AnewZ Morning Brief - April 30th, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 30th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Bangladesh’s interim head, Muhammad Yunus, has written to U.S. President Donald Trump requesting a three-month delay on a 37% tariff on imports, emphasizing efforts to boost imports from the U.S.
Bangladesh's interim head Muhammad Yunus has written to U.S. President Donald Trump requesting a three-month pause on a 37% tariff on imports from Bangladesh, citing efforts to boost imports from the U.S., his press office said on Monday.
Bangladeshi exporters, especially in the garment sector, are bracing for the impact of the tariff.
In the letter, Yunus — a Nobel laureate who took charge of the interim government in August after prime minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown — outlined steps Bangladesh has already taken to strengthen bilateral trade.
“We are the first country to take such a pro-active initiative,” Yunus wrote, referring to the February visit of his representative, Khalilur Rahman, to Washington to begin trade discussions. Since then, officials from both countries have been working to identify specific actions that can quickly boost American exports.
The letter notes that Bangladesh was the first South Asian country to sign a multi-year agreement to import U.S. liquefied natural gas, and is working to expand trade in agriculture, energy and technology.
According to the letter, the government is now focusing on increasing imports of U.S. agricultural produce including cotton, wheat, corn and soybeans.
To support this, Bangladesh is finalising a bonded warehousing facility that will allow duty-free access for U.S. cotton, ensuring faster delivery to local manufacturers.
Yunus said Bangladesh maintains the lowest tariffs on U.S. exports in South Asia and plans further cuts.
He also listed reforms under way to ease non-tariff barriers: “We are eliminating certain testing requirements, rationalizing packaging, labelling and certification rules, and simplifying customs procedures and standards.”
Yunus said Bangladesh’s move to approve the use of billionaire Trump aide Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet network was a signal of readiness to welcome more U.S. investment in high-tech sectors including civil aviation and defence.
“Bangladesh will take all necessary actions to fully support your trade agenda,” Yunus told Trump.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
North Korea has launched a new 5,000-tonne destroyer as part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to expand the country’s naval power far beyond its coastal waters.
Russian drone strikes targeted the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Dnipro late Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring around 50 others, according to local officials. And, a drone strike continues in Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast on Wednesday.
Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has approved a coalition agreement with the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), securing the final step needed to form a new government under Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz.
Political directors from France, Britain, and Germany are scheduled to meet with Iranian officials in Rome on Friday, according to two diplomatic sources who confirmed the meeting to Reuters.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, unveiled a free standalone artificial intelligence (AI) app for its Meta AI assistant on Tuesday, marking a significant move as part of the growing wave of new AI apps in the tech industry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree renaming Volgograd International Airport to its historical name of Stalingrad, a move made official late Tuesday.
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