World News Review

FirstFT: China vows ‘fight to the end’ after Trump’s extra 50% tariff threat

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:08:31 -0400

Also in today’s newsletter, US to hold talks with Iran and the Fed’s dilemma

Take a bite of this season’s high jewellery

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:00:49 -0400

Bright stones and sharp cuts are a spring palate-cleanser

Sir Philip Green fails in attempt to challenge UK parliamentary privilege

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:50:25 -0400

European court rules human rights convention was not violated after Lord Hain linked former Arcadia chair to sexual misconduct allegations

Zelenskyy confirms Ukrainian troops are fighting in second Russian region

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:36:58 -0400

President for the first time acknowledges military presence in Belgorod

A US-Russian crew of 3 launches to the International Space Station

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:34:12 -0400

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and two Russian crewmates have arrived at the International Space Station on board a Russian spacecraft

Inquiry after Indian man filmed giving water to cheetahs

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:31:01 -0400

The footage shows a female cheetah and her four cubs walk up to the pan and start drinking from it.

Trump tracker: the latest data on US tariffs, trade and economy

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:29:34 -0400

As the president launches a trade war, follow the latest data on how markets react and how the country’s economy is performing

South Sudan says US visa ban caused by mistaken nationality

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:28:28 -0400

The government says the man it refused entry to was Congolese, not South Sudanese as the US had said.

The U.N. World Food Program Calls Aid Cuts a ‘Death Sentence’

Ellen Knickmeyer, Samy Magdy, and David Biller / AP — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:24:55 -0400

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ended funding to U.N. World Food Program emergency programs helping keep millions alive in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and 11 other impoverished countries, many of them struggling with conflict, according to the organization and officials who spoke to The Associated Press.

The World Food Program, the largest provider of food aid, appealed to the U.S. to roll back the new cuts in a social media post Monday. The unexpected round of contract cancellations has targeted some of the last remaining humanitarian programs run by the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to two U.S. officials, a United Nations official and documents obtained by the AP.

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“This could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation,” WFP said on X.

The agency said it was in contact with the Trump administration “to urge for continued support” for lifesaving programs and thanked the United States and other donors for past contributions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other administration officials had pledged to spare emergency food programs and other life-and-death aid from deep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance. There was no immediate comment Monday from the State Department.

The projects were being canceled “for the convenience of the U.S. Government” at the direction of Jeremy Lewin, a top lieutenant at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency who was appointed to oversee the elimination of USAID programs, according to termination notices sent to partners and viewed by the AP.

Programs targeted by Trump administration

In Syria, a country battling poverty, hunger and insecurity after a 13-year civil war and an insurgency by the Islamic State group, some $230 million in contracts with WFP and humanitarian groups was terminated in recent days, according to a State Department document detailing the cuts that was obtained by the AP.

The single biggest of the targeted Syria programs, at $111 million, provided bread and other daily food to 1.5 million people, the document says.

About 60 letters canceling contracts were sent over the past week. An official with the United Nations in the Middle East said all U.S. aid to WFP food programs across Yemen, another war-divided country that is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, has been stopped, apparently including food that already had arrived in distribution centers.

WFP also received termination letters for U.S.-funded programs in Lebanon and Jordan, where Syrian refugees would be hit hardest, the U.N. official said.

Some of the last remaining U.S. funding for key programs in Somalia, Afghanistan and the southern African nation of Zimbabwe also was affected, including for those providing food, water, medical care and shelter for people displaced by war, one of the U.S. officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Current and former USAID experts and partners said some $560 million in humanitarian aid was cut to Afghanistan, including for emergency food assistance, the treatment of severely malnourished babies, lifesaving medical care, safe drinking water, and emergency mental health treatment for survivors of sexual and physical violence.

Another of the notices, sent Friday, abruptly pulled U.S. funding for a program with strong support in Congress that had sent young Afghan women overseas for schooling because of Taliban prohibitions on women’s education, said an administrator for that project, which is run by Texas A&M University.

The young women would now face return to Afghanistan, where their lives would be in danger, according to that administrator, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Larger impact of cutting aid

The abrupt end of WFP programs threatens some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, many of which depend on such food aid, according to humanitarian groups. The U.S. and other donors long have seen efforts to ease humanitarian crises as being in their strategic interest by stemming mass migration, conflicts and extremism, which struggles for resources can bring.

WFP chief Cindy McCain said in a posting on social media that the cuts “undermine global stability.”

Rubio had notified Congress and courts last month that USAID contract cuts were over, with about 1,000 programs spared worldwide and more than 5,000 others eliminated. That added to the shock of the new cuts.

The Trump administration has accused USAID of wastefulness and advancing liberal causes.

Trump’s freeze on all foreign assistance through USAID and the State Department led to a brief shutdown of services at the al-Hol camp, where tens of thousands of alleged Islamic State fighters and their families are kept under guard.

That shutdown raised fears of an uprising or breakout at the camp. U.S. officials quickly intervened to restore services.

The State Department document obtained by the AP identifies two newly terminated contracts, run by Save the Children and the U.N. Population Fund, which provided mental health services and other care to women and children at al-Hol. It was not immediately clear if any other services were affected at the camp.

The U.S. had been the major funder of the WFP, providing $4.5 billion of the $9.8 billion in donations to the food agency last year.

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Magdy reported from Cairo and Biller from Rome. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Sir Philip Green fails in attempt to challenge parliamentary privilege

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:21:50 -0400

Former retail tycoon brought privacy claim after Lord Hain used parliamentary privilege to link him to sexual misconduct allegations

Porsche sales drop despite jump in US demand

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:16:30 -0400

Carmaker hit by sharp decline in China and Germany

China prepared to 'fight to the end' over US tariffs – video

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:41:18 -0400

China’s government says it will 'fight to the end' if the US continues to escalate the trade war, after Donald Trump threatened huge additional tariffs in response to Beijing's retaliatory measures. A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said: 'Chinese people do not provoke trouble, nor are they afraid of it. Pressure, threats, and blackmail are not the right ways to deal with China. China will surely take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests'

China vows to ‘fight to the end’ against latest Trump tariff threat

‘Unite the right’ ideas put to town hall test

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:35:49 -0400

Formal coalition is off the table but Tories and Reform leave door open to local ‘confidence and supply’ deals

Trump admin live updates: Supreme Court OKs deporting Venezuelans -- with due process

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:32:51 -0400

Supreme Court allows Trump to continue deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, but says detainees must be given due process.

Trump tariffs live updates: China will fight US trade war 'to the end', official says

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:22:39 -0400

Trump's universal 10% levy against all countries went into effect early Saturday.

Billionaire financiers lambast Trump tariffs

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:21:54 -0400

Alarm at market turmoil prompts allies of president to speak out

Asian, European markets rebound, US futures edge up amid Trump tariff turmoil

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:17:24 -0400

Asian markets opened up on Tuesday after posting significant losses on Monday driven by President Donald Trump's global tariffs campaign.

The U.S. ends lifesaving food aid for millions. The World Food Program calls it a ‘death sentence’

The Associated Press — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:14:49 -0400

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ended funding to U.N.

Trump threatens new 50% tariffs on China

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:04:00 -0400

The US president warns of the extra tax unless China withdraws its own 34% counter-tariff on US goods.

South Korea to hold presidential election on 3 June

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:48:35 -0400

This comes after the constitutional court removed Yoon Suk Yeol as president and upheld his impeachment.

China vows ‘fight to the end’ after Trump threatens extra 50% tariff

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:29:32 -0400

Beijing and Washington exchanged warnings of additional trade retaliation as markets rebound in Asia

Is the US heading for a recession? Three warning signs to watch

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:02:21 -0400

Michelle Fleury explains the factors to watch in the economy after President Trump’s tariff announcements.

Asian markets rebound, US futures edge up amid Trump tariff turmoil

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:45:32 -0400

Asian markets opened up on Tuesday after posting significant losses on Monday driven by President Donald Trump's global tariffs campaign.

Zelensky confirms Ukraine troops in Russia's Belgorod region

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:42:24 -0400

Ukraine's operations in a second region in Russia are explicitly acknowledged for the first time.

Trump announces ‘very high level’ talks with Iran

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:22:28 -0400

US president hints at deal on Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme after meeting Netanyahu

Japan secures priority tariff negotiations with Trump

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:10:02 -0400

US ally and biggest foreign investor stunned by sweeping levies including on crucial automotive sector

It’s possible that Pink broke UK hotel inflation. Has the ONS fixed it?

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:00:49 -0400

We check out the data, and find room for improvement

South Korea to Hold Election on June 3 to Replace Ousted President

HYUNG-JIN KIM / AP — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:00:00 -0400

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea will hold a snap presidential election June 3 to succeed recently ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, the country’s acting leader Han Duck-soo announced Tuesday.

The announcement came four days after the Constitutional Court removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his ill-fated imposition of martial law in December. By law, South Korea must elect a new president within 60 days of Yoon’s ouster. The next president will serve a full 5-year term.

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Deep political polarization will likely shape the election into a two-way showdown between the two major political parties: Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and its chief liberal rival, the Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly.

It will be an uphill battle for the People Power Party as it struggles to restore public confidence and heal severe internal divisions left by Yoon’s martial law stunt.

The focus of attention is on whether conservatives can regroup and field a strong candidate to compete against likely Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, who observers say is the clear front-runner.

Potential candidates

South Korea’s political parties are expected to launch primaries to select their presidential candidates in the coming weeks.

The Democratic Party candidate is expected to be Lee, a powerful party leader who faces no major challengers inside the party. Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 election to Yoon, led the party through a crisis during which many of its members faced off against troops sent by Yoon to enter the National Assembly building and vote down martial law, and later impeached the president.

About 10 politicians from the People Power Party are expected to seek the nomination.

Conservatives in disarray

Yoon’s baffling decision to enact martial law, which brought armed troops into Seoul’s streets and evoked the country’s traumatic memories of past military rule, was a blow to his party’s reputation even though the party wasn’t directly involved.

Some reformist party members openly criticized Yoon’s actions and cast ballots to impeach him, triggering a feud with the party’s old guard who supported the president.

Yoon has diehard supporters who regularly staged massive rallies in Seoul and elsewhere. Many share an unfounded perception that Yoon is a victim of a leftist, North Korea-sympathizing opposition that has rigged elections to gain a legislative majority and plotted to remove a patriotic leader.

“South Korea’s conservative party faces significant disadvantages heading into the upcoming election. Two months is a short time to unify the base, moderates and a conspiracy-driven fringe around a single candidate,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

The party’s current leadership is filled with Yoon loyalists, and that will likely let the internal divide continue and undermine its electoral prospects, said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership.

Among the leading People Power Party presidential hopefuls, Labor Minister Kim Moon Soo is considered to be the most pro-Yoon. He and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo opposed impeaching Yoon, while former party leader Han Dong-hoon and senior party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo supported removing him from office. The last major candidate is Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who has maintained an ambiguous position.

Choi said Yoon will likely exert his influences to boost pro-Yoon figures who are seeking the nomination and party leadership posts so that they can defend him as he faces a criminal trial. Yoon was charged with rebellion in January, and he could face other charges like abuse of power now that he has lost presidential immunity, which protected him from most criminal prosecutions.

The People Power Party “will need to nominate someone who can win over the public, particularly the moderates, rather than someone who can win the party’s primaries,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. “Korean moderates and the young generation in their 20s and 30s will likely be the swing voters.”

Lee’s bid

Opposition leader Lee, who has served as a provincial governor and a city mayor, is considered by his supporters as a populist reformer. But critics regard him as a demagogue who relies on stoking divisions and demonizing his rivals.

Lee faces five ongoing trials for corruption and other criminal charges. If he becomes president, those trials will likely stop thanks to presidential immunity.

Yoon has repeatedly accused Lee’s Democratic Party of abusing its parliamentary majority status to obstruct his agenda, impeach senior officials and slash the government’s budget bill. Yoon said his martial law declaration was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against “wickedness” of Lee’s party.

“Lee Jae-myung has many detractors among the South Korean public who believe he nearly broke the government for his own benefit, weaponizing the legislature to push Yoon over the edge and cast his own legal cases as political persecution,” Easley said.

“Lee’s successful maneuvering, including the purge of progressive politicians disloyal to him, means he effectively owns the Democratic Party nomination and has the clearest path to the presidency,” he said.

Budget airline Avelo to fly deportation flights for ICE from Arizona

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 01:41:52 -0400

Budget carrier Avelo Airlines says it has signed an agreement to fly deportation flights from Arizona starting in May

China offers first hint of devaluation with weak renminbi fix

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 01:26:16 -0400

Beijing permits exchange rate to drop below long-defended level

EU recalibrates response to US tariffs after ‘black day’ for markets

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 01:00:49 -0400

Also in this newsletter: Foot-and-mouth disease returns to central Europe

Nuclear boom sparks urgent call for investment in new uranium mines

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 01:00:49 -0400

Currently identified resources are forecast to be used up by the 2080s

Powell’s tariff dilemma: defend the economy or contain inflation

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:01:49 -0400

Donald Trump’s trade war has put the Federal Reserve in an awkward spot

Can Nintendo’s Switch 2 revive a stagnant gaming industry?