Latest News
-
Charity groups say that ships near Italy have rescued 32 migrants and 71 others who were lost at sea.
Rescue charities reported that two merchant ships near the Italian coast recovered the bodies?of?two migrants?and rescued 32 survivors?from a boat attempting to?cross?to europe from Libya at Easter weekend. The survivors claimed 71 other people were lost at sea. Mediterranea Save Humans and Sea-Watch, two groups that work together to save lives in the Mediterranean, have confirmed the victims' transfer to a patrol boat of the Italian coast guard and their arrival on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The Italian?interior minister said that it did not have any comment to make on the report. The Italian?Coast Guard didn't immediately respond to a request for a comment. Sunday is Easter in Italy. The rescue charities reported that survivors said 105 people were on board the ship, but 71 of them drowned at sea. A video released by Sea-Watch showed a dozen people holding on to a capsized, orange boat when the merchant ship approached it. The 'Mediterranean has been ravaged by bad weather this year. This has limited the number of departures out of North Africa, and caused serious problems for those who have managed to set sail. IOM estimates that at least 683 people have died in the central Mediterranean this year. This is the highest death toll since 2014. (Reporting and Editing by William Maclean, Joshua McElwee and Matteo Negri)
-
Trump says he will strike Iran's infrastructure on Tuesday, if the Strait is blocked
In a sarcastic social media post published on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would target Iran's bridges and power plants on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened. In Iran, Tuesday will be "Power Plant Day" and "Bridge Day", all rolled into one. It will be a first !!!" Trump stated in a "Truth Social" post that Tehran had effectively closed the main shipping lane since the U.S. launched its attacks against Iran over a month ago. Trump concluded his?Easter Morning post by saying: "Praise to Allah." Separately, the president said that he would hold a news conference in the Oval Office on Monday after?the U.S. The?pilots of the?downed aircraft in Iran. (Reporting and editing by Susan Heavey; Dan Burns, Ros Russel)
-
Shipping data shows that a tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil passes through Hormuz.
Data from LSEG/Kpler showed that an oil 'tanker' loaded with Iraqi crude was seen transiting the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast a few days after Iran announced Iraq was exempted from any restrictions on transiting this vital -sea route. Kpler data shows that the Ocean Thunder loaded approximately 1 million barrels of Basrah heavy crude on March 2. It is expected to "discharge" its cargo in Pengerang, Malaysia by mid-April. Iran closed the Strait after U.S. airstrikes and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February escalated a conflict. Later, it said that vessels without U.S. and Israeli connections would be allowed to pass through the strait. In recent days, three Omani tankers, as well as a French-owned container vessel?and a Japanese owned?gas carrier?have crossed.
-
Leaders say that explosives were found near a gas pipeline in Serbia that supplies Hungary.
Leaders from Serbia and Hungary said that explosives of "devastating power" were discovered near the Turkstream pipeline in Serbia, which carries Russian gas to Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orban claimed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had told him explosives were found near the pipeline transporting Russian gas from the Balkans into Central and Eastern Europe. Vucic, an ally close to Orban, wrote on Instagram that "our units found explosives of devastating power." "I told Orban, the?PM that we would keep you updated on this investigation." Orban, after a phone call with Vucic on Sunday, announced in a post on Facebook that he called an "extraordinary defence council meeting". The incident occurs a week ahead of the pivotal election on April 12, where Orban, a nationalist, is fighting to maintain his 16-year hold on power. His party trails in polls the opposition Tisza Party. Orban had increased security around the energy infrastructure of?the nation in February. He raised the stakes for?the elections by saying that it was a matter of choosing between war and peace. Budapest is also embroiled in a dispute with Ukraine due to a halt in oil deliveries via the Druzhba Pipeline. Orban's Fidesz has tried to link?opposition leader Peter Magyar with Brussels and Ukraine by suggesting that voting for his Tisza Party means voting for war and tanks. (Reporting and writing by Krisztina than; editing by Hugh Lawson, Helen Popper, and Edward McAllister)
-
After drone attacks, a fuel reservoir was hit in Primorsk. The NORSI refinery is on fire.
Russian authorities reported that a drone attack caused fuel to leak at the port of Primorsk in Russia's Baltic Sea, and an oil refinery called?NORSI? caught fire after a drone strike. Ukraine intensified its attacks against Russian energy infrastructure over the last month to damage Russia's main source of revenue, and undermine its military power. Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of Leningrad's north-western?region, initially claimed that a pipeline had been damaged in Primorsk. Primorsk is one of Russia’s major oil exporting ports. Later, he said on Telegram that the pipeline wasn't damaged but the fuel reservoir near the port was leaking when it was struck by shrapnel. U.S. commercial images of satellites taken by on Thursday showed that the drone attack in Ukraine last month destroyed at least 40% of Primorsk's storage facilities, which are capable of handling 1 million barrels of oil per day. Around 40% of Russia's ability to export oil was shut down last month due to the attacks and the closing of the Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine. Also, tankers with a Russian connection were seized. OIL REFINERY ON FIRE Gleb Nikitin (the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region) said on Telegram on Sunday that a fire broke out at Russia's NORSI Oil Refinery, the fourth largest in the country, after a drone strike. He added that two facilities were also?hit. According to initial information, a "power station" and "several houses" were damaged in the attack. However, no one was injured. NORSI can process up to 16 million metric tons of oil a year or 320,000 barrels a day. Andrey Kravchenko is the mayor of Novorossiysk, Russia's biggest?port along the Black Sea. He said that an air alert had been triggered due to the drone attack threat. During such alerts, oil loadings are typically suspended, including at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal that handles Kazakhstan's oil exports. Kevin Buckland, Hugh Lawson and Kevin Buckland edited the report.
-
Sheriff's Office: Vehicle crashes into Louisiana crowd injuring 15 at least
Law enforcement officials reported that a car slammed into crowd in New Iberia (Louisiana) on Saturday. Some of the injuries were critical. Rebecca Melancon, spokesperson for the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, said that a suspect was arrested and an investigation is?ongoing' following the incident. The incident occurred near a celebration of 'Lao New Year'. She said it was not clear whether the incident in the car was intentional. Acadian Ambulance announced on social media that it transported 13 people to hospital. The ambulance service posted on X that two of the 13 people were airlifted. The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival organizers announced on Facebook that they were canceling Saturday night's concerts as well as the alcohol sales. The organizers posted on Facebook: "We're?deeply saddened" by the news about the?incident that occurred near the festival grounds. "We are pleading for the?victims and their families in this difficult time." This three-day festival, held every Easter weekend, includes live music and a parade as well as other activities celebrating the Lao new year. Noel Randewich reported from San Francisco, Sergio Non edited by Matthew Lewis and Matthew Lewis.
-
Chelsea tries to turn the corner after Port Vale's 7-0 FA Cup defeat
Chelsea is hoping Saturday's 7-1 thrashing over Port Vale, in the FA Cup quarterfinals, will?draw a line under the dismal.run of form and the internal turmoil that threatened to?ruin their season. Chelsea's coach Liam Rosenior announced on Friday that Enzo Fernandez, the club's vice captain and record-breaking signing, would be suspended from playing for two matches after suggesting he may leave. Chelsea has been in a state of crisis ever since they were beaten 8-2 on aggregate by European champions Paris St Germain in the Champions League and suffered domestic league losses to?Newcastle United & Everton in a fraught 10-day period in March. The goal-fest on Saturday, despite being against Port Vale who are likely to be relegated into the fourth division of English football in the near future, at least brought smiles to Chelsea's fans and players. Rosenior said to reporters that "when you 'go through a difficult time, like we did during that 10-day period... you come out stronger, and you know what you want to fix," he explained. Rosenior said that the recent international break, and the big win on Saturday could help lift his mood after he had been thrown into a busy?schedule in January when Enzo Maresca unexpectedly left Stamford Bridge. Rosenior stated, "I have a group who believe as I do that we can still have an outstanding year in terms winning the FA Cup and qualifying for Champions League." Rosenior, when asked about Fernandez’s reaction to the suspension of his player, said that it was "brilliant", to see him in attendance at Saturday’s match. Next Sunday, in the Premier League, Chelsea will face a tougher test. They will host Manchester City in second place. Both teams will be chasing the table-toppers Arsenal. Fernandez is still absent. Chelsea hadn't scored a goal in more than 300 minutes in any competition before Saturday, but the Dutch defender Jorrel hato put them in front after Port Vale failed to clear a set-piece. Brazil striker Joao Peter misled his marker with an ingenious dummy, before making it to 2-0. The Blues went 3-0 ahead before the half when Port Vale’s Jordan Lawrence Gabriel deflected Cole Palmer's shot into his own goal. Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo scored goals with their heads in the eighth minute. Brazil's Estevao then reacted quickly to an Alejandro Garnacho effort that had hit the post. The rout was halted by a late Garnacho penalty. Port Vale's fans, despite the fact that they failed to score a single goal in the game, took over Stamford Bridge's Shed End. (Writing and editing by Andrew Cawthorne; William Schomberg)
-
Kenya fuel executives resign as state probes supply chain irregularities
The office of President William Ruto announced on Saturday that senior executives in Kenya's Energy Sector resigned after being accused of manipulating fuel stock data and procuring a 'emergency cargo' at inflated prices. Ruto accepted Mohamed Liban's resignation as principal secretary for Petroleum. The Kenya Pipeline Company also confirmed that Joe Sang had resigned from his position as managing director. According to the?statement, Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria has also resigned as director general of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. It said that a formal investigation was launched into alleged irregularities within?Kenya’s petroleum supply chain. The government claimed that the manipulated data had been used to 'justify' the importation of fuel despite existing contracts with Saudi Aramco Trading Fujairah Ltd., Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Global Trading Ltd. and Emirates National Oil Company Singapore Ltd. All of these companies are fulfilling their contractual obligations. The emergency shipment, it claimed, was overpriced and of poor quality. It also claimed that the rates were significantly higher than what had been agreed in existing agreements. The statement stated that "this appears to have been done in order to exploit rising global prices and public anxieties, thus creating a false impression of an impending shortage." Fuel?supply issues linked to the Iran conflict have affected the global energy market. The statement stated that administrative action was taken against other officials, and?arrests were made by investigative agencies'. The arrestees were not identified. No charges have been filed. Reporting by Humphrey Malolo; Writing by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Bate and Ali Williams.
Trump's trade battle with China in 2025
U.S. president Donald Trump targeted China, the top economic rival with a cascade tariff order on billions in imported goods. The orders were aimed at narrowing an enormous trade deficit, bringing manufacturing back and crippling fentanyl traffic.
The reverse chronological timeline below shows the U.S. - China trade war in this year.
China starts collecting port fees for vessels with a U.S. connection on October 14. Ships built in China are exempted. On the same date, the U.S. will also implement an additional port fee for Chinese ships.
Beijing claims it informed Washington about its new rare earths control measures before announcing them on October 9. It also says that the issue was discussed at the working level as recently as 13 October. Beijing criticizes the U.S. because it wants to talk while making threats.
Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, says that plans for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in South Korea in late October are still on track.
He said that there were many meetings between the two countries and they had been in contact over the weekend.
U.S. trade representative Jamison Greer said that after China announced it would expand its rare earths export control, the U.S. had reached out to China via phone but Beijing declined. China criticizes the new U.S. trade tariffs and defends their export restrictions.
On October 10, Trump re-starts the trade war by imposing additional tariffs of 100% on China’s U.S. bound exports and new export controls for "any critical software" on November 1. This will end an uneasy truce that was reached between both countries in August.
Trump has said that there is no need to meet with Xi, but he also did not cancel the plans to meet.
Trump says that the United States may also impose export controls for Boeing parts in response to China's export restrictions on rare earth minerals.
China has launched an antitrust investigation against U.S. chip manufacturer Qualcomm for its acquisition of Israeli chip designer Autotalks.
China will begin charging port fees for vessels owned, operated, constructed, or flown by the United States as a countermeasure against U.S. fees charged on ships with ties to China starting on October 14.
China will expand its export controls on rare earths starting November 8, to include five additional medium-to-heavy rare earth elements. It has also increased scrutiny of semiconductor users. This is a further tightening of China's grip and dominance over the minerals that are key to the energy transformation.
The Trump administration wants to ban Chinese airlines from flying above Russia on routes between the United States and Russia, claiming that the shorter flight times put American carriers at an unfair disadvantage.
Trump hopes to discuss soya beans with Xi, but warns that the U.S. could halt a significant share of its imports from China.
U.S. lawmakers demand broader bans for chipmaking equipment exported to China following a bipartisan report that found Chinese chipmakers purchased sophisticated gear worth $38 billion last year.
Trump said that soybeans will be a main topic of conversation when he meets Xi on October 1. China has drastically reduced U.S. purchases of soybeans, which Trump called a negotiation strategy.
Greer said that around 55% of tariffs applied to Chinese imports is a "good state-of-the-art" but the U.S. wanted bilateral trade to be more free. However, she did not indicate any immediate moves towards lowering Trump’s tariffs.
Bessent, a Bessent, says that aircraft parts and engines, as well as certain chemicals, can be a powerful tool for the United States to use in negotiations with China.
The first time since 2019 that a group of U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers visited China to talk, is on September 21. The group said to Premier Li Qiang that both the largest economies in the world need to "break the ice" and increase engagement.
September 19 - Trump holds a telephone call with Xi, following which Trump says they have made progress in a TikTok deal and will meet face-toface in South Korea in six weeks to discuss trade and illicit drugs, as well as Russia's conflict in Ukraine.
China has welcomed the commercial negotiations on TikTok that are in line with market rules.
China announces that it will review TikTok’s technology exports, and its intellectual property licensing. It calls the framework agreement reached "win-win".
September 15 – U.S. and China agree on a framework to transfer TikTok under U.S. control. This decision will be confirmed by Trump and Xi in a phone call later this week.
Bessent said that the Trump administration would not impose tariffs on Chinese products over Russian oil imports, unless European countries imposed tariffs first.
September 14 - Bessent, China's Vice Premier He Lifeng and the Spanish government lead a fourth round in Madrid of discussions to discuss trade relations as well as TikTok’s impending divestiture deadline.
Trump and his administration ask the G7, EU, and NATO to put pressure on China to impose tariffs between 50% and 100% in order to stop Russian oil revenues.
U.S. and China extend tariff truce by another 90 days.
August 10 - Trump asks China to quadruple their soybean purchases from the U.S., as the expiration date of the trade truce is approaching on August 12.
U.S. begins issuing licenses to Nvidia for exporting H20 chips to China on August 8.
Bessent is "optimistic", according to Bessent, about the future.
After two days of discussions in Stockholm, U.S. officials and Chinese officials agreed to extend their 90-day truce on tariffs. The talks were described as constructive by both sides, but there was no significant breakthrough.
U.S. Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick announced that Nvidia will resume sales of their advanced AI H20 chip to China in the U.S. rare earths negotiations, reversing an export ban by the U.S. in April.
Trump threatens to impose an additional 10% tariff against countries that he says are aligning themselves with "Anti-American Policies" of BRICS. This includes China.
Bessent reports that the U.S. has resolved its issues with China regarding rare earth minerals, magnets and shipments into the U.S.
From June 11-12, some Chinese rare earths producers will begin receiving export licenses. Trump announces that a truce on trade is now back on track.
The U.S.A. and China have a second round of negotiations in London, and they reach an agreement on a framework.
June 5, Xi and Trump have a phone call lasting an hour.
Trump claims that China has violated the Geneva agreement to reduce tariffs and Chinese restrictions on vital minerals exports. China denies the accusation and says the U.S. has introduced multiple "discriminatory" restrictive measures against China.
The U.S. will begin "aggressively," revoking Chinese student visas on May 28-29. The order also instructs a wide range of companies to cease shipping semiconductors, aviation equipment and design software to China.
Beijing and Washington have trade talks in Geneva over the weekend, May 10-12. Both sides issued a joint declaration agreeing to a 90 day pause in tariffs.
Tariffs between the U.S. and China will drop from 145% to 30%, while tariffs between China and the U.S. will be reduced to 10% from 125%. China has also agreed to remove non-tariff measures that have been imposed on the United States by China since April 2.
Nvidia reveals that U.S. officials told it that the H20 chip will require an export license for sales in China.
China raises its tariffs on U.S. imports to 125%. It calls the Trump tariff strategy "a joke", and says it won't play any more "numbers games" with tariffs.
China announced that it would immediately restrict the importation of Hollywood movies on April 10.
China increases levies on U.S. imported goods to 84%, adds 12 U.S. firms to a list of companies that are prohibited from exporting dual-use products, and six additional U.S. entities to the "unreliable entity" list. This allows Beijing to take punitive measures against foreign entities.
The U.S. has increased tariffs on Chinese imports from 84% to 125%. China warns citizens not to travel to the U.S.
Tariffs for all Chinese imports are raised to 84%, up from 34% on April 8.
April 4: China announces that it will impose retaliatory duties of 34% on U.S. imports starting April 10, and export restrictions on certain rare earths. About 30 U.S. companies, mostly involved in the defence industry, were subject to restrictions.
Beijing has also suspended sorghum and poultry products from certain U.S. companies.
Trump increases global trade friction by imposing "liberation day tariffs" on April 2. He announced a 10% baseline for all imports as well as significantly higher duties against some countries. Trump will impose 34% tariffs on all Chinese products, which are set to go into effect on April 9th.
From May 2, the Trump administration will also end duty-free access to low-value shipments of goods from China and Hong Kong (known as "de minimis exemptions").
China retaliates with a 10-15% levied on U.S. agricultural exports. This affects about $21 billion of U.S. exports. Beijing also imposes restrictions on exports and investments for 25 U.S. companies, citing national security. It also bans the import of genetic sequencers made by U.S. medical device maker Illumina.
March 4 - U.S. increases tariffs by 20% on all Chinese imports.
China has responded with a range of measures that target U.S. companies, including Google and farm equipment manufacturers.
Beijing will also begin imposing levies on February 10 of 10% for some autos and crude oil, and 15% on the imports of coal and LNG from the United States. Beijing also imposes a 15% tax on imports of U.S. coal and LNG, as well as a 10% duty for crude oil and some autos. The new taxes will be implemented starting February 10.
Trump imposes tariffs of 10% on Chinese goods and 25% on those from Mexico and Canada on February 1, demanding that they reduce the flow fentanyl, illegal immigrants and other drugs into the U.S.
January 21: A day after taking the oath of office, Trump threatens to impose a 10% duty on Chinese imports. He cites the fentanyl coming from China. Reporting by Liz Lee, Shi Bu and Jacqueline Wong; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar, Kate Mayberry and Jacqueline Wong
(source: Reuters)