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Chinese President Xi Jinping has won the first round in the protracted battle against Donald Trump over his declaration of tariff war against China. After waiting for long three weeks for a personal call from XI Jinping offering talks to discuss the proposed tariff hikes, Trump partially retreated on Tuesday when he told newsmen in White House that high tariffs on goods from China’ will come down substantially but it won’t be zero”.

Gold’s surge past the $3,500 mark represents more than just another financial milestone—it is a profound reflection of global market anxieties, geopolitical tremors, and a shifting investment paradigm that places growing scepticism on the stability and credibility of traditional economic hegemonies, particularly that of the United States.

ROME: There may come a time when we look back on the last decade as an anomaly in the modern history of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis — the figurehead of these years, and a radical by the standards of the Catholic hierarchy — is gone, and we are now likely to see a major shift in the political orientation of the Holy See. Ultimately, and ominously, the death of Francis could well mean that the papacy ends up finding itself aligned with the global far right.

President Trump knows what he wants from the rest of the world but it appears he may not have worked out how to achieve it. Since February 1 this year when new tariffs were announced, there have been rapid flip flops on policy.

NEW YORK: U.S. Vice President JD Vance held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday as New Delhi looked to avoid the 27% American tariffs, but, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Modi had established a personal rapport with Trump in his first term in 2017 when the Howdy Modi event took in place in Houston, and Trump’s spectacular show in Motera stadium in Ahmedabad subsequently named as Modi Stadium.

HELSINKI: Finland is widely seen in Western Europe and the United States as a progressive paradise. In truth, its center-right-led coalition government in office since June 2023 has presided over far-reaching austerity measures, leading to rising homelessness and cuts in local health provisions. Yet there are also signs that this period may finally be coming to an end.

NEW YORK: The United States - Europe relationship has reached such a low ebb in the last three months of Trump 2.0 rule that the political analysts in Washington are finding no hope of any immediate patch up between the two traditional allies as the MAGA core ideas are based on hostility to Europe.

As it is common among politicians facing serious economic issues, the government of the day heaps all reasons for economic ruin or downturn or a difficult situation on the heads of the central banks.

KOLKATA: Eight months after the change of power in Bangladesh, Dr M. Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government, has not yet been able to win over major pillars of political power, including leading political groups/parties or the armed forces — to his side.

Saudi Arabia’s recent sweeping crackdown on immigration violations and a sudden tightening of visa regulations, particularly targeting 14 nations including Bangladesh, signals more than just internal security enforcement. Behind these actions lies a mounting strain in Saudi-Bangladesh relations-now further exacerbated by the controversial arrest of Bangladeshi actress and model Meghna Alam, reportedly at the informal behest of the Saudi ambassador.