Bulgaria and Japan sign strategic partnership deal
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba signed a declaration on upgrading bilateral ties to a strategic partnership during Radev’s official visit to Tokyo.
Japan is contemplating offering concessions in the form of increased soybean and rice imports as part of ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, according to a report by the Yomiuri daily on Saturday.
This move comes as Japan seeks to address U.S. demands during President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff campaign, which has raised concerns about potential recession risks.
During the first round of bilateral talks on Wednesday, U.S. negotiators brought up trade barriers in sectors such as automobiles and rice, and requested that Japan import more U.S. goods, including meat, fish products, and potatoes, the report said. The Japanese government has not yet commented on the report.
In response to Trump's trade policies, Japan has faced 24% tariffs on exports to the U.S., with the rates paused for 90 days, but a 10% universal tariff and a 25% duty on cars remain in effect. Japan, which heavily relies on car exports, has sought to reduce the impact of these levies, which have disrupted market stability.
Trump has criticized Japan for its alleged 700% tariff on rice, a claim that Japan disputes, citing outdated international rice pricing. Despite these tensions, Japan has been steadily increasing its rice imports over the past year to address domestic shortages caused by rising prices.
Japan’s economic revitalization minister, Ryosei Akazawa, engaged in discussions with U.S. officials in the Oval Office following the talks, although specific details of the discussions remain scarce. Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato is expected to continue bilateral discussions with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington next week, focusing on further trade concerns and priorities.
Tensions flare in the India-France Rafale deal as France refuses to share the fighter jet’s source code, limiting India’s ability to integrate indigenous weapons and reducing its combat autonomy.
France has rejected India’s request to share source codes needed to integrate indigenous weapons into Rafale fighter jets. Despite repeated appeals, French manufacturer Dassault Aviation has refused to compromise on the issue
Anton Kobyakov, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum that the USSR’s dissolution was legally invalid and that the Soviet Union still exists under constitutional law, framing the Ukraine war as an “internal process.”
AnewZ and Kazakhstan’s Jibek Joly/Silk Way TV channel co-hosted a special AnewZ Talks in Astana at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU), uniting global experts and young leaders at Silk Road Media Group’s journalism school to explore the growing intersection of media and diplomacy.
The Tehran Dialogue Forum 2025, scheduled for May 18–19, will host 200 international guests, including 40 current and former European officials.
Meta has signed another major solar energy agreement, acquiring 650 megawatts (MW) of clean power capacity across Kansas and Texas to support the rapid expansion of its AI-driven data centers, the company confirmed Thursday.
Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Thursday that tariffs were a key point of discussion during the G7 finance ministers’ meeting, despite the issue being omitted from the final communique.
Northern France sees major farmer protests as key agricultural reforms face parliamentary review, sparking road blockades and rising tensions.
The Trump administration is moving toward lifting sanctions on Syria, but officials caution that coordinating between government agencies means the process will take longer than initially expected.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi declared that the United States would bear legal responsibility if Israel launches an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, amid reports of potential Israeli military action and ongoing nuclear negotiations in Rome.
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