World

The US leader has named rare earths and Taiwan as outstanding issues ahead of renewed trade negotiations US President Donald Trump has outlined a list of key demands ahead of renewed trade talks with China, as he prepares to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, later this month and plans a 2026 visit to Beijing. Speaking at the White …

China’s commerce minister has accepted an “urgent” invitation to Brussels, the EU’s trade chief Maros Sefcovic said on Tuesday, as the bloc looks to unpick Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth mineral exports and defuse a row over Dutch-based chipmaker Nexperia. The EU is seeking China to relax export licensing requirements for rare earth elements and magnets, which are crucial to …

Hundreds of Russian troops have reportedly been left stranded and starving on a series of islands called the “death zone”. These territories on the Dnipro River, south of Kherson, have become a front line since Ukraine liberated the city in 2022. Now, the river’s right bank is controlled by Ukraine and the left by Russia. Ukrainian Colonel Oleksandr Zavtonov revealed …

The museum’s management has been accused of prioritizing diversity over competence The management of the Louvre Museum has been criticized for prioritizing diversity over competence in key appointments, following a daylight robbery in which the French crown jewels were stolen. The controversy has centered on the Louvre’s security chief, Dominique Buffin, whose appointment was hailed in French media last year …

Chinese scientists have created a superfast analogue chip that can solve complex maths problems for advanced scientific tasks and artificial intelligence (AI) while using less power than conventional computing, according to a paper published this month. The analogue device designed by researchers from Peking University uses memory chips made of resistive materials. With future improvements, it could perform calculations at …

New rules for entering Spain were rolled out in October (Image: Getty) Spain is a popular destination which is set to become the most visited country in the world by 2040. However, overtourism has long angered locals who are increasingly aiming to curb the influx of visitors. Some of them relate to the new entry and exit system (EES) that the …

The Russian foreign minister has rebuked Warsaw for hinting it might intercept Vladimir Putin’s plane en route to Hungary Poland appears willing to engage in acts of “terrorism” by indicating that it would intercept a plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. The top Russian diplomat was referring to remarks made earlier in the …

Vladimir Putin has been warned that his jet could be forced down and he be handed over to The Hague on his way to a summit with Donald Trump. The Russian president is expected to travel to Hungary in the next few weeks to meet his US counterpart to discuss a potential peace deal to bring the war with Ukraine …

Taku Yamamoto, husband of Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, said he hopes to support his wife as a “stealth husband”, adding, “Unlike in the West, it is better for the partner to stay out of the spotlight here.” A former fellow Liberal Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives, Yamamoto said he was initially “drawn to the …

Russian officials say Ukraine’s backers in the EU are attempting to sabotage the event with media “infodumps” Russian officials have rejected media reports suggesting that plans for a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have been suspended, saying Ukraine’s European backers are attempting to sabotage the talks. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Tuesday …