World
Biden designates UAE as a second major defense partner after India
Vice President Kamala Harris met separately with the UAE leader, but the talks were closed to press, read the report.
President Joe Biden recognized the United Arab Emirates as a major defense partner of the United States on Monday after talks with its president on topics that included the war in Gaza and growing Middle East instability, Reuters reported.
The U.S. designation – India is the only other country to have been designated as such – allows for close military cooperation through joint training, exercises and other collaborative efforts.
Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for “urgent, unhindered” humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and shared their commitment to a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in a statement after their meeting.
At the start of the meeting, Biden said he had been briefed on the latest developments between Israel and Lebanon, where Lebanese officials said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 492 people on Monday.
“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return to their home safely,” he said.
Their joint statement touched on the Gulf state’s involvement in the Sudan conflict, with both stressing that there was no military solution to the war, which has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis.
They also underscored plans to deepen cooperation on space exploration, clean energy and artificial intelligence, where the UAE has launched ambitious plans drawing interest from U.S. geopolitical rival China.
Vice President Kamala Harris met separately with the UAE leader, but the talks were closed to press, read the report.
“The vice president raised her deep concerns about the conflict in Sudan,” the White House said. “She expressed alarm at the millions of individuals who have been displaced by the war and the atrocities committed by the belligerents against the civilian population.”
World
China to buy at least $17 billion in US agricultural products annually, White House says
The $17 billion figure does not include the soybean purchase commitments China made in October 2025, the White House said.
China has committed to purchasing at least $17 billion of U.S. agricultural products in 2026, 2027 and 2028, the White House said in a fact sheet released on Sunday.
The commitment was made during meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, the White House said.
The $17 billion figure does not include the soybean purchase commitments China made in October 2025, the White House said.
There has been a marked reduction in U.S. agricultural exports to China after last year’s rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs sharply curtailed trade, which fell 65.7% year-on-year to $8.4 billion in 2025, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
China has dramatically scaled back its reliance on U.S. farm goods since Trump’s first term, sourcing roughly 20% of its soybeans from the U.S. in 2024, the year before he returned to office, down from 41% in 2016.
China will work with U.S. regulators to lift suspensions of U.S. beef facilities and resume imports of poultry from U.S. states determined to be free of avian influenza, the White House said.
Confirming earlier statements from the Chinese government, the White House also said on Sunday the world’s two largest economies would establish a U.S.-China Board of Trade and the U.S.-China Board of Investment.
The boards will resolve concerns over market access for agricultural products and expand trade “under a reciprocal tariff-reduction framework,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement last week.
World
Trump returns from China with stability but little progress
While the meeting produced a calmer tone and modest commercial agreements, key disputes over trade, technology and regional influence remain largely unsettled.
US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week ended with limited economic agreements and no major breakthroughs, highlighting the continued strategic and economic rivalry between the United States and China.
The two-day summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected a shift away from last year’s intense trade war toward a more stable — but unresolved — relationship between the world’s two largest economies.
While the meeting produced a calmer tone and modest commercial agreements, key disputes over trade, technology and regional influence remain largely unsettled.
Analysts said China appeared to benefit from the return to more predictable relations after the sharp tensions triggered by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs in early 2025. Beijing and Washington later reached a temporary trade truce, but both countries continue to compete strategically and economically.
Reuters reported that Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the summit marked a return to stability after months of severe tariff escalation.
Trump travelled to Beijing with several leading American business figures, including Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, although few major commercial outcomes were announced publicly.
The summit also failed to secure any public Chinese commitment to assist Washington in ending the war involving Iran, an issue that has affected global markets and weighed on Trump’s domestic approval ratings.
A White House official said Trump used his relationship with Xi to secure benefits for the American economy, pointing to reported agreements involving Boeing aircraft sales and expanded agricultural exports.
Chinese officials described the talks as “constructive and strategic,” saying both sides discussed how major powers should manage relations amid long-term competition.
Despite the improved atmosphere, longstanding U.S. concerns — including China’s industrial overcapacity and trade practices — were not publicly addressed during the visit.
The summit’s commercial results also fell short of Trump’s 2017 China visit, when agreements worth around $250 billion were announced.
Although Trump claimed Boeing secured a deal for China to purchase 200 aircraft, the figure was reportedly lower than earlier expectations of up to 500 jets.
No breakthrough was reached on allowing China to purchase advanced artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia, an issue closely watched by lawmakers in Washington concerned about China’s technological development.
Officials said some additional commercial agreements could be delayed until a possible reciprocal visit by Xi to Washington later this year.
Experts said the summit demonstrated that both countries are increasingly accepting long-term competition rather than seeking a return to closer cooperation.
World
Large blast near Beit Shemesh part of pre-planned test: Israeli defense firm
The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.
A large explosion near the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh late Saturday was part of a pre-planned and controlled test, according to a statement by state-owned Tomer defense company that was cited by The Times of Israel.
Videos on social media showed flames and a large plume of smoke rising from the area following the blast, which was heard in nearby communities.
The Times of Israel said the explosion occurred at a testing ground belonging to Tomer, a company that develops rocket and missile engines.
The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.
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