Browsing: World News

New findings from Haaretz reveal Israeli soldiers fired at aid workers from “point-blank” range, contradicting IDF claims of no close-range shooting.

US news is today heavily domianted by politics, tariffs and stock markets. The US President has clarified that he has no plans to fire Fed boss Jermone Powell despite complaining about his performance via Twitter/X.

The President has also hinted he may reverse his trade tariffs on China as the IMF downgrades the global economy forecasts and warns of a US recession.

Wednesday’s headlines reflect the busyness of the world with stories from Europe, the US and the Middle East flooding into the UK headlines. 

A little closer to home and there’s some rumblings about the prime minister saying trans women are not real women – a u-turn after the Supreme Court ruled that legally the term “woman” means a biological woman. The right wing are suggesting the prime minister should issue an apology after only coming to this conclusion after the ruling, the left wing are disappointed the prime minister has not stood by his original belief that trans women are women. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a restructuring plan to cut 15% of the State Department’s workforce by closing and consolidating over 100 offices globally.

Asian markets experienced a significant uptick as President Donald Trump declared his intention not to dismiss U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. This comment has eased investor concerns around monetary policy continuity amid previous threats to replace Powell.

Russian hackers targeted a Dutch public facility’s digital control system in a thwarted attack, marking the first known assault on the Netherlands’ critical infrastructure.

Elon Musk plans to reduce his time in Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to focus more on Tesla, amidst a 71% drop in the company’s first-quarter profits and ongoing sales challenges influenced by tariffs.

As of 22 April 2025, U.S. stock markets remain volatile following the April 2nd crash, which wiped over $3 trillion in value after President Trump’s sweeping tariffs—up to 125% on Chinese imports—sparked global trade tensions. 

The trade war with China continues to escalate, with the U.S. imposing steep port fees on Chinese-built vessels and restricting AI chip exports, prompting retaliatory tariffs from Beijing. China has also warned it will retaliate against countries that negotiate trade deals with the US “at the expense of China’s interests”, fuelling global tensions as the world’s two economic superpowers face off over tariffs.

These developments have contributed US dollar weakening with the Dollar Index hitting a three-year low amid investor concerns over Federal Reserve independence and economic outlook.

The potential candidates to succeed Pope Francis include Pietro Parolin, Matteo Zuppi, and Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, reflecting varying levels of experience and progressive views within the Vatican.

The White House has expressed support for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth amid reports that he shared sensitive military details in a second Signal messaging chat with family members, following a prior incident where information was shared with senior Trump administration officials.