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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.

Washington expressed optimism at the end of a weekend of trade talks with China aimed to de-escalate trade tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff rollout.”I’m happy to report that we’ve made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in Geneva.”The talks were productive,” he said, taking no questions from the media, but promising a “complete briefing” on the outcome of the talks on Monday.Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who also took part in the two days of closed-door talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, sais that the differences between the sides were “not so large as maybe thought”.After the first day of negotiations, Trump had posted on Truth Social that the discussions had been “very good”, describing them as “a total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner”.Beijing had yet to comment Sunday, but on Saturday Chinese state news agency Xinhua described the talks as “an important step in promoting the resolution of the issue”.The Chinese delegation was expected to speak to the media Sunday evening.The meetings marked the first time senior officials from the world’s two largest economies have met face-to-face to tackle the topic of trade since Trump slapped steep new levies on China last month, sparking a robust retaliation from Beijing. – Tariffs ‘lose-lose’ -“The talks reflect that the current state of the trade relations with these extremely high tariffs is ultimately in the interests of neither the United States nor China,”, Citigroup global chief economist Nathan Sheets told AFP. He called the tariffs a “lose-lose proposition”.The tariffs imposed by Trump on the Asian manufacturing giant since the start of the year currently total 145 percent, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.In retaliation, China put 125-percent tariffs on US goods.Ahead of the meeting at the discrete villa residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Trump signalled he might lower the tariffs, suggesting on social media that an “80% Tariff on China seems right!”However, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the United States would not lower tariffs unilaterally. China would also need to make concessions, she said.Going into the meeting, both sides played down expectations of a major change in trade relations.Bessent underlined a focus on “de-escalation” and not a “big trade deal”, while Beijing insisted that the United States had to ease tariffs first.The fact the talks are even happening “is good news for business, and for the financial markets”, said Gary Hufbauer, a senior non-resident fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).But Hufbauer cautioned he was “very sceptical that there will be any return to something like normal US-China trade relations”. Even a tariff rate of 70 to 80 percent would still potentially halve bilateral trade, he said.- China ‘better equipped’ – China’s vice premier went into the discussions buoyed by Friday’s news that China’s exports rose last month despite the trade war.The unexpected development was attributed by experts to a re-routing of trade to Southeast Asia to mitigate US tariffs.Among some of the more moderate Trump officials, such as Bessent and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, “there’s a realisation that China is better equipped to deal with this trade war than the US,” said Hufbauer.The Geneva meeting comes after Trump unveiled a trade agreement with Britain, the first deal with any country since he unleashed his blitz of global tariffs.The five-page, non-binding deal confirmed to nervous investors that the United States is willing to negotiate sector-specific relief from recent duties. But he maintained a 10-percent baseline levy on most British goods.Following the US-UK trade announcement, analysts have voiced pessimism about the likelihood negotiations will lead to any significant changes in the US-China trade relationship.”It’s nice that they’re talking. But my expectations for the actual outcomes of this first round of talks is pretty limited,” Sheets from Citigroup said.In his Truth Social post, Trump said the talks had made “GREAT PROGRESS!!””We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business,” he added.

Pope Leo XIV condemned the spectre of a “third world war” in his first Sunday address, addressing international crises just days after becoming the Catholic Church’s new leader. From the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, the Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, 69, greeted tens of thousands of people gathered below him in St Peter’s Square, cheering, applauding wildly and enthusiastically waving flags.”Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!” grinned the first pontiff from the United States, in just his second official public appearance since being elected pope Thursday in a secret conclave of cardinals.But despite the festive atmosphere, the 267th pontiff addressed turbulent current events head-on. Following a short prayer to the Virgin Mary, he cited the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a conflict which killed 60 million people. “In today’s dramatic scenario of a third world war… as repeatedly stated by Pope Francis, I also address the powerful of the world, repeating the ever-timely appeal: No more war!” Leo urged from the balcony.  As had his predecessor Francis, he appealed for a “genuine, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and said he was “deeply saddened” by events in the Gaza Strip, calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. “Humanitarian aid must be provided to the exhausted civilian population and all the hostages must be freed,” he said. – ‘Credible models’ -The novelty of a US-born pope — who spent much of his life as a missionary in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship — drew people from all over the world on Sunday, anxious to catch a glimpse of the modest, soft-spoken pontiff for themselves. Some bore national or religious flags and Catholic symbols, while groups of young people strummed guitars or sang songs as they awaited Leo’s appearance at the balcony. Spanish student Gloria Rojas Quintana, 26, told AFP she was relieved that Leo appeared to be made in the mold of Francis. “He continued in the line of his predecessor, he spoke out on the international conflicts that concern us so much,” said Quintana. She also welcomed Leo’s mention of young people, in which he said youth needed to “look up to credible models of generous dedication to God and to their brothers and sisters.” Leo – the first Augustinian pope — saluted those in the Church following a calling, especially “those in the priesthood and consecrated life,” telling them the Church had a “great need” for them.As pope, Leo will have to tackle healing rifts within the Church, renewing faith among the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and addressing a host of modern-day challenges weighing on the more than 2,000-year-old institution.Many in the crowd expressed hopes that Leo can be a unifying figure within the fractured Church — and world beyond.  Alejandrina Espinosa, 59, from the Quechua population of Peru, told AFP she wept when she learned the new pope had spent more than 20 years in missions in Peru. “He stole our hearts, because he awakened Christianity. The pope turned his work towards the forgotten, desolate peoples,” Espinosa told AFP. “I hope that this pope can unite all religions to save the world, because humanity is living a humanitarian crisis. We are killing each other.”Ahead of his appearance Sunday, Leo descended into the Vatican Grottoes, deep beneath the basilica, to celebrate mass near the tomb of St Peter, the Vatican said.In a homily there, he said people need “to know how to listen so as not to judge, not to close doors thinking that we have all the truth and nobody else can tell us anything,” according to the Vatican.- Tribute to Francis -In the first clues as to the direction of his pontificate, Leo said Saturday he would be driven by the legacy of Francis — who died on April 21 aged 88 — “with his example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life”. Saturday evening, Leo prayed before Francis’s simple marble tomb inside Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore basilica. Like Francis, Leo shares a commitment to the poor and disadvantaged, and a focus on Catholics in far-flung areas away from Rome. The new pope’s personal style is seen to be less direct than the sometimes impulsive Francis, a progressive who often ruffled feathers within the Roman Curia, or government of the Holy See, during his 12-year papacy. “We are at the beginning of his pontificate, but already the first steps give us great courage and comfort. Even the reaction of the people, so beautiful and enthusiastic, says a lot,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told the Corriere della Sera daily on Sunday.  – Full steam ahead -Looking ahead, the pope has a packed calendar of meetings and audiences, starting on Monday when he will be officially presented to the international media who came to Rome to cover his election.He plans to meet diplomats to the Vatican on Friday and then on Sunday May 18 will preside over the inaugural mass at St Peter’s to mark the beginning of his pontificate.Francis named Leo a cardinal in 2023 after choosing him to lead the powerful Dicastery of Bishops, which advises the pontiff on bishop appointments. 

Talks between top US and Chinese officials resumed for a second day Sunday, after US President Donald Trump voiced optimism over the negotiations aimed at de-escalating trade tensions sparked by his aggressive tariff rollout.In a Truth Social post following a first day of talks in Geneva on Saturday, Trump praised the “very good” discussions and deemed them “a total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner”.Earlier, Chinese state news agency Xinhua also described the talks in Switzerland as “an important step in promoting the resolution of the issue”.The second day of closed-door meetings between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng resumed shortly after 10 am (0800 GMT) Sunday.As on Saturday, the talks were taking place at the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, a discrete villa with sky-blue shutters near a large park on the left bank of Lake Geneva.”These talks reflect that the current state of the trade relations with these extremely high tariffs is ultimately in the interests of neither the United States nor China,” Citigroup global chief economist Nathan Sheets told AFP, calling the tariffs a “lose-lose proposition.”- ‘Good news’ -The discussions are the first time senior officials from the world’s two largest economies have met face-to-face to tackle the thorny topic of trade since Trump slapped steep new levies on China last month, sparking a robust retaliation from Beijing. The tariffs imposed by Trump on the Asian manufacturing giant since the start of the year currently total 145 percent, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.In retaliation, China put 125 percent tariffs on US goods.Ahead of the meeting, Trump signaled he might lower the tariffs, suggesting on social media that an “80% Tariff on China seems right!”However, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the United States would not lower tariffs unilaterally, and that China would also need to make concessions.Going into the meeting, both sides played down expectations of a major change in trade relations, with Bessent underlining a focus on “de-escalation” and not a “big trade deal,” and Beijing insisting the United States must ease tariffs first.The fact the talks are even happening “is good news for business, and for the financial markets,” said Gary Hufbauer, a senior non-resident fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).But Hufbauer cautioned he was “very skeptical that there will be any return to something like normal US-China trade relations,” with even a tariff rate of 70 to 80 percent still potentially halving bilateral trade.- China ‘better equipped’ – China’s vice premier went into the discussions buoyed by Friday’s news that China’s exports rose last month despite the trade war.The unexpected development was attributed by experts to a re-routing of trade to Southeast Asia to mitigate US tariffs.Among some of the more moderate Trump officials like Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, “there’s a realisation that China is better equipped to deal with this trade war than the US,” said Hufbauer.The Geneva meeting comes after Trump unveiled a trade agreement with Britain, the first deal with any country since he unleashed his blitz of global tariffs.The five-page, non-binding deal confirmed to nervous investors that the United States is willing to negotiate sector-specific relief from recent duties, but maintained a 10 percent baseline levy on most British goods.Following the US-UK trade announcement, analysts have voiced pessimism about the likelihood negotiations will lead to any significant changes in the US-China trade relationship.”It’s nice that they’re talking. But my expectations for the actual outcomes of this first round of talks is pretty limited,” Sheets from Citigroup said.”I think it’s quite possible they’ll walk away from Geneva saying how constructive and productive the talks were, but not actually reducing tariffs at all,” Hufbauer said.In his Truth Social post, Trump said the talks had made “GREAT PROGRESS!!””We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business,” he added.

US President Donald Trump hailed a “total reset” in US-China trade relations, ahead of a second day of talks Sunday between top officials from Washington and Beijing aimed at de-escalating trade tensions sparked by his aggressive tariff rollout.In a Truth Social post early Sunday, Trump praised the “very good” discussions and deemed them “a total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner.”The second day of closed-door meetings between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are due to restart in the morning, according to an individual familiar with the talks who was not authorized to speak publicly.”These talks reflect that the current state of the trade relations with these extremely high tariffs is ultimately in the interests of neither the United States nor China,” Citigroup global chief economist Nathan Sheets told AFP, calling the tariffs a “lose-lose proposition.”The discussions are the first time senior officials from the world’s two largest economies have met face-to-face to tackle the thorny topic of trade since Trump slapped steep new levies on China last month, sparking robust retaliation from Beijing. The levies imposed by Trump on the Asian manufacturing giant since the start of the year currently total 145 percent, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.In retaliation, China put 125 percent tariffs on US goods, cementing what appears to be a near trade embargo between the two countries.Ahead of the meeting, Trump signaled he might lower the tariffs, suggesting on social media that an “80% Tariff on China seems right!”However, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the United States would not lower tariffs unilaterally, and that China would also need to make concessions.- ‘An important step’ -The first day of negotiations occurred Saturday at the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, a discrete villa with sky blue shutters near a large park on the left bank of Lake Geneva.Going into the meeting, both sides played down expectations of a major change in trade relations, with Bessent underlining a focus on “de-escalation” and not a “big trade deal,” and Beijing insisting the United States must ease tariffs first.A commentary published by China’s state news agency Xinhua called the talks “an important step in promoting the resolution of the issue.”The fact the talks are even happening “is good news for business, and for the financial markets,” said Gary Hufbauer, a senior non-resident fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).But Hufbauer cautioned he was “very skeptical that there will be any return to something like normal US-China trade relations,” with even a tariff rate of 70 to 80 percent still potentially halving bilateral trade.- China ‘better-equipped’ – China’s vice premier went into the discussions buoyed by Friday’s news that China’s exports rose last month despite the trade war.The unexpected development was attributed by experts to a re-routing of trade to Southeast Asia to mitigate US tariffs.Among some of the more moderate Trump officials like Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, “there’s a realization that China is better equipped to deal with this trade war than the US,” said Hufbauer.The Geneva meeting comes after Trump unveiled a trade agreement with Britain, the first deal with any country since he unleashed his blitz of global tariffs.The five-page, non-binding deal confirmed to nervous investors that the United States is willing to negotiate sector-specific relief from recent duties, but maintained a 10 percent baseline levy on most British goods.Following the US-UK trade announcement, analysts have voiced pessimism about the likelihood negotiations will lead to any significant changes in the US-China trade relationship.”It’s nice that they’re talking. But my expectations for the actual outcomes of this first round of talks is pretty limited,” Sheets from Citigroup said.”I think it’s quite possible they’ll walk away from Geneva saying how constructive and productive the talks were, but not actually reducing tariffs at all,” Hufbauer said.In his Truth Social post, Trump said the talks had made “GREAT PROGRESS!!””We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business,” he added.

A new documentary purports to name the Israeli soldier who killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was gunned down in the West Bank while reporting in 2022.Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist known for her coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, was shot dead in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank while she worked, wearing a bulletproof vest marked “press.”Al Jazeera and witnesses immediately blamed the Israeli army. Then Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was probable the shots had come from Palestinian militants. In the weeks that followed, several journalistic investigations pointed the blame at Israeli gunfire. Months later, Israel released an internal investigation that found a “high probability” that Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by the Israeli army, which claimed it was targeting armed Palestinians.Produced by independent news site Zeteo, the documentary “Who killed Shireen?” names for the first time the suspect as Alon Scaggio, an elite soldier.”Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier’s identity, they wouldn’t provide the US with any information. They wouldn’t let the US interview him. They wouldn’t give the US his statement. And they wouldn’t give his name,” said Dion Nissenbaum, a journalist who worked on the film.Assisted by producer Conor Powell and reporter Fatima AbdulKarim — who worked for The New York Times in the West Bank — Nissenbaum, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, consulted testimony from two Israeli soldiers present in Jenin on May 11, 2022 as well as top US officials.- ‘Intentional killing’ claim -The documentary alleges that Scaggio, then 20, had completed training for the elite Duvdevan unit just three months prior.”He shot her intentionally. There’s no question about that. The question is did he know she was a journalist and did he know she was Shireen Abu Akleh? Was it an order from above?” Nissenbaum told AFP.”Personally, I don’t think it was an order. I don’t think he knew it was Shireen. Nobody ever has indicated that he could tell that it was Shireen. But she was wearing the blue flak-jacket with the word ‘press’ on it.””The evidence (suggests)… it was an intentional killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Whether or not they knew it was her or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum,” said a senior official from the administration of then US president Joe Biden, speaking in the film anonymously.Washington did not exert significant pressure on the issue, the documentary claims, for fear of antagonizing its ally.Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he called on Biden to declassify documents about the killing — but went unanswered.The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said “it is the first time that a potential suspect has been named in connection with an Israeli killing of a journalist” according to its records dating back to 1992.Impunity in the case “has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more” journalists, the CPJ said.Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists were killed in the past 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza.An Israeli army spokesman condemned the unauthorized disclosure of the suspect’s name despite no “definitive determination” of who shot Abu Akleh.The soldier in question “fell during an operational activity,” the army added.Nissenbaum had initially thought Scaggio died in Gaza, but ultimately concluded he was killed in Jenin on June 27, 2024 almost two years after Abu Akleh.  

Biliana, an international student at New York’s Columbia University, is studying for exams but fears being arrested by immigration police.Columbia professors meanwhile are scrambling to save research funding in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s administration.An atmosphere of crisis hovers over campus as the semester winds down, as the White House accuses the prestigious university and other Ivy League schools of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.Several hundred foreign students nationwide have been threatened with the cancellation of their visas, while others have been targeted — and a few arrested, including at Columbia — over everything from participation in pro-Palestinian protests to traffic violations.”The situation is just terrifying,” said Biliana, a 29-year-old law student, who feels such dread that she asked not to be identified by her real name or even the Latin American country she comes from. “You feel like you cannot say anything, you cannot share anything.”She went on: “Me and my friends, we have not been posting anything on Twitter,” and many are deleting old posts for fear of crossing an invisible red line.”Basically, what we’re trying to do is just to go to normal classes,” she said.- ‘No longer welcome’ -Last week, with final exams looming, 80 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after attempting to overtake the main library.The university’s interim president quickly condemned the protest action.Biliana said she made sure to stay far away from these kinds of demonstrations, fearful she might show up in a photo and be falsely linked to the group.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials were reviewing the visa status of the “vandals” involved, adding: “Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation.” For newly elected student body president Oscar Wolfe, “There is definitely a heightened level of anxiety among international students, regardless of their involvement in the protests.”Wolfe arrived on campus in September 2023, just before Hamas militants launched their October 7 attack on Israel, sparking the Gaza war and giving rise to protests that continue. He said he has known little more than a month of “normal” campus life. Reflecting the turmoil, Columbia — which normally draws thousands of tourists to its Manhattan campus featuring colonnaded buildings, sweeping lawns and famous Alma Mater statue — has largely cut off public access to its grounds.- Research jobs cut -The Trump administration has accused the university of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus — something the school strongly denies — and has slashed some $400 million of Columbia’s federal funding. Harvard, another Ivy League college, has defiantly pushed back — suing the administration to halt a federal freeze of $2 billion in grants.Columbia, for its part, is negotiating with the government. But on Wednesday, interim President Claire Shipman announced that “nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants” were going to lose their jobs.Rebecca Muhle, a professor of psychiatry, said her grant for a research project on autism was “not canceled, but it’s not funded — it’s in limbo.””I cannot hire anyone or make large purchases,” she said.”There are many, many grants in this situation,” Muhle added. “It’s chaos, and you can’t conduct good science in chaos.”- ‘No real reason’ -History professor Matthew Connelly, who specializes in state secrets and their declassification, said he had been notified that the National Endowment for the Humanities had canceled two grants, with “no real reason given.”The grants, he said, were intended to train scholars and archivists in analyzing and preserving historical records, particularly those in digital form — “one of the great challenges facing researchers.”But Connelly said he was not about to throw in the towel. “Universities are a target, because everything we do is completely contrary to what the Trump administration is trying to achieve,” he said. “If we stopped teaching… if we stopped doing our research, we would be handing them a victory.” Student leader Wolfe also views this as part of a broader battle.”This is not just an attack on Columbia,” he said, “it is the opening act of an attack against civil society.”

Senior US and Chinese officials on Saturday concluded the first of two days of talks aimed at resolving the trade war sparked by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, with Chinese state media calling the negotiations an “important step.”US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for the first such negotiations between the world’s two largest economies since Trump slapped steep new levies on China last month, sparking robust retaliation from Beijing. The discussions are expected to restart on Sunday in the Swiss city, according to an individual familiar with the talks, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “The contact in Switzerland is an important step in promoting the resolution of the issue,” a commentary published by China’s state news agency Xinhua said.It provided no further details on the progress of closed-door discussions, which began mid-morning Saturday.The negotiations took place at the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, a discrete villa with sky blue shutters near a large park on the left bank of Lake Geneva.Tariffs imposed by Trump on the Asian manufacturing giant since the start of the year currently total 145 percent, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.In retaliation, China slapped 125 percent levies on US goods, cementing what appears to be a near trade embargo between the two countries.Trump signalled Friday that he might lower the sky-high tariffs on Chinese imports, taking to social media to suggest that an “80% Tariff on China seems right!”.”The president would like to work it out with China,” US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News on Friday. “He would like to de-escalate the situation.”Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the United States would not lower tariffs unilaterally, and that China would need to make concessions.In any case, a move to that level would be a symbolic gesture, since the tariffs would remain prohibitively steep.- ‘Not good’ relationship -“The relationship is not good” between Washington and Beijing, said Bill Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “We have trade-prohibitive tariffs going in both directions. Relations are deteriorating,” said Reinsch, a longtime former member of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a bipartisan committee that advises Congress. “But the meeting is a good sign.””I think this is basically to show that both sides are talking — and that itself is very important,” said Xu Bin, professor of economics and finance at the China Europe International Business School. “Because China is the only country that has tit-for-tat tariffs against Trump’s tariffs,” he told AFP. Bessent has said the meetings in Switzerland would focus on “de-escalation” and not a “big trade deal”.Beijing has insisted the United States must lift tariffs first and vowed to defend its interests.”Trade wars and tariff battles yield no winners,” said a commentary piece run by Xinhua early Sunday.- 10-percent ‘baseline’ – China’s vice premier went into the discussions buoyed by news on Friday that China’s exports rose last month despite the trade war.The unexpected development was attributed by experts to a re-routing of trade to Southeast Asia to mitigate US tariffs.Bessent and He were meeting two days after Trump unveiled a trade agreement with Britain, the first deal with any country since he unleashed his blitz of sweeping global tariffs.The five-page, non-binding deal with London confirmed to nervous investors that the United States is willing to negotiate sector-specific relief from recent duties — in this case, on British cars, steel and aluminium. In return, Britain agreed to open up its markets to US beef and other farm products.But a 10 percent baseline levy on most British goods remained intact and Trump remains “committed” to keeping it in place for other countries, Leavitt told reporters on Friday.A few hours later, Trump appeared to contradict her, suggesting there could be some flexibility to the baseline — but only if the right deals could be reached. “There could be an exception at some point. We’ll see,” he said. “If somebody did something exceptional for us, that’s always possible.”burs-nl-da/sst

Leo XIV prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis on Saturday, just two days after being elected new head of the Catholic Church and hours after vowing to humbly follow in his predecessor’s footsteps.Vatican News published a photo of the white-robed pope kneeling before Francis’s simple marble tomb at the basilica in central Rome, where the faithful are still queueing to pay their respects.The surprise visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, a papal basilica in Rome beloved of Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88, capped a busy day for Leo.Earlier Saturday, Leo had praised Francis’s “complete dedication to service” in a meeting at the Vatican with cardinals. He told them he intended to follow in the path of his predecessor during his pontificate.The meeting with the College of Cardinals — some 133 of whom elected him pontiff Thursday — revealed some clues as to the priorities and style of the largely unknown Augustinian.Leo explained his new choice of name reflected a commitment to social justice, while describing himself as St Peter’s “unworthy Successor”.Born Robert Francis Prevost, the first US pope is now charged with leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.- Visits Augustinian shrine -He told cardinals a pontiff was “a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this”.He praised Francis’s “complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life”, according to a transcript of the gathering published by the Vatican. “Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith,” he told the group, after they welcomed him with a standing ovation upon his arrival.Among the Church priorities championed by Francis, Leo said he intended to uphold “loving care for the least and the rejected” and his “courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities”.He also mentioned “the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community” and the efforts of Francis to open the Church to welcome more voices.Saturday afternoon Leo paid a “private visit” to an important shrine for the Augustinian order, the Mother of Good Counsel Sanctuary in Genazzano, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of Rome, the Vatican said.- Justice, labour – Leo told cardinals he chose his papal name as a homage to Leo XIII, a 19th-century pontiff who had defended workers’ rights.His namesake, he said, had “addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution”.Today, the Church’s social teaching is needed “in response to another Industrial Revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour,” Leo added.Leo is the first Augustinian pope, a religious order with a strong focus on missionary outreach and community, which experts say encourages collaboration and discussion before decision-making.In his first homily to cardinals on Friday, Leo urged the Church to restore the faith of millions around the world. Lack of faith, he warned, often went hand-in-hand with “the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society”.The former missionary in Peru, who was made cardinal by Francis in 2023, is not a globally recognised figure. He had nevertheless been on many Vatican watchers’ lists of potential popes ahead of the conclave. Over the coming days his actions and words will be closely scrutinised.- ‘Deep faith’ -On Sunday, Leo returns to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica where he was first introduced to the world to give the Regina Coeli prayer to assembled faithful in the square beneath him. Leo plans to meet with foreign diplomats to the Vatican next week. The following Sunday, May 18, he will preside over his inauguration mass at St Peter’s Square, which expected to draw world leaders and thousands of pilgrims.Cardinals have described Leo as cast in the mold of Francis, with a commitment to the poor and disadvantaged, and a focus on those hailing from further-flung areas of the Church. But they say his approach may be less direct than the sometimes impulsive Francis, a progressive who shook up the Church during his 12-year papacy.In an interview with Italian daily La Stampa published Saturday, US Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a conservative archbishop of New York, called the new pope “a man of deep faith, rooted in prayer and capable of listening.”This is what gives us hope; not a political programme or a communicative strategy but the concrete testimony of the Gospel,” said Dolan.

The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear talks Sunday in Oman ahead of a visit to the region by Donald Trump, whose key negotiator staked out an increasingly hard line on the issue of uranium enrichment.Trump, who will visit three other Gulf Arab monarchies next week, has voiced hope for reaching a deal with Tehran to avert an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear program that could ignite a wider war.Three previous rounds of talks in Oman and Rome ended with notes of optimism, with the two sides saying the atmosphere was friendly despite the countries’ four decades of enmity.But they are not believed to have gone into technical detail, and basic questions remain.Steve Witkoff, Trump’s friend who has served as his globe-trotting negotiator on issues including on Iran, had initially suggested flexibility on Tehran maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes.But in an interview published Friday, Witkoff gave his clearest message yet that the Trump administration would oppose any enrichment.”An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That’s our red line. No enrichment,” he told right-wing Breitbart News.”That means dismantlement, it means no weaponization, and it means that Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan — those are their three enrichment facilities — have to be dismantled,” he said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier raised the possibility of Iran importing enriched uranium for any civilian energy.Trump in his first term withdrew from a nuclear agreement with Tehran negotiated by former president Barack Obama that allowed Iran to enrich uranium at levels well below what is needed for weapons.Many Iran watchers doubted that Iran would ever voluntarily dismantle its entire nuclear program and give up all enrichment.But Iran has found itself in a weaker place over the past year. Israel has decimated Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia backed by Iran that could launch a counter-attack in any war, and Iran’s main ally in the Arab world, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, was toppled in December.Israel also struck Iranian air defenses as the two countries came openly to blows in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, which is also supported by Iran’s clerical state.- ‘Blow ’em up nicely’ -Trump himself has acknowledged tensions in his policy on Iran, saying at the start of his second term that hawkish advisors were pushing him to step up pressure reluctantly.In an interview Thursday, Trump said he wanted “total verification” that Iran’s contested nuclear work is shut down but through diplomacy.”I’d much rather make a deal” than see military action, Trump told the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.”There are only two alternatives — blow ’em up nicely or blow ’em up viciously,” Trump said.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Oman, which has been mediating, had proposed Sunday as the date and both sides had accepted.”Negotiations are moving ahead and naturally, the more we advance, the more consultations we have, and the more time the delegations need to examine the issues,” he said in a video carried by Iranian media.”But what’s important is that we are moving forward so that we gradually get into the details,” Araghchi said.The Trump administration has kept piling on sanctions despite the talks, angering Iran. On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on another refinery in China, the main market for Iranian oil.Since Trump’s withdrawal from the Obama-era deal, the United States has used its power to try to stop all other countries from buying Iranian oil.