International
Trump hints at softening China tariffs and says no plan to sack Fed boss

US President Donald Trump has appeared to soften his recent comments on China and the head of the US Federal Reserve after recent clashes as he pursues his economic agenda.
He said he has “no intention of firing” Jerome Powell after repeatedly criticising the head of the central bank, but he added that he would like Powell to be “a little more active” on cutting interest rates.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump also said he was optimistic about improving trade relations with China.
He said the level of tariffs – or import taxes – that he had imposed on Chinese imports would “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero”.
The president’s tariffs are an effort to encourage factories and jobs to return to the US. This is a pillar of his economic agenda – as is a cut in interest rates, aimed at reducing the cost of borrowing for Americans.
Trump has ratcheted the rate on Chinese goods up to 145% – sparking reciprocal measures from Beijing and warnings from economists about the global impact of a trade war.
In his comments to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said he would be “very nice” in negotiations with Beijing – in the hope of securing a trade deal.
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly said he expected a de-escalation of the trade war, which he said was unsustainable. Responding to comments from China, he said the current situation was “not a joke”.
The trade war has led to turbulence in financial markets around the world – to which Trump’s comments on Powell have also contributed.
The Fed has not cut rates so far this year, after lowering them by a percentage point late last year, a stance Trump has heavily criticised.
Last week, the president intensified his attacks on the Fed chief, calling him “a major loser”.
The comments sparked a selloff of stocks, bonds and the US dollar – though markets have since been recovering from those losses.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Friday that Trump was looking into whether it would be possible to sack Powell – who he first nominated to lead the central bank in 2017.
Powell was then renewed in 2021 by Joe Biden.It is unclear whether Trump has the authority to fire the Fed chair. No other US president has tried to do so.
Most major Asian stock markets were higher on Wednesday as investors appeared to welcome the latest remarks.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose about 1.9%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbed by around 2.2%, while mainland China’s Shanghai Composite was down less than 0.1%.
That came after US shares made gains on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 ending Tuesday’s session up 2.5% and the Nasdaq rose 2.7%.
US futures were also trading higher overnight. Futures markets give an indication of how financial markets will perform when they open for trading.
Investors feared that pressure on Powell to lower interest rates could cause prices to rise at a time when trade tariffs are already seen boosting inflation.
Trade tensions between the world’s biggest economies, as well as US tariffs on other countries around the world, have triggered uncertainty about the global economy. Those concerns triggered turmoil in financial markets in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, the forecast for US economic growth for this year was given the biggest downgrade among advanced economies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to uncertainty caused by tariffs.
The sharp increase in tariffs and uncertainty will lead to a “significant slowdown” in global growth, the Fund predicted.
Trump has imposed taxes of up to 145% on imports from China. Other countries are now facing a blanket US tariff of 10% until July.
His administration said last week that when the new tariffs are added on to existing ones, the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.
China has hit back with a 125% tax on products from the US and vowed to “fight to the end”.
The Chinese government has not yet officially responded to the latest statements from the Trump administration.
However, an article in the state-controlled Global Times on Wednesday quoted commentators who said the remarks showed that the US is beginning to realise the tariffs do more harm than good to America’s economy.
BBC
International
Legendary conservationist, Jane Goodall, dies at 91
Despite challenges in the rugged landscapes of Gombe National Park, she pursued her dream of living among and studying wildlife.

•Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr Jane Goodall, the world-renowned primatologist, anthropologist, and conservationist, has died at the age of 91.
Jane Goodall Institute confirmed her death on Wednesday, stating that she died of natural causes in California while on a speaking tour of the United States.
Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees transformed the scientific understanding of humanity’s closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
Beginning her studies in Tanzania at just 26 years old, she documented chimpanzees’ ability to display human-like behaviors such as affection, tool-making, and even conflict, findings that revolutionized ethology and earned her global recognition.
In her reflection on her early discoveries, Goodall once told ABC News: “Their behavior, with their gestures, kissing, embracing, holding hands and patting on the back … the fact that they can actually be violent and brutal … but also loving and altruistic.”
Her fascination with animals dated back to childhood, inspired by books like Doctor Dolittle and Tarzan.
Despite challenges in the rugged landscapes of Gombe National Park, she pursued her dream of living among and studying wildlife.
Her doctoral thesis at the University of Cambridge detailed her first five years of observations.
International
Deported Nigerian Claims Ghanaian Officials Abandoned Him in Togo

A Nigerian man deported from the United States to Ghana has alleged that he is now stranded in Togo after Ghanaian authorities secretly transferred him and five others across the border without informing Togolese officials.
According to on Wednesday, the man, who spoke anonymously, said he was initially held at a military camp in Ghana after being deported last month along with other West African nationals. He claims Ghanaian officials promised to relocate them to better accommodation but instead covertly transported them into neighbouring Togo via a back route.
“They did not take us through the main border; they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,” he said.
The group, which includes three Nigerians, a Liberian, and others, is now sheltering in a hotel in Lomé, the Togolese capital. None of them have valid documentation, and they are relying on hotel staff to help receive financial aid from relatives abroad.
“We’re struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,” the man told the BBC. “None of us has family here. We’re just stuck.”
He said life in the Ghanaian military camp was “deplorable,” citing poor water, lack of medical care, and harsh conditions. After complaints to authorities, the group was told they would be moved to a hotel. Instead, they were driven to the Togo border and allegedly coerced under false pretenses.
“When we arrived [at the border], we asked what we were doing there. They told us we needed to sign some paperwork to go to a hotel. We didn’t sign anything,” he said.
The man also shared the personal toll of his deportation. “I have a house in the US where my kids live. How am I supposed to pay the mortgage? My kids can’t see me. It’s just so stressful.”
He is reportedly a member of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, an organisation campaigning for an independent Yoruba nation in south-west Nigeria. He fears persecution if forced to return to Nigeria and claims he had court-ordered protection in the US, which should have prevented his deportation. The US government has not publicly addressed this claim.
The deportee was part of a larger group of West Africans — including citizens of Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo — who were flown from US detention facilities to Ghana last month. Human rights lawyers representing the group have filed legal action against both the US and Ghana, citing violations of international protection and due process.
Ghanaian officials, including Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have defended their decision, saying Ghana accepted the deportees based on “pan-African empathy” and denied receiving any financial compensation.
However, the deal — announced by President John Mahama — has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who are now calling for its suspension until it is properly reviewed and ratified by parliament. Despite the controversy, the government is reportedly preparing to receive an additional 40 deportees.
As the legal battle unfolds and diplomatic pressure mounts, the fate of the stranded deportees in Togo remains uncertain.
International
Seychelles presidential vote going to runoff, electoral commission says
Herminie, head of the United Seychelles (US) party, secured 48.8% of the vote, while Ramkalawan, of the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), followed closely with 46.4%, the electoral commission said.

•Image : (Up) Seychelles opposition leader of the United Seychelles (US) party Patrick Herminie; and the incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan of the LDS party
The Seychelles presidential election will go to a runoff between opposition leader Patrick Herminie and incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan after no clear winner emerged in the first round of voting, the electoral commission said on Sunday.
Ramkalawan had been looking to block a comeback by the party that previously dominated politics for four decades in Africa’s wealthiest country per capita.
The western Indian Ocean archipelago is a magnet for investment and security cooperation with China, Gulf nations and India.
Herminie, head of the United Seychelles (US) party, secured 48.8% of the vote, while Ramkalawan, of the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), followed closely with 46.4%, the electoral commission said.
Neither candidate surpassed the 50% threshold required for an outright victory in the first round.
The US party also made significant gains in the National Assembly, winning 15 constituency seats and an additional four seats through proportional representation, giving it a clear parliamentary majority.
(Reuters).
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