Trump's Russia ultimatum, China's diplomacy and strawberry pasta
U.S. President Donald Trump gives Russia a 50-day deadline to end the Ukraine war. China ramps up its soft power as Beijing capitalizes on U.S. foreign aid cuts. And Wimbledon tennis champion Iga Swiatek's favorite food - strawberry pasta.
Our weekend episode is on rising tensions on the border between Finland and Russia. Find it here.
Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here.
Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here.
Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.
You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising.
Further Reading
In reversal, Trump arms Ukraine and threatens sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil
China steps in as US pulls back from diplomacy, report says
Strawberry pasta? Poles dine on tennis star Swiatek's favorite dish
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why Congress has closed early for summer amid Trump-Epstein discourse
House Speaker Mike Johnson halted House proceedings to block Democratic attempts to force the release of files related to sex trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson accused Democrats of weaponising the Rules process, while this action occurred amidst ongoing criticism of Donald Trump's handling of promised Epstein file disclosures. The procedural halt risks the House's ability to pass crucial spending bills before the August recess, potentially leading to a government shutdown upon their return. Republicans faced disarray following a Justice Department memo stating no further Epstein disclosure was warranted and a report alleging a birthday card from Donald Trump to Epstein, which Donald Trump denied and sued over. A bipartisan discharge petition, led by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, is gaining traction to force a floor vote on the Epstein files, bypassing committee processes, with the vote expected in September after the recess.
Scottish Sun
6 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Dad faces jail after handing sensitive information on ex-Tory MP to men he thought were Russian agents
RUSSIA SPY PLOT Dad faces jail after handing sensitive information on ex-Tory MP to men he thought were Russian agents Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DAD of four who 'dreamed of being like James Bond' faces jail after being convicted of offering to spy for Russia. Scheming Howard Phillips, 65, gave personal details on then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to two undercover British officers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Scheming Howard Phillips is seen dropping a USB stick containing information on Grant Shapps into a bike Credit: PA 3 Phillips gave details personal details belonging to former Defence Secretary Mr Shapps to undercover officers posing as Russian agents Credit: AFP 3 Dad of four Phillips, 65, who 'wanted to be like Bond', faces jail Credit: BPM The former insolvency worker, whose ex-wife told of his 007 fixation, was struggling financially after retiring. A court heard he thought it would be 'easy work for easy money' to provide agents 'Dima' and 'Sasha' with a USB stick containing personal details about his local MP. The authorities had launched an investigation after Phillips, who had applied to join the UK Border Force, made contact with Russia's embassy. He became 'deeply involved' with the undercover men, who spoke to him in fake Russian accents, promising '100 per cent loyalty' with 'no questions asked'. He offered details on Mr Shapps, who he had met at a synagogue, and was nicked after handing the USB stick to 'Sasha' for £1,000 in April 2024. Phillips, of Harlow, Essex — who claimed his aim was to 'expose' a Russian agent — was convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service at Winchester crown court. Jocelyn Ledward KC, prosecuting, told the court that it is possible Shapps will provide a victim impact statement which would be read out at Phillips's sentencing. Phillips shook his head just before being led down to the cells, and appeared to mouth the words 'can't believe it'. He will be sentenced later.
Reuters
6 minutes ago
- Reuters
Wall Street ends mixed; GM slumps as tariffs bite
July 22 (Reuters) - Wall Street shares ended mixed on Tuesday, with steep losses in General Motors and a gain in Tesla as investors focused on recent and upcoming quarterly reports and watched for signs of progress in U.S. trade discussions. GM (GM.N), opens new tab tumbled after the automaker reported a $1 billion hit from tariffs to its quarterly results, adding more fuel to investor concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump's global trade policy. Shares of Ford Motor (F.N), opens new tab also fell. Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab climbed a day before its quarterly report, while Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, also reporting on Wednesday, also rose. Optimism about heavy spending on artificial intelligence has underpinned a rally in Wall Street's most valuable companies, with the S&P 500 trading around record highs. "The market is consolidating recent gains and is in a bit of a holding pattern with some huge catalysts over the next week or two, including the August 1 tariff deadline and a lot of important Magnificent Seven earnings," said Ross Mayfield, an investment strategy analyst at Baird. Other Big Tech stocks lost ground, with Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab and Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab both closing lower. Shares of RTX (RTX.N), opens new tab dropped after the aerospace and defense giant t from Trump's trade war despite strong demand for its engines and aftermarket services. Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab tumbled after its quarterly profit plunged by about 80%. U.S. trade policy remains a major point of uncertainty for investors and companies as Trump's self-imposed August 1 deadline for many countries to reach agreements with the White House approaches. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would meet his Chinese counterpart next week to discuss an extension to the August 12 deadline set for tariffs on imports from China. Other trade negotiations appeared stalled, with optimism for a breakthrough deal with India waning and EU officials weighing countermeasures against the United States. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab gained 4.30 points, or 0.07%, to end at 6,309.90 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab lost 81.24 points, or 0.39%, to 20,892.93. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 175.77 points, or 0.40%, to 44,498.84. Philip Morris (PM.N), opens new tab slumped after reporting second-quarter revenue below expectations, as shipments of its ZYN nicotine pouches disappointed investors. Analysts on average expected S&P 500 companies to report a 7% increase in earnings for the second quarter, with technology heavyweights driving much of that gain, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. After last week's mixed economic data, traders have all but ruled out an interest-rate cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve at next week's policy meeting. They now see about a 60% chance of a reduction in September, according to the CME's FedWatch tool.
