Australia's News Media Bargaining Code has been named as a global trade issue by the US in its annual Foreign Trade Barriers report, amid Donald Trump's preparations for "liberation day" and new tariffs. The code, which aims to ensure news outlets are fairly remunerated for their content, was passed by Parliament in 2021 but has faced controversy, including Meta blocking access to news content and threatening to pull all news from Australian platforms if forced to pay. The US trade office has set its sights on Australia's pharmaceutical sector, biosecurity protections, and the code itself, which could be tightened with an incentive tax on platforms that do not make deals.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-02/media-bargaining-code-tariffs-trump/105124278The US Trade Office is targeting Quebec's controversial French-language law, known as Bill 96, which was adopted in 2022 and has been a barrier to trade with the US. The move may complicate Canada's decisions on responding to President Donald Trump's tariffs.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/esg/us-trade-office-takes-aim-at-quebecs-french-language-lawAustralia is facing potential US trade retaliation, with the latest report from the United States Trade Representative's office targeting the country's pharmaceutical sector, biosecurity protections, and laws requiring social media giants to pay for news. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned that weakening Australian laws to avoid tariffs would be "cutting off our own nose", while the US is set to announce a fresh round of tariffs on Thursday, dubbed 'Liberation Day'.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-02/nucoal-mining-nsw-donald-trump-liberation-day-tariffs-joe-hockey/105128078Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of violating agreements made in Saudi Arabia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling on the US to strengthen sanctions on Moscow. Zelensky's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with US officials, passing on information about Russian violations in the energy sector. The White House stated that both countries agreed to develop measures for implementing an agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/01/ukraine-russia-complain-to-us-about-strikes-on-energy-sites-a88571UNICEF reports that at least 322 children have been killed and 609 wounded in Gaza over the past 10 days, with many displaced and sheltering in makeshift tents or damaged homes. The agency's Executive Director Catherine Russell has called for an end to hostilities and for Israel to lift its ban on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, citing a dire need for food, safe water, shelter, and medical care to prevent further child deaths.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/over-300-children-reportedly-killed-in-israeli-strikes-in-gaza-in-10-days-un-8057270Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared key trade issues with the US are non-negotiable, following the release of a US Trade Representative report listing grievances against Australia, including restrictions on imported American food products and concerns over Labor's plan to impose local content requirements on streaming services. The report also renews criticism of the News Media Bargaining Code introduced by the Coalition in 2021, which requires digital platforms to pay news organizations for content used on their platforms.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-adds-to-list-of-australian-trade-grievances-before-trump-s-big-tariff-move-20250401-p5lo2z.htmlBangladesh has invited China to participate in the Teesta project, amid tensions with India. Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus claimed his country is the guardian of the Bay of Bengal and invited China to use it as a trade route. During a visit to China last week, Yunus met Chinese President Xi Jinping, where he stated that seven Indian states in the east are landlocked and rely on Bangladesh for access to the ocean.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bangladesh-inviting-china-dangerous-for-northeast-region-says-congress/article69397966.eceThe Chinese government's handling of Yuyu's espionage case has been widely criticized as an embarrassment to the country's justice system. Yuyu was wrongly convicted of spying for the US and Japan without meaningful evidence, with the prosecution relying on arbitrary determinations made by China's Ministry of State Security. The court refused to provide a copy of the judgment to Yuyu's family, and false biographical details about him flooded China's internet. The Chinese government has been accused of violating its own laws and regulations in allowing foreign diplomats who are considered spies to continue working in China without being expelled. The case has damaged Sino-Japanese relations and deterred people-to-people diplomacy, with the Japanese ambassador formally disputing the determination made by China's Ministry of State Security.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/press-freedom-center-at-national-press-club-releases-dong-family-statement-on-appeal-of-conviction-of-journalist-dong-yuyu-302416267.htmlChina has expressed strong opposition to the US-Japan agreement aimed at bolstering deterrence in the Asia-Pacific region. The move is seen as a threat by Beijing, which views the accord as an attempt to contain its growing influence in the area. China's reaction comes after the two countries signed a security treaty on March 29, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250401/p2g/00m/0in/004000c