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Secretary of state says US made clear America’s position on Taiwan, as Trump-Xi talks continue for second dayXi warns Trump of ‘clashes and even conflicts’ with US over TaiwanAnalysis: For anxious Taiwan, Trump’s silence after Xi talks is best possible outcomeDonald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to meet on Friday to wrap up a high-stakes two-day state visit that has featured pomp and business deals but also a stark warning from Xi that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push US-China relations to “a very dangerous place”.Trump is on the first visit by a US president to China since 2017 and has been hoping for tangible results that might improve his sagging approval ratings ahead of the crucial midterm elections.Trump told Fox News that China had agreed to order 200 Boeing jets – its first purchase of US-made commercial jets in nearly a decade. But markets were expecting a much higher number, with earlier news reports suggesting 500 or more could be involved, and Boeing shares fell more than 4% after the comments.Xi’s remarks on Taiwan, the democratically governed island Beijing claims, represented a sharp warning during a pomp-filled summit that otherwise appeared friendly and relaxed. They came in a closed-door meeting that ran for more than two hours, Beijing said.US secretary of state Marco Rubio told NBC News that Taiwan was discussed, saying the Chinese “always raise it ... we always make clear our position and we move on to the other topics”. Rubio is among a large contingent of US officials and business leaders who travelled with Trump to China.At a lavish state banquet on Wednesday, Xi called the China-US relationship the most important in the world and added: “We must make it work and never mess it up.” Trump earlier told Xi their two countries were “going to have a fantastic future together”.The summit has been aimed at maintaining a fragile trade truce struck when the leaders last met in October and Trump suspended triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and Xi backed away from choking global supplies of vital rare earths.With news agencies Continue reading...

US’s apparent decline has fuelled growing Chinese nationalism while US president has lost his novelty valueTrump in Beijing – latest updatesFive key issues for Xi-Trump summitYaoji Chaogan, a no-frills canteen next to Beijing’s historic Drum and Bell towers, once proudly displayed photographs of Joe Biden, who visited the restaurant when he was US vice-president in 2011. Biden’s visit went viral in China, with media praising his “noodle diplomacy” (one of the dishes that Biden ordered was zhajiang mian, a traditional style of Beijing noodles with bean paste).But evidence of Biden’s visit was removed when the restaurant was redecorated a few years ago. A visit from a US leader is no longer something to boast about. Continue reading...

• President Trump departed for a two-day state visit to China on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, after the trip was initially delayed by the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. • The itinerary features a welcome ceremony, two bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping, a state banquet, a Temple of Heaven tour, and a tea session within less than 48 hours. • The visit underscores continued U.S.-China engagement, marking the first of four planned Trump-Xi meetings this year, including Xi's fall state visit to the U.S.

• Hong Kong officials highlighted innovation partnerships and AI development during a visit to Sweden, seeking deeper international collaboration. • Focus areas include artificial intelligence and life sciences to bolster Hong Kong's position as a global I&T hub. • The trip emphasizes expanding cross-border ties amid growing demand for advanced tech solutions in East Asia.

• Japanese Prime Minister is eyeing a visit to South Korea around May 19-20, 2026, for summit talks, according to sources cited in Asia Daily on May 11. • The trip aims to strengthen Japan-South Korea relations amid regional security challenges in East Asia. • This follows recent joint military drills involving Japan, U.S., and U.K. paratroopers, signaling deeper defense cooperation.

Data from University of Toronto suggests Canadians are avoiding US cities during the second Trump administrationA new research tool that tracks cell phone activity has found a 42% drop in visitors from Canada to big metropolitan areas in the US that is much higher than official border-crossing data, suggesting Canadians during the second Trump administration are avoiding US cities in particular.Researchers from the University of Toronto said the tool showed a “year-over-year median decline of approximately 42% in Canadian visits to US metropolitan areas – significantly higher than official border-crossing data, which showed a roughly 25% decline”. Continue reading...

Paul McCartney hails plans for 3 Savile Row, which include access to rooftop where the band played their final gig The address may not sound familiar, and the street name is best known as the heart of British tailoring. But 3 Savile Row is one of the most iconic buildings in British pop and rock: the former home of the Beatles’ record label Apple Corps, and the location of the band’s final public performance when they took to its rooftop in 1969.Apple Corps has now re-acquired the building in Mayfair, central London, and plans to open it to the public as a new tourist attraction in 2027. Continue reading...

• U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for two-day talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking their first face-to-face meeting in over six months amid strained ties. • Discussions will cover Iran, Taiwan tensions, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and potential extension of a critical minerals deal, according to U.S. officials. • The summit aims to stabilize relations between the world's two largest economies, strained by ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, trade disputes, and tariff threats from Trump's first term.

• President Trump departs Washington on Monday for a key Asia trip, stopping in Japan and South Korea before a two-day summit with China's President Xi Jinping. • The itinerary focuses on diplomatic engagements amid heightened U.S.-China tensions and regional security concerns. • Discussions are expected to cover trade, security alliances, and bilateral relations during the high-stakes visits.

• Laos is ramping up regional diplomacy before the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu on May 7-8, with Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane visiting Indonesia for bilateral talks. • Discussions covered trade, investment, tourism, human resource development, and broader ASEAN priorities, including meetings with business groups and the ASEAN Secretariat. • Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will lead Laos at the summit, focusing on unity amid geopolitical tensions in Southeast Asia.

• Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam in April 2026, marking To Lam's first international trip in his new role and signaling Beijing's emphasis on party-to-government relations with Hanoi. • The two countries signed 32 bilateral agreements, more than double the 14 agreements reached during To Lam's 2024 visit, covering trade, investment, and strategic cooperation across multiple sectors. • Beijing is leveraging Vietnam's socialist governance model as common ground for deepening ties, while also pursuing enhanced regional connectivity through infrastructure projects like Malaysia's East Coast Railway Line to bind Southeast Asia closer to China.

• Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced an updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy during her visit to Vietnam last weekend, emphasizing Tokyo's increased reliance on Southeast Asia amid U.S.-China rivalry. • The decade-old FOIP policy now prioritizes energy security, critical minerals, and deeper ties with ASEAN nations to bolster economic and security roles in the region. • This pivot underscores Japan's strategic shift toward Southeast Asia as a counterbalance to great-power competition, enhancing regional stability and supply chain resilience.

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to Rome this week for high-level meetings with Vatican officials following public tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leone. • The friction arose from Trump's attacks on the Pope's criticism of U.S. strikes in Iran and Lebanon plus hardline migration policies, risking a broader U.S.-Holy See fracture. • Agenda covers conflicts in Iran and Lebanon where Pope Leone called for civilian protection, U.S. migration restrictions, and concerns over Cuba and Latin America policies.

• New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis arrived in Singapore for high-level talks on trade and security. • TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman was excluded from the press pack following her five-day suspension from parliament over an incident involving banging on a National MP's door. • The suspension stemmed from allegations of aggressive behavior toward National whip Stuart Smith during Luxon's caucus confidence vote, investigated by Speaker Gerry Brownlee.

US secretary of state will be in Italian capital on Thursday and Friday, the one-year anniversary of Pope Leo’s papacyUS secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Rome this week, a visit reportedly aimed at thawing frosty relations with the Italian government and the Vatican.Rubio will be in the Italian capital on Thursday and Friday, which will also mark the one-year anniversary of the papacy of Pope Leo, the first US-born pontiff. Continue reading...

President says decision made ‘in honor of the king and queen’ as industry officials call deal ‘significant boost’In a gesture of diplomatic friendliness after King Charles’s visit to the White House, Donald Trump said the US would be removing all tariffs on whisky imports.“In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon,” Trump said in a post on social media. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs minister says China has agreed to facilitate exports of jet fuel to ease supply disruptions. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.Penny Wong has been busy on her latest overseas trip, saying China has agreed to negotiate on jet fuel sales to help ease the global oil crisis. Continue reading...

US president said UK monarch agreed Tehran should not be allowed nuclear weaponsA flick of Oscar Wilde here, a nod to Henry Kissinger there, a sprinkling of Charles Dickens here, a dollop of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt there. Job done!The British monarch mobilised an elite squad of dead white men, leavened with humour and subliminal politicking, on Tuesday in a charm offensive aimed over Donald Trump’s head and squarely at the US Congress. Judging by the cheers and minute-long applause he received at the end, the soft power flex worked a treat and the special relationship lives to fight another day.We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well. We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.They know that, and they’ve known it right now, very powerfully.The king is naturally mindful of his government’s longstanding and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.Todd Blanche, the former defense lawyer for Donald Trump now serving as acting US attorney general, announced two charges against James Comey, the former FBI director and deputy attorney general for allegedly “knowing and willfully making a threat to kill” the president of the United States in a social media post.Patrick Fitzgerald, a former US attorney for the northern district of Illinois who now represents James Comey, said that his client, “vigorously denies the charges” filed against him.US defense secretary Pete Hegseth will face tough questions from lawmakers about the Iran war on Wednesday during his first testimony to Congress since the start of the conflict.President Trump will welcomes the Artemis II astronauts to the White House later today. The capsule returned to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, almost a month after blasting off on humanity’s first lunar trip in more than a half century.The supreme court will hear arguments Wednesday over the Trump administration’s push to end legal protections for migrants fleeing war and natural disaster, one in a series of immigration cases the high court is considering against the backdrop of the president’s far-reaching immigration crackdown.The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday after a key policy meeting, likely the last chaired by central bank chief Jerome Powell. Policymakers will weigh the risks of surging energy prices and snarled supply chains due to the US-Israel war on Iran, with analysts widely expecting a third pause in a row. Continue reading...

Remarks marking 250th anniversary of American independence tell US lawmakers: ‘The actions of this great nation matter’King Charles has extolled the importance of Britain’s “special relationship” with the United States in a speech to US Congress that made pointed reference to the importance of Nato, the defence of Ukraine and the climate crisis.In a speech that will be read as a veiled plea to Donald Trump to return to the United States’ traditional European alliances and restore his country’s role as a defender of liberal values, Charles said: “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.” Continue reading...

• A recent study demonstrates that an updated vaccine formulation reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by approximately 50 percent during the past season. • This significant efficacy improvement represents a major advancement in vaccine development and public health protection strategies. • The findings contribute to the evolving landscape of U.S. vaccine policy, as documented in CIDRAP's latest state of vaccine policy report from April 28, 2026.

US president says Americans ‘have had no closer friends than the British’ amid recent tensions between both nationsDonald Trump has praised the “special relationship” between the US and the UK, as he hosted a ceremonial military welcome for Charles and Camilla at the White House.Against a backdrop of recent tensions between London and Washington, the US president, speaking on the second day of King Charles’s state visit, said: “In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British.” Continue reading...

King Charles's state visit to the United States includes high-profile formal events such as a state dinner and a speech to the U.S. Congress. There are also events in New York City and Virginia, where he and Queen Camilla will have a chance to focus on interests and causes they often devote time to — even as the trip garners attention for the broader circumstances surrounding it.

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States on Monday afternoon for a four-day trip, welcomed by self-proclaimed royal fan U.S. President Donald Trump even as the U.S. president ‌has ‌differed with the British government over the Iran war.

The suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting incident is set to appear in federal court today. And, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in Washington today for a state visit.(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

France’s president, who is also co-prince of the micro-state, expected to speak frankly about issue in country with some of strictest abortion laws in EuropeMeanwhile, Macron is visiting the Andorran primary school in Santa Coloma and absolutely loving spending his time with kids, happily posing to pictures with the Andorran flags.Last week, he suggested he would quit politics at the end of his term in May next year, and so we should expect to see more of this sort of legacy-building trips and interventions as he enters the final year in office. Continue reading...

The British monarch and Queen Camilla come to a city still reeling from shooting at dinner attended by TrumpKing Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington on Monday for a state visit in a city still rattled by a weekend shooting and a transatlantic alliance showing fresh signs of strain.British flags could be seen lining lamp-posts outside the White House, where Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, were set to host the royals for a private tea and a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the south lawn. Continue reading...

The king faces possibly his most important ever speech and a thin-skinned president, in the shadow of the Sussexes and the Epstein scandal. What could go wrong?On his high-stakes four-day state visit to the US, King Charles will have to walk a diplomatic tightrope as the guest of an erratic Donald Trump against the backdrop of Iran and security concerns after Saturday night’s shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner.Many challenges lie ahead as he takes up his UK government-decreed task to “reaffirm and renew” bilateral ties amid a worsening “special relationship” on the 250th anniversary of American independence. Continue reading...

UK cabinet minister says there are extensive discussions over security after gunman attempted to storm dinner attended by TrumpUS politics live – latest updatesKing Charles’s security is being reviewed before his state visit to the US this week after a gunman attempted to storm a dinner with Donald Trump in Washington DC, a UK cabinet minister has said.Guests at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night hid under tables when gunshots were heard as the president and other members of his administration were evacuated by the Secret Service. Continue reading...