Global Pulse

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  • This coat cost $248 in illegal tariffs. Will he ever get the money back?

    This coat cost $248 in illegal tariffs. Will he ever get the money back?

    When Massachusetts personal trainer Alex Grossomanides ordered a French down jacket last year, he thought he had locked in a solid deal. That excitement quickly faded when a $400 bill for tariffs and processing fees landed in his inbox — a charge that came close to matching the purchase price of the coat itself. The unexpected cost stemmed from a little-known detail: the parka was manufactured in Myanmar, which at the time fell under a 40% US tariff rate, adding $248.04 in duties alone. Months later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the controversial 40% tariff and dozens of other levies first introduced by former President Donald Trump, triggering what is set to become the largest tariff refund program in U.S. history. But even as authorities prepare to launch the repayment process, thousands of consumers and small business owners like Grossomanides fear they will never see their money returned.

    The court’s ruling only extends eligibility for refunds to importers who paid the duties directly to U.S. Customs. This narrow scope excludes the vast majority of people who ultimately bore the cost of the tariffs through indirect channels: higher retail prices, hidden processing fees, and supply chain markups. Grossomanides, who paid his tariff through global shipping firm DHL, says he wants to believe he will recoup his funds, but he has received no communication from the company and is not optimistic. “They should be refunding people,” the 37-year-old said. “It’s all my money and I took the hit for it, which I don’t think is fair.”

    In March, the U.S. Court of International Trade ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection to return the more than $160 billion in duties the federal government collected from the invalidated tariffs, opening the door for roughly 330,000 direct importers to claim back at least a portion of their costs. Fears that the Biden administration would challenge the court order have not come to pass, and customs officials working on the program say the refund portal is scheduled to go live this month, with a progress update due to the Court of International Trade on April 14. Even so, economic analysts warn that fully reversing the financial damage of the tariffs is functionally impossible. Multiple independent studies confirm that most importers already passed the bulk of tariff costs on to consumers in the form of higher prices — a cost shift that the court’s ruling does nothing to address.

    For small businesses across the country, the pain is particularly acute. Sue Johnson, owner of Sue Johnson Lamps, a small lighting design firm based in Berkeley, California, says her business suffered a major blow when the tariffs forced her mica supplier to double the price of the raw material she uses for her Art Deco-inspired lamp designs. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Johnson says she has no expectation of receiving any compensation for the extra costs she absorbed. “Maybe big direct importers will get repaid, but I have no hope they’re going to refund me,” she said.

    Small importers note that the issue is far more complex than the refund program acknowledges. While many raised prices to offset tariff costs, most could not raise them enough to cover the full expense, eating into already thin profit margins. Beyond direct duty costs, the tariffs triggered a cascade of secondary financial harm: many small businesses took on high-interest debt to cover unexpected duty bills, lost sales from price-sensitive customers, and spent thousands of dollars on administrative work just to navigate the claims process. Kacie Wright, who works for Houghton Horns, a small Texas-based importer of musical instruments, told a forum hosted by small business advocacy group We Pay the Tariffs that even if her firm ultimately receives a refund, it will not make the business whole. “Just making sure our business was lined up to receive a refund has been costly, requiring more than six months of back-and-forth with customs officials to properly register in the agency’s online system,” Wright explained.

    Jared Slipman, chair of the tax department at law firm Obermayer, which advises dozens of small businesses on the refund process, says U.S. Customs has placed the full burden of gathering documentation and filing claims on the claimants themselves. For many small businesses, Slipman says, the administrative requirements are so burdensome that many will conclude the potential payout is not worth the time and cost of applying. Other businesses, he predicts, will be forced to file additional litigation just to recoup the funds they are owed. Most of all, Slipman says, ordinary consumers get the worst end of the deal. “It may very well be the case that this is an orchestrated theft from the American consumer… and that would be very unfortunate,” Slipman said.

    For consumers like James Tak, a 41-year-old Washington resident who paid a $24 tariff fee to UPS last year when he received a shipment of video games as a gift from a friend in Japan, even small charges add up. Tak says he understands that processing refunds for millions of indirect payers would be a logistical nightmare, but he still believes he is owed his money back. “I just think it’s money I shouldn’t have to pay,” Tak said.

    A small number of shipping firms, including global logistics giant FedEx, have publicly stated they intend to pass any refunds they receive back to the consumers and small businesses that originally paid the charges. But most importers have issued only vague, limited promises, especially for firms that passed tariff costs through to consumers as general price hikes rather than separate line-item charges. The dispute over unclaimed refunds has already sparked a wave of class-action lawsuits against major U.S. retailers and brands, including warehouse club Costco, eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica (parent company of Ray-Ban), and activewear brand Fabletics, founded by actress Kate Hudson. Fabletics previously broke out tariff charges as a separate line item on customer receipts, leading plaintiffs to accuse the firm of “unjust enrichment” — collecting extra tariff costs from customers and now standing to collect the same funds again from the federal government.

    Adrian Bacon, head of litigation at the Law Offices of Todd Friedman, which brought the class-action suit against Fabletics and is investigating multiple other firms, says while government watchdogs like the Federal Trade Commission typically handle consumer protection issues, the involvement of federal trade policy means private legal action is the only available avenue to force companies to pass refunds on to consumers. That has not stopped current Trump administration officials from weighing in on the debate. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last month called on companies that receive “windfall” refunds to pass the money on to workers in the form of performance bonuses. Last February, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cast doubt on the likelihood that ordinary consumers would ever see any of the refund money. “I got a feeling the American people won’t see it,” Bessent said.

  • Djibouti holds presidential election with longtime ruler favored for a sixth term

    Djibouti holds presidential election with longtime ruler favored for a sixth term

    In the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, presidential polling got underway on Friday, setting the stage for what analysts widely predict will be another term in office for the country’s 26-year incumbent leader Ismaïl Omar Guelleh. The 78-year-old Guelleh, who has governed Djibouti’s population of roughly 1 million since 1999, stands poised to claim a sixth consecutive term after national legislators eliminated the country’s previous presidential age cap last year.

    Guelleh’s path to reelection has been largely unobstructed. In the 2021 presidential contest, he secured nearly 99% of the popular vote, and this year he faces only one challenger: Mohamed Farah Samatar, a one-time member of Guelleh’s ruling party. Political analysts widely characterize the race as lacking meaningful competitive tension, a pattern that has defined Djibouti’s electoral politics for years. Opposition blocs have regularly boycotted national elections, citing systemic restrictions on political organizing and civil liberties. Critics maintain that the country’s political system is tightly controlled by the ruling establishment, while government officials counter that centralized governance has delivered consistent stability to a region plagued by conflict and unrest.

    Guelleh’s rise to the presidency followed the retirement of his uncle, founding leader Hassan Gouled Aptidon, cementing a decades-long family-led political order that remains the backbone of Djibouti’s public life today.

    Beyond its internal politics, Djibouti holds outsized global strategic importance, thanks to its location along the critical shipping corridor connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It currently hosts foreign military bases for major global powers including the United States, China, France, and Japan. Economic activity in the country relies heavily on two core revenue streams: income from hosting these military installations, and port service fees for landlocked neighboring Ethiopia, which depends on Djibouti’s infrastructure for nearly all its international trade.

    Yet this narrow economic model leaves Djibouti uniquely vulnerable to external disruptions. Overreliance on Ethiopia’s port usage means any economic or political volatility in Addis Ababa directly impacts Djibouti’s national income. The ongoing crisis of shipping insecurity in the Red Sea has further amplified these risks, while growing great power geopolitical competition in the region and high levels of national debt, much of it owed to China, have added long-term uncertainty to the country’s outlook.

    The election was monitored by regional observer delegations from the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Horn of Africa’s leading regional bloc. Speaking to the Associated Press, Mohamed Husein Gaas, a senior analyst with the Raad Peace Research Institute, framed the elimination of presidential age limits as a move rooted in preserving the status quo rather than expanding democratic contestation. Gaas noted that while the change has sparked widespread concern about democratic backsliding in Djibouti, foreign powers are almost certain to prioritize political stability over democratic progress, given the country’s non-negotiable role in securing Red Sea trade routes and regional security at a time of escalating Middle East tensions.

  • Singer Delta Goodrem follows in Celine Dion’s footsteps to Eurovision

    Singer Delta Goodrem follows in Celine Dion’s footsteps to Eurovision

    LONDON, May (AP) — When the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Vienna, one contestant will step onto the world’s biggest live music stage with unique ties to two of pop music’s most legendary names, and a decades-long connection to the contest itself: Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem.

    With a career spanning more than two decades, Goodrem is far from an unknown contender on the Eurovision roster. The multi-award-winning artist has racked up over nine million album sales worldwide and claimed the top spot on music charts across eight countries, making her one of the most commercially successful participants in this year’s event. While Australia sits thousands of miles outside of Europe, the country has received an official invitation to compete every year since 2015, extending the contest’s global reach beyond its traditional continental boundaries.

    For Goodrem, Eurovision feels like a full-circle moment, rooted in the influences that shaped her into the artist she is today. Long before she was tapped to represent Australia, she had close ties to two former Eurovision participants. As a young artist rising to fame after her stint on the iconic Australian soap opera *Neighbours*, Goodrem penned the track *Eyes on Me* for Celine Dion — the Canadian icon who took home Eurovision’s top prize in 1988 while representing Switzerland. She was also mentored by the late, globally beloved Olivia Newton-John, who represented the United Kingdom at the 1974 Eurovision contest.

    “Growing up, Olivia Newton-John and Celine Dion were two of my greatest loves in music,” Goodrem shared in an interview with the Associated Press in London. “I don’t think I would be the musician I am today without the influence from the two of them. And they have both been a part of that stage from different countries.”

    Goodrem even has a friendly connection to another competing act this year: San Marino’s entry features British star Boy George, who previously worked alongside Goodrem as a fellow judge on Australia’s hit televised singing competition *The Voice*. The playful pre-existing rivalry between the two has followed them to the Eurovision stage.

    “I’ve got my eyes on him. I’m watching him,” Goodrem joked. “I was so excited and couldn’t stop laughing … it’s so playful that Boy George was like, ‘I’m coming to Eurovision!’”

    Goodrem will take the Vienna stage with her powerful original ballad *Eclipse*. When asked when she first became aware of Eurovision, she noted the contest has long been part of Australian pop culture consciousness, and that national interest grew exponentially after Australia joined the competition 11 years ago.

    “It’s been a bit omnipresent where you sort of heard it in the air. And I guess obviously Australia’s been in for 11 years. So we became a lot more actively like Team Australia. But growing up, you always were, you know, enamored with this incredible iconic stage and it’d always find its way to us,” she said.

    Goodrem, a self-described proud patriot, said representing Australia at Eurovision feels like a natural extension of the work she has done throughout her career. “I feel that as well and I’ve always been very patriotic and very true to the love I have for Australia and it feels like they’re all celebrating, we’re all sort of there together on this journey,” she added. When asked how competitive she is, the singer confirmed she is coming to the contest to give her performance everything she has.

    The path to her Eurovision participation began unexpectedly the year prior, when Goodrem was living in London and experienced the contest’s electric energy firsthand. She said when asked if she would ever compete, she jumped at the open invitation. “(Last year) I was doing my couple of shows here (in London) and I had sort of got to experience the energy of Eurovision on the ground and I just thought it was palpable, it was incredible and I was watching all the programs and it was really exciting and somebody had asked me, ‘would you do Eurovision?’ And I said, ‘I’m always open’ … You never know where your path’s leading, just if it feels right.”

    Addressing questions about political tensions that have followed the contest, including calls for boycott this year, Goodrem emphasized that music has always been a unifying force for her. “I really am a true believer that throughout my career, coming to my show, I’m about unifying — music for me is a moment where we’re all singing the same song. And I believe in that, and I have my whole life, that it’s very healing, music has a real power. So I sort of focus on the power of music being a unifying space and a place that can wrap around people’s lives and their soundtrack and that’s where it sits for me,” she explained.

    She also welcomed plans to launch Eurovision Asia, scheduled for September later this year, saying “The more music the better. I think that’s so exciting. That means I get to immerse myself in the music in September for Eurovision Asia.”

    When asked about her planned stage production for *Eclipse* — which features sand in the official music video — Goodrem teased a playful, patriotic twist, saying “Yes, you’re thinking I should bring Australian sand, you know, that’s very patriotic. I start a little beach on stage, look up at the moon for “Eclipse.” I definitely am really excited to bring it to life.”

    If she takes home the top prize, Goodrem says she is fully open to hosting the next year’s contest in Australia, even entertaining the idea of a co-hosting arrangement if that proves more practical. “Sure. Yeah, yeah! Look, I don’t know those logistics yet but I’m open to the conversation … If you would like to vote for me then I’m happy to talk about if we could like have it here or if, you know, I’m happy to do a deal.”

  • Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in Middle Eastern countries during Iran war

    Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in Middle Eastern countries during Iran war

    In a groundbreaking public disclosure that illuminates Ukraine’s expanding global defense partnerships, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukrainian military forces have shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones during active operations across multiple unspecified Middle Eastern countries. The mission, Zelenskyy explained, is rooted in shared experience: Kyiv is helping regional partners counter the exact same unmanned weapons that Russia has relentlessly deployed against Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure since the start of its full-scale invasion.

    Zelenskyy first shared details of the operations with reporters on Wednesday, with a media embargo holding the announcement until Friday. He emphasized that these were not routine training exercises or simulated drills, but live defensive action. Ukrainian personnel used domestically produced interceptor drones, a system that has already been battle-tested in defending Ukrainian airspace against the Shahed drones Russia launches on a near-daily basis.

    “This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defense system that can actually work,” Zelenskyy stated. The operations took place ahead of the tentative ceasefire reached this week between Iran, the United States and Israel, the Ukrainian leader confirmed. While he declined to name the specific host countries involved, Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations to reinforce local air defense capabilities. He had previously revealed that 228 Ukrainian defense experts were already deployed to the Middle East region.

    In exchange for this defensive support, Zelenskyy said Ukraine receives tangible benefits that strengthen its own war effort: weapons systems designed to protect critical energy infrastructure, supplies of crude oil and diesel fuel, and in some arrangements, direct financial support. The agreements, he argued, do more than just fill immediate gaps: they shore up Ukraine’s long-term energy stability and lay the groundwork for Kyiv to expand its role as a formal exporter of defense technology and expertise to global partners.

    “We are helping strengthen their security in exchange for contributions to our country’s resilience,” Zelenskyy said. “This is far more than simply receiving money.”

    The public confirmation of Ukraine’s Middle East operations comes at a delicate moment, as widespread concerns have grown that escalating conflict in the region will draw international focus and divert critical Western military aid away from Ukraine, particularly the air defense interceptors Kyiv relies on to fend off Russian drone and missile strikes. But Zelenskyy sought to ease these worries, noting that international support for Ukraine’s air defense remains steady. He confirmed that a new shipment of missiles for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems arrived in Ukraine in recent days, and that Kyiv continues to work closely with all allies to maintain robust air defense coverage across the country.

    In additional remarks, Zelenskyy revealed that he has extended an open invitation to U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv, an offer extended before the recent Middle East ceasefire took hold. “I told them: ‘Come to us, and then go to Moscow. Let’s hold a trilateral meeting in this format,’” Zelenskyy recounted. He said the pair were receptive to the idea, but ultimately chose not to travel far from U.S. President Donald Trump at this time. It remains unclear whether the visit will still take place, or if any potential talks would be moved to a neutral third country, he added.

    On the diplomatic front, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is actively finalizing security guarantee proposals to present to the United States, and holds out hope that diplomatic progress can be made. To date, U.S.-led talks have failed to advance on core issues, with Washington’s policy focus having shifted to the Middle East even as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain locked in intense positional combat along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line stretching across eastern and southern Ukraine.

    In a separate policy note, Zelenskyy called on Western allies to fully reimpose all sanctions on Russian crude oil, warning that any loosening of restrictions would allow Moscow to continue funding its war machine and offload critical energy assets. He pointed out that Russia has already seen a major boost in energy revenue, driven by spiking global oil prices triggered by recent damage to Gulf energy infrastructure and Iran’s temporary blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.

  • Judge dismisses claim Adelaide woman tried to mow down boyfriend in alleged row over hot chip

    Judge dismisses claim Adelaide woman tried to mow down boyfriend in alleged row over hot chip

    A highly unusual criminal case out of South Australia, which gained viral attention for its alleged connection to a fight over a single hot chip, has concluded with the accused woman walking free from court after the most serious charge against her was dismissed.

    Charlotte Harrison, 36, faced one count of dangerous driving endangering life, a felony charge that carried significant potential prison time, connected to a February 2023 incident on Melbourne Street in North Adelaide. The case had been winding through the South Australian legal system for more than three years before reaching its conclusion at Adelaide’s District Court on Friday.

    According to Harrison’s former partner Matthew Finn, the confrontation began when he asked to eat Harrison’s last hot chip from a takeaway chicken order, triggering a heated argument that escalated into dangerous driving. That widely shared narrative never made it into the official court proceedings, however, with no mention of the salty snack during Harrison’s trial.

    After reviewing CCTV footage of the crash, Judge Paul Muscat rejected the claim that Harrison’s driving rose to the level of endangering life, openly scoffing at the prosecution’s framing of the incident. “I do not believe that is driving in a manner that is so dangerous it could cause fear or intimidation to others,” the judge told the court. “It is more typical of driving without due care and attention.”

    Harrison entered guilty pleas to two lesser misdemeanor charges: reckless and dangerous driving. The more serious charge of driving endangering life was formally dismissed by the court.

    In his sentencing ruling, Judge Muscat found that Harrison had already served more than enough time in punishment for her offenses. The court confirmed Harrison had already spent nine days in custody on remand and 23 days on home detention following her arrest, a period the judge said exceeded any appropriate sentence for the two minor convictions. As a result, Judge Muscat convicted Harrison on the two counts but imposed no additional fines, prison time, or other penalties.

    Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after the ruling, Harrison pushed back hard on the viral narrative about the hot chip dispute. “There was never any chips and I never intended to harm or hurt anybody,” she said. Harrison confirmed she had driven recklessly, reversing her vehicle into another car before colliding with a power box, and accepted responsibility for that driving offense. “I drove in a manner that was reckless, reversed into a Yaris,” she told reporters.

    Harrison added that the three-year legal process had been a major burden, and she was relieved to have the case resolved to move forward with her life. “I feel really relieved to have all that behind me, it has been quite a journey,” she said. “I understand the elements of the charge, it was a driving offence, but the narrative that Mr Finn played up did not really play to it. I wanted to resolve this so I could move on with my life.”

    She also offered an apology to bystanders who witnessed the 2023 incident. “I am sorry to anyone that witnessed the event that day,” she said. In a lighthearted comment to reporters, she added, “Thank you for the soap that I got when I was on remand.”

    The case laid bare how sensational salacious details can overshadow the actual facts of a criminal incident, with the hot chip claim turning a routine reckless driving case into a viral news story. Harrison’s acquittal on the serious charge confirms that the court found no evidence to support the claim that she intended to harm her former partner by attempting to run him over.

  • Man attacks ‘close friend’ with samurai sword

    Man attacks ‘close friend’ with samurai sword

    A brutal, drug-fueled attack in suburban South Australia has left a close-knit friendship destroyed and a victim facing lifelong disability, culminating in a nearly eight-year prison sentence for the perpetrator. Phonexaysack Rawatxay, a 49-year-old father of three from Blakeview, was handed down the sentence this week in Adelaide District Court for the sustained samurai sword attack on his long-time close friend, identified only as DB, in April 2023.

    The court heard that DB had been staying overnight at Rawatxay’s home when he suffered a sudden hypoglycaemic attack on the living room sofa around midday. After moving into Rawatxay’s bedroom to rest, Rawatxay returned from a 10 to 15 minute drive out with his wife, two of his children and an additional friend. In the small enclosed space of the bedroom, Rawatxay drew his personal samurai sword and swung it multiple times at the unsuspecting DB. The blade struck DB repeatedly before a final blow slammed into the wooden bedhead, leaving significant damage to the furniture.

    While the exact trigger for the unprovoked attack remains unconfirmed, court documents outline the devastating extent of DB’s injuries. The victim suffered deep lacerations across his scalp, collarbone, neck, forearm and hand, with the sword actually striking his skull bone. DB’s left forearm bore a gaping 20cm by 10cm gash, while his neck was cut by a 15cm laceration. The damage to his hand was so severe that surgeons required eight hours of reconstructive surgery to repair the tissue at Royal Adelaide Hospital. Judge Michael Durrant noted in his sentencing remarks that DB was “extremely fortunate” to have survived the attack with his life.

    During court proceedings, Rawatxay pleaded not guilty to the charge of aggravated recklessly causing serious harm, arguing he had acted in self-defense. However, Judge Durrant rejected this claim and found Rawatxay guilty beyond reasonable doubt after a short trial, noting that the acts of swinging the sword were voluntary, deliberate, and clearly carried out with reckless disregard for DB’s safety.

    In pre-sentencing interviews, Rawatxay admitted that he was under the heavy influence of methylamphetamine at the time of the attack, stating he was unable to think clearly and could not recall any clear motive for the violence beyond the drug-induced impairment. Court records also revealed that Rawataxay was a chronic meth user, reporting that he injected the drug three to five times daily by November 2023, which Judge Durrant classified as “significant abuse.” The judge also acknowledged that Rawatxay expressed genuine remorse for the attack and regretted the end of his longstanding friendship with DB.

    Victim impact statements submitted to the court painted a picture of permanent, life-altering harm for DB. The attack left him with lasting physical scars, chronic emotional distress and ongoing psychological trauma that has upended every area of his life. He can no longer work to provide for his family, participate in recreational sports he once enjoyed, or even complete basic daily tasks independently. Most devastatingly, the hand injury has left DB unable to hold his own newborn son.

    “You have significantly altered his life. He will carry the scars and permanent impact from this offending for the rest of his life,” Judge Durrant wrote in his sentencing remarks.

    In the end, Rawatxay was sentenced to seven years, 11 months and 19 days in state prison. A separate court order also required the offending samurai sword to be forfeited and destroyed by authorities.

  • Taiwan’s opposition leader meets China’s Xi Jinping as both sides call for peace

    Taiwan’s opposition leader meets China’s Xi Jinping as both sides call for peace

    In a landmark event that marks the first high-level encounter between China’s ruling Communist Party and Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in more than a decade, Kuomintang chairperson Cheng Li-wun held a formal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Friday. Both leaders used the historic gathering to issue joint commitments to upholding cross-strait peace across the Taiwan Strait and advancing the goal of eventual unification between mainland China and the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its sovereign territory.

    The meeting comes amid escalating cross-strait tensions in recent years. Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, conducting regular large-scale military exercises that send warships and fighter jets into areas adjacent to the island, while steadily poaching the small number of diplomatic allies that still recognize Taipei’s sovereignty. Beijing has never renounced the option of using military force to bring Taiwan under its control, a stance that has fueled widespread international concern over potential conflict in the strategically vital region.

    Opening the meeting to a round of applause from delegates from both sides, President Xi welcomed Cheng and her KMT delegation, emphasizing the unshakable trajectory of closer ties between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. “The larger trend of compatriots on both sides of the strait walking nearer and nearer together will not change. This is a historical necessity. We have full confidence in this,” Xi stated.

    Cheng, who framed her five-day trip to mainland China as a “journey for peace” long before her arrival, struck a conciliatory tone in her remarks. “Although people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait live under different systems, we will respect each other and move towards each other,” she said, adding that the KMT’s core goal is to “seek systemic solutions to prevent and avoid war” across the Taiwan Strait.

    Cheng began her mainland visit on Tuesday, stopping first in Shanghai and Nanjing before traveling to the Chinese capital for Friday’s meeting. A longstanding advocate for peaceful cross-strait engagement, she has openly opposed large increases to Taiwan’s defense budget, and her KMT party currently holds enough legislative sway to block incumbent Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s proposed special defense allocation. The budget would fund major arms purchases, including the development of the “Taiwan Dome,” a domestically built air defense interception system.

    The historical context of cross-strait relations stretches back to the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. When Mao Zedong’s Communist Party seized control of mainland China, defeated KMT forces retreated across the Taiwan Strait to the island, where they established a separate governing administration that has remained in place ever since.

    A core point of agreement reaffirmed by both leaders at Friday’s meeting was commitment to the 1992 Consensus, the informal tacit agreement that underpinned decades of cross-strait engagement. While the agreement has never been formalized in a signed official document, both sides agree that it upholds the core principle that Taiwan and mainland China are part of a single “one China.” The two sides have long differed on interpretation, however: the KMT has long held that each side is free to interpret what “one China” means individually, a position Beijing has never formally recognized.

    In closing her remarks, Cheng emphasized that both parties would work together to ensure the Taiwan Strait is transformed from a potential conflict flashpoint into a region of lasting peace, and would prevent the island from becoming a geopolitical pawn manipulated by outside powers.

    This report was compiled with contributions from correspondent Wu reporting from Bangkok, Thailand.

  • Australian shares secure biggest weekly gain since 2022 despite market dip

    Australian shares secure biggest weekly gain since 2022 despite market dip

    Australia’s benchmark stock index has pulled off a remarkable milestone this week, logging its strongest weekly performance in more than two years even as lingering geopolitical instability kept market sentiment cautious through Friday’s trading session. The S&P/ASX 200 edged down 12.60 points, or 0.14%, to close at 8,960.60 on Friday, while the broader All Ordinaries index also slipped by a matching 0.14% to settle at 9,155.80. Despite the single-day pullback, the benchmark ASX 200 notched a 4.2% weekly gain that leaves it just 250 points shy of its all-time record high of 9,202.

    Market analyst Tony Sycamore notes that the monthly gain for April currently sits at 5.55%, which has erased 70% of the steep losses the index suffered during the market downturn in March. That recovery marks a notable turnaround following the sharp contraction Australian equities saw just one month prior.

    On Friday, only three out of the Australian exchange’s 11 major sectors finished the trading day in positive territory. The real estate sector led the gains, climbing 0.88% overall, with Vicinity Centres posting a 3.2% rise to close at $2.56. Utilities and financials followed the real estate sector in positive performance. Among Australia’s big four retail banks, results were mixed: National Australia Bank (NAB) added 0.31% after announcing its second fixed-rate mortgage hike in two weeks, Commonwealth Bank of Australia rose 0.47%, Westpac Banking Corporation gained 0.28% after positioning itself as the country’s lowest-cost fixed-rate lender, and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group edged up 0.23%.

    The information technology sector was the day’s poorest performer, with multiple major stocks posting notable declines. Logistics software firm WiseTech Global fell 2.6% to $37.61, cloud accounting platform Xero dropped 2.7% to $71.46, and Life360 slipped 3.3% to $19.48 shortly after unveiling workforce cuts as part of a restructuring to align its operations with artificial intelligence integration.

    Geopolitical uncertainty tied to Middle East tensions remains the primary driver of market volatility, analysts confirm. While a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced on April 8, ongoing reports of military strikes in Lebanon and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint, have kept traders on edge.

    The uncertain outlook has hit energy sector stocks, with Whitehaven Coal falling 3.2% to $8.12 and Woodside Energy dipping 0.2% to $33.29. Despite weak energy equities, concerns over the durability of the ceasefire have pushed crude oil prices higher: Brent Crude edged up 0.8% to trade at US$96.72 per barrel.

    “Oil initially fell sharply when the ceasefire was announced, as traders ruled out the most severe supply disruption scenarios,” explained market analyst Daniela Hathorn. “But prices have since rebounded as doubts about how long the agreement will hold have grown.”

    Amid the broader market volatility, safe-haven assets continued to see steady gains, with gold climbing 0.06% to hit US$4,766.17 per ounce. The Australian dollar was last trading at 70.86 U.S. cents.

  • Croatian fishermen feel the strain after Iran war ramps up fuel prices

    Croatian fishermen feel the strain after Iran war ramps up fuel prices

    Along the sun-drenched Adriatic coast of Croatia, where turquoise waters meet rolling Istrian peninsulas, 55-year-old fisherman Marijan Jakopovic continues the daily routine he has kept for three decades: readying his vessel and casting nets as dusk falls. But this year, the generational trade he inherited has grown more punishing than ever, as cascading crises driven by geopolitical conflict push Croatia’s small-scale commercial fishing sector toward collapse.

    The root of the latest crisis traces back to the ongoing war in Iran, which has sent global energy prices soaring. For Croatia’s fishermen, who rely on discounted “blue diesel” reserved exclusively for agricultural and maritime fishing work, the spike has been staggering: official data shows the price of this specialized fuel jumped 70% in just one month, climbing from €0.80 ($0.94) per liter on March 8 to €1.36 ($1.59) per liter by April 7. While the Croatian government imposed an emergency temporary price cap to stem the surge, senior Ministry of Economy official Vedran Spehar confirmed that even with intervention, prices have risen dramatically; without government action, Spehar noted, blue diesel would have hit at least €2 ($2.34) per liter, though state intervention did prevent widespread supply shortages.

    Croatia, which joined the European Union in 2013 and adopted the euro as its currency in 2023, was already grappling with steep economic pressure long before the latest Iran-driven fuel spike. The economic fallout from the war in Ukraine pushed energy and food costs upward across the bloc, and Croatia currently holds the unenviable title of having the EU’s highest annual inflation rate at 4.8%. The euro adoption transition itself also coincided with broad-based price increases across nearly every domestic sector, squeezing household and business budgets alike.

    For fishermen like Jakopovic, the fuel price surge is the final straw added to a web of long-standing challenges that have eroded profit margins for years. As an EU member, Croatia adheres to the bloc’s strict sustainable fishing regulations, which include seasonal catch bans, species-specific limits, and large protected marine zones designed to reverse declining fish populations and preserve endangered species. While these rules are critical for long-term ecological health, they have forced commercial fishermen to travel much farther from shore to reach legal fishing grounds, increasing their time at sea and overall fuel consumption—creating a vicious cycle of rising costs that many can no longer outrun.

    Compounding these structural pressures is the influx of cheap frozen seafood imports that have undercut domestic fishermen’s pricing, all while Croatia’s booming coastal tourism industry, which drew more than 20 million visitors in 2023, has failed to translate to higher earnings for local fishing crews. Even though local fishermen are the primary suppliers of fresh fish to the restaurants and markets that cater to summer tourists, their operating costs now far outpace the revenue they earn from their catch. Jakopovic explains that depending on vessel size, some fishermen now spend up to 70% of their total gross income on fuel alone, before covering expenses for crew wages, boat maintenance, and fishing equipment.

    With costs spiraling, fishermen are warning that a further escalation of the Iran conflict, which could lead to another round of fuel price surges if planned ceasefire talks fail, would push many operations into insolvency. “This is turning into an almost hopeless situation,” Jakopovic says of his small Lanisce village fishing community on the Istrian Peninsula. “We don’t know how much longer we will be able to keep working.”

    The ripple effects of the crisis are already set to impact consumers across Croatia, with higher fresh fish prices likely to hit markets and restaurants in 2024. Almira Raimovic, a former fisherman turned vendor at Pula’s central market, who now repurposed her old fishing boat for more profitable tourist excursions, says higher fuel costs will force fishermen to pass price increases up the supply chain. She predicts that Mediterranean consumers, who have long centered fresh seafood in their diets, will shift their purchasing habits toward cheaper small species like sardines and anchovies as premium fresh catches become unaffordable.

    Raimovic emphasizes that the impact will extend far beyond the fishing sector, adding to already high living costs across the country: “Rising fuel prices will affect everyone, inflating the cost of living and of food across all sectors, not just fishing.”

    The crisis is not unique to Croatia: neighboring countries in the Adriatic region have also faced similar pressure on their fishing industries, even with state subsidies and price caps in place to offset fuel costs. For thousands of Croatian fishermen whose families have worked the Adriatic for generations, the coming months will determine whether the centuries-old trade can survive the dual pressures of geopolitical volatility and the long-term structural challenges of EU-regulated fishing.

  • In Pakistan’s mediation to end Mideast war, China may hold the key

    In Pakistan’s mediation to end Mideast war, China may hold the key

    As diplomatic envoys from the United States and Iran prepare to convene in Islamabad for high-stakes negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict, official insiders and regional analysts agree: China’s behind-the-scenes influence cleared the path for the talks, and it will remain indispensable to securing a durable, long-term truce.

    Pakistan has earned international acclaim – and no small amount of surprise – for pulling off a last-minute temporary ceasefire between the warring parties, an achievement that looked all but impossible as late as Tuesday night. But senior Pakistani officials emphasize that China’s quieter, less publicized contribution was just as critical to securing the preliminary deal as Islamabad’s own frontline efforts.

    “By ceasefire night, hope was all but gone,” a senior anonymous Pakistani official with direct knowledge of the closed-door negotiations told Agence France-Presse. “It was China that stepped in and convinced Iran to sign on to the preliminary truce. Our work was central, but we were stuck without a breakthrough – that only came after Beijing’s intervention with Tehran.”

    This account echoes comments made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who shortly after announcing the two-week ceasefire on social media confirmed to AFP that China had been the key factor in persuading Iran to join the negotiating table.

    The planned Islamabad talks have sparked fragile new optimism for ending a conflict that broke out in late February, when Israel and the U.S. launched strikes against Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks from Iran across the Persian Gulf and targeting Israeli cities. The war has already killed thousands of people and sent shockwaves through the global economy.

    Pakistan, which shares deep cultural and religious ties with Iran and has long-standing close personal relations between its leadership and former U.S. President Trump, was tapped to serve as the neutral facilitator for the talks. To reach a lasting peace deal, Islamabad will have to guide the two rival sides through a minefield of intractable issues, including the reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and the future status of Iran’s nuclear program.

    According to a second anonymous diplomatic source, Pakistan has assembled a specialized team of technical experts to support negotiations on navigation, nuclear affairs, and other core contentious topics. As Islamabad lays the groundwork for the talks, the source and a cohort of regional experts and former officials agree that all attention remains focused on China’s upcoming role.

    “Iran has specifically requested that China act as a guarantor for any final deal – Iran needs a trusted third party to hold up its end of the agreement,” the source explained. The main alternative, Russia, remains bogged down in its ongoing war in Ukraine and was unacceptable to Western powers, particularly the European Union, leaving China as the only viable option.

    Beijing already maintains exceptionally close ties to both Islamabad and Tehran. For years amid crippling U.S.-led sanctions on Iran, China has been Tehran’s largest trading partner. In Pakistan, China has poured tens of billions of dollars into large-scale infrastructure projects under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, a partnership so close the two countries refer to each other as “ironclad brothers.”

    Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a former Pakistani senator who previously chaired the upper house’s defence and foreign affairs committee, noted that Pakistan and China have coordinated closely on ceasefire efforts from the very start of the hostilities. “Given that Iran does not trust the Trump-Netanyahu duo,” Sayed said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “China’s role as the ultimate guarantor will remain irreplaceable for reaching any final peace agreement.”

    Weeks ago, after Pakistan’s foreign minister held de-escalation talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, he traveled directly to Beijing to coordinate strategy, after which China publicly expressed its full backing for Islamabad’s mediation efforts. More recently, Beijing has also stepped in to help ease Pakistan’s own escalating border conflict with Afghanistan, hosting peace talks between Afghan government delegates and Pakistani officials in Urumqi following weeks of cross-border fighting.

    Hours before the preliminary ceasefire was announced, China also joined Russia in vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz – a move widely viewed as a significant gesture of goodwill to Tehran, which had imposed an effective blockade on the strategic waterway since the war began.

    Unlike Pakistan’s high-profile mediation, China has intentionally avoided the public spotlight, only reiterating that it has worked behind the scenes to encourage an end to hostilities. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson noted that Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held 26 phone calls with counterparts from regional and world powers, while Beijing’s special Middle East envoy has shuttled repeatedly across the conflict zone to facilitate talks.

    Even so, analysts and officials remain uncertain whether China will agree to take on a formal, public guarantor role in the final peace deal. “China has its own strategic considerations,” the second diplomatic source said. “It does not want to be publicly dragged into this conflict,” even as it continues to play an outsized behind-the-scenes role.

    The negotiations themselves face steep odds to resolve the massive gaps between the two sides’ positions. One major unresolved sticking point is the inclusion of Lebanon in any permanent ceasefire: Pakistan’s prime minister and Iran have both insisted Lebanon must be covered by the truce, a demand Israel has rejected. Israel, which Pakistan does not formally recognize, has continued to carry out deadly airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, while the U.S. has announced it will host separate bilateral talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington next week.

    “These negotiations are incredibly complex and sensitive,” the second source added. “For all sides to reach a consensus, everyone will have to make painful compromises and difficult concessions.”