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Xi Jinping has declined an invitation to visit Brussels for an summit to mark the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic ties, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Beijing told EU officials that Premier Li Qiang would meet the presidents of the European Council and Commission instead of Xi, the FT said, citing two people familiar with the matter whom it did not identify. The Chinese premier usually attends the summit when it is held in Brussels, while the president hosts it in Beijing, but the EU wants Xi to attend to commemorate half a century of relations between Beijing and the bloc, the newspaper said. Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the EU accusing China of backing the Kremlin, the FT said. Last year, the European Union also imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports. «Informal discussions are ongoing, both about setting the date for the EU-China summit this year and the level of representation,» an EU official told the newspaper, while the Chinese ministry was quoted as saying it did not have any information to provide on the matter.

Donald Trump’s administration are watching Canada to get a preview of what happens when you hit back. Canadian officials have gone hostile in their responses to Trump’s trade war. Ontario Premier Doug Ford slapped a 25% charge on electricity exports to make power more expensive for people in New York and two other states — earning the president’s ire. Mark Carney, the incoming prime minister, called the US “a country we can no longer trust,” and said his new government will keep its retaliatory tariffs in place “until the Americans show us respect.” On Tuesday, the brinkmanship seemed to pay off: Trump started the day threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%, but by day’s end both sides had pulled back. Ford suspended the electricity tax, prompting Trump to say “I respect that” and drop the metals levy back to 25%. Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum — which came into force on US imports on Wednesday — drew a swift response from Canada and the European Union. The government in Ottawa announced new 25% counter-tariffs on about C$30 billion ($20.8 billion) of US-made items, while Brussels laid out countermeasures against US goods worth as much as €26 billion ($28.3 billion). But other metals-exporting countries including Japan and South Korea held off on any immediate retaliation. Even before that widening of the trade war, Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, had issued a warning to other nations. Watch what Trump is doing to Canada, she said. “You’re next.”

environmental regulations, particularly the carbon tax, deforestation rules, and supply chain due diligence laws are one of the biggest hurdles in the negotiations for a proposed trade pact with India, economic think tank GTRI said on Sunday. It said that these regulations could impose additional costs on Indian exports. Under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Indian exports of steel, aluminum, and cement to the EU could face tariffs of 20-35 per cent, even if an FTA is signed, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said in its report. This raises concerns that while EU goods would enter India duty-free, Indian exports would still face these indirect barriers in Europe, it added.

European leaders are confronting their worst-case scenario: maybe they really are going to be dealing with a bellicose Russia alone.

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 26, experienced a loss of communication with ground control, the US space agency confirmed in a statement on Thursday. Mission operators at Caltech’s IPAC in Pasadena, California, initially established contact with the satellite following its successful deployment in space, NASA stated in an official release. However, telemetry data later indicated intermittent power system issues, the agency added.

Brussels Airlines flight from Dakar, Senegal, last week witnessed an extraordinary moment when an expectant mother went into labour shortly after takeoff. Thanks to the quick response of a flight attendant and a doctor on board, the baby was safely delivered mid-air.

If Trump gets through to European capitals, the EU could be made to curb its regulatory reflex. Which is good not only for American technology and defence industries, but would be also helpful for emerging economies like India to get a grip on some incredible red tape over non-tariff trade barriers.

UN refugee agency voiced surprise Wednesday at President Donald Trump's shock proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its people.

European Union leaders are grappling with how to respond to the United States as it appears determined to start a trade war or even seize part of their territory

Friday marks five years since Britain left the European Union at 11 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2020

European automakers brace for a possible trade war waged by President Donald Trump, they are working to ward off another threat on their home turf: the prospect of paying hundreds of millions of dollars to Tesla and Chinese competitors muscling in on their core markets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen gives a press conference at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Jan. 29.

When you imagine your dream job in banking, you might imagine it on Wall Street, or in the City of London. It might actually be in Washington DC – or in Westminster.

Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. One, with this being the 'largest congregation of humanity', such 'accidents' can't really be stamped out. Two, that no matter how much such gatherings are touted as part of a vibrant culture, with human safety far from guaranteed, reputational damage will ensure that they remain an attraction for those who don't much care less for comfort and safety.

Coca-Cola has recalled some of its soft drinks in Europe after higher-than-normal levels of a chemical called chlorate were detected in bottles and cans at a Belgian production plant

Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on January 25. This marks his second public appearance in support of the controversial party within a fortnight, prompting further debate on his growing influence in European politics. Musk's message was clear: he believes the AfD represents the «best hope for Germany's future.»