China to lift additional tariffs to 84% on imported U.S. products

China to lift additional tariffs to 84% on imported U.S. products

China will raise its tariff rate on all imports from the United States from 34 percent to 84 percent starting from April 10, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced Wednesday. On April 8, 2025, the U.S. government announced an increase in the so-called “reciprocal tariff” rate on Chinese exports to the United…

Yemen Houthi media says US strikes on Hodeida killed 10

Yemen Houthi media says US strikes on Hodeida killed 10

Yemen’s Houthi media said on Wednesday the number of people killed in an airstrike on Hodeida the day before that they blamed on the United States has risen to 10 people. “The death toll rose to 10 as a result of the American enemy’s massacre in a residential neighborhood” of Hodeida, the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV…

US issues new sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program ahead of direct talks

US issues new sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program ahead of direct talks

The US Treasury Department sanctioned five entities and one individual in Iran on Wednesday for their support to Iran’s nuclear program. Those designated were allegedly providing to support to sides that manage and oversee Iran’s nuclear program, including the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the AEOI-subordinate Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA). “Today’s action, which…

Russia’s Shoigu discusses Middle East with Omani counterpart

Russia’s Shoigu discusses Middle East with Omani counterpart

Russian Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu held a call with the head of Oman’s Palace Office, Sultan bin Mohammed al-Nu’amani, during which they discussed the Middle East, state news agency RIA reported on Wednesday. The US and Iran are set to hold talks in Oman this week aimed at defusing tensions around Tehran’s nuclear program.

President Xi calls for building community with shared future with Neighboring countries

President Xi calls for building community with shared future with Neighboring countries

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries and striving to open new ground for China’s neighborhood work. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a central conference on…

Judge order White House to restore access to AP journalists

Judge order White House to restore access to AP journalists

A US federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore the Associated Press’s access to President Donald Trump’s official events, saying it had no right to bar media for their “viewpoints.” AP journalists and photographers have been barred from the Oval Office and from traveling on Air Force One since mid-February because of…

Russia destroys 158 drones in launched by Ukraine overnight attack

Russia destroys 158 drones in launched by Ukraine overnight attack

Ukraine launched a major overnight drone attack on Russia, disrupting flights early on Wednesday in the southern part of the country and forcing the evacuation of residents from dozens of apartments in the Rostov region, Russian officials said. The Russian defense ministry said in a post on the Telegram messaging app that its air defense…

Pilgrims only allowed to perform Hajj if they apply via official channels: Saudi ministry

Pilgrims only allowed to perform Hajj if they apply via official channels: Saudi ministry

Those wishing to perform Hajj will only be allowed to do so if they book through the relevant Saudi platforms that grant authorized Hajj visas, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said in a statement. The ministry warned those who want to take part in Hajj against using unofficial channels to book for the…

At least 22 injured in Russian drone attack on three Ukrainian cities

At least 22 injured in Russian drone attack on three Ukrainian cities

Russian forces staged huge drone attacks on eastern Ukraine late on Tuesday, triggering fires and injuring at least 22 people, regional officials said. In the Donetsk region, the focal point of the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line in the more than three-year-old war, a residential area came under attack in the city of Kramatorsk and local…

China to hold high-level meeting in response to US tariffs: Sources

China to hold high-level meeting in response to US tariffs: Sources

China’s top leaders plan to convene a meeting as early as Wednesday to discuss measures to boost the economy and stabilize the capital markets, people with knowledge of the matter said, amid an escalating trade war with the US. The meeting comes as US duties on Chinese imports nearly doubled to 104 percent on Wednesday…

New Zealand central bank cuts rates citing US tariffs

New Zealand central bank cuts rates citing US tariffs

New Zealand’s central bank cut interest rates on Wednesday citing US trade tariffs, becoming one of the first to respond to the economic turmoil rippling through markets worldwide. “Recent increases in tariffs and uncertainty about global trade policy have weakened the outlook for global economic activity,” the New Zealand Reserve Bank said as it cut…

Lebanon’s Hezbollah ready to discuss weapons if Israel withdraws, senior official says

Lebanon’s Hezbollah ready to discuss weapons if Israel withdraws, senior official says

As calls for Lebanon’s Hezbollah to disarm gain momentum, a senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group is ready to hold talks with the Lebanese president about its weapons if Israel withdraws from south Lebanon and stops its strikes. US-backed President Joseph Aoun, who vowed when he took office in January to establish a state…

Iran FM Araghchi, US envoy Witkoff to lead talks in Oman: Iran state media

Iran FM Araghchi, US envoy Witkoff to lead talks in Oman: Iran state media

US-Iran talks to be held on April 12 in Oman will be led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, Iran’s state media reported on Telegram on Tuesday. The talks will be held with the intermediation of Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, according to the report. President Donald Trump made a…

Indonesia ready to shelter Palestinians impacted by war in Gaza

Indonesia ready to shelter Palestinians impacted by war in Gaza

Indonesia is ready to temporarily shelter Palestinians impacted by the war in Gaza, President Prabowo Subianto said in a statement on Wednesday, as he started his trip to the Middle East region and Turkey. Prabowo said he has instructed his foreign minister to quickly discuss with the Palestinian side and other parties about how to evacuate impacted…