The World in Brief from The Economist

Donald Trump said he would lift all sanctions on Syria to give the country “a chance at greatness”.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2025

Donald Trump said he plans to speak with Xi Jinping, China’s president, later this week, after America and China agreed to sharply reduce tariffs for 90 days.

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2025

Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, to meet Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, whether or not a ceasefire is in place.

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2025

Trade talks between America and China began in Switzerland

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2025

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, presided over Victory Day in Moscow

Transcribed - Published: 10 May 2025

Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the next pope, becoming the first American pontiff.

Transcribed - Published: 9 May 2025

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady, at 4.25-4.5%.

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2025

India said it struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2025

Israel’s security cabinet voted through a plan to seize control of all of Gaza indefinitely.

Transcribed - Published: 6 May 2025

Binyamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate after Israeli authorities reported that a missile launched by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen landed near Ben Gurion airport, pausing flights briefly.

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2025

India banned the import of all goods from Pakistan

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2025

Germany’s domestic spy agency labelled the hard-right Alternative for Germany party a “proven right-wing extremist organisation”

Transcribed - Published: 3 May 2025

Donald Trump ousted Mike Waltz as America’s national security adviser and temporarily replaced him with Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

America and Ukraine signed a deal that gives America access to Ukraine’s minerals deposits and creates a joint investment fund.

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2025

Donald Trump eased the pressure on American carmakers by signing an executive order to reimburse some levies on imported auto parts and exempt them from additional duties.

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2025

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, said that Russia’s three-day unilateral ceasefire was “another attempt at manipulation”, and called for an immediate truce.

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2025

The funeral of Pope Francis took place in St Peter’s Square in Rome.

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

Russia claimed success on the battlefront, asserting that all Ukrainian troops had been forced out of Russia’s Kursk region

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2025

China said that some American imports would be exempt from its 125% tariffs, and asked businesses to submit lists of essential American goods

Transcribed - Published: 26 April 2025

Donald Trump condemned a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, which killed nine people, as “very bad timing”.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

President Donald Trump lashed out at Volodymyr Zelensky, his Ukrainian counterpart, accusing him of undermining peace negotiations.

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2025

The International Monetary Fund warned of dire economic consequences from Donald Trump’s trade war.

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2025

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke and heart failure in his residence in the Vatican.

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2025

Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is trying to create a “general impression” of an Easter ceasefire but is still attacking Ukraine.

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

Iran and America ended a second round of nuclear talks in Rome and agreed to meet again next week. Oman mediated the talks

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2025

The Houthis, Yemeni rebels backed by Iran, said that American strikes on a port in Yemen had killed 74 people and injured 171 others

Transcribed - Published: 19 April 2025

Donald Trump doubled down on his displeasure with Jerome Powell, suggesting the chair of the Federal Reserve would leave his post “if I ask him to”.

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, said that the fallout from Donald Trump’s tariffs could present challenges to the central bank’s “dual-mandate goals” of ensuring low inflation and a healthy job market.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

American banks continued to report strong results, with tariff turmoil yet to seriously hurt profits.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2025

During a visit to the White House El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, said that a man mistakenly deported from Maryland would not be returned, despite a ruling by America’s Supreme Court to do so.

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

America and Iran began talks about the Iranian nuclear program in Oman, according to an online post by Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

America and Iran began talks about the Iranian nuclear program in Oman, according to an online post by Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2025

The United Nations maritime body approved a carbon-pricing plan for ships, charging up to $380 per tonne of CO2 above a target level from 2028

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2025

American stockmarkets fell on Thursday, with the NASDAQ index dropping by 4.3% and the S&P 500 by 3.5%.

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Donald Trump announced he would pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days on countries that did not retaliate against his levies, but maintain a 10% universal tariff.

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

The White House said that an additional 50% tariff on imports from China, on top of the 34% that President Donald Trump announced last week, would go into effect on Wednesday.

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2025

President Donald Trump threatened an additional levy of 50% on Chinese goods unless it withdrew its retaliatory tariffs.

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

Officials in the Trump administration defended the imposition of swingeing tariffs on imports to America.

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

India signed defence and energy contracts with Sri Lanka to counteract China’s influence in the Indian Ocean

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2025

Russia said there were no plans for Vladimir Putin to speak to Mr Trump again “for now”

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2025

American markets suffered their steepest declines since March 2020 on Thursday, the first full day of trading since Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announcement.

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on imports from America’s trading partners, as well as a “minimum baseline tariff” of 10%.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the European Union has a “strong plan to retaliate” against Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2025

The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, American stock indices, recorded their worst quarters since 2022.

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2025

Myanmar’s junta continued air strikes on rebel groups across the country.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

One of Elon Musk’s companies, xAI, bought another, X, for $33bn

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2025

America’s vice-president said Greenland would be “much more secure” if it chose to “partner” with America

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2025

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, met European leaders in Paris.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

America said that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to end “the use of force” in the Black Sea and ensure “safe passage” for commercial shipping.

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2025