First group of Afrikaners granted refugee status are headed to the U.S
The first group of White South African refugees arriving in the US under President Donald Trump’s executive order arrived in the US on Monday. “The arrival of this group indicates the government’s intention to restart the US refugee program,” a refugee support network in the US’ DC-region said. The US had stopped taking in refugees from South Africa after Trump’s executive order.
The stock market went up after the U.S. and China agreed to reduce tariffs
The US has said that it’ll purchase $200 billion of goods from China after the two countries announced a temporary break from triple-digit tariffs. Meanwhile, China’s VicePremier He Lifeng said that the bilateral trade war between the US and China is “extremely frustrated with the US – China’s economic status”. The two countries have agreed to establish a consultation mechanism to continue addressing trade issues.
The United States and China agreed to lower their tariffs temporarily during the current trade war
The US and China have agreed to significantly reduce tariffs imposed on each other’s goods, after negotiators from both countries met over the weekend for trade talks in Switzerland. US Trade Representative Richard Bessent said that the two countries had also agreed to establish a consultation mechanism to continue addressing trade issues going forward. “We concluded that we have shared interest,” Bessent added.
Zelenskyy challenged Putin to meet him in Turkey personally
Russian Prime Ministerenskyy on Sunday said he was waiting for a “clear answer” from Russia on a three-day ceasefire that ended on May 8. He added that the ceasefire would last till May 14. Russian Defence Ministry has accused Ukraine of violating the three-day ceasefire more than 14,000 times, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister called it a farce.
There is progress in the trade talks between the US and China
The US and China have made “substantial progress” in the trade talks in Switzerland, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. He added that more details would be announced on Monday. US and China are currently in talks in Switzerland aimed at ending a trade war between the two countries. China has imposed tariffs on US$31 billion worth of goods.
There was fighting in the disputed Kashmir region which led to an uneasy ceasefire between India and Pakistan
After India carried out air strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab, Pakistan PM Imran Khan tweeted that he’s grateful to the Indian people for their support. He wrote that he’s “confident” the people of Pakistan will be able to “hold on to their beliefs despite the consequences of this military conflict”. The air strikes took place after Pakistan failed to take action against terror camps.
Ukraine’s allies want a 30-day ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday shared a video of himself along with leaders of Germany, France and Poland travelling by train to Ukraine to attend a meeting of the “coalition of the willing”. Earlier, they had proposed a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine if Russia agrees to a peace plan. Russia and Ukraine have been fighting since 2014.
The Vice President says fighting between India and Pakistan is not his business
The US and India began a war of action on Friday after an Indian Air Force (IAF) jet hit a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, officials said. US President Donald Trump tweeted that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire”. Reacting to it, US Senator Marco Rubio tweeted, “No one should be surprised by India’s actions.”
The Vice President dislikes fighting between India and Pakistan
An Indian military officer said in a presentation that India sent drones to four places in Pakistan in reply to what she called an “escalation” by its rival. “This might embolden both sides, I think,” Praveen Donthy, an India analyst for International Crisis Group, said. He said the escalation between India and Pakistan has been “breaching a new threshold every day”.
Vatican may help explore the great uncertainty of America because of Pope Leo XIV
The new Pope Leo XIV has called for an ‘eternal partnership’ with the US and said, “There’s no better place than the US to work for peace.” The 84-year-old also called President Donald Trump “a man of great faith”, adding, “I urge all Americans and people of good will to join us in prayer for a safe and prosperous future.”