Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's deputy, Bessent, will travel to Switzerland on Thursday to discuss economic matters with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and meet with a Chinese official.
https://nypost.com/2025/05/06/us-news/first-us-china-trade-talks-to-take-place-in-switzerland/The richest one percent of the global population is disproportionately contributing to extreme weather events, with their emissions in China and the US leading to a two-to-threefold rise in heat extremes. The Amazon droughts have also been exacerbated by the wealthiest individuals' activities, with their carbon pollution causing 17 times more droughts compared to the global average.
https://channelnewsasia.com/sustainability/worlds-richest-10-caused-two-thirds-global-warming-study-5115101Climate experts and researchers are urging for a shift in approach to address climate change, suggesting that taxing the wealthiest individuals and corporations is a crucial step in reducing future harm. Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, head of the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, notes that billionaires' carbon-intensive investments can be held accountable through progressive taxes on wealth. This approach has been shown to be more equitable than broad carbon taxes, which tend to burden lower-income individuals. Despite efforts by Brazil and nearly 140 countries to implement a global corporate tax, progress has stalled due to resistance from the US and other powerful nations. The richest 1% have accumulated $42 trillion in new wealth over the past decade, with almost a third of the world's billionaires hailing from the United States.
https://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/worlds-richest-10-caused-two-thirds-global-warming-%E2%80%94-studyChina has announced measures to bolster its economy ahead of US trade talks, including interest rate cuts and increased support for consumers and businesses affected by US tariffs. Top officials from China's central bank and financial regulators made the announcement in a joint press conference in Beijing, aiming to stabilize capital markets and provide a strong position for negotiations with the United States.
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3309434/china-moves-bolster-its-economy-ahead-us-trade-talks?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionChina's Foreign Ministry has welcomed Switzerland's trust in the country and announced that Vice Premier He Lifeng will attend talks on Beijing's behalf. The ministry vowed to defend justice and stand by its principles, stating that China will not agree to any agreement that compromises international fairness and justice. US Trade Representative Greer will meet his counterpart from China to discuss trade matters, but China's position remains unchanged: Washington must lift tariffs.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/china-vows-to-defend-justice-in-looming-trade-talks-with-us/article69549611.eceChina's leaders are using easier credit to provide a "policy buffer" for exporters ahead of trade talks with the US, according to ANZ Research. The US and Chinese economies have shown signs of strain due to recent tariff hikes, which economists consider unsustainable. A meeting in Switzerland may offer an opportunity for both sides to reduce tariffs, but a durable resolution remains elusive, with Morgan Stanley citing the wide scope of issues in the bilateral relationship.
https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2025/05/07/china-rolls-out-more-stimulus-agrees-to-trade-talks-with-usA non-profit organization is preparing a recovery and reintegration program to assist victims of human trafficking, as announced by Dumlao, although the specific details are not available due to registration requirements.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/05/08/news/national/dswd-boosts-anti-human-trafficking-program/2108147The European Union (EU) is close to signing a defense pact with Britain, as tensions over US President Donald Trump and the war in Ukraine are overshadowing Brexit disputes. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet EU chiefs in London on May 19, with multiple diplomats indicating a positive outcome for a security agreement.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/05/08/world/americas-emea/trump-ukraine-push-eu-uk-defense-pact/2107780A human rights group, Human Rights First, has filed a lawsuit against the US Trump administration over an executive order that calls for sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). The order could potentially bar human rights lawyer Amal Clooney from entering the US due to her involvement in ensuring accountability for war crimes. The ICC's lead prosecutor, Karim Khan, had issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders over the war in Gaza. Clooney was part of a panel of advisers consulted by Khan before seeking the warrants. The lawsuit claims the sanctions breach the rights of lawyers like Clooney and violate the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025/05/07/amal-clooney-icc-sanctions/