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This is the World and Brief from The Economist.

Our top stories.

In a meeting with Ashiba Shigeru, Japan's Prime Minister, Donald Trump suggested levying tariffs against Japan if its trade deficit with America, valued at

$68 billion last year, does not fall. Tariffs, he said, would be, quote, reciprocal.

He also said Nippon Steel would invest in, rather than buy, U.S. steel.

Its $15 billion bid for the American steel maker was blocked by the Biden

administration. America's economy added 143,000 jobs in January, missing analysts' expectations of

around 170,000. The labor market remains resilient, however. Unemployment

dipped to 4% and December's job gains were revised up significantly to 307,000 from 256,000. The figures

bolster expectations that the Federal Reserve will proceed cautiously with rate cuts this year.

Nearly 80 countries, including France, Germany and Britain, reaffirmed support for the International

Criminal Court after Mr. Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on its staff.

Mr. Trump accused the body, which issued an arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November of, quote,

illegitimate and baseless actions, targeting America's, quote, close ally. The ICC warned the

sanctions could cripple investigations, including its

case against Mr. Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin. More than 40,000 people across Slovakia

...