈥� she said. 鈥�(But) after two or three months, you could already trust them to sew a proper finished item.鈥�

Outside Moscow, the Sergiyevsky farm relies on Indian workers too, using them to process and pack vegetables for an average salary of about 50,000 rubles ($660) per month, a salary for which the farm says locals will not work.

鈥淚 have been working here, at Sergiyevsky, for one year,鈥� said Sahil, 23, who said he was from India鈥檚 Punjab region.

鈥淚n India there is little money, but here there is a lot of money. The work is here.鈥�

US pressure on India to halt its purchases of Russian oil 鈥� something President Donald J. Trump has linked to a trade deal between the United States and India announced this month 鈥� could yet dampen Moscow鈥檚 appetite for Indian workers.

But for now, it鈥檚 unclear how New Delhi will recalibrate its oil purchases, and Moscow has played down any suggestion of tensions. 鈥� Reuters

Dual-use items are goods, software or technologies that have both civilian and military applications, including certain rare earth elements that are essential for making drones and chips.

Exports of such items to military users or for any purposes that contribute to Japan’s military strength are banned, effective immediately, the statement said, adding that organizations or individuals from any country or region that violated the ban would be held legally liable.

Japan’s foreign ministry said it strongly protested the measures and demanded that China withdraw them. It called the move “absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable.” It said the measures targeted only Japan and that they “deviate significantly from international practice.”

‘PROVOCATIVE’ REMARKS
Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have deteriorated since Ms. Takaichi said a Chinese attack on the democratically governed island of Taiwan could be deemed an existential threat to Japan, in a remark that Beijing said was “provocative.” China regards Taiwan as part of its territory, a claim that Taipei rejects.

The Chinese foreign ministry later questioned Japan’s motives around Taiwan, saying its “provocations” could be a pretext for building up its military forces and overseas missions.

In late December, the Japanese cabinet approved a record spending package for the fiscal year starting in April, including a 3.8% increase in the annual military budget to 9 trillion yen ($58 billion).

In a commentary in December, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said it had been “alarming” in recent years that Japan had “drastically” readjusted its security policy, increased its defense spending year after year, relaxed restrictions on arms exports, sought to develop offensive weapons and planned to abandon its three non-nuclear principles. China’s own annual defense budget has more than doubled over the last decade. Japan reaffirmed its non-nuclear pledge in mid-December.

Beijing’s statement on Tuesday did not specify which items fall under its new curbs. Around 1,100 items are on China’s export control list for dual-use goods and technologies, covering at least seven categories of medium and heavy rare earths such as samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, and lutetium.

Despite Japan’s efforts to diversify, China still supplies around 60% of its imports of rare earths, macroeconomic research firm Capital Economics estimates.

“China has not provided a list of restricted items so at this stage it is impossible to say what impact the export curbs will have,” an official at the Japan External Trade Organization told Reuters, asking not to be identified because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

A Japanese government source who spoke on condition that they were not identified called the move “symbolic,” adding: “Until now, China has avoided doing things that would seriously hurt Japan’s business community. By taking this step and causing trouble for Japanese industry, they may be aiming to fuel domestic criticism of Takaichi.”

China throttled exports of rare earths to Japan during a previous diplomatic dispute more than a decade ago. So far, China Customs data has shown no sign of a decline in rare earth exports to Japan, though the data is released with some delay. In November, the latest month for which there was data, exports grew 35% to 305 metric tons, the highest tally last year.

FEARS OF RETALIATION
A Chinese state-affiliated social media blog wrote earlier on Tuesday that China was considering tightening approvals of rare earth export licenses to Japan due to Tokyo’s “recent egregious behavior”, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

Some analysts and Japanese firms had feared that China would retaliate by restricting exports of rare earths, essential for Japan’s automotive sector, soon after the diplomatic dispute broke out in November.

One Japanese private sector source in Beijing told Reuters on condition of anonymity that it still took a “considerable amount of time” to obtain rare earth export license approvals as of late November, and that many other Japanese firms were in similar positions. But it was unclear whether that was a direct consequence of the diplomatic dispute, they cautioned.鈥斅�Reuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who oversaw the missile launch, said: “It’s a very important strategy to maintain or expand the strong and reliable nuclear deterrent,” because of “the recent geopolitical crisis and various international circumstances,” according to KCNA.

The missiles hit targets about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, over the sea east of North Korea, KCNA said.

The South Korean military said on Sunday that North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea to its east as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung started a state visit to China.

The missile launch followed a North Korean statement on Sunday that denounced the US strikes on Venezuela as a violation of that country’s sovereignty.

North Korea fired聽hypersonic missiles in October 2025, which analysts assumed were unveiled at a military parade聽along with a long-range intercontinental missile.

The test was apparently a response to US strikes on Venezuela, Hong Min, an expert on North Korea at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, wrote in a note on Monday.

The missile appears to be the Hwasong-11, which was showcased at the October parade, Mr. Hong said, citing his analysis of images published in state media reports.

Mr. Hong added that the regime is emphasizing its ability to launch such missiles at any time, an effort to complicate US-South Korea’s missile defense system and prevent its preemptive interception.鈥斅�Reuters

鈥淲e recommend that the President take action on more than P633 billion worth of projects at risk of corruption and patronage in the bicam version of the budget,鈥� the Roundtable for Inclusive Development (RFID) and People鈥檚 Budget Coalition (PBC) said in a joint statement.

Both chambers of Congress separately ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed national budget for 2026 on Monday.

The first recommendation filed by the groups highlights vetoing unprogrammed appropriations, also known as 鈥渟hadow pork,鈥� worth P243 billion, in addition to removing the P43 billion SAGIP program, which was said to previously used to fund anomalous flood control projects.

The groups defined shadow pork as funds that 鈥渟it outside the regular budget framework” and are often used in the previous years in 鈥渞isky鈥� infrastructure projects due to their minimal transparency or legislative scrutiny upon release.

鈥淪pecial provisions on unprogrammed appropriations had violated specific provisions in the PDAF ruling of the Supreme Court,鈥� the civil groups said.

鈥淭he constitutionality of unprogrammed appropriations itself is an issue, as Congress artificially increases the budget ceiling set by the President, required under the Constitution; it also violates separation of powers and non-delegability of the legislative power of the purse,鈥� they added.

The groups also promoted transforming the patronage-driven assistance or ayuda聽worth P210 billion into 鈥渞ights-based and rules-based programs”, in consultation with allied health professionals and social protection experts, along with the P11 billion worth of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF).

According to the groups, soft pork is composed of aid programs at risk of political patronage because it leads citizens to 鈥渂eg鈥� politicians for assistance.

鈥淧oliticians must be excluded from the process of selecting beneficiaries, prevalent under the inhumane and unconstitutional guarantee letter system that encourages post-enactment intervention by legislators in the budget,鈥� they said.

鈥淲e are alarmed that the bicameral conference committee nearly tripled soft pork to P210 billion compared to the President鈥檚 proposed budget,鈥� they added.

The last recommendation mentioned involved placing the P600 billion-worth of infrastructure projects under a multisectoral citizen monitoring initiative funded by the government or internationally funded independent research programs.

The 2025 national budget faced heightened public scrutiny after several budget allocations and congressional insertions had been discovered, sparking multiple rallies nationwide for transparency and accountability.

鈥淎s citizens, we remain committed to working with you to monitor the budget process so that every taxpayer peso benefits our nation,鈥� they said.聽 鈥�Buwis natin ito, budget natin ito聽[This is our taxes, this is our budget].鈥濃�斅�Almira Louise S. Martinez

The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is China’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling $771 billion last year, according to ASEAN statistics.

China is seeking to intensify its engagement with ASEAN, a region with a collective gross domestic product of $3.8 trillion, to counter hefty import tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration on countries around the world.

The upgraded agreement “fully reflects the solemn commitment of the two sides to jointly support multilateralism and free trade”, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

Beijing has been seeking to position itself as a more open economy, despite criticism from other major powers of its expanding export restrictions on rare earths and other critical minerals.

IMPROVED MARKET ACCESS
The so-called 3.0 version of the free trade agreement between ASEAN and China was signed into effect at a summit of the bloc’s leaders in Malaysia, which Trump attended on Sunday at the start of a trip through Asia.

Negotiations on the upgraded ASEAN-China deal began in November 2022 and concluded in May this year, just after Trump’s tariff offensive kicked into gear. The first FTA came into force in 2010.

China has previously said the agreement would pave the way for improved market access in sectors such as agriculture, the digital economy and pharmaceuticals between China and ASEAN.

Both China and ASEAN are part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest trading bloc, which covers nearly a third of the global population and about 30% of global gross domestic product. Malaysia hosted an RCEP summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, the first in five years.

The bloc is seen by some analysts as a potential buffer against tariffs imposed by the United States, though its provisions are considered weaker than some other regional trade deals due to competing interests among its members.

TRADE WAR TRUCE
China has been engaged in an escalating trade war with the United States since Trump took office in January and imposed steep tariffs on Chinese goods.

Beijing has labelled Trump’s tariffs, which have hit most countries, as protectionism, while expanding its controls over the flow of its critical minerals and magnets. China processes more than 90% of the world’s rare earths.

The world’s two largest economies extended a trade truce when negotiators met in Kuala Lumpur on the weekend, hashing out an agreement for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to decide later this week when they meet in Seoul.

Since Trump departed Malaysia on Monday morning, China has pressed for increased economic cooperation in the region, stressing the importance of open trade.

“The world must not slip back to the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak,” Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday at the East Asia Summit regional forum.

“We should more firmly uphold the free trade regime, create a high-standard regional free trade network, and vigorously and effectively advance regional integration.” — Reuters

Since taking office earlier this year, Trump has vacillated on his position towards China-claimed Taiwan as he seeks to strike a trade deal with Beijing. Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping has told him he won’t invade while the Republican leader is in office, but is also yet to approve any new US arms sales to Taipei.

The fear in Taipei, which has long enjoyed strong unofficial support from Washington, is that a Trump-Xi meeting next week in South Korea could see some sort of “selling out” of Taiwan’s interests by Trump to Xi.

Four senior Taiwan officials described ongoing jitters over those talks and feeding into a “US skepticism” theory on the island that questions Washington’s security support.

In turn, they said, Taipei is reaching out through all possible channels to make clear its determination to defend itself is heard, especially by “Make America Great Again” supporters.

“Everyone in Taiwan is worried and it is the government’s job to make sure that it will not happen,” a senior Taiwan official told Reuters, referring to fears Trump could sacrifice Taiwan’s interests in talks with Xi.

Locked out of the White House given lack of formal diplomatic ties, Lai and his team have been courting conservative US media, including podcaster and radio host Buck Sexton, who interviewed Lai this month.

“We cannot simply call up Trump, so we have had to find other ways to talk to him,” said a second Taiwan official, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.

One US administration official told Reuters that members of the Trump administration had encouraged Taiwan to engage with “new media” so it can engage with “real Americans instead of liberal elites”.

The US and Taiwan have a deep partnership on security, technology and manufacturing, and the government is in “close and continuous contact” with Taiwan at many levels, the official added.

COURTING MAGA
Lai told Sexton, from The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, that Trump should get a Nobel Peace Prize – an award Trump has lobbied for – if he can convince China to abandon the use of force over Taiwan.

Sexton, whose show airs on hundreds of US radio stations, did a separate segment lauding the island.

“Highly recommend any Americans visit. They’re big fans of USA here,” Sexton, who has described US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as “our friend”, wrote from Taipei on X, where the post on the interview itself got more than 150,000 views.

A third Taiwanese official told Reuters the interview was “very positive” for Taiwan.

In June, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, a fluent English speaker and formerly Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States, gave an interview to the Shawn Ryan Show, while in May, then Presidential Office spokesperson Lii Wen wrote an op-ed in the conservative Washington Times.

Taiwan’s presidential office told Reuters that communication with the United States was “smooth” and that Taiwan will continue to seek bipartisan and consistent US support.

“As for building broad, cross-party pro-Taiwan networks among our international friends and allies, including the United States, this has always been an important task of the governing team,” it said.

A US State Department spokesperson said the administration has been very clear that the “enduring US commitment to Taiwan continues, as it has for over four decades”.

KEY ALLIES GONE
Still, Taiwan has lost some key allies in the US national security system, including former Trump adviser John Bolton, charged this month with sharing classified information, charges he disputes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, remains a strong supporter of Taipei.

In an effort to keep the Trump administration onside, Taiwan has been keen to underscore its commitment to spending more on defence.

“Ensuring peace through strength and boosting security through cooperation is our goal,” Lai this month told visiting foreign guests, including Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, who were in Taipei for a security forum.

Schlapp himself told the forum, organised by a Taiwan military-funded think-tank, that Taiwan and the US had a security partnership “that should not be diminished: that President Trump understands – he’s an ally in that fight”.

The State Department spokesperson said the US strongly supports Taiwan’s own efforts to bolster defence and deterrence through reforms and a commitment to increasing defence spending.

The administration has continued to give succour to Taiwan in other ways.

That includes allowing Taiwan’s foreign minister to visit New York last month while the U.N. General Assembly was taking place, and condemning China for “mischaracterising” World War Two-era documents to put pressure on, and isolate, Taiwan.

“The United States cannot abandon Taiwan. America’s greatness stems from its vital strategic importance, which is intrinsically linked to Taiwan,” the first Taiwan official said.– Reuters

Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and autos earlier this year, prompting Ottawa to respond in kind. The two sides have been in talks for weeks on a potential deal for the steel and aluminum sectors.

“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier this week the ad from his province with anti-tariff messaging had caught Trump’s attention. The ad showed Reagan, a Republican, criticizing tariffs on foreign goods while saying they caused job losses and trade wars.

“I heard that the president heard our ad. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said on Tuesday.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation issued a statement late on Thursday saying the ad by the government of Ontario was “using selective audio and video” of Reagan and that the foundation was reviewing its legal options.

“The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address (by Reagan in 1987), and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks,” the foundation said in its statement.

The Canadian government had no immediate comment.

Trump has used tariffs as leverage on many countries around the world.

Trump’s trade war has increased US tariffs to their highest levels since the 1930s and he has regularly threatened more duties, sparking concerns among businesses and economists.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Thursday that Canada will not allow unfair US access to its markets if talks on various trade deals with Washington fail.

Next year, the US, Canada and Mexico are due to review their 2020 continental free-trade agreement. — Reuters

Sarkozy, who was the conservative president of France between 2007 and 2012, will become the first former French leader to be jailed since Nazi collaborator Marshal Philippe Petain after World War Two.

“I’m not afraid of prison. I’ll keep my head held high, including at the prison gates,” Sarkozy told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper ahead of his incarceration.

ACCESS TO TV, LANDLINE AND PRIVATE SHOWER
The conviction caps years of legal battles over allegations that his 2007 campaign took millions in cash from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was later overthrown and killed during the Arab Spring uprisings.

While Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring with close aides to orchestrate the scheme, he was acquitted of personally receiving or using the funds.

He has consistently denied wrongdoing and called the case politically motivated, saying judges were seeking to humiliate him. He has appealed, but the nature of his sentence means he must go to jail as his appeal process plays out.

The former president has already been convicted in a separate corruption case, in which he was found guilty of trying to obtain confidential information from a judge in return for career favors, serving that sentence by wearing an electronic tag around the ankle.

At La Sant茅 prison in Paris, which in the past has housed leftist militant Carlos the Jackal and Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, Sarkozy will likely be held in the isolation unit, where inmates are housed in single cells and kept apart during outdoor activities for security reasons.

Conditions are similar to the rest of the prison: cells measure 9 to 12 square meters and, following renovations, now include private showers.

Sarkozy will have access to a television – for a monthly fee of 14 euros ($16) – and a landline telephone.

“THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO” ON READING LIST
Sarkozy told Le Figaro he would take three books for his first week behind bars, including Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo” – the story of a man unjustly imprisoned who plots his revenge against those who betrayed him.

The decision to jail a former president has sparked outrage among Sarkozy’s political allies and the far right.

However, the ruling reflects a shift in France’s approach to white-collar crime, following reforms introduced under a previous Socialist government. In the 1990s and 2000s, many convicted politicians avoided prison altogether.

To counter perceptions of impunity, French judges are increasingly issuing “provisional execution” orders – requiring sentences to begin immediately, even as appeals are pending – legal experts and politicians told Reuters.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for office under the same “provisional execution” provision, pending an appeal early next year.

According to an October 1 Elabe poll for BFM TV, 58% of French respondents believe the verdict was impartial, and 61% support the decision to send Sarkozy to jail without waiting for the appeal.

President Emmanuel Macron, who had warm relations with Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni, said on Monday he had met Sarkozy ahead of his incarceration.鈥� Reuters

Ivan Tertel’s comments to state television followed reports last week that a senior Belarusian diplomat had held meetings with Europeans to try to ease the isolation long imposed on his country, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tertel, whose remarks were reported by the Belta news agency, said meetings with Ukrainian officials were vital “in the current situation in order to come up with a consensus”.

“This work is also going on. Of course, a lot here depends on the Ukrainian side. Our president is working as much as he can to stabilize the situation in the region,” said Tertel, whose agency still uses its Soviet-era acronym KGB.

“And we have found a balance of the two sides’ interests in this very complicated situation with a tendency towards tension. I am convinced that we can eliminate this situation only through quiet talks and the search for compromise.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko allowed the Kremlin to use his country’s territory to launch part of the 2022 war with Ukraine, but has kept his armed forces out of the conflict.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has long been shunned by the West on grounds of human rights violations. Punitive measures intensified after security forces crushed rallies by protesters accusing the president of rigging his 2020 re-election and again because of his support for the invasion.

But US President Donald Trump has appealed to Lukashenko in recent months, calling him a “highly respected leader” and sending an envoy to Minsk, which led to the release of more than 50 political prisoners.

Belarusian media quoted Lukashenko last month as saying that he wanted to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to help facilitate a settlement of the war.鈥� Reuters

The results for the year ended September 30, which include nearly nine months of Trump’s second term in the White House, compared to a $1.817 trillion deficit in fiscal 2024. It was the first time the annual deficit had fallen since 2022, when the unwinding of COVID-19 relief programs brought spending down.

The smaller deficit was aided by a record $195 billion in net customs receipts for the fiscal year, an increase of $118 billion from the prior year as new Trump tariffs rolled in.

Customs receipts in September reached a new record high of $29.7 billion, but the pace of increase slowed from August, when $29.5 billion was collected. Customs receipts were $7.3 billion in September 2024.

But this powerful new revenue source was partly offset by a $79 billion reduction in gross corporate tax collections for fiscal 2025, to $486 billion. About $45 billion of that reduction occurred in September, reflecting implementation of full capital equipment expensing and research deductions made retroactive to January 1 in the spending and tax-cut bill passed by the Republican-controlled Congress in July.

Total receipts for fiscal 2025 were a record $5.235 trillion, up $317 billion, or 6%, from fiscal 2024, largely driven by increases in withheld and non-withheld individual tax collections.

Fiscal 2025 outlays also were a record at $7.01 trillion, up $275 billion, or 4%, from the prior year.

A US Treasury official said the department calculated an estimated deficit-to-GDP ratio of 5.9% for fiscal 2025, compared to an actual fiscal 2024 ratio of 6.3%. The official declined to say what GDP estimate was used to calculate the ratio. Data on third-quarter GDP, which would be close out the 2025 fiscal year, has been delayed by the partial US government shutdown.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he wants to bring the ratio down to the 3% range by boosting economic growth and cutting or constraining spending.

Budget analysts said the number released on Thursday showed little progress toward that goal.

“Most of the fiscal policy changes are simply replacing tax revenue and spending with other sources without lowering the deficit,” said Kent Smetters, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis group. “So, we are still very much on an unsustainable path.”

TREASURY REPORTS SURPLUS FOR SEPTEMBER
For the 2025 fiscal year’s final month of September, the Treasury reported a record surplus of $198 billion, up $118 billion, or 147%, from the same month in the prior year. September is often a month of surplus due to quarterly tax filing deadlines for companies and individuals.

Receipts last month were up $17 billion, or 3%, to $544 billion, while outlays were down $101 billion, or 23%, to $346 billion.

The latest monthly surplus was boosted by a $131 billion cut to the Department of Education budget that was mandated in the recent spending and tax bill. For September, the education outlays were $123 billion lower than in September 2024.

For the full 2025 fiscal year, the Department of Education suffered the biggest cut in outlays, down $233 billion, or 87% from the prior year to just $35 billion.

That cut and the higher customs receipts masked continued increases in outlays for the Social Security retirement plan, the Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs and interest on the US federal debt.

The interest expenditure reached a record $1.216 trillion for the full fiscal year, up $83 billion, or 7%, from fiscal 2024, making it the second-largest expenditure item after Social Security. Expenses for that program reached $1.647 trillion, up $127 billion, or 8%, from the prior fiscal year.

“There’s good news that the tariffs are generating higher revenue, but all major categories of spending are higher with mandatory spending and interest significantly so. The fundamentals remain deeply troubling,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. — Reuters

Bodyguards kept their distance ahead and behind as he wandered out through a wrought iron gate onto the stone embankment in a black overcoat.

The scene, captured from afar on video and shown on French TV, evoked images of Charles de Gaulle seeking solace in the wind-swept plains of Ireland after his resignation in the late 1960s 鈥� a leader retreating inward as his political era drew to a close.

Macron is president until 2027, but the resignation of Sebastien Lecornu, his fifth prime minister in two years, has raised the chances that the one-time golden boy of French politics fails to make it to the end of his final term.

Macron appeared determined to avoid that fate on Monday, giving Lecornu two days for last-ditch talks with the opposition to try to chart a path out of the morass.

By asking Lecornu to give it one last shot, Macron signalled his distaste for the only other options he faces – fresh parliamentary elections that could hand power to the far right, or his own resignation, a measure he has repeatedly ruled out.

As his options have narrowed, the unpopular Macron has become increasingly isolated domestically, watching erstwhile allies distance themselves as they seek to bolster their own chances of succeeding him in the 2027 election.

Nearly half of French people blame Macron for the current crisis, while 51% of them believe his resignation could break the stalemate, according to an Elabe poll for BFMTV on Monday.

“Macron now finds himself isolated, without direction or support. He must draw the consequences: either resignation or dissolution,” far-right National Rally lawmaker Philippe Ballard posted on X.

FAILED 2024 ELECTION DECISION SPARKED ONGOING CRISIS
Since last year’s failed gamble to call a snap legislative vote, which produced a hung parliament split between three ideologically opposed blocs, Macron has tried to muddle through with minority cabinets.

Determined to preserve his economic legacy of tax cuts and a pension overhaul at a time of growing investor concern about France’s yawning deficit, Macron has appointed premiers from an ad-hoc alliance of conservatives and centrists.

For over a year, these governments struggled to pass deficit-reduction measures. Two prime ministers fell over their inability to fix public finances, but the so-called socle commun 鈥� or “common platform” 鈥� endured.

That changed with the dramatic rebellion of Bruno Retailleau, the conservatives’ most high-profile figure, who late on Sunday publicly criticised Lecornu’s cabinet hours after it was named.

Macron is hoping Lecornu can lure back the conservatives to the table, giving him a lifeline. If not, he could appoint a left-leaning prime minister, but the Socialists’ insistence on a wealth tax and reversing the pension reform makes them a hard sell for other parties.

PRESSURE ON MACRON NOT GOING AWAY
Despite Monday’s appeal to Lecornu, the pressure on Macron is unlikely to let up.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN)quickly called for a dissolution of parliament and new elections. Polls show her party leads voting intentions.

“The RN benefits from the centre’s collapse and picks up protest votes, seeing dissolution as a unique opportunity to finally govern,” said political analyst Stewart Chau.

Calls for Macron’s resignation, once confined to the fringes, are now entering the mainstream.

“France’s national interest demands that Emmanuel Macron set a date for his resignation, in order to preserve the institutions and unblock a situation that has been unavoidable since the absurd dissolution,” said David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes and a rising conservative figure, on social media.

Macron has repeatedly said he intends to serve out his full term. But faced with few palatable options, he may yet choose to end his presidency with a dramatic gesture 鈥� just like de Gaulle, who stepped down in 1969. — Reuters

Aiming to cut red tape that Trump’s agency picks say is hurting the US economy, they are working on the most sweeping overhaul of US capital rules since the global financial crisis of 2008.

In addition to narrowing the “Basel Endgame” capital hikes which sparked unprecedented pushback from Wall Street banks, the Fed plans to reduce a capital surcharge levied on risky global banks, shrink a key leverage constraint, and overhaul annual tests that gauge whether lenders can withstand an economic shock.

The country’s largest lenders, which have lobbied hard for the long-sought review, are optimistic that the changes combined will result in their capital levels remaining flat or falling, said six industry and regulatory sources, including three top bankers.

That expected outcome, reported here for the first time, marks a dramatic turnaround for the industry which faced a 19% hike in 2023 under the draft Basel capital rules which proposed changes to how big banks gauge lending and trading risks.

While the Fed last September said that hike would be halved, the plan was never finalized and died with Trump’s election.

Big banks have long complained that capital rules are excessive and poorly calibrated, and that some of that cash could better serve the economy through lending. They also argue that they weathered the COVID-19 economic shock just fine.

Critics say efforts to chip away at the capital regime are dangerous, and could leave the industry vulnerable at a time when the outlook for the US economy is growing cloudy.

With big banks including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup together holding around $1 trillion in capital, even a small dip could free up billions of dollars for lending, trading, dividends and share buybacks.

“You’re going to see here the most aggressive streamlining or easing of bank regulations that we’ve seen certainly since Dodd-Frank and probably sometime before that,” said Ian Katz, managing director at Capital Alpha Partners, referring to the landmark 2010 post-crisis law that overhauled bank rules.

A Fed spokesperson declined to comment. The Fed’s new regulatory chief, Michelle Bowman, said last week that she wants the rules to “work well together” and did not necessarily expect capital to fall. Regulators will unveil a new Basel draft by early 2026, she added.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which are also working on the Basel draft, also declined to comment.

“America’s largest banks are the strongest in the world,” said Amanda Eversole, CEO of the Financial Services Forum which represents the country’s eight biggest banks. “Modernizing capital rules will let them put that strength to work – fueling growth for consumers, small businesses, and the economy.”

‘EXTREMELY CONSEQUENTIAL’
The sources, who declined to be identified discussing confidential regulatory issues, said they expect the new Basel draft to be broadly “capital-neutral” at a minimum. That means it would neither increase nor decrease system-wide capital, but change how it is distributed.

Trump’s pick for FDIC chair, Travis Hill, in January said “roughly” capital-neutral would be a “prudent starting point.”

To get there, regulators are expected to abandon a “dual stack” that would have required banks to comply with the stricter of two methods for measuring their risk capital which penalized banks with large trading businesses, and to ease a requirement to put capital aside for operational risks, like cyberattacks or lawsuits, two of the people said.

Capital reductions could then come as the Fed updates the “GSIB” surcharge to better account for economic growth, and as regulators tailor the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio, a risk-blind capital safety net, to each individual bank, three of the sources said.

After the industry sued the Fed in December, the central bank is also working to make its stress tests, which partly determine big lenders’ capital buffers, more transparent, likely helping them to optimize their results.

Two of the sources cautioned, however, that the regulatory discussions are ongoing and that Democrats on the Fed board may oppose changes that are too favorable to the industry.

Based on an analysis of industry materials, Washington-based group Better Markets, which advocates for tougher financial rules, estimates that banking system capital could fall by $200 billion if the industry secures all the relief it has been pushing for.

“It’s huge and extremely consequential,” said Phillip Basil, director of economic growth and financial stability at Better Markets. “It鈥檚 going to take a lot less to bring down a big bank.” — Reuters US

The European Environment Agency said biodiversity in Europe is declining due to unsustainable production and consumption, especially in the food system.

Due to over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and invasive alien species, more than 80% of protected habitats are in a poor or bad state, it said, while water resources are also under severe pressure.

EUROPE’S FASTEST-WARMING CONTINENT
“The degradation of our natural world jeopardises the European way of life,” the agency said in its report: “Europe’s environment 2025”.

“Europe is critically dependent on natural resources for economic security, to which climate change and environmental degradation pose a direct threat.”

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent and is experiencing worsening droughts and other extreme weather events.

But governments are grappling with other priorities including industrial competitiveness, and negotiations on EU climate targets have stoked divisions between richer and poorer countries.

EU countries last week confirmed that the bloc will miss a global deadline to set new emissions-cutting targets due to divisions over the plans among EU governments.

“The window for meaningful action is narrowing, and the consequences of delay are becoming more tangible,” executive director Leena Yla-Mononen said.

“We are approaching tipping points – not only in ecosystems, but also in the social and economic systems that underpin our societies.” — Reuters

Kimmel was embroiled in the effort by Trump and his supporters to punish critics of assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot with a rifle from afar while speaking to a crowd at a Utah university on September 10. Since then allies of Trump and Kirk have warned Americans to properly mourn the divisive figure or face the consequences.

The broadcaster ABC announced on Wednesday that it was yanking the late-night comedy show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” indefinitely. Writers, performers, former US President Barack Obama and others condemned Kimmel’s suspension, calling it capitulation to unconstitutional government pressure.

The American debate followed Trump to Britain on Thursday, when during his state visit he said Kimmel had been punished for saying “a horrible thing” about Kirk.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has used his office and the courts to attack unflattering speech about him that he has called defamatory or false. Throughout both his terms, Trump has threatened to rescind licenses for local broadcast affiliates of the national networks – licenses that are approved by the Federal Communications Commission, a nominally independent regulatory body.

Kimmel’s suspension came after owners of local TV stations had said they would stop broadcasting his celebrity-filled late-night show, and the FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened to investigate Kimmel’s commentary about Kirk.

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to the US, complained about receiving bad publicity from broadcasters, saying, “That’s something that should be talked about for licensing. … All they do is hit Trump.”

“I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” Trump said, although federal law prohibits the FCC from revoking a broadcaster’s license for negative coverage or other speech disliked by the government. “It will be up to Brendan Carr.”

Kimmel, a comedian who frequently lampoons Trump, said during his nine-minute opening monologue on Monday that allies of Kirk were using his assassination last week to “score political points.” Kirk, 31, was shot onstage while holding one of his frequent public debates with students over his political views in an event organized by his pro-Trump advocacy group, Turning Point USA.

A 22-year-old technical college student from Utah was charged with Kirk’s murder on Tuesday.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and do everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

Trump countered that Kimmel was untalented, had bad ratings, and “said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”

“So, you know, you can call that free speech or not,” Trump said as he stood alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “He was fired for lack of talent.” ABC has not said that it fired Kimmel, who has not commented on his removal from air.

Viewership of late-night shows and traditional TV in general has declined as audiences shift to streaming and social media. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” averaged 1.57 million viewers per episode for the TV season that ended in May, according to Nielsen.

In the week since Kirk’s murder, Kimmel is the most famous American to face professional blowback for comments condemned by conservatives as disrespectful of Kirk, alongside media figures, academic workers, teachers and corporate employees.

Prominent Democrats said Trump was mounting an assault on free speech rights guaranteed in the US Constitution’s First Amendment. Republicans have said they are fighting against “hate speech” that can spiral into violence, and accuse some Kirk critics of trying to justify his murder.

OBAMA JOINS CHORUS OF CRITICS
Obama urged media companies not to capitulate to government coercion.
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” Obama said in a statement.

Writers’ and actors’ labor unions called the targeting of Kimmel an unconstitutional attack on the right to disagree. The American Civil Liberties Union called it an unconstitutional attempt by the Trump administration to “silence its critics and control what the American people watch and read.”

Kirk’s death spurred an outpouring of grief among fans who saw him as a staunch advocate for public debate and conservative values. Others have challenged or derided Kirk’s support for right-wing politics and Christian nationalism and derogatory comments he has made about immigrants, African Americans, leftists and transgender people.

Hours before Kimmel’s suspension on Wednesday, Carr urged local broadcasters to stop airing the show.

Following Carr’s comments on the Benny Johnson podcast, two of the largest owners of local broadcasters – Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group, both of which have merger deals pending before the FCC – then announced they would preempt Kimmel’s show with other programming in response to Monday’s monologue.

ABC, owned by Walt Disney, announced it was suspending Kimmel’s show indefinitely. ABC owns eight local TV channels subject to FCC licensing, including broadcasters in the major markets of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.

Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden made the decision to suspend Kimmel’s show, a source with knowledge of the matter said. — Reuters

IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said inflation was on a path to meet the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, but there were some risks that could push it higher, largely as a result of tariffs imposed on imports by the Trump administration.

“What we’ve seen over the past few years is that the US economy has proven to be quite resilient. We do see now that some strains are beginning to show,” she told a regular briefing. “Domestic demand has been moderating in the US, and job growth is slowing.”

Kozack said the front-loading of imports early in the year in anticipation of tariffs had caused some volatility in economic activity in the first half, and tariffs were now adding to inflation risks.

As a result of the combined factors, she said, the IMF saw scope for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, although it should proceed cautiously, with an eye on emerging data.

She told a regular briefing that a downward revision in US employment data announced on Tuesday was a “bit larger” than the historical average.

The US government said 911,000 fewer jobs were likely created in the 12 months through March than previously estimated, suggesting that job growth was stalling before President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs on imports.

Such revisions could be driven by a variety of factors, including statistical issues and some related to response and survey errors, she said, adding the issue would be discussed during the scheduled IMF review of the US economy in November.

The Labor Department’s inspector general on Wednesday said it was initiating a review of challenges that the Bureau of Labor Statistics faces in collecting and reporting US economic data after it made large downward revisions to nonfarm payrolls and cut its inflation data collection.

Earlier sharp downgrades to May and June payroll figures angered Trump, prompting him to fire BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer and accuse her, without evidence, of faking the data. Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to replace her.

Kozack refused to be drawn on the credibility of US data, saying only that the IMF strongly advocated for accurate, timely and reliable data from all its members.

“This kind of data transparency strengthens the credibility of economic management in all countries,” she said. — Reuters US

As the manhunt continued, online speculation, much of it baseless, emerged about the circumstances of the shooting and the identity of the shooter.

Online posts also shared fake headlines about the killing, or real headlines with fake timestamps to claim the media had advance knowledge of the plan. And social media users trying to get clarity from AI chatbots found they were misled.

Reuters has examined some of the viral rumors, conspiracies, and false information spreading online in the aftermath of Kirk鈥檚 death.

MISIDENTIFIED SUSPECTS
Video shared online in the aftermath of the shooting shows an older man being detained by Provo police and an officer holding a rifle, which the voiceover said belonged to the suspect. But there is no evidence the encounter was related to the Kirk shooting. The Utah Department of Public Safety did not respond to a request for comment.

One video posted within hours of Kirk鈥檚 shooting falsely identified a Black man 700 miles (1,126 km) away as having been arrested for killing Kirk. But the video is from June and shows the arrest of a suspect in a Santa Monica police officer shooting. The same video was shared by Fox News that month.

Other posts shared video of a man on the run after a gunman opened fire outside a casino in Reno, Nevada, on July 28, a shooting that killed three and injured three others. The posts claimed it was footage of Kirk鈥檚 shooter.

The image of a 29-year-old Washington state resident was shared in a series of posts baselessly suggesting the shooter is transgender. She told Reuters in a message the picture had been lifted from her X account without her knowledge, adding that she was in Seattle at the time of the shooting. She wrote earlier on Instagram, after her image circulated widely online, that she is not the shooter. At the time of writing, authorities have not said the suspect is transgender.

HEADLINE FAKES
Dark memes following the shooting included a fabricated CNN headline dated 2021 that quotes Kirk as saying, 鈥淚f Somebody Ever Shoots Me Through The Neck During A Speech In Utah In 2025, I Lowkey Think That Rocks.鈥�

There is no evidence Kirk ever made this statement. A CNN spokesperson said in an email, “This is a fabricated image and CNN never published a story with that headline.”

A screenshot of a genuine New York Times headline appearing in Google search results was used to suggest the media knew about the shooting in advance. The headline, “Charlie Kirk is Apparently Shot During Utah Valley University Event,鈥� as it appeared in Google, was shared in an X post after the shooting and captioned, “NY Times 19 hours ago (last night 15 hours before shooting) is standard CIA pysop.”

An archive of the article shows the first post on the outlet鈥檚 live blog was published after Kirk鈥檚 shooting, at 3:02 p.m. ET.

The New York Times said in an email that the page went live at 3:01 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

This timestamp discrepancy in search engine results can happen when a web page provides a time zone different from the local time when it was published, or when multiple dates are listed on the page, a Google spokesperson said.

鈥淕iven the low resolution and incomplete screenshots, we鈥檙e not able to confirm if these are Google Search results,鈥� the spokesperson said in an email. 鈥淲e provide guidance to site owners about how they can help us identify the most accurate date and time to show in Search.鈥�

AI CHATBOTS AMPLIFY CONFUSION
In the aftermath of Kirk鈥檚 shooting, Reuters found that both Perplexity鈥檚 bot account and xAI鈥檚 Grok chatbot provided incorrect responses to queries on X.

In response to a query beneath a clip condemning Kirk鈥檚 killing, Perplexity鈥檚 bot account incorrectly said the individual was describing a 鈥渉ypothetical scenario鈥� and that Kirk was 鈥渟till alive.鈥�

It also responded to a graphic released by the White House that featured a statement on the incident, saying that it appeared to be 鈥渇abricated,鈥� incorrectly adding that there had been 鈥渘o official confirmation鈥� by the White House that Kirk had died.

Early online rumors falsely suggested that a man named Michael Mallinson had been detained by police. This was elevated by Grok, which cited unspecified 鈥渞eports鈥� that he was in custody. In later posts, Grok said Mallinson had been 鈥渇alsely accused.鈥� Mallinson could not be reached for comment.

Grok also labelled a real statement as fabricated, incorrectly saying that a screenshot of the statement released by Turning Point USA, the conservative student group founded by Kirk, appeared to be 鈥渇ake.鈥�

A spokesperson for Perplexity told Reuters, 鈥淏ecause we take the topic so seriously, Perplexity never claims to be 100% accurate. But we do claim to be the only AI company working on it relentlessly as our core focus.鈥�

xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Reuters

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said her center-right government’s proposed rules will speed up and simplify the process to open or expand supermarkets in the country.

“We’re creating an express lane for new supermarkets to boost competition and deliver better deals for Kiwi shoppers,” Ms. Willis said in a statement.

Tough regulations and a slow approval process for new applications are blocking new competitors from gaining a foothold in the country’s grocery sector, dominated by Foodstuffs NZ and Australia’s Woolworths, Ms. Willis said.

Some respondents to a government-initiated feedback process on the sector have argued for the break up of Foodstuffs and Woolworths, Ms. Willis said.

But she said any decision “to restructure the supermarkets is not a decision that would be taken lightly” though a cost-benefit analysis will check the specific options for restructuring the duopoly.

“It would be a significant intervention that would carry costs and risks that would need to be rigorously weighted against the potential benefits to shoppers,” Ms. Willis said.

The government will instead streamline the entry of new supermarkets by appointing a single authority to oversee the entire process and also modify the foreign investment rules to clarify investment pathways.

Companies could be prosecuted if they misuse their market power to exclude or stamp out competitors, Ms. Willis said.

U.S. retailer Costco, which opened its only store in the country in Auckland in 2022, has informed the government that the initiatives to boost competition will help with the company’s future expansion plans in New Zealand, she added.

Five domestic companies have also expressed interest to enter the grocery sector. — Reuters

HSINCHU CITY, Taiwan 鈥� Clusters of unobtrusive buildings greet you when you enter Hsinchu Science Park (HSP), also known as the heart of Taiwan鈥檚 Silicon Valley. Outside these modern buildings, there鈥檚 little indication that the world鈥檚 most important chips are being manufactured inside.

Taiwan produces around 60% of the semiconductors in the world, and over 90% of the most advanced chips. Most of these advanced semiconductors are manufactured by TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).

At the TSMC Museum of Innovation here, the company prominently displays the chips it has produced since it was founded in 1987, and how these are used in nearly all aspects of modern life 鈥� from home appliances and mobile phones to artificial intelligence (AI) and self-driving vehicles.

TSMC is the world鈥檚 largest producer of chips, and a top supplier for Apple and Nvidia. It also accounted for 9% of Taiwan鈥檚 gross domestic product (GDP) last year.

This puts TSMC right at the center of the so-called 鈥淪ilicon Shield.鈥� Experts have long noted that Taiwan鈥檚 dominance in semiconductor manufacturing could protect the island from China鈥檚 military aggression.

Despite geopolitical tensions, it鈥檚 鈥渂usiness as usual鈥� for the over 600 companies that operate in HSP, officials said.

鈥�(But) if there is a big conflict, if there is a war, that will be absolutely a very big problem for global supply chains,鈥� HSP Bureau Associate Researcher Scott Huang told visiting foreign journalists.

China continues to assert its claim over Taiwan, which Beijing views as a breakaway province. It has threatened to annex the self-ruled island, by force if necessary, endangering Taiwan鈥檚 population and threatening the world鈥檚 most advanced semiconductor factories.

A possible China attack on TSMC鈥檚 facilities in Taiwan would severely affect chip supplies in the world, Mr. Huang said.

鈥淪ome scholars estimate that if there is a missile that hits TSMC from China, there will be no chip supplies for advanced manufacturing engineers for at least three years. That means nobody will have a new model of iPhone again for three years until those constructions, manufacturing productions, facilities recover,鈥� Mr. Huang said.

Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) President Hsien-ming Lien said there are estimates that an attack on Taiwan would reduce around 6-10% of global GDP.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an enormous amount of money. It will affect all the top 10 technology companies (in the world), almost every one of them requires the TSMC chip… All your phones have their chips from TSMC. It鈥檚 going to be catastrophic,鈥� he said during a separate briefing.

Mr. Lien said this is why Taiwan and other Asian countries are working to prevent this attack from happening.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a disaster nobody wants to actually see,鈥� he added.

INNOVATION
Despite rising geopolitical tensions, Taiwan continues to focus its efforts on innovation development.

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) takes the lead not just in formulating science and technology policy but also in supporting and funding research, developing science parks, and promoting innovation.

NSTC Vice-Minister Chen-kang Su highlighted the unique ecosystem in Taiwan where there is close collaboration among the government, academe, research and industry.

The NSTC works with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the National Institute of Applied Research and with other industries to train professionals as well as to help the academe and research sectors transfer technology to the industry that will turn these technologies into commercial products.

It was ITRI that laid the groundwork for Taiwan鈥檚 semiconductor industry and played a key role in the creation of TSMC. TSMC, which was founded by Morris Chang, had received early funding and support from ITRI, the Taiwanese government and private investors.

ITRI had also advocated for a science-based industrial park, which led to the establishment of the HSP, which in turn became the birthplace of TSMC.

Ambassador-at-Large and Digital Transformation Association (DTA) Chairman JR Chen said the science parks and industrial parks are the secret to Taiwan鈥檚 economic development.

鈥淎ll these science parks or industry parks are a vital asset and competitive advantage of Taiwan鈥檚 economic development, and this is also the hidden center of global economy because most of the high-tech industries need support from all these science parks or industrial parks,鈥� Mr. Chen told a group of visiting foreign journalists.

NSTC鈥檚 Mr. Su said at a briefing that there are over 1,150 companies located in science parks, which cover 5,194 hectares around Taiwan. In 2024, these science parks generated over $148 billion in revenues.

HSP鈥檚 Mr. Huang showed a photo of the science park when it was established in 1980, where there was only one building surrounded by 鈥渘othing, only rice fields.鈥�

鈥淲e started from making PCs (personal computers), desktop, notebooks to semiconductors in the 1990s… With electronics, semiconductors and chipmaking, Taiwan firms really had a remarkable performance in the global market. For the advanced semiconductor sector, Taiwan enterprises really shine in the world, with over 95% (of the market),鈥� he said.

HSP is home to the headquarters of TSMC and Mediatek, as well as over 620 companies in six industries, namely integrated circuits, optoelectronics, biotechnology, machineries, PC and telecommunications. The park itself now covers 1,467 hectares, employs around 178,000 and generates over $47 billion in revenue a year.

Meanwhile, NTSC is looking to expand Taiwan鈥檚 international cooperation in priority areas such as semiconductors, AI, security and surveillance, next-generation communications, and military.

鈥淚n addition to working with allied countries on industrial supply chains, we can also work with them to introduce new applications of these technologies. Areas of collaboration could be working with these countries to introduce new technology in AI and semiconductors to build local industries,鈥� Mr. Su said.

Other policy focus areas include net-zero technology, quantum technology, space technology, precision medicine, and robotics.

NSTC currently has 18 science and technology liaison offices in 14 countries, including the US, Japan, Vietnam and India.

RISKS
Rising geopolitical risks such as the US-China trade war, Russia-Ukraine war and US tariffs are forcing Taiwan鈥檚 supply chains to undergo restructuring, according to DTA鈥檚 Mr. Chen.

鈥淔or the DTA, we still advocate that digital transformation (is needed) for all industries in Taiwan. This is still the foundation of resilience and advanced capabilities to tackle the issue of geopolitical risks,鈥� he said.

Mr. Chen said companies can use AI to have real-time visibility and transparency or manage risks in the supply chain.

鈥淕lobal diversification is very important. Right now, I think you cannot really have only one source of manufacturing or logistics,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hough the main technology is from Taiwan, we鈥檇 like to collaborate with like-minded countries to work together to provide high-tech products for the world.鈥�

For instance, TSMC has been expanding beyond Taiwan as it sees the need to diversify manufacturing and reduce supply chain risks amid these risks. It has already invested in semiconductor fabrication plants in Arizona in the US, and Kumamoto in Japan.

Mr. Chen also suggested that Taiwan firms continue to expand to other countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia or Eastern Europe.

鈥淲e need to develop domestic supply and critical components here in Taiwan but also we need to form alliances with like-minded countries to share research and development and other resources so that will make a resilient foundation for the high-tech industry,鈥� he said.

鈥楧EMOCRATIC SUPPLY CHAIN鈥�
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te had earlier called on semiconductor companies to stop buying from and selling to China and to only work with supply chains with companies from democratic countries.

鈥淭he so-called pure democratic supply chain is still a very challenging goal,鈥� CIER Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center director Kristy Hsu said at a separate briefing.聽

She noted that China controls more than 90% of the critical minerals needed for making chips, so it would not be possible to establish a democratic supply chain without the participation of non-democratic countries like China and Vietnam.

However, as China has become increasingly aggressive in recent years, Ms. Hsu noted some like-minded countries have been forging supply chains among themselves to ensure they would not be too dependent on China.

Taiwan has also been trying to diversify or de-risk its economic dependence on China, she added.

鈥淭aiwanese companies used to invest hugely in China and right now they are already diversifying their supply chain. So back in 2010, out of every $100 that we invested overseas, $85 went to China. But in the past two years, China accounted for only less than 10% of our overseas investment,鈥� Ms. Hsu said.

DTA鈥檚 Mr. Chen said Taiwanese firms have moved production of high-tech products from China to other countries not just due to political reasons and cost.

鈥淎fter the new geopolitical order, they can鈥檛 think just about cost but also resilience and security of the product… Most Taiwanese high-tech companies not only stress cost effectiveness but trust worthiness,鈥� he added.

Congress has been divided for years about whether to pass legislation to address deployment hurdles, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not moved quickly to rewrite safety rules or allow exemptions for up to 2,500 vehicles without human controls annually and ease other hurdles.

“The auto industry wants, it needs a functioning and effective auto safety regulator. We don’t have that today,” said Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Thursday. “The agency isn’t nimble. Rulemakings take too long if they come at all.”

Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association Director Jeff Farrah urged Congress to pass long-stalled nationwide legislation to allow the United States to globally lead on AVs as China moves aggressively in the field.

“Right now we are fighting with one hand tied behind our back,” Farrah said. Companies have聽.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in April that a聽聽vehicles would help U.S. automakers compete with Chinese rivals.

Earlier this month, 狈贬罢厂础听聽of requests from automakers to deploy self-driving vehicles without required human controls like steering wheels, brake pedals or mirrors.

Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, a Democrat, cited reports showing NHTSA has lost as much as 35% of its expert staff this year through layoffs and other exits, which puts the ability of the agency to function at risk.

NHTSA said “significantly fewer people have left” than Pallone suggested and that it remains “staffed to continue to conduct all safety- and mission-critical work” and is boosting its Office of Autonomous Safety.

Meanwhile, U.S. traffic deaths聽. Despite falling 3.8% in 2024 to 39,345, they are still significantly higher than the 36,355 killed in 2019 and double the average rate of other high-income countries.

“NHTSA is failing to meet the moment,” Insurance Institute for Highway Safety President David Harkey told lawmakers.

“In recent years, it has approached its job with a lack of urgency, using flawed methodologies that underestimate the safety benefits of obviously beneficial interventions,” he said.

狈贬罢厂础听聽even when directed by Congress and has聽 a Senate-confirmed leader. – Reuters

Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

There was no immediate comment yet from Israel. While an Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, the country’s foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.

Abbas Araqchi said early on Tuesday that if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression” against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards.

There have been no reported Israeli attacks on Iran since that time.

“The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” Araqchi added in a post on X.

A senior White House official said Trump had brokered the deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks.

Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.

Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders “wouldn’t be able to stop us”.

Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Tuesday.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, the White House official said.

Neither Iran鈥檚 U.N. mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States.

Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported.
Markets reacted favorably to the news.

S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains on Tuesday.

U.S. crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region.

END TO THE FIGHTING?

There did not appear to be calm yet in the region.

The Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings in less than two hours to residents of areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, one late on Monday and one early on Tuesday.

Israeli Army radio reported early on Tuesday that alarms were activated in the southern Golan Heights area due to fears of hostile aircraft intrusion.

Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran’s attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes.

Iran’s handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can’t afford.

Tehran appears to have achieved that goal.

Iran’s attack came after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war.
Much of Tehran’s population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing.

The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, not to open a wider war.

“Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

“Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said.

But in a social media post on Sunday, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington’s principal foes in the Middle East since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison – a notorious jail for housing political prisoners – and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. — Reuters

罢丑别听聽wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in聽 after Mr. Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington.

Canada dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the war in Ukraine after resistance from the United States, a Canadian official told reporters.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would provide C$2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions.

Mr. Zelenskiy said he had told the G7 leaders that “diplomacy is now in a state of crisis” and said they need to continue calling on Mr. Trump “to use his real influence” to force an end to the war, in a post on his Telegram account.

Although Canada is one of Ukraine’s most vocal defenders, its ability to help it is far outweighed by the United States, the largest arms supplier to Kyiv. Mr. Zelenskiy had said he hoped to talk to Mr. Trump about acquiring more weapons.

After the summit in the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis concluded, Mr. Carney issued a chair statement summarizing deliberations.

“G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump鈥檚 efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” the statement said.

“They recognized that Ukraine has committed to an unconditional ceasefire, and they agreed that Russia must do the same. G7 Leaders are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions.”

Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year. Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements.

“There would be things that some of us, Canada, included, would say above and beyond what was said in the chair summary,” Mr. Carney said at a closing news conference.

Mr. Trump did agree to a聽聽published on Monday calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict.

“We had a declaration given the exceptional, fast moving situation in Iran,” Mr. Carney said. “We concentrated on that as a specific one. I held this (Ukraine)for my chair summary.”

A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Mr. Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle.

Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Mr. Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a U.S. Senate bill聽聽Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything.

“I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

G7 leaders agreed on six other statements, about聽nt smuggling, artificial intelligence,聽, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing.

KREMLIN SAYS G7 LOOKS ‘RATHER USELESS’

Mr. Trump said on Monday he needed to be back in Washington as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between聽聽have raised risks of a broader regional conflict.

A White House official on Tuesday said Mr. Trump explained that he returned to the U.S. because it is better to hold high-level National Security Council meetings in person, rather than over the phone.

Upon arriving at the summit, Mr. Trump said that the then-Group of Eight had been wrong to expel Russia after Putin ordered the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

聽said on Tuesday that Mr. Trump was right and said the G7 was no longer significant for Russia and looked “rather useless.”

Many leaders had hoped to negotiate trade deals with Mr. Trump, but the only deal signed was the聽聽of the U.S.-UK deal announced last month. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained at the summit after Trump left.

Mr. Carney also invited non-G7 members Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, as he tries to shore up alliances elsewhere and diversify Canada’s exports away from the United States.

Mr. Carney warmly welcomed Indian counterpart聽 on Tuesday, after two years of tense relations between Canada and India. – Reuters

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington said it was pausing the lower court’s ruling to consider the government’s appeal, and ordered the plaintiffs in the cases to respond by June 5 and the administration by June 9.

Wednesday’s surprise ruling by the US Court of International Trade had threatened to kill or at least delay the imposition of Trump’s so-called Liberation Day tariffs on imports from most US trading partners and additional tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China. The latter was related to his accusation that the three countries were facilitating the flow of fentanyl into the US.

The trade court’s three-judge panel ruled that the Constitution gave Congress, not the president, the power to levy taxes and tariffs, and that the president had exceeded his authority by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law intended to address threats during national emergencies.

Senior Trump administration officials had said they were undeterred by the trade court’s ruling, saying they expected either to prevail on appeal or employ other presidential powers to ensure the tariffs go into effect.

Trump has used the threat of charging US importers costly tariffs for goods from almost every other country in the world as leverage in international trade talks, a strategy the trade court’s ruling would upend. The trade court ruling had not interfered with any negotiations with top trading partners that are scheduled in the days ahead, Trump’s administration said.

Trump himself wrote in a statement shared on social media that he hoped the US Supreme Court would “reverse this horrible, Country threatening decision” of the trade court, while lambasting the judicial branch of government as anti-American.

“The horrific decision stated that I would have to get the approval of Congress for these Tariffs,” Trump wrote on Thursday evening. “If allowed to stand, this would completely destroy Presidential Power 鈥� The Presidency would never be the same! This decision is being hailed all over the World by every Country, other than the United States of America.”

Many US trading partners offered careful responses. The British government said the trade court’s ruling was a domestic matter for the US administration and noted it was “only the first stage of legal proceedings.” Both Germany and the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, said they could not comment on the decision.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the trade court’s finding was “consistent with Canada’s longstanding position” that Trump’s tariffs were unlawful.

Financial markets, which have whipsawed in response to the twists and turns in Trump’s chaotic trade war, reacted with cautious optimism to the trade court ruling, though gains in stocks on Thursday were largely limited by expectations that the court’s ruling faced a potentially lengthy appeals process.

Indeed, analysts said broad uncertainty remained regarding the future of Trump’s tariffs, which have cost companies more than $34 billion in lost sales and higher costs, according to a Reuters analysis.

Some sector-specific tariffs, such as on imports of steel, aluminum and automobiles, were imposed by Trump under separate authorities on national security grounds and were unaffected by the ruling.

The Liberty Justice Center, the nonprofit group representing five small businesses that sued over the tariffs, said the appeals court’s temporary stay was a procedural step.

Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel for the center, said the appeals court would ultimately agree with the small businesses that faced irreparable harm of “the loss of critical suppliers and customers, forced and costly changes to established supply chains, and, most seriously, a direct threat to the very survival of these businesses.”

A separate federal court earlier on Thursday also found that Trump overstepped his authority in using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for what he called reciprocal tariffs of at least 10% on goods from most US trading partners and for the separate 25% levies on goods from Canada, Mexico and China related to fentanyl.

That ruling was much narrower, however, and the relief order stopping the tariffs applied only to the toy company that brought the case. The administration has appealed that ruling as well.

UNCERTAINTY PERSISTS
Following a market revolt after his major tariff announcement on April 2, Trump paused most import duties for 90 days and said he would hammer out bilateral deals with trade partners.

But apart from a pact with Britain this month, agreements remain elusive, and the trade court’s ruling on the tariffs and the uncertainty of the appeals process may dissuade countries like Japan from rushing into deals, analysts said.

“Assuming that an appeal does not succeed in the next few days, the main win is time to prepare, and also a cap on the breadth of tariffs 鈥� which can’t exceed 15% for the time being,” said George Lagarias, chief economist at Forvis Mazars international advisers.

The trade court ruling would have lowered the overall effective US tariff rate to about 6%, but the appellate court’s emergency stay means it will remain at about 15%, according to estimates from Oxford Research. That is the level it has been since Trump earlier this month struck a temporary truce that reduced punishing levies on Chinese goods until late summer. By contrast, the effective tariff rate had been between 2% and 3% before Trump returned to office in January.

Trump’s trade war has shaken makers of everything from luxury handbags and sneakers to household appliances and cars as the price of raw materials has risen.

Drinks company Diageo and automakers General Motors and Ford are among those that have abandoned forecasts for the year ahead.

Non-US companies including Honda, Campari, Roche and Novartis have said they are considering moving operations or expanding their US presence to mitigate the impact of tariffs. 鈥� Reuters

Mr. Trump on Friday said he was recommending a 50% tariff go into place on June 1 because of frustration that talks with the EU were not moving quickly enough. The threat roiled global financial markets and intensified a trade war that has been punctuated by frequent changes in tariff policies toward US trading partners and allies.

Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly expressed disdain for the EU and its treatment of the United States on trade, relented after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told him on Sunday that the EU needed more time to come to an agreement.

She asked him during a call to delay the tariffs until July, the deadline he had originally set when he announced new tariffs in April. Mr. Trump told reporters he had granted the request.

鈥淲e had a very nice call, and I agreed to move it,鈥� Mr. Trump said before returning to Washington after a weekend in New Jersey. 鈥淪he said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out.鈥�

Ms. Von der Leyen said in a post on X that she had a 鈥済ood call鈥� with Trump and that the EU was ready to move quickly.

鈥淓urope is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.鈥�

The euro and US dollar rose against the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc after the deadline extension.

In early April, Mr. Trump set a 90-day window for trade talks between the EU and the United States, which was to end on July 9. But on Friday he upended that timeframe and said he wasn鈥檛 interested in a deal at all.

鈥淚鈥檓 not looking for a deal,鈥� Mr. Trump said then. 鈥淲e鈥檝e set the deal 鈥� it鈥檚 at 50%.鈥� Major US stock indexes and European shares dropped and the dollar weakened as a result.

Mr. Trump has sought to upend the world economy with his trade policies, but after his announcement in April of tariffs on multiple countries sparked financial market upheaval, he dialed down his threats in favor of talks. Since then Washington has inked a pact with Britain and has held discussions with China.

But progress with the EU has been more limited, sparking Mr. Trump鈥檚 ire and adding to broader tensions between the two allies over Mr. Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica first鈥� agenda and Europe鈥檚 longtime reliance on Washington for security and defense needs. 鈥� Reuters

Just over an hour before Moscow鈥檚 midnight on May 14, the Kremlin published the names of those who would attend.

鈥� Vladimir Medinsky, Kremlin aide. To head the delegation.

Born in Soviet Ukraine, Medinsky helped lead the 2022 peace talks which ultimately failed.

Educated at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Mr. Medinsky was behind a new history textbook for schools which reflect Mr. Putin鈥檚 historical view: pride at the achievements of the superpower Soviet Union, indignation at the humiliations of the Soviet collapse, and acclaim for the 鈥渞ebirth鈥� of Russia under the former KGB spy鈥檚 rule which began on the last day of 1999.

He is chairman of the ultra-patriotic Russian Military Historical Society.

鈥� Mikhail Galuzin, deputy foreign minister

Oversees relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet republics.

Educated at Moscow State University鈥檚 Institute of Asian and African Studies. Speaks fluent Japanese and English.

鈥� Igor Kostyukov, director of Russian military intelligence, known as GRU, or more recently as simply GU. The GRU is one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world.

Kostyukov was the first naval officer to head GRU.

鈥� Alexander Fomin, deputy Defense minister. Took part in the 2022 talks on Ukraine.

Additionally, Mr. Putin approved a list of experts for the negotiations.

鈥� Alexander Zorin, first deputy chief of information of the directorate of the General Staff. Born in Soviet Ukraine. Helped lead Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war. Known for seeking to reconcile sides.

鈥� Yelena Podobreyevskaya, deputy head of the Kremlin directorate for humanitarian policy.

鈥� Alexei Polishchuk, director of the foreign ministry鈥檚 CIS department dealing with Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova.

鈥� V. Shevtsov, deputy head of the main directorate for international military cooperation at the Defense Ministry.

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, whose husband Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a U.S. resident the administration sent by mistake to a prison in El Salvador, spoke at a Washington rally that was among the protests organized by lawyers’ groups and by a coalition of more than 200 labor unions and immigrant rights advocates.

“He was illegally detained, abducted and disappeared by the Trump administration, though they admitted it was an error,” Ms. Vasquez Sura said, adding her husband has endured “50 days of suffering.”

“For everyone watching, keep fighting,” she said. The crowd responded with chants of: “Bring Kilmar home.”

Organizers have accused the Trump administration of prioritizing profits for billionaires and called on it to invest in working families by fully funding healthcare, housing and public schools.

“It’s a clear split screen between the priorities of the Trump administration and what regular people want and need,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a consumer rights advocacy group and a co-organizer of the Washington rally.

Organizers expected hundreds of thousands of protesters across the country, hoping for the biggest May Day Protests in U.S. history. Previous protests have garnered thousands of attendees since Trump returned to office.

Federal workers have been fired as Mr. Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, a top adviser heading a new Department of Government Efficiency, have moved to slash government departments and fire workers.

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar told a crowd in Washington the administration’s actions were “eliminating oversight so corporations can exploit workers without consequences.”

Days after Mr. Trump celebrated his first 100 days in office with a campaign-style event in Michigan, the rallies came as Democrats sought a unified response and a galvanizing leader.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont addressed thousands at a rally in Philadelphia.

In New York, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned protesters that Mr. Trump and the Republican majority in the U.S. Congress “are going after Medicaid next.”

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who has been touring the country holding rallies with Sanders, said she had just learned that Republicans “have stopped and suspended next week’s Medicaid cuts because they are getting too scared … But our fight is not over because they have only suspended” the cuts to Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income Americans.

She said there were 6,000 protesters in New York City and tens of thousands more demonstrating in Philadelphia, Idaho, Los Angeles, Denver, and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

Also in New York, hundreds of lawyers attended a separate “National Law Day of Action” event, chanting “Respect our judges, give support. Stand behind them, and the court.”

Some prominent law firms have pledged millions in free legal work and made other concessions to Mr. Trump in efforts to get him to rescind punitive measures against them. Others have filed lawsuits challenging his orders and have been supported by law professors, advocacy groups, state attorneys general, former top legal executives at large companies and others.

Federal judges have claimed the Trump administration has failed to comply with court orders regarding foreign aid, federal spending and the firing of government workers. The administration disputes it has defied judges.

Among the speakers in Manhattan was Stuart Gerson, who served President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, as an assistant attorney general and also served President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, as acting attorney general.

“This is about country, not about party,” Gerson told the crowd, recalling what Bush told him when Clinton asked him to serve in his cabinet. “You don’t pledge fealty to an individual, you pledge fealty to the Constitution.”

In Los Angeles, demonstrators turned their ire on Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Mr. Trump’s hard line against immigration, hoisting banners declaring, “L.A. labor stands with immigrants” and “Resist Fascism.”

“The constitution is being trampled on,” said Mark Diamond, 62, from the L.A. neighborhood of San Pedro. “If it takes four years, we’ll be out here 100 times.” — Reuters

Indeed, the pace of negotiations was brisk, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, with 18 different countries offering proposals so far and Trump’s trade negotiating team set to meet with 34 countries this week to discuss tariffs. Trump himself expressed optimism that a trade deal with China could “substantially” cut tariffs, lifting markets.

After setting a baseline import tax of 10% and much higher on dozens of countries earlier this month, Trump abruptly put the steeper levies on hold for 90 days for countries to try to negotiate less stringent rates.

The talks blitz is occurring after hundreds of finance and trade delegates arrived for the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group, almost all with the singular mission of inking a deal to ease the hefty tariffs burden Trump has imposed on US goods imports since beginning his second stint in the White House in January.

With tariffs on goods coming into the world’s No. 1 economy now at their highest in a century, the IMF projects global growth in 2025 will slow to 2.8% – its poorest showing since the COVID-19 pandemic – from 3.3% in 2024.

And it is not just a pain being visited upon others: US gross domestic product growth will drop by a full percentage point to just 1.8% in 2025 from 2.8% last year, the IMF forecast, with “notable” upward revisions to inflation as the cost of imports climbs.

Another big victim of the fallout is China, with the IMF slashing its growth outlook to 4.0% for this year and next under the weight of crushing import taxes of 145% now levied against imports to the US from the world’s largest goods producer.

China has retaliated with 125% tariffs of its own on goods from the US, effectively resulting in a trade embargo between the largest two economies, a standstill that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said neither sees as sustainable.

According to a person who heard Bessent’s closed-door presentation on Tuesday to investors at a JP Morgan conference in Washington, Bessent believes there will be a de-escalation in US-China trade tensions but described future negotiations with Beijing as a “slog” that has not started yet.

TRUMP ON CHINA
Later on Tuesday, Trump expressed optimism that he would make progress with China that would substantially lower tariffs on their imports but also warned that “if they don’t make a deal, we’ll set the deal.”

Trump said a deal would result in “substantially” lower tariffs on Chinese goods.
“It won’t be that high,” Trump said when asked about the current rates. “It won’t be anywhere near that.”

He added that “it won’t be zero.”

US stocks jumped in extended trade following Trump’s comments, with Amazon and Nvidia gaining 3% each and Apple rising 2%.

While talks have been slow to start with China, Bessent and other members of Trump’s trade team have been pressing on with other key trading partners, though details are scant and no firm deals have been reached so far.

The US and Japan, for one, are moving closer to an interim arrangement on trade, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, but many of the biggest issues are being put off. Such an interim framework will not tackle the thorniest issues facing the two countries in their trade relationship, and it was still possible that no final deal could be reached, the person said on condition of anonymity.

That movement comes after the US and India said during a visit there by Vice President JD Vance that they had agreed to the broad scope of negotiations. While the two sides touted it as significant progress, agreeing to the so-called “Terms of Reference” mostly provides a roadmap for more extensive talks ahead.

Meanwhile, a number of US companies reporting first-quarter results said tariffs are having an effect on business.

Consumer giant Kimberly-Clark said tariffs would cost it about $300 million this year, with CEO Michael Hsu noting “the breadth and degree of tariffs and also the countries involved have changed significantly since maybe where we were at the end of the last quarter.”

GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp told Reuters he recently met with Trump and urged him to restore a tariff-free regime for the aerospace industry that existed under a 1979 agreement. Culp said the company’s position was “understood” by the administration, but added “it’s not the only item they’re solving for.”

GE Aerospace hung onto its outlook for the year, despite the cost of tariffs. “We’ll continue to press this point respectfully in the hopes that we can re-establish in effect what we had prior to the recent tariff moves,” he said in the interview.

The affirmation of its outlook helped lift GE Aerospace shares by more than 5%. Indeed, investors rattled over the past two months by Trump’s harsh tariffs and erratic approach to imposing them seemed to find some solace among the earnings being reported. The S&P 500, on the heels of another steep down day on Monday, rose about 2.5% on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Nupur Anand, Trevor Hunnicutt, Brendan O’Brien, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Noel Randewich, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Savyata Mishra, and Neil J Kanatt; Writing by Dan Burns; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Andrea Ricci)

Mr. Gonet said he could not press charges against Bolsonaro based only on allegations from a plea-bargain deal with a former presidential aide, arguing he needed more evidence to support any charges.

A legal representative from Mr. Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former president had previously denied any wrongdoing.

The move comes a day after a Supreme Court panel voted to聽聽as part of another case, in which he is accused of allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government after he lost the 2022 election.

Brazil Federal Police聽聽Bolsonaro last year of fraud on his vaccination records. Police said his former aide Mauro Cid fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccination records for Bolsonaro and his daughter Laura at the request of the then-president.

The police said they found the fraudulent certificates were issued “to obtain undue advantages related to the evasion of sanitary rules established during the pandemic period.“

Mr. Gonet argued in Thursday’s decision that accusations of fraud in vaccine records against Bolsonaro were based only on Cid’s plea-bargain deal.

This plea-bargain deal is also part of the coup attempt charges against Bolsonaro, but Mr. Gonet said that he decided to press charges in that case in February because other evidence backed the allegations.

Mr. Gonet still has to decide on another police probe targeting Mr. Bolsonaro, in which he is accused of embezzling jewelry gifted by the Saudi government.

Mr. Bolsonaro is barred by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court from running for public office until 2030 over his efforts to discredit the country’s voting system. – Reuters