Want evidence Trump’s tariffs are upending the global economy? Here it is
Ever since President Donald Trump introduced his first round of new tariffs, it’s been a waiting game to see just how much they’ll impact the global economy.
This week, one of the earliest signs was revealed — and it wasn’t pretty.
South Korea’s Customs Service reported that exports for the first 20 days of April declined by 5.2% compared to the same period last year. That singular data point is a “key bellwether” for where trade is heading, Min Joo Kang, a senior economist at ING, said in a note on Monday.
Putin ready for direct talks with Ukraine, spokesperson says
Moscow turns down proposal to extend Easter ceasefire as Ukraine officials head to London to discuss US peace plan
Tue 22 Apr 2025 13.13 BST
The Kremlin says it is open to direct talks with Ukraine but has declined to back Kyiv’s proposal to extend the Easter ceasefire.
Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that there were no concrete plans for negotiations on halting strikes against civilian targets, but that the Russian president was willing to discuss this directly with Ukraine if Kyiv removed “certain obstacles”.
While rare, it is not unprecedented for Putin to suggest direct talks with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russia's role in trafficking, smuggling from Libya to EU
Libya's robust infrastructure for human traffickers and smugglers serves domestic and Russian enterprises, observers say. What can the European Union do to take control?
Ever since the toppling of Bashar Assad in Syria in December, Russia has been unsure whether its armed forces will be able to maintain their naval base at the Mediterranean port of Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase further north.
This uncertainty has prompted Russia to shift its focus to Libya.
"In the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime [...] you had a lot of flights and cargo ships taking Russian material from bases in Syria toward Libya," Tarek Megerisi, an analyst at the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations and author of a recent study on Russia's influence in Libya, told DW.
Dozens of tourists killed in attack by gunmen in Indian-administred Kashmir
Gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-administred Kashmir on Tuesday killing at least 24 people, with authorities describing the incident as a "terror attack" and the worst such attack on civilians in years.
At least 24 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir when gunmen opened fire on tourists on Tuesday, a senior police officer told AFP, with authorities calling it the worst attack on civilians in years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the "heinous act" in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, pledging the attackers "will be brought to justice".
A tour guide told AFP he reached the scene after hearing gunfire and transported some of the wounded away on horseback.
Iran to brief China as it accuses Israel of ‘undermining’ US nuclear talks
Tehran official’s Beijing trip comes before third round of talks with the US and follows consultations with Russia.
Iran says it will brief China this week in advance of a third round of talks with the United States on its nuclear programme, as Iranian officials separately accused Israel of seeking to “undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the latest talks with the administration of US President Donald Trump on the country’s nuclear programme, spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday.
Ishiba appears flexible on U.S. autos, but not on produce, security
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
April 22, 2025 at 14:44 JST
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba indicated Japan was prepared to take deregulatory measures in response to demands from U.S. President Donald Trump but insisted that national security issues be treated separately from trade.
Asked about Trump’s remark that tariff negotiations with Japan are a top priority, Ishiba told an Upper House Budget Committee session on April 21 that he believes Washington expects such talks will become a “model” for other countries.
“In addition to its security alliance, Japan has the closest ties with the United States in economy,” he said. “The two countries are in a position to be able to build a win-win relationship.”
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