AFP Asia Business

The United States and China on Sunday said progress had been made after a weekend of talks aimed at de-escalating trade tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff rollout.The increasingly ugly trade spat between Washington and Beijing has rocked financial markets and raised fears of a global economic slowdown, and an inflationary spike in …

US, China hail ‘substantial progress’ after trade talks in Geneva Read More »

The Eurovision Song Contest burst into Basel on Sunday, but a parade launching a week of build-up to the grand final was marked by protests over Israel’s participation.The Swiss city is hosting the 69th edition of the world’s biggest annual live televised music event, reaching around 160 million viewers.Organisers said tens of thousands of spectators took to the streets to welcome the 37 artists representing the competing countries.Europop beats, dramatic staging and earworm choruses dominate the stage but Eurovision’s light-hearted kitsch often unfolds against a backdrop of serious geopolitics.A demonstration took place Sunday to protest Israel’s participation in the contest as the nation ramps up its war in Gaza, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.As the parade began outside Basel’s iconic 500-year-old city hall, around a dozen Palestinian flags could be seen waving in the crowd. One banner read: “Israel: open Gaza’s borders. Let aid in”.One flag-waving protester was tackled by police officers.Some held up signs reading: “No applause for genocide” and “Singing while Gaza burns”.- ‘Throat-slitting gesture’ -The competition is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world’s biggest public service media alliance, of which Israel’s broadcaster Kan is a member.Its entrant this year is Yuval Raphael. She survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, hiding beneath dead bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds.As she emerged from the city hall, Raphael, 24, waved and blew kisses to the crowd and posed for photographs, waving the Israeli flag.Kan said it had filed a complaint with Swiss police “following an incident in which a young man wearing a keffiyeh and holding a Palestinian flag made a throat-slitting gesture toward Yuval Raphael and members of the Israeli Eurovision delegation”.AFP has sought a comment from the Basel police and the EBU.Basel resident Birgit Althaler, was among the demonstrators.”Israel has always used Eurovision as a platform for propaganda. And it’s also scandalous that the city of Basel for example, does nothing,” she told AFP.”It’s important that Eurovision changes,” she said.- ‘Vibrant energy’ -Switzerland is hosting after Swiss vocalist Nemo won Eurovision 2024 in Malmo with the highly personal song “The Code”.Nemo has joined calls for Israel to be thrown out of the event.”Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights,” the singer told the Huffington Post news website.Basel’s emergency services said the parade to the Messeplatz square “went off without any significant problems””The police were able to stop around 150 people at the Messeplatz through their presence and thus prevent the official event from being disrupted,” it said in a brief statement.Vintage trams and buses took the performers along the so-called “turquoise carpet” parade route — the longest in Eurovision history at 1.3 kilometres (0.8 miles).The parade was accompanied by drummers, carnival groups, marching bands, alphorn players and techno DJ sets.”The moment we have eagerly awaited is finally here,” said Conradin Cramer, president of the Basel City canton, declaring Eurovision 2025 officially open.”The stage is ready. Excitement fills the air and the entire city is buzzing with a unique and vibrant energy.”- Sweden and Austria out front -The semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday will eliminate 11 countries, leaving 26 nations to contest Saturday’s final at the St. Jakobshalle arena.Sweden’s entry KAJ — from Finland’s Swedish-speaking minority — are the hot favourites to win, with a comical take on the joy of having a sauna.”The plan is to win for Sweden then the Finns can feel it’s basically their win but Sweden pays for it,” quipped the group’s Jakob Norrgard.Austria’s JJ is the bookmakers’ second-favourite with “Wasted Love”, a song in the mould of last year’s winner, “The Code”, combining operatic vocals and modern beats.”I’m very excited. Obviously there’s a little bit of pressure because people have high expectations,” JJ told AFP.”When I saw Nemo’s performance, I was blown away. But we have different styles. I’m glad that people see similarities and are comparing me to a former winner,” he said.rjm-burs/nl/djt-jj

Donald Trump intends to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One then continue flying in it after his tenure, despite strict rules on US presidential gifts, media reported Sunday.Calling the plane a “flying palace,” ABC News, which first reported the story, said the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet would possibly be the most expensive gift ever received by the US government.The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State,” in a section known as the emoluments clause.But Trump plans to skirt the law by handing it over to his presidential library as he leaves office.The plan is to be announced as Trump travels to three countries in the Middle East this week, including Qatar, both ABC and the New York Times said.Acceptance of the gift raises strong ethical questions, as it appears to flout laws set up to stanch government corruption.However the White House and Department of justice consider that the gift is within the limits of the law because it is not given in exchange for any particular favor or action, which they say means it is therefore not a bribe, according to sources who spoke to ABC.And it is not unconstitutional, they say, because it will first be passed to the US Air Force before being turned over to the presidential library, thereby never being gifted to any one individual.The White House did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.The Democratic National Committee said the move was proof of Trump using the White House for personal financial gain.”While working families brace for higher costs and empty shelves, Trump is still focusing on enriching himself and his billionaire backers,” the DNC said in an email to supporters.Trump reportedly toured the Qatari-owned jet in February when it was parked at the Palm Beach International Airport, the publications said.The US president has long been unhappy with the planes that constitute Air Force One — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.He earlier this year said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new models.The US aerospace giant agreed in 2018 to supply two 747-8 aircraft by the end of 2024 for $3.9 billion — both ready to transport whoever occupied the White House at that time.But a subcontractor went bankrupt and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, forcing Boeing to push back the delivery date to 2027 and 2028.Although the plane the Qataris are offering to Trump is reportedly over 10 years old, a new Boeing 747-8 costs in the range of $400 million, experts said.The aircraft must additionally be outfitted with extensive bells and whistles to become Air Force One.

Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday with no apparent breakthrough in a public standoff over enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations.This was the fourth round of talks that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump’s first term.Both sides had reported progress in the previous three rounds, and on Sunday Iran said the meeting was “difficult but useful” while a senior US official said Washington was “encouraged”.The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was “encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future”, without specifying when.In a post on X, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the “next round will be coordinated and announced by Oman”, which in turn said “the talks will take place once both parties… consult their leaderships”.According to the US official, the talks Sunday were “both direct and indirect, and lasted over three hours”.”Agreement was reached to move forward” and “continue working through technical elements”, the official added.Baqaei had earlier said negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions.Iran entered the talks saying that its right to maintain uranium enrichment was “non-negotiable”, while Washington’s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a “red line”.Following the talks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Tehran’s delegation, reiterated Iran’s stance on enrichment, saying it “must continue and there is no room for compromise on it”.He noted the latest meeting was “more serious” than previous rounds, telling Iranian state TV that Tehran may be open to limit the rate of enrichment “to help build trust”.- ‘Useful ideas’ -The talks come amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, with US President Trump heading to the Gulf next week, and Araghchi just back from Saudi Arabia and Qatar — two stops on Trump’s first major foreign tour.Iran’s top diplomat is set to visit Monday the United Arab Emirates — another planned stop on Trump’s tour — for talks with senior officials, the foreign ministry said.Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the talks on Sunday “included useful and original ideas reflecting a shared wish to reach an honourable agreement”.Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent purity — far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal with Washington and other world powers, but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material.Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, said in a Friday interview that Iran’s “enrichment facilities have to be dismantled”.”That’s our red line. No enrichment,” he told US right-wing outlet Breitbart News, after initially suggesting flexibility on Tehran maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes.On Sunday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said calls to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear facilities were “unacceptable”.”Iran will not give up its peaceful nuclear rights under any circumstances and will not back down from its rights in the face of pressure,” he said.- ‘World’s most dangerous weapon’ -Iran adhered to the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers for a year after Washington’s withdrawal, before beginning to roll back its compliance.Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” approach against Tehran, while backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of potential military action if it fails.The talks are taking place amid renewed scrutiny of key aspects of Tehran’s nuclear programme, particularly its stockpile of enriched uranium and the pace of its enrichment activities.European governments are weighing whether to trigger the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 deal, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance — an option that expires in October.Araghchi, in an article published on Sunday by French weekly Le Point, warned against a “strategy of confrontation”.Israel, which opposes the negotiations its close ally the United States has conducted with regional foe Iran, said Tehran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.”Iran is the most dangerous state in the world” and “must not be allowed to obtain the world’s most dangerous weapon,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.Israel is the Middle East’s only — if undeclared — nuclear-armed state.

Iran and the United States kicked off the fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman Sunday amid a standoff over uranium enrichment, with Tehran calling it “non-negotiable”, while Washington has described it as a “red line”. The negotiations follow earlier rounds that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump’s first term.”Enrichment capability is one of the honours and achievements of the Iranian nation,” said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a video before departing to Muscat, adding that the issue was “non-negotiable”.”We had more consultations in Tehran this morning and in this round we hope to reach a decisive point,” he added.Iran’s ISNA news agency later confirmed that “indirect” talks between the two sides had begun.  The latest round of negotiations come amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, with Trump heading to the Gulf for his first major foreign tour next week, after Araghchi was in Saudi Arabia and Qatar this weekend.Both sides have reported progress after previous rounds. But there have been some delays and disagreements over Iran’s right to enrich uranium, with a US envoy calling it a “red line”.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions during the meeting.- ‘Red line’ -Yousuf Al Bulushi, chairman of the Muscat Policy Council think tank, said that the two sides “haven’t reached a breakthrough yet and this will take quite some time but I’m optimistic”.The fourth round was initially set to take place on May 3 but had been rescheduled, with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons”.Western countries, including the US, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent purity — far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal with Washington and other world powers, but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material.US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led Washington’s delegation, said in a Friday interview that Iran’s “enrichment facilities have to be dismantled”.”That’s our red line. No enrichment,” he told US right-wing outlet Breitbart News, after initially suggesting flexibility on Tehran maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes.Witkoff said that if the talks “are not productive… they won’t continue and we’ll have to take a different route”.Trump has said he wanted “total verification” that Iran’s contested nuclear work is shut down, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that Tehran give up all uranium enrichment.Araghchi, Tehran’s chief negotiator, has repeatedly defended Iran’s right to enrich uranium.Balushi meanwhile warned that both sides had lost precious time during past negotiations to clarify “whether what was said was meant or not”, instead of resolving differences.- ‘Experts’ at the table -Iran adhered to the 2015 agreement for a year after Washington’s withdrawal before beginning to roll back its compliance.Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” approach against Tehran, while backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of potential military action if it fails.The talks are taking place amid renewed scrutiny of key aspects of Tehran’s nuclear programme, particularly its stockpile of enriched uranium and the pace of its enrichment activities.European governments are weighing whether to trigger the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 deal, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance — an option that expires in October.Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the Iran-US talks, has called for Tehran’s nuclear facilities to be dismantled and for its ballistic missile programme to be stopped as part of any credible deal.Tehran has insisted that the talks be solely focused on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions, ruling out negotiations on military capabilities.Foreign ministry spokesman Baqaei said that Iran’s delegation “consists of the experts and specialists needed at this stage of the talks, serving the highest interests of our country”.