Israel deports Greta Thunberg and activists aboard Gaza aid boat
The United States and China have agreed in principle on a framework to implement a deal they reached to resolve their trade disputes last month, according to Chinese state media.
The announcement came after the conclusion of two days of discussions in London on Tuesday.
The agreement was disrupted by a number of disputes in the weeks that followed, leading to a phone call last week between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, aimed at easing tensions.
Li Chenggang, who serves as a vice minister of commerce and represents China in international trade, stated that both parties have reached a preliminary agreement on a framework to execute the deal established between the two leaders, as well as during discussions held in May in Geneva.
Further details, including plans for a potential next round of talks, were not immediately available.
Li and Wang Wentao, China's commerce minister, were part of the delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng. They met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.
Lutnick said as he arrived on Tuesday morning that the talks were "going well," and he expected them to continue all day.
The two parties aimed to capitalise on discussions held in Geneva last month, which resulted in a 90-day pause on the majority of tariffs levied against one another which exceeded 100% during a growing trade conflict that had raised concerns about a potential recession.
Since the Geneva talks, Washington and Beijing have engaged in heated exchanges regarding advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, the issuance of visas for Chinese students attending US universities, and rare earth minerals vital for carmakers and various other sectors.
Last week, Trump and Jinping held a lengthy phone call in a bid to restore relations. The call was later followed by an announcement that trade discussions would resume in London.
China, the largest producer of rare earths globally, has indicated a potential relaxation of the export restrictions imposed on these materials in April, causing concern among automakers worldwide who depend on them.
In response, Beijing urged Washington to lift restrictions on China's access to the technology necessary for the production of advanced semiconductors.
Trump said that he wants to 'open up China,' the world's largest producer of goods, to US products.
'If we don't open up China, maybe we won't do anything,' Trump said at the White House. 'But we want to open up China.'
Israel says it has deported climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, just one day after the Israeli military seized the ship she was on which was bound for Gaza.
Upon her arrival in Paris – while on her way back to her home country of Sweden – Thunberg urged for the release of the other activists who were taken into custody aboard the Madleen flotilla.
She characterised the situation during their detention as "quite chaotic and uncertain." The conditions they faced 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now," she added.
The trip was meant to protest Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza's population of over 2 million people after 20 months of war, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey.
"We were well aware of the risks of this mission," Thunberg noted. 'The aim was to get to Gaza and to be able to distribute the aid.' She said the activists would continue trying to get aid into the enclave and breach what she called an unjust siege.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump called Thunberg 'strange' and 'a young angry person' and recommended she take anger management classes.
"I think the world need a lot more young angry women," Thunberg said Tuesday in response to Trump, who she's clashed with online on previous occasions.
She also asserted that some of the activists detained experienced difficulties in contacting their lawyers.
Asked why she agreed to deportation, she said, 'Why would I want to stay in an Israeli prison more than necessary?'
The activist urged her supporters to demand their governments not only allow humanitarian aid into Gaza but, more crucially, to seek an end to the occupation and to the ongoing systemic oppression and violence that Palestinians endure daily.
She added that recognition of a Palestinian state is the absolute minimum governments around the world can do to help.
Thunberg was among 11 other passengers aboard the Madleen. Early Monday, Israeli naval forces captured the vessel without any incident approximately 200 kilometres from Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in conjunction with various rights organisations, stated that Israel's actions in international waters constitute a violation of international law.
Israel however denies this accusation, asserting that these ships aim to violate what it claims is a legitimate naval blockade of the territory.
The group said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported. A journalist who was on board the vessel was also released and deported back to Paris.
Sabine Haddad, a spokesperson for Israel's Interior Ministry, stated that the activists deported on Tuesday waved their rights to present their case before a judge.
She added that all the remaining passengers aboard the Madleen will be held in detention for 96-hours prior, where they will be presented before a judge and their deportations scheduled for after the hearing.
Syria will need "substantial international" support for its efforts to rehabilitate the economy, meet urgent humanitarian needs and rebuild essential institutions and infrastructure, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday.
Since interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa led an insurgency that ousted the authoritarian leader Bashar al-Assad in December, countries have gradually begun restoring ties with Syria, with some lifting sanctions in a bid to kickstart the economy.
During a five-day visit by the IMF in early June, the first to Syria by the 191-country lending organisation since 2009, its team met with officials from the public and private sectors, notably the finance minister and central bank governor.
"Syria faces enormous challenges following years of conflict that caused immense human suffering and reduced its economy to a fraction of its former size," the IMF said.
"While the years of conflict and displacement have weakened administrative capacity, staff at the finance ministry and central bank demonstrated strong commitment and solid understanding."
Around 6 million people are estimated to have fled Syria during more than a decade of civil war and the United Nations estimates that 90% of those who stayed lived in poverty and relied on humanitarian aid to survive.
Half a million people were killed in the conflict.
Damascus now anticipates investments and business projects with Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others, as they re-establish flight paths and hold high-level political and economic meetings.
US President Donald Trump said that Washington will lift decades-long sanctions against Syria, but it is unclear how long that process could take.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have also eased some restrictions.
Meanwhile, oil-rich nations Saudi Arabia and Qatar paid of Syria's debt to the World Bank, valued at nearly $15 billion (€13 billion).
The IMF said it is developing a roadmap for Syria's policy and capacity building priorities for key economic institutions, including the finance ministry, central bank and statistics agency.
But Syria has a laundry list of reforms it must undertake, including improving its tax collection system, making sure its national budget can pay public sector salaries and basic healthcare and education, empowering the central bank to take measures to bring back confidence to the local currency and rehabilitate its outdated and battered banking system in line with international standards.
In 2017, the United Nations estimated that rebuilding Syria would cost about $250 billion (€218 billion).
Since al-Assad was overthrown at the end of last year, some experts say that number could be as high as $400 billion (€350 billion).
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