Politics

Donald Trump went to China for a summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing. Mr Xi said China and America had agreed to a “new positioning” on bilateral ties and would increase co-operation in trade. Mr Trump’s delegation included a host of business bosses, including Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Kelly Ortberg of Boeing. Commercial discussions are easier for the two leaders than political ones. Tough topics include the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and America’s support for Taiwan. The island’s president, Lai Ching-te, made a point before Mr Trump departed for Beijing of thanking America for its “unwavering commitment” to Taiwan’s security.

America and Iran once again failed to reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and remove the spectre of war from the region. Before leaving for his trip to China Mr Trump claimed America would win the war “one way or the other”. Diplomats say the two sides still disagree on the duration of a moratorium for uranium enrichment, what to do with Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and whether Iran should dismantle nuclear facilities, among other things.

In Israel Binyamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset and hold a general election. If the bill is approved, an election could come in September or October. The coalition has been under pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties angered by the failure to pass legislation that would excuse religious students from the military draft. The leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, welcomed the move to call an election, assuring supporters that “We are ready.”

Earlier, the Knesset passed legislation that would allow military tribunals to impose the death penalty on Hamas militants and accomplices if found guilty of involvement in the attacks of October 7th 2023. The vote had bipartisan support, passing by 93-0 with 27 abstentions or absences.

Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, said he would respect a verdict by the country’s Constitutional Court that MPs must resume impeachment proceedings against him regarding his handling of a cash theft at his farm. Mr Ramaphosa said he would not resign. MPs from the ruling African National Congress voted to halt the proceedings in 2022.

In India Narendra Modi urged his fellow citizens to conserve fuel, hold more online meetings and reduce travel to help combat the energy crunch. The prime minister also said Indians should avoid buying gold from abroad in order to save foreign exchange. The government then raised duties on overseas gold purchases.

A car bombing and ambush killed at least 15 police officers in north-west Pakistan. A local Islamist militant group claimed responsibility. A few days later a bomb at a market in the same region killed at least ten people. Pakistan blames Afghanistan for allowing terrorists to operate across the border.

Sara Duterte, the vice-president of the Philippines, was impeached again by the lower house of parliament. Her previous impeachment a year ago was struck down as unconstitutional. The charges are similar, ranging from misuse of public funds to threatening to kill the president, Ferdinand Marcos junior. Her conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds majority. Ms Duterte denies the claims. Meanwhile, a gunshot was heard in the Senate. Ronald dela Rosa, a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges relating to the war against drugs conducted under Rodrigo Duterte, Ms Duterte’s father, had been hiding out in the building to avoid arrest. He has now fled.

The authorities in Kyrgyzstan indicted eight people for conspiring to overthrow the president, Sadyr Japarov. One of those charged is Kamchybek Tashiev, the Central Asian country’s second most-powerful politician. Mr Tashiev was ousted from his job as head of state security in February. His lawyer says the trial will be held behind closed doors.

Sir Keir Starmer faced the most serious threat yet to his leadership of Britain’s Labour Party, and thus as prime minister, after several ministers resigned from the government and party rivals circled to launch a leadership challenge. This came after Labour suffered a heavy defeat in elections in Scotland and Wales and council elections in England, which suggested that the populist-right Reform UK is on course to be the biggest party at a general election. One of the ministers who resigned, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said it was clear Sir Keir would not lead Labour into that next election.

In those elections Labour lost 1,500 councillors in England and Reform gained a similar number. The Greens cut into Labour’s heartlands in inner London, taking three councils and costing Labour control of several others. The Conservatives lost nearly 600 councillors overall, but won back Westminster council from Labour. Labour lost control of the parliament in Wales for the first time since devolution in 1999 as Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalists, surged to victory. Reform came second in Wales, pushing Labour into third place. In Scotland the Nationalists won another term in the devolved parliament but fell short of a majority. The SNP’s share of the constituency vote dropped sharply to 38%. Reform won 17 seats in Scotland, the same as Labour.

European Union foreign ministers signed off on a new raft of sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank and organisations that support them. The sanctions had been held up by Hungary’s previous government under Viktor Orban. Hungary’s new government, led by Peter Magyar, was sworn in this week.

Money-laundering charges were brought against Andriy Yermak as part of a wide-ranging investigation in Ukraine into state corruption. Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff had been Ukraine’s chief negotiator in talks to end the war with Russia until his home was raided by investigators last November, forcing him to pull out of a summit with Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy. Mr Yermak has denied any wrongdoing.

Virginia’s state Supreme Court scrapped a new congressional-districting map that heavily favoured Democrats. The court found that a ballot measure securing voters’ approval for the map had not followed the state’s proper electoral process. Democrats promptly asked the federal Supreme Court to suspend the decision while they appeal against it.

In Brazil a press report claimed that Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of Jair Bolsonaro, a former president imprisoned for plotting a coup, had obtained funds from a disgraced banker to make a film about his father. Mr Bolsonaro junior acknowledged the funding, but said he had not promised any favours in return. The news could tip this year’s presidential election. Mr Bolsonaro junior is the right-wing candidate hoping to defeat Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The government of Mexico denied a media report that the CIA has been involved in assassinating alleged senior members of drug gangs and has operatives in the country trying to dismantle the gangs’ networks. Two CIA officials died in a car crash in Mexico recently after apparently taking part in a drugs raid; the federal government said it had not been aware of the CIA men’s involvement.

Cuba’s energy minister said the country had run out of fuel oil and diesel and had very limited gas stocks. America has in effect imposed an energy blockade on the island by threatening to impose tariffs on countries that send fuel. Protests reportedly broke out in Havana against a series of blackouts that have left the city without power for up to 22 hours a day.

Philip ​Davis and his Progressive Liberal Party were re-elected to office in the Bahamas, the first time a prime minister has won two successive terms in three decades.

Separatists in Alberta suffered a blow to their campaign when a judge dismissed their petition to put the issue to voters in a referendum. Groups representing indigenous minorities had brought the lawsuit, claiming they hadn’t been consulted and that the petition ignored their treaty rights.