Trump, Xi Meet In Washington With High Stakes

The leaders of the two global superpowers meet in Washington with trade, tariffs, Taiwan, the Iran war, and AI among the main issues expected to shape their second meeting this year.

President Xi Jinping travels to Washington to meet President Donald Trump, as a one-year trade truce between the two countries winds down.

Xi’s state visit is his first trip to the U.S. since 2023, when he met then-President Joe Biden and attended the APEC summit in San Francisco.

Trade and tariffs are expected to take center stage. Prospects for extending the truce, negotiated last year in South Korea, are firming as both sides discuss cutting tariffs on goods including American energy and agricultural products ahead of the summit.

Beyond trade, talks are also expected to cover Taiwan, the Iran war and AI.

What’s At Stake At UN General Assembly High-Level Week

As wars rage across the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan, and AI fears mount, world leaders descend on New York for the 81st UN General Assembly’s high-level debate.

AI tops the agenda: the Security Council is expected to meet on the technology, and Secretary-General Guterres has warned an unchecked AI race risks disaster.

Iranian President Pezeshkian addresses the Assembly seven months after the U.S. and Israel went to war with Tehran, though mediators see little chance of a breakthrough. Ukraine's Zelensky seeks continued support four years after Russia’s invasion, with new UK PM Andy Burnham meeting Trump for the first time to push for more backing for Kyiv.

On Israel-Palestinians, Netanyahu – wanted by the ICC – is due to speak, while Palestinian President Abbas, barred from a U.S. visa, will appear by video.

Behind the scenes, diplomats debate who replaces Guterres when his term ends December 31, with no frontrunner yet. Sudan's civil war, which has displaced 14 million people, and renewed climate warnings round out the agenda.

Merz Vows To Stay On Despite “Disaster” In Polls

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called a local election defeat for his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a “disaster” but vowed to remain in post.

In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU fell short of a 5% threshold to enter parliament, underperforming against what had already been projected to be the party’s worst ever result in the area.

Far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was on track to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but it is unlikely to govern as other parties refuse to work with it.

Meanwhile in Berlin, the ruling CDU was on course to be beaten by Die Linke (The Left).

Merz is under mounting pressure after months of poor approval ratings, and there have been rumors he could be replaced mid-term in a so-called chancellor swap, the BBC said.