The two countries are sparring over Beijing’s rare-earth export controls
The US and China are effectively in a trade war, President Donald Trump has said, while portraying tariffs on Beijing’s imports as vital for national security.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, when asked if a failure to reach a trade deal with China’s Xi Jinping would mean a prolonged trade war, Trump replied: “Well, you’re in one now… We have 100% tariff. If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing… Tariffs are a very important tool for our defense, for our national security.”
Commenting on the stand-off with the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian reiterated that “tariff wars and trade wars have no winners” and called for resolving issues “through consultation on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit.”
Trump last week threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting in November, marking a sharp escalation in tensions following Beijing’s decision to introduce tighter export restrictions on the export of rare-earths.
While the policy does not explicitly target the US, American high-tech companies are highly dependent on Chinese rare-earth supplies.
Earlier this year, Trump drastically raised the “reciprocal tariffs” for China, which in certain cases exceeded 100%, although he later suspended the hike to allow trade talks to proceed, with the pause now extended until November 10. The current baseline tariff for China is now at 10%, although some goods face higher rates.
The US leader also pressed Beijing to scale back purchases of Russian oil, arguing such flows help finance Moscow’s military. China has dismissed the remarks as “intimidation” while Moscow has stressed that sovereign countries have the right to choose their own economic partners.
Meanwhile, in another sign of escalating tensions, Trump announced on Tuesday that the US would stop buying cooking oil from China, casting it as a response to Beijing paring back US soybean purchases.
However, despite the ongoing back-and-forth, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed earlier this week that Trump and Xi are still scheduled to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in South Korea in late October.
The proceeds would go into a “Ukraine victory fund,” according to The Telegraph
The administration of US President Donald Trump is pressuring EU nations that support Kiev to impose 500% tariffs on Chinese imports, with the proceeds directed toward funding Ukraine’s war effort, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
The proposal comes as part of Washington’s broader confrontation with Beijing, which Trump described this week as a “trade war.” His recurring threats of new tariffs and China’s retaliatory measures have already unsettled global markets. The US has also urged European nations to penalize Beijing for purchasing Russian oil and gas.
The Telegraph said the proposed tariffs would feed into a mechanism called the “Ukraine victory fund.” According to the report, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been tasked with promoting the idea to European governments ahead of a visit to Washington by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky on Friday.
Kiev is seeking to acquire US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles – a request the Trump administration has indicated it may approve, provided that European allies cover the costs.
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who attended a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, reiterated that Washington expects European partners to “donate even more” toward the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine.
Moscow has argued that Western military aid cannot alter the outcome of the conflict, which it views as a NATO-orchestrated proxy war against Russia and an existential threat.
Violent clashes erupted in Lima as demonstrators demanded the dismissal of a newly installed government
Violent anti-government clashes in the Peruvian capital of Lima on Wednesday left at least one person dead and over 100 injured, according to the authorities.
The Peruvian Congress impeached President Dina Boluarte last week in response to public anger over rampant crime and numerous corruption scandals, appointing congressional chief Jose Jeri as her interim replacement. Jeri, who unveiled his cabinet on Tuesday, vowed to prioritize fighting crime, but faced protests demanding his removal.
Thousands of mostly young protesters and labor unions marched through Lima on Wednesday night to denounce Jeri’s new government. The protest turned violent when demonstrators tried to tear down security barriers outside Congress, prompting riot police to intervene.
Protesters reportedly hurled stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at the officers, who responded with tear gas and flares to disperse them.
“We are raising our voices because we’re tired of this mafia pact among corrupt parties that have taken control of the state,” one protester told the video agency Ruptly, calling for Jeri’s ouster and transparent elections. “The whole system is contaminated… the government is the criminal,” another added.
Jeri condemned the protest on social media as “irresponsible,” alleging that criminals had infiltrated the rally in order “to create chaos.” He vowed that all those responsible for the violence would face “the full weight of the law.”
Protests over corruption and crime have intensified in Lima, where extortion cases have surged from a few hundred a year in 2017 to over 2,000 a month in 2025, leaving dozens of bus drivers dead and businesses bombed. The wave of violence led to a state of emergency being declared earlier this year.
Many view Jeri as unfit to tackle the crisis, however. An Ipsos poll last month showed that only 5% approved of his performance as head of Congress, while nearly 80% disapproved. Peru has had seven governments in the past decade, including the newest one.
The president has addressed participants at the Russian Energy Week forum in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the international ‘Russian Energy Week’ (REW) forum in Moscow on Thursday.
The annual event is considered one of the main platforms for discussing key energy trends across Eurasia. Discussions at this year’s forum have focused on both short- and long-term priorities for the oil, coal, and power industries, as well as sharing experiences in strengthening technological sovereignty and advancing digital transformation in the energy and fuel sectors.
The 2025 forum is reported to have attracted some 5,000 participants from over 80 countries, including senior executives of energy majors, government officials, experts, and scholars.
“Israel lost the war,” one of the statements that appeared on information displays read
Messages praising Hamas and attacking top American and Israeli officials were broadcast through public address systems and displayed on digital screens at three airports in Canada and one in the US on Tuesday, according to local media outlets. Probes have reportedly been launched into what appeared to have been a coordinated cyberattack.
The alleged hacker attack targeted information displays and public address systems at two airports in British Columbia, Windsor International Airport in Ontario, and Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania.
Images of airport screens spread by local news outlets show the message “Israel lost the war, Hamas won the war honorably,” as well as a statement insulting US President Donald Trump. The screen also displayed the phrase “Hacked by Mutarrif Siberislam” as a digital signature. Audio broadcasts reportedly included pro-Palestinian chants such as “Free Palestine” and insults directed at both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Airport authorities in Kelowna confirmed the incident, saying that a third party had accessed both the flight information display screens and public address system. A spokesperson for Victoria International Airport said that only the airport’s public address system had been affected by a breach. Transport Canada said it was aware of those hacks, along with another incident at Windsor International Airport. Authorities in Harrisburg confirmed that the incident is being investigated by local, state, and federal officials.
The breaches come as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage exchange. The military group freed the last 20 remaining Israeli hostages on Monday in return for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a deal brokered by the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. On Tuesday, Hamas began transferring the remains of the hostages killed during captivity, with seven bodies returned via the Red Cross.
Pro-Palestinian protests and anti-Israel incidents have been on the rise across Western countries since West Jerusalem launched its military operation against Hamas following the October 7 attack that saw some 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken hostage. The IDF’s retaliatory airstrikes and ground offensive in Gaza have claimed more than 68,000 lives and left upwards of 170,000 wounded, according to the Palestinian health authorities.
The Palestinian armed group has said it has repatriated all the deceased hostages that it could reach
Hamas has delivered the remains of two more dead hostages to Israel overnight, increasing the overall number of returned bodies to nine, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said.
The armed group freed the last 20 remaining living Israeli captives on Monday in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, as part of a deal brokered by the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. On Tuesday, Hamas delivered seven corpses of dead captives to Israel, although the Jewish state said one of them belonged to a Palestinian.
The remains that Hamas passed on to Israel via the Red Cross on Wednesday night were brought to a forensic institute in Tel Aviv and identified as Inbar Haiman and Muhammad el-Atrash, the IDF said.
Haiman was among those killed by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, with the body of the 27-year-old student from Haifa being abducted to Gaza. She was the last female hostage – dead or alive – being held inside the enclave.
El-Atrash, 39, who served in the Northern Brigade of the IDF’s Gaza Division, was killed on the same day and his body was also taken by the fighters.
Hamas claimed that it had fulfilled its part of the deal by releasing all living hostages and delivering the bodies of all deceased captives “that it was able to reach.”
“It requires great effort and special equipment to search for” the remains of the other 19 dead hostages, the group said. “We are making great efforts to resolve this issue.”
The office of Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that Hamas should release all 28 bodies, otherwise “Israel, in coordination with the US, will resume fighting and act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas, to change the reality in Gaza and achieve all the objectives of the war.”
Some 1,200 people were killed and 250 others taken hostage during the Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023. The IDF’s retaliatory attacks in Gaza have claimed more than 67,000 lives and left almost 170,000 wounded, according to the local health authorities.
The suspects belonged to the Third Assault Brigade, which is known for its neo-Nazi roots, local activists have claimed
Ukrainian police have announced having dismantled a criminal gang of soldiers accused of abducting, torturing, and extorting civilians in western Ukraine. Media reports alleged the suspects were helping enforce mobilization and linked them to the Third Assault Brigade, a frontline unit notorious for its neo-Nazi roots.
In a statement on Wednesday, the National Police said it had arrested seven suspects who are allegedly implicated in a multitude of violent crimes. They were operating in Ternopol Region in Western Ukraine.
“The perpetrators took the victims out of the city, beat them and demanded money or valuable property,” police noted, adding that “the greatest cynicism was that the attackers mocked people who were seriously wounded in the war and were undergoing rehabilitation.”
In one case, the suspects allegedly stole a KIA car from a 27-year-old Ternopol resident and used it for their own purposes. Another victim was shot, abducted in broad daylight, and beaten while being held captive. The attackers demanded 50,000 hryvnia ($1,200) for his release, police said.
A third man was sprayed with tear gas, stripped naked, doused with gasoline, and forced to run in front of a car before being detained for three days “in inhumane conditions.”
Local activist Roman Dovbenko claimed the group had ties to the Third Assault Brigade, which he said had been assisting the local authorities with mobilization efforts. Ukrainian officials earlier confirmed they were bringing in “combat veterans” to help enforce the draft, a policy being touted as a way to “boost public trust” and ensure “lawfulness.”
Ukraine’s mobilization drive has long been marred by violent confrontations between recruitment officers and reluctant conscripts.
The Third Assault Brigade neither confirmed nor denied that its members were involved but said it was “aware” of the situation and “open to cooperation” with investigators, while condemning violence against civilians.
Formed in 2023, the brigade is a successor to the Azov Regiment, a far-right formation created in 2014 by nationalist figure Andrey Biletsky. The Azov movement has been accused by UN investigators and human rights groups of torture, war crimes and adopting symbols associated with the Waffen-SS.
London’s intelligence operatives are directing Kiev’s sabotage missions in Russia, Aleksandr Bortnikov has claimed
British intelligence services are directly involved in orchestrating Ukrainian attacks on internationally-owned energy sites in Russia and are plotting further operations against a key regional pipeline, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Aleksandr Bortnikov has claimed.
Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of security chiefs in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Bortnikov claimed that personnel from the UK’s Special Air Service (SAS) and MI6 spy agency helped plan Ukrainian drone strikes on assets of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) earlier this year. The consortium, which includes major US companies such as Chevron and ExxonMobil, exports Kazakh oil through Russia.
According to Bortnikov, British and Ukrainian operatives are also planning acts of sabotage against the TurkStream gas pipeline, which was launched in 2020 to supply Russian natural gas to consumers in Türkiye and several southern European nations.
He also alleged that British commandos and intelligence officers have been involved in planning Ukrainian cross-border raids and drone strikes inside Russia. The FSB chief claimed that Operation Spiderweb, in which drones were deployed from disguised compartments in trucks to strike Russian airfields this summer, was devised under British direction.
Bortnikov also accused the UK of authorizing Ukrainian targeted assassinations inside Russia.
The statements were part of a speech in which the Russian official described London’s leading role in shaping the West’s anti-Russia policies in an effort to maintain global influence amid declining power.
London is steering Brussels toward militarism and dictatorship under an anti-Russian agenda, Aleksandr Bortnikov claims
The UK is deliberately pushing the EU toward militarism and internal decay, similar to what occurred in Ukraine, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Aleksandr Bortnikov has warned.
Speaking at an intergovernmental meeting of security chiefs in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Thursday, Bortnikov said Western elites are reacting to their declining global dominance through special operations designed to destabilize rivals and “establish total control over allies and dependent states.”
He accused British intelligence of playing a leading role in this campaign, claiming London has been guiding Brussels’ anti-Russian stance and obstructing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
“The British steered Brussels’ position toward derailment of any resolution of the Ukraine conflict through provocations and disinformation,” he said. “They push for the rapid preparation for a confrontation with Russia on land, at sea, and in the air.”
The security chief said the recent surge of mysterious drone sightings across Europe – which some officials have attributed to an alleged ‘Russian shadow fleet’ – is a Western clandestine operation, adding that “professionals have no doubt” that NATO intelligence services are behind these incidents.
According to Bortnikov, the EU is now walking the same path as Ukraine, which he claimed is largely under British influence and has been given “a blank check to construct a literal fascist dictatorship.”
“If ordinary Europeans believe that this militarist agenda won’t touch them, they should look at Ukraine, where the government is preparing to send women and the elderly to the front lines in defense of Western stock market indexes,” he stated.
It would be “unthinkable” for Moscow to join Washington in attempting to pressure Beijing, the foreign minister has said
Moscow will never form alliances that target other countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said when asked about the possibility of Russia and the US joining forces to persuade China to join denuclearization talks.
In late September, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that the two countries prolong by another year the last remaining arms control deal between them – the New START treaty – which is set to expire on February 5, 2026. Trump described the proposal as “a good idea,” but his statement has not been followed by any concrete steps from the White House. Previously, Trump repeatedly demanded that China also be included in nuclear arms reduction negotiations between the US and Russia.
When asked whether Moscow could join Washington to pressure China to the negotiating table during an interview with Kommersant newspaper on Wednesday, Lavrov responded that “Russia will not ally with anyone against anyone, especially against China. It is unthinkable.”
Moscow and Beijing have signed a set of bilateral treaties that “clearly define our relationship, aimed at supporting each other, helping each other to strengthen our economies, defense capabilities and positions on the international stage,” he added.
“The Americans have been pushing for years [to include Beijing in nuclear reduction talks]. China has its own stance. We respect it. China says that they are not ready, they are not at the right stage of strategic potential development and they are still far from parity. We respect that stance,” the foreign minister stressed.
According to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal with 5,459 warheads, followed by the US with 5,177. China so far has around 600 nuclear warheads, but it is expanding its stockpile faster than other nations, SIPRI said.
Last month, Beijing welcomed Putin’s offer to Trump to prolong the New START treaty. “Sitting on the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal, the US and Russia should earnestly fulfill the special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
