EU and Parliament reach provisional deal on tariff parts of EU-US Joint Statement
The Council presidency and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on two regulations designed to implement the tariff-related elements of the EU-US Joint Statement agreed on 21 August 2025. The deal was announced by the Council of the EU and the European Council and concerns the legal steps needed to carry out the tariff reductions set out in that statement. The agreement is framed as a move to deliver the commitments undertaken by the European Union in the Joint Statement and to support a stable and predictable transatlantic trade relationship with the United States. The source says the... [Continue Reading]
Breaking-360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 22:30 LONDON
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Fed minutes signal openness to higher rates as Iran war upends outlook
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's April meeting show that most officials were open to the possibility of higher interest rates, according to the record of the session. The meeting took place as the war with Iran was already reshaping the outlook for the US economy. It was also Jerome H.Powell's last meeting as chair, giving the record added significance for markets watching the central bank's next move. The minutes indicate that the discussion among policymakers was influenced by a rapidly changing external environment rather than by a single domestic data point. The war with Iran was described as having upended... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 20:00 LONDON
Putin and Xi fail to reach deal on Power of Siberia 2 pipeline
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signalled unity during a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday, but did not finalise a deal on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline sought by Moscow. The visit featured public displays of closeness between the two leaders, including a red-carpet walk to the Great Hall of the People and remarks about strategic co-operation, partnership, mutual respect, friendship and trust. But the talks ended without the pipeline agreement Russia had hoped to secure.The supplied material says the Kremlin later described the two sides as having reached a "general understanding on the parameters"... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 18:00 LONDON
Israel faces diplomatic backlash after flotilla activists detained and minister taunts them
Italy, France and Canada have condemned the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists detained after Israeli naval forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Israel's ambassadors to the three countries were summoned after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing himself taunting activists who were kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. The footage has added a political and diplomatic dimension to an already sensitive maritime operation involving foreign nationals and aid bound for Gaza.The Global Sumud Flotilla said all of its boats had been intercepted by Tuesday evening, after Israeli naval commandos began stopping the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 17:29 LONDON
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Xi and Putin hold Beijing talks on energy and security
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Russia's Vladimir Putin in Beijing for talks focused on energy and security. The meeting comes less than a week after US President Donald Trump visited Xi, adding to the diplomatic significance of the timing. The leaders also praised the relationship between China and Russia, describing it in positive terms during the visit.The supplied reporting says Putin is visiting China, which it describes as Russia's most important partner since the start of the war in Ukraine. It also says the two leaders are mainly set to discuss energy and security, but it does not provide... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 12:30 LONDON
US Ebola patient flown from DR Congo to Berlin for treatment
A US doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been admitted to a special isolation unit at Charite hospital in Berlin after an overnight transfer. The patient, named as medical missionary Dr Peter Stafford, arrived in Germany following a request from the United States for help with treatment. Health officials in Berlin confirmed he had been taken into the hospital's isolation unit, but did not comment on his condition.According to the supplied report, Dr Stafford tested positive late on Sunday after exposure linked to his work in the DRC. The US Centers for Disease Control and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 12:00 LONDON
Italy and India set out expanded strategic agenda on technology, AI, energy and trade
Italy and India have set out a wide-ranging strategic agenda covering technology, artificial intelligence, trade, energy, defense, space and digital cooperation. The intervention is presented as a joint text by Giorgia Meloni and Narendra Modi and says the relationship has reached a decisive phase, moving from cordial friendship to a special strategic partnership based on freedom, democracy and a shared vision of the future. The source says the partnership is being driven by frequent meetings at the highest political and institutional levels. It states that Italy and India are seeking a new and higher dimension of cooperation that combines Italy's... [Continue Reading]
Breaking-360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 10:31 LONDON
Xi Jinping hosts Vladimir Putin in Beijing state ceremony
Chinese President Xi Jinping has held a welcome ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, marking the start of Putin's two-day state visit to China. The ceremony took place on Wednesday and included a 21-gun salute at Tian'anmen Square. Military honours were also on display as the two leaders appeared together in the Chinese capital.During the ceremony, a military band played the national anthems of Russia and China. Putin, accompanied by Xi, reviewed the guard of honour of the People's Liberation Army and watched a march-past and performances by the military band. Children waving Chinese and Russian flags also... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 08:01 LONDON
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Samsung Electronics union to begin strike after bonus talks collapse
A union at Samsung Electronics says it will begin a strike on Thursday after negotiations over bonus payouts broke down. The planned walkout is centred on the South Korean chipmaker's profit-sharing arrangements and could affect production lines at one of the world's most important semiconductor companies. The union says the action will run for 18 days and involve about 50,500 workers.The dispute follows failed talks over a bonus cap set at 50% of annual salaries and a demand for 15% of operating profit to be allocated to bonuses. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the union said it had agreed... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 08:00 LONDON
Japan and South Korea launch new energy cooperation framework
Japan and South Korea agreed Tuesday to launch a new energy cooperation framework and establish a policy dialogue on supply security, according to Kyodo News. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said they will deepen cooperation on crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas. The meeting took place in Andong in southeastern South Korea, Lee's hometown. Takaichi said the two countries will jointly work to secure robust supply chains for critical minerals. Lee told a joint event that the possibilities for bilateral cooperation are "limitless." Under the envisaged Japan-South Korea policy dialogue scheme,... [Continue Reading]
Breaking-360LiveNews | 20 May 2026 01:30 LONDON
G7 finance ministers meet in Paris amid Iran tensions and tariff concerns
Finance ministers and officials from the G7 gathered in Paris on Tuesday for a second day of high-level economic talks. The meeting brought together representatives from the group's major advanced economies, with images showing leaders arriving for a family photo alongside flags representing the G7 nations and the European Union. Among those attending were French Finance Minister Roland Lescure and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.The talks were taking place in the French capital as governments weighed the economic effects of rising tensions linked to Iran, US tariffs and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. The confirmed agenda included oil prices,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 19 May 2026 19:29 LONDON
Fast-moving wildfire in Southern California hills prompts evacuations near Thousand Oaks
A fast-growing brush fire in Southern California has prompted evacuation orders near Thousand Oaks and damaged at least one home. The blaze was reported shortly after 10am on Monday and spread quickly through dry hillsides before midday. Fire crews were working to stop the fire moving downhill towards suburban areas.Officials said the fire had grown to more than 180 acres before midday as shifting winds pushed flames through vegetation. Residents in parts of the Thousand Oaks area were told to leave as a precaution. Firefighters were deployed quickly to the scene, with crews focusing on containing the spread and protecting... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 19 May 2026 09:59 LONDON
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Oil prices ease as Trump postpones planned strike on Iran
US President Donald Trump has said he is postponing a planned attack on Iran after requests from Gulf leaders and amid what he described as serious negotiations with Tehran. The announcement, made on social media on Monday, came as traders reacted to the reduced risk of an immediate military escalation in the Gulf. Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate both fell after the comments, reflecting a quick market response to the change in tone.According to the supplied material, Brent crude dropped 1.33% to $110.61 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures fell 0.91% to $103.43. Trump said the strike had... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 19 May 2026 08:29 LONDON
Kim orders North Korea military to strengthen frontline defences against South Korea
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the country's military to strengthen frontline units and turn the border with South Korea into what state media described as an "impregnable fortress." The instruction was given at a meeting on Sunday and reported on Monday, with a released photograph showing Kim presiding over commanding officers in full dress uniform. The remarks point to a further hardening of Pyongyang's posture toward Seoul at a time of already strained relations. According to the report, Kim told military officials that a "great change" would be made in efforts to deter war.He also urged commanders... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 May 2026 09:30 LONDON
Taiwan president says island will not give up sovereignty after Trump-Xi summit
Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te has said the island will not provoke conflict and will not give up its sovereignty after a high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in which Taiwan was discussed. Lai made the remarks in a Facebook post, his first direct response to the meeting, after Chinese state media said Xi had told Trump that Taiwan was the most important issue in bilateral ties. The comments add a fresh layer of tension to an already sensitive issue in US-China relations.According to the reporting, Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan question could lead to conflict. Trump later... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 May 2026 04:59 LONDON
Ireland's President Catherine Connolly begins three-day official visit to Britain
Ireland's President Catherine Connolly is beginning a three-day official visit to Britain later today, with meetings planned in London and Leeds and an expected audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace. The trip is her first to Britain since taking office last November and her second overseas visit overall. It begins in London at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, where she is due to meet local community groups and speak about links between the two countries and the contribution of the diaspora.The visit is also expected to include a reception at the Irish embassy in London, where Connolly and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 May 2026 00:30 LONDON
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Chinese influence case in US leads to convictions over alleged foreign agent activity
A Chinese community group president in Manhattan has been found guilty of acting as an unauthorised foreign agent for China, in a case that US authorities say involved the first known overseas police station in the country. In a separate case in California, Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang pleaded guilty to posting propaganda for Beijing. The two outcomes were announced in the same week and add to a growing set of US prosecutions linked to alleged Chinese influence operations.Lu Jianwang, 64, had set up an office above a ramen store in Manhattan's Chinatown in 2022, according to the case described in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 May 2026 01:01 LONDON
Germany's Merz reports good phone call with Trump after Iran spat
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he held a good phone call with Donald Trump after a recent public disagreement over Iran.Merz said he initiated the call.The only confirmed detail about the exchange is that it took place soon after Merz told young people: "I am a great admirer of America.My admiration is not increasing at the moment." The remarks point to a brief but visible strain in the transatlantic relationship, even as both sides have now signalled a more constructive tone.No further details of the conversation have been made public.The episode matters because Germany and the United States remain... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 May 2026 17:32 LONDON
Australia bans White Australia neo-Nazi group under hate laws
Australia has moved to designate the neo-Nazi group White Australia as a prohibited hate group, with the listing due to take effect from midnight.The decision means support for the organisation will become a criminal offence under laws introduced after the Bondi terror attack.Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the group, previously known as the National Socialist Network and the European Australian Movement, could not evade the law by changing names.He said the ban would cover supporting, funding, training, recruiting, joining or directing the group.The offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.Mr Burke said the measure was intended... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 May 2026 08:30 LONDON
CIA director visits Cuba amid reported oil shortage
The head of the CIA has visited Cuba, in what was described as an extraordinary step-up in contact between Washington and Havana.The visit comes as the communist-run island says it is out of oil.The Central Intelligence Agency confirmed a Cuban government statement about Director John Ratcliffe's trip on Thursday.The supporting row does not give further details of the meetings or any public outcome.The development matters because it points to a notable increase in direct contact between the two governments, which have had decades of strained relations.It also comes against the backdrop of Cuba's worsening energy crisis.An earlier statement from Cuban... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 May 2026 22:30 LONDON
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The Proving Ground, When “Decent” Reporting Meets High-Tech Warfare
For two decades I have watched wars unfold not only on battlefields, but on screens. Today’s incident over Kuwait, involving the downing of a U.S. F-15 Strike Eagle, is not just another headline in the Iran conflict. It may be a signal that something larger is unfolding behind the noise. Iranian state outlets rapidly circulated imagery of an ejected pilot. Washington responded cautiously. But beneath the spectacle lies a deeper question, whose technology was truly being tested? The Gulf as a live-fire laboratory For years, China has refined export-ready variants of its air defense systems, particularly the HQ-9 family and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 02 Mar 2026 09:36 LONDON
