AFP USA

Pioneering US genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer two years after hackers gained access to millions of profiles.23andMe, which sells a mail-back saliva test to determine ancestry or certain health-related genetic traits for less than $200, said late Sunday that it had “filed a voluntary petition for reorganization” with a state bankruptcy court in Missouri.At its height a few years ago, the DNA testing craze saw millions of consumers rushing to discover their ancestry and health information with tests from 23andMe becoming popular holiday gifts.The Silicon Valley-based company, which went public in 2021, claims 15 million customers and has seen its sales decline in recent months as the testing craze faded and the company suffered a data breach.23andMe said that it rejected a takeover offer from its co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki who has resigned from her position but will remain on the company’s board of directors, according to the statement.On X, Wojcicki posted that “While I am disappointed that we have come to this conclusion and my bid was rejected, I am supportive of the company and I intend to be a bidder.”She explained that her resignation as CEO was strategic so as to “be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder.” Wojcicki, who co-founded 23andMe 19 years ago, acknowledged the company’s challenges but emphasized her “unwavering” belief in its future.Faced with the difficulties, 23andMe announced the dismissal of 40 percent of its staff in November, about 200 people. It also suspended its research programs.In a regulatory filing, 23andMe also said that it has agreed to pay approximately $37.5 million to settle claims related to the 2023 data breach.The 2023 hacking incident saw 6.9 million accounts affected, of which 5.5 million contained information on genetic matches.Using customers’ old passwords, the hackers compromised data that included names, sex, birth year, location, photos, health information, and genetic ancestry results.With the bankruptcy announcement, Geoffrey Fowler, a tech columnist for the Washington Post warned: “If you’re one of the 15 million people who shared your DNA with 23andMe, it’s time to delete your data.”He cited the risk “that your data could get sold or transferred to a new company, which might want to use it for new purposes.”The company’s share price was down by nearly 50 percent to 92 cents in Monday trading on Wall Street.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called early elections for April 28, pledging to defeat Donald Trump’s drive to annex the United States’ huge northern neighbor.Carney, a former central banker, was chosen by Canada’s centrist Liberal Party to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister, but he has never faced the country’s broader electorate.That will now change as Carney brought parliamentary elections forward several months from October. He made it clear that the barrage of trade and sovereignty threats coming from the US president will be the focus of his campaign.”I’ve just requested that the governor general dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28. She has agreed,” Carney said in a speech to the nation, referring to King Charles III’s representative in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.In power for a decade, the Liberal government had slid into deep unpopularity, but Carney will be hoping to ride a wave of Canadian patriotism to a new majority.”I’m asking Canadians for a strong, positive mandate to deal with President Trump,” Carney said, adding that the Republican “wants to break us, so America can own us. We will not let that happen.””We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said.”Our response must be to build a strong economy and a more secure Canada,” he added, pledging not to meet Trump until he recognizes Canadian sovereignty.Trump has riled his northern neighbor by repeatedly dismissing its borders as artificial, and urging it to join the United States as the 51st state.The ominous remarks have been accompanied by Trump’s trade war, with the imposition of tariffs on imports from Canada threatening to severely damage its economy.- Poll favorites -Domestic issues, such as the cost of living and immigration usually dominate Canadian elections but, this time around, one key topic tops the list in this country of 41 million people: who can best handle Trump.The president’s open hostility toward his northern neighbor — a NATO ally and historically one of his country’s closest partners — has upended the Canadian political landscape.Trudeau was deeply unpopular when he announced he was stepping down, with Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives seen as election favorites just weeks ago.But since Trump’s threats, the polls have spectacularly narrowed in favor of Carney’s Liberals, who hold a minority in parliament, and analysts are now describing the race as too close to call.”Many consider this to be an existential election, unprecedented,” Felix Mathieu, a political scientist at the University of Winnipeg, told AFP.Poilievre, 45, is a career politician, first elected when he was only 25. A veteran tough-talking campaigner, he has sometimes been tagged as a libertarian and a populist.On Sunday, Poilievre — seen by some as too similar to Trump in style and substance — set the tone.”I want the opposite of what Donald Trump wants,” the Conservative leader said in Toronto, promising to base his campaign on bread-and-butter economic issues and the worries of “regular people.”Kicking off his campaign in Labrador and Newfoundland, Carney told supporters on Canada’s Atlantic coast that the country needed “big change” to turn its economy around and “fight Donald Trump’s tariffs.”- ‘Don’t care’ -Carney, 60, has spent his career outside of electoral politics. He spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs and went on to lead Canada’s central bank, and then the Bank of England.Smaller opposition parties could suffer if Canadians seek to give a large mandate to one of the big two, to strengthen their hand against Trump.The US leader professes not to care who wins the Canadian election, while pushing ahead with plans to further strengthen tariffs against Ottawa and other major trading partners on April 2.”I don’t care who wins up there,” Trump said this week. “But just a little while ago, before I got involved and totally changed the election, which I don’t care about … the Conservative was leading by 35 points.” 

Can a complete tech novice create a website using everyday language on ChatGPT?That’s the promise, misleading for some, of “vibe coding,” the latest Silicon Valley catchphrase for an advance in generative AI that some say makes computer programming as simple as chatting online.”You fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists,” OpenAI co-founder and former Tesla employee Andrej Karpathy described in early February, in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), using the term for the first time.”I’m building a project or web app, but it’s not really coding — I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works,” he said.The developer and entrepreneur was referring to the new generative AI models that produce lines of code on demand in everyday language, through writing or speech.The concept of “vibe coding” remained confined to the AI community until New York Times columnist Kevin Roose claimed to have created websites and apps without any knowledge of programming.”Just having an idea, and a little patience, is usually enough,” he wrote.The ChatGPT and Claude interfaces can write an entire program line by line on demand, as can Gemini, which launched its dedicated version, Gemini Canvas, on Tuesday.Other generative AI platforms specifically dedicated to coding have also made their mark in recent months, from Cursor to Loveable, or Bolt, Replit and Windsurf.”Maybe, just maybe, we’re looking at a fundamental shift in how software is created and who creates it,” said online marketing specialist Mattheo Cellini on Substack.”It’s unlikely to make coding irrelevant, but it may change the way developers work,” suggested Yangfeng Ji, professor of computer science at the University of Virginia.”This could lead to some job displacement, particularly for those focused solely on basic coding tasks.”Even before “vibe coding,” a downturn was being seen by some in IT employment as the first effects of generative AI began to be felt.The sector shed nearly 10,000 jobs in the US in February, according to the Department of Labor, and its headcount is at a three-year low.- Expertise needed? -Among code novices, many find it hard to catch the vibe.”People who do not have programming expertise often struggle to use these kinds of models because they don’t have the right kinds of tools or knowledge to actually evaluate the output,” said Nikola Banovic, professor of computer science at the University of Michigan.On social media, the few newbies who report on their “vibe coding” quickly complain that it’s not as easy as some want to believe.Without mastering computing complexities like digital directories, runtime environments or application programming interfaces (APIs), it’s hard to create an app that works.Despite his coding knowhow, Claude Rubinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Houston-Downtown, wanted to create an application for his students two years ago without tinkering with the code generated by ChatGPT.After a lot of trial and error, the app finally worked, but “I’m convinced it wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t understood the code,” which allowed him to guide the interface using the appropriate language.This brought home the importance of the “prompt”: mastering the request submitted to obtain the desired result.”Programmers have certain levels of AI literacy that allows them to get what they want out of the models,” said Banovic.Everyday users “will not know how to prompt,” he warned.

Can a complete tech novice create a website using everyday language on ChatGPT?That’s the promise, misleading for some, of “vibe coding,” the latest Silicon Valley catchphrase for an advance in generative AI that some say makes computer programming as simple as chatting online.”You fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists,” OpenAI co-founder and former Tesla employee Andrej Karpathy described in early February, in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), using the term for the first time.”I’m building a project or web app, but it’s not really coding – I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works,” he said.The developer and entrepreneur was referring to the new generative AI models that produce lines of code on demand in everyday language, through writing or speech.The concept of “vibe coding” remained confined to the AI community until New York Times columnist Kevin Roose claimed to have created websites and apps without any knowledge of programming.”Just having an idea, and a little patience, is usually enough,” he wrote.The ChatGPT and Claude interfaces can write an entire program line by line on demand, as can Gemini, which launched its dedicated version, Gemini Canvas, on Tuesday.Other generative AI platforms specifically dedicated to coding have also made their mark in recent months, from Cursor to Loveable, or Bolt, Replit and Windsurf.”Maybe, just maybe, we’re looking at a fundamental shift in how software is created and who creates it,” said online marketing specialist Mattheo Cellini on Substack.”It’s unlikely to make coding irrelevant, but it may change the way developers work,” suggested Yangfeng Ji, professor of computer science at the University of Virginia.”This could lead to some job displacement, particularly for those focused solely on basic coding tasks.”Even before “vibe coding,” a downturn was being seen by some in IT employment as the first effects of generative AI began to be felt.The sector shed nearly 10,000 jobs in the US in February, according to the Department of Labor, and its headcount is at a three-year low.- Expertise needed? -Among code novices, many find it hard to catch the vibe.”People who do not have programming expertise often struggle to use these kinds of models because they don’t have the right kinds of tools or knowledge to actually evaluate the output,” said Nikola Banovic, professor of computer science at the University of Michigan.On social media, the few newbies who report on their “vibe coding” quickly complain that it’s not as easy as some want to believe.Without mastering computing complexities like digital directories, runtime environments or application programming interfaces (APIs), it’s hard to create an app that works.Despite his coding knowhow, Claude Rubinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Houston-Downtown, wanted to create an application for his students two years ago without tinkering with the code generated by ChatGPT.After a lot of trial and error, the app finally worked, but “I’m convinced it wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t understood the code,” which allowed him to guide the interface using the appropriate language.This brought home the importance of the “prompt”: mastering the request submitted to obtain the desired result.”Programmers have certain levels of AI literacy that allows them to get what they want out of the models,” said Banovic.Everyday users “will not know how to prompt,” h warned.

Franco Caraballo was arrested while at a US immigration center for an appointment. Shirly Guardado was detained while at work. Camila Munoz was taken into custody on her way home from her honeymoon.US President Donald Trump’s hunt for migrants to expel from the country is sparing no one. And while the government claims only criminals are being targeted, many of those in the crosshairs tell a different story. At a checkpoint in Texas, immigration agents stopped an undocumented Mexican couple on their way to a Houston hospital for their 10-year-old daughter’s cancer treatment. The family was deported, separating the parents from their children, five of whom are US citizens, rights group Texas Civil Rights Project said. “We had to decide between being separated from our children or being deported together,” the children’s mother told the rights group.”Now we are in Mexico without access to the urgent medical care our daughter needs,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), the Trump administration detained 32,809 migrants in its first 50 days in office, almost half of whom were convicted criminals. Last weekend it deported more than 200 to a prison in El Salvador, invoking the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act and accusing most of the deportees of belonging to the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang. – Deported over tattoos -Not all who were deported appear to be gang members, however.Franco Caraballo, a 26-year-old Venezuelan barber who has been in asylum proceedings since 2023, went to an appointment at the ICE office in Dallas, Texas, in February. He did not come out. “I haven’t done anything, I’m a good person,” he told his wife Johanny Sanchez over the phone. Caraballo told her that officers put him in a red uniform meant to identify migrants classified as “dangerous.” Lacking resources in his absence, she has had to sleep in her car.”My lawyer spoke with ICE and they told him that Franco was deported (to El Salvador), that he had no criminal record but that they suspect he was a member of Tren de Aragua because of his tattoos,” Johanny Sanchez said. Caraballo, she said, has two tattoos: one of a clock showing his first daughter’s birth time, and one of a rose. Venezuelan Mervin Yamarte, 29, was recognized by family members in Dallas in a video released by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele showing the arrival of deportees from the United States. Arrested a week earlier, Yamarte worked as a mechanic and played soccer with jersey number 99. That number, his family said, was tattooed on his hand. Jhon Chacin, a 35-year-old Venezuelan tattoo artist, formally surrendered upon his arrival at the border in October 2024, during former president Joe Biden’s tenure. He was detained because of his tattoos. Now, the Trump administration has sent him to El Salvador, despite having presented no evidence against him, his sister Yuliana told AFP. – ‘In shock’ -Camila Munoz, a 26-year-old Peruvian, was stopped in February at an airport in Puerto Rico, a US territory, while returning to Wisconsin after her honeymoon. Although her visa had expired, she had already initiated residency procedures. Munoz is being held in Louisiana, according to her husband Bradley Bartell, who voted for Trump. “I’m still kind of in shock,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I have any regrets (voting for Trump), I think the regrets are with the system,” he added. “I’d ask him to sort out the judicial system and fix the problem.”For immigration lawyer David Rozas, who is advising Bartell, the current crackdown is “the scariest” of his 21-year career.He described migrants as “the backbone of this country,” doing jobs no one else wants. “People feel extremely betrayed,” Rozas said. “And we are going to end up with a huge labor shortage unless something changes.”- ‘By the book’ -Shirly Guardado, a 27-year-old Honduran, was at her job near Houston when immigration agents took her away. “She’s not a criminal. She’s my wife. She’s the mother of my son,” said Ayssac Correa, 25, a sergeant in the US Army.”She’s always done everything by the book,” he added. “She’s always been a law-abiding citizen.”Guardado entered the country undocumented a decade ago, but had begun the paperwork to get legal residency. In her absence, he has been caring for their 10-month-old son, who is “not sleeping as well” without his mother, Correa said.He fears that his wife may be deported, and that securing her return could be a prolonged process.”That’s three to five years my son would not have his mom,” he said.

Disney’s remake of “Snow White”  topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated take of $43 million, but faces stiff winds — and some horrendous reviews — to make up its huge production costs.The new live-action version starring Rachel Zegler, which comes 90 years after the original blockbuster, has faced a series of woes — from the Covid pandemic to criticism of its use of CGI, not real actors, to portray the seven dwarves.The film’s budget topped out at an estimated $250 million and it has become “one of the most troubled projects in Disney’s 102-year history,” according to The New York Times.Some reviews have been scathing — the Guardian called it “toe-curlingly terrible” — while others were a bit kinder, with The Washington Post calling it “surprisingly entertaining” and audiences giving generally positive feedback.”While it’s a disappointing opening weekend, we can’t write off the film’s performance until we see how it holds up in the coming weeks,” said Daniel Loria, senior vice president at the Boxoffice Company.Focus Features’ spy thriller “Black Bag” starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett ticked up a notch from last weekend to second place, earning $4.4 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.In third place, also up one spot from last weekend, was Marvel and Disney’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” at $4.1 million. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford star in the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Black comedy “Mickey 17” from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho slipped to fourth place, at $3.9 million. Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo star in the Warner Bros. sci-fi tale about the many lives — and deaths — of a man who volunteers for hazardous space missions. And last weekend’s leader, Paramount’s action-comedy “Novocaine,” suffered a painful drop in ticket sales, taking in just $3.8 million. Jack Quaid plays a banker who, unlike Hollywood studios, cannot feel pain.Rounding out the top 10 were:”The Alto Knights” ($3.2 million)”The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” ($1.8 million)”The Monkey” ($1.55 million)”Dog Man” ($1.5 million)”The Last Supper” ($1.3 million)

In just a few weeks, the US tourism outlook has clouded as a result of some of President Donald Trump’s policy decisions, which have angered some foreign visitors and prompted fear of a surge in prices and a stronger dollar.Foreign traveler arrivals in the United States are expected to decline by 5.1 percent in 2025 compared to last year, against a previously projected increase of 8.8 percent, Tourism Economics said in a report published late last month. Their spending is expected to slide 10.9 percent.Since the report’s publication, “the situation has deteriorated further,” and the outcome will likely be even worse, Tourism Economics president Adam Sacks said, citing “the effects of antipathy towards the US.”In recent weeks, the Trump administration has slapped tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China — and threatened to impose them on the European Union. A sweeping plan to curb immigration has intensified.Government bodies like the US Agency for International Development have been decimated, thousands of civil servants from lawyers to park rangers have been laid off, and Trump has drawn up controversial plans for the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.”A situation with polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric… will discourage travel to the US,” said Tourism Economics, a subsidiary of Oxford Economics.”Some organizations will feel pressure to avoid hosting events in the US, or sending employees to the US, cutting into business travel,” it added.The World Tourism Forum Institute said a mix of stringent immigration policies, a strong dollar and global political tensions “could significantly affect” international arrivals, “potentially reshaping the nation’s tourism sector for years to come.”Among residents of 16 European and Asian countries surveyed by YouGov in December, 35 percent of respondents said they were less likely to come to the United States under Trump, while 22 percent were more likely. – ‘A bit scared’ -For tourists from France, Uzbekistan, and Argentina interviewed by AFP in New York’s Times Square, Trump’s stance has not upended their plans.Marianela Lopez and Ailen Hadjikovakis, both 33, nevertheless used their European passports rather than their Argentine ones to avoid any problems at the border.”We were a bit scared about the situation, but we didn’t change our plans,” said Lopez.The Lagardere family, who came from France, said it hadn’t impacted their plans either. The Americans “elected this president. It’s democracy. If they’re not happy, they’ll change it in four years,” said Laurent Lagardere, 54.”He is who he is” and avoiding the United States “won’t change anything,” Lagardere added.Some 77.7 million foreign tourists were expected in 2024, up 17 percent year-on-year, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office, which does not yet have final figures for last year.- Canadians saying no to New York -Tourists from Western Europe — who made up 37 percent of visitors in 2024 — are the most likely to choose other destinations, along with Canadians and Mexicans.The US Travel Association warned in early February that customs tariffs would deter Canadians, the largest contingent of foreign tourists in the United States with 20.4 million in 2024.According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians returning from the United States fell 23 percent in February year-on-year, the second consecutive monthly decline.In New York, which welcomed 12.9 million foreign travelers in 2024, the effect is already noticeable, with Canadians canceling tour bookings and a drop in online searches for hotels or Broadway shows, NYC Tourism president Julie Coker told AFP. She lowered her forecast for the year in February but said that so far, only Canadians are saying no to Trump’s America.”We’re not currently seeing anything from the UK or Europe,” because it’s too early, she said. “We are definitely watching that very closely.”But British and German authorities have just warned their nationals to be extra vigilant with their travel documents, citing the risk of arrest.United Airlines has noted a “big drop” in travel from Canada to the United States as well as a decline in demand for domestic travel, as have several competitors. According to Tourism Economics, the tourism sector could lose about $64 billion in revenue in 2025 due to the decline in international and domestic travel.Americans now appear frozen by the economic outlook, and terms like recession and inflation also scare tourists, along with the risk of a stronger greenback, experts point out.”This will make the US more expensive for inbound travelers, dampening both visitor volume and average length of stay,” noted Tourism Economics.Professionals also fear the effects of tightening immigration policy on major sports events hosted by the United States, such as the Ryder Cup (2025), the FIFA World Cup (2026), and the 2026 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

China’s number two leader on Sunday called for “dialogue” with Washington, during a meeting in Beijing attended by prominent US business executives and a key congressional ally of President Donald Trump.Relations between the world’s two largest economies have plunged in recent weeks, as blanket tariffs imposed by Trump threaten China’s trade prospects.Premier Li Qiang’s comments came during a meeting with Trump supporter Steve Daines, a Republican senator from Montana.His visit has been viewed as a bid to ease strained relations, with an eye toward setting up a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.”Our two sides need to choose dialogue over confrontation, win-win cooperation over zero-sum competition,” Li told Daines.CEOs of major firms including FedEx, Pfizer and Qualcomm were also present.Li said he hoped Washington would “work together with China to promote the steady, sound and sustainable development” of relations.Earlier on Sunday, Li told the China Development Forum that Beijing would pursue economic globalisation despite “fragmentation”, a thinly veiled reference to trade turmoil sparked by Trump.- ‘Rough waters’ -Chinese leaders have been attempting to steer a shaky economy onto a more stable path since the end of the pandemic, particularly by boosting consumption.They are seeking to position the country as a defender of the multilateral economic system, as Trump wages tariff wars with major US trading partners including China, Canada and Mexico.”China will firmly stand on the correct side of history, that of fairness and justice, and act in a righteous manner amid the rough waters of the times,” Li said at the annual forum, attended by business leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook.Beijing will “adhere to the correct direction of economic globalisation, practice true multilateralism and strive to be a force for stability and certainty”, Li said.In an apparent reference to renewed trade wars sparked by Trump, Li said that “global economic fragmentation is intensifying” and that “instability and uncertainty are on the rise”.- ‘Candid dialogue’ -Talks were also expected to discuss the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl and its precursor chemicals from China into the United States.Trump says his new tariffs on China are due to Beijing’s failure to stem shipments of the chemicals, which underpin a devastating drug crisis.Beijing insists it has already cracked down on the illicit production and trade of drugs, describing the issue as one for Washington to solve.Daines on Saturday also met with Vice Premier He Lifeng, a close advisor to President Xi Jinping on economic matters.During his meeting with Daines, He said that China “firmly opposes the politicisation, weaponisation and instrumentalisation of economic and trade issues”.The vice premier added that China was willing to “engage in candid dialogue” with the United States, saying they had “many common interests and broad space for cooperation”.The tariffs imposed by Trump amount to a 20 percent blanket hike on Chinese overseas shipments to the United States.China’s exports reached record heights last year, but observers warn that turbulence in the global trading system could soon force Beijing to find other ways to boost activity.Beijing says it is targeting growth this year of around five percent — the same as last year and a goal considered ambitious by many economists.

Moscow is hoping to achieve “some progress” at talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, a Russian negotiator told state media before the United States meets Ukrainian and Russian delegations separately in a bid to halt the three-year conflict.US envoy Keith Kellogg described the effort as “shuttle diplomacy” between hotel rooms.Ukraine will meet the US mediators first, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he was “prepared” for Sunday’s talks.A separate meeting between US and Russian officials in the Gulf kingdom is scheduled Monday. Moscow has rejected a joint US-Ukraine proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, countering with a suggested pause on aerial attacks on energy facilities.Both Moscow and Kyiv have continued exchanging strikes in the run-up to the negotiations.On Friday night, a Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed a family of three, triggering anger among Ukrainian officials.Russia also launched drone attacks on Kyiv that hit apartment buildings and caused fires, killing at least two people, Ukraine’s emergency service said early Sunday.Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Sunday a “massive attack by enemy UAVs” caused falling debris in several districts of the city, wounding seven.Russia’s defence ministry said it had “destroyed and intercepted” 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly over the regions of Rostov and Astrakhan.Despite the flurry of diplomacy and push from US President Donald Trump, a breakthrough has so far proved elusive.”We hope to achieve at least some progress,” Russian senator Grigory Karasin, who will lead the Russian delegation, told the Zvezda TV channel, without specifying on what issue.He said he and fellow negotiator, FSB advisor Sergey Beseda would take a “combative and constructive” mood into the talks.A senior Ukrainian official told AFP a day earlier that Kyiv hopes to secure agreement “at least” on a partial ceasefire covering attacks on energy, infrastructure and at sea. Kyiv is sending its defence minister to the negotiations.”We are going with the mood to fight for the solution of at least one issue,” Karasin told Zvezda, which is owned by Russia’s defence ministry.He said they were leaving for Saudi Arabia on Sunday and would return on Tuesday.- Drone barrage -Russia’s choice of negotiators for the talks has raised questions. Both are outside of traditional diplomatic decision-making institutions such as the Kremlin, foreign ministry or defence ministry.Karasin is a career diplomat who now sits in Russia’s upper house of parliament, while Beseda is a long-time FSB officer and now an advisor to the security service’s director.The FSB in 2014 admitted that Beseda was in Kyiv during a bloody crackdown in the Ukrainian capital in the midst of the country’s pro-EU revolution.Ukraine has accused Russia of not genuinely seeking peace and condemned its ongoing attacks, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin saying on Tuesday he had ordered his army to stop targeting Ukrainian energy sites.In contrast, a US official close to Trump, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, has praised Putin — whom he met in Moscow last week — as a “great” leader seeking to end the conflict with Kyiv.”I thought he was straight up with me,” Witkoff told an American right-wing podcast host, Tucker Carlson, in an interview that aired Friday.”I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy. That is a complicated situation, that war, and all the ingredients that led up to it,” Trump’s envoy said.Russia fired 179 drones at Ukraine in its latest overnight barrage, the Ukrainian air force said Saturday.In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, an entire family, including a 14-year-old girl, was killed when a drone crashed into their house Friday, the regional authorities said.An AFP photographer at the scene of one strike saw rescue workers sifting through the rubble of a destroyed building, as smoke and fog hung in the night air.In the eastern Donetsk region, Russian strikes on Saturday killed at least two people and wounded three, according to the local governor.Zelensky meanwhile said he had visited troops fighting to defend the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Russia has been trying to encircle and capture for months. 

China’s number two leader told a gathering of business executives in Beijing on Sunday that the country would pursue economic globalisation despite “fragmentation”, a thinly veiled reference to trade turmoil sparked by US President Donald Trump.The China Development Forum convenes after weeks that have seen Trump slap multiple rounds of tariffs on goods from the country, threatening a vital lifeline as economic challenges persist.Chinese leaders have been seeking to steer a shaky economy onto a more stable path since the end of the pandemic, particularly by boosting consumption.They are also now seeking to assert the country’s role as a staunch defender of the multilateral economic system, as Trump wages tariff wars with major US trading partners including China, Canada and Mexico.”China will firmly stand on the correct side of history, that of fairness and justice, and act in a righteous manner amid the rough waters of the times,” Premier Li Qiang said.Li’s speech came at the opening of the annual forum, attended this year by prominent business leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook.The country will “adhere to the correct direction of economic globalisation, practice true multilateralism and strive to be a force for stability and certainty”, Li vowed.And in apparent reference to renewed trade wars sparked by Trump, he added: “today, global economic fragmentation is intensifying”, while “instability and uncertainty are on the rise”.Beijing has in recent weeks expressed an open attitude toward engaging with Trump for trade talks.US Senator Steve Daines on Saturday met with He Lifeng, China’s Vice Premier responsible for economic matters, during a visit to Beijing viewed as a bid to ease strained relations.Daines is also meeting with Li on Sunday for talks that are expected to involve the cross-border flow of fentanyl and the deadly drug’s precursor chemicals from China into the United States.- ‘Candid dialogue’ -Trump says his new tariffs on China are due to Beijing’s failure to stem shipments of the chemicals, which underpin a devastating drug crisis.Beijing has insisted that it cracks down harshly on the illicit production and trade of drugs, describing the issue as one for Washington itself to solve.During his meeting with Daines, He said China “firmly opposes the politicisation, weaponisation and instrumentalisation of economic and trade issues”.The Vice Premier added that China is willing to “engage in candid dialogue” with the United States to resolve issues.The two countries have “many common interests and broad space for cooperation”, he added.The tariffs imposed by Trump since taking office in January amount to a 20 percent blanket hike on Chinese overseas shipments to the United States.The country’s exports reached record heights last year, but observers warn that turbulence in the global trading system could force Beijing to find other ways to boost activity.Data released Monday indicated an uneven recovery during the first two months of the year.Retail sales charted a moderate increase from the previous January-February period, though unemployment rose to its highest level recorded in two years.Beijing says it is targeting growth this year of around five percent — the same as last year and a goal considered ambitious by many economists.