SHANGHAI — China’s national space agency said Thursday that it would let scientists from the U.S. and allied countries analyze rocks it retrieved from the moon, Beijing’s latest move to increase the international influence of its lunar exploration program. The announcement highlights how U.S.-China cooperation in some areas like space has not completely ended, despite tensions between the two countries over geopolitics and tariffs. Two U.S. universities that receive NASA funding, Brown University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, are among the seven institutions that have been allowed to borrow lunar samples China retrieved from the moon in 2020. The remaining authorized institutions are from Japan, France, Germany, Britain and Pakistan. With its uncrewed Chang’e-5 mission in 2020 China became only the third country to collect rocks from the lunar surface, joining the Soviet Union and the United States, which last went to the moon and retrieved samples in 1972. China’s subsequent uncrewed Chang’e-6 mission, completed in June last year, made it the first country to bring back rocks from the side of the moon facing away from Earth. However, he said he expected NASA to have to work with the FBI for another national security certification to enable any moon rock deliveries to U.S. universities for research. Beijing hopes to use its space prowess to forge closer political ties with close partners and U.S. allies alike. “It seems the United States is quite closed off now despite being open in the past, while we were closed off in the past and are now open; this is because of the increase in our nation’s overall strength and consequent rise in self-confidence,” Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, told Reuters in an interview Wednesday, adding that growing U.S. “isolationism” would not help its space ambitions. A CNSA official said Wednesday that the Chang’e-4 and 6 missions had four international payloads, while the Chang’e-7 mission next year will have six international payloads and “cooperation with 10 countries” is being discussed for the subsequent Chang’e-8 mission. China hopes Chang’e-7 and 8 can help provide the information it needs to decide where and how to build a permanent manned lunar base by 2035.

A member of the K-pop boy band Just B publicly came out as gay during a concert this week in Los Angeles. It's a rare move in a high-pressure Korean music industry, in which artists tend to be fiercely guarded about their private lives. Just B-member Bain, 23, made the announcement while performing a solo at the band's L.A. show Tuesday, saying “I’m proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community — as a gay person.” Videos shared on social media showed the crowd responding with loud cheers. “To anyone out there who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community, or still figuring it out — this is for you. You are seen, you are loved, and you were born this way,” he added, in a reference to the song by Lady Gaga whom he called “my queen.” He then launched into a performance of the song while waving a rainbow pride flag. Publicly identifying as gay is rare among active K-pop stars, whose behavior is tightly controlled by music labels and policed by fans who expect them to have wholesome images. According to the Korean media outlet News1, Bain is the first male K-pop star to come out publicly. After Tuesday's performance, Bain’s bandmate Siwoo left a message of support on a fan platform, South Korean media reported. “I was watching from backstage and I cried too,” he said. “I cried even more because I knew how hard it was for him.” Fans have also shown their support, with one of the most popular comments on Bain’s Instagram post saying, “I’m so proud of you, kiddo. Always love yourself because WE LOVE YOU!!!!” Just B, a six-member group, has released five EPs and several singles since debuting in 2021. Before Bain, Jiae from the now-defunct girl group Wassup said in 2020 that she was bisexual, while Lara, an Indian-American member of the U.S.-based girl group Katseye, came out as queer last month on a fan platform. Homosexuality is a sensitive subject in socially conservative South Korea, where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized. Discrimination against LGBTQ people “remains pervasive,” Human Rights Watch said in a 2023 report.

HONG KONG — President Donald Trump has a new nickname in China: “The Lord of Eternal Tariffs.” Jokes and memes about the tariffs Trump has imposed on Beijing and other U.S. trading partners have been proliferating online in China, embraced by state media seeking to rally the public as well as ordinary internet users bemused by Trump’s policy decisions. “The Lord of Eternal Tariffs,” which can also be translated as “10,000 Tariff Grandpa,” appeared last week in a report by CCTV, China’s state-run broadcaster, which said Americans were “rising up in arms” against the tariffs amid fears they could harm the U.S. economy. As the world’s two largest economies appear at an impasse over tariff levels that amount to a mutual embargo — a 145% U.S. levy on Chinese goods, and a 125% Chinese levy on goods from the U.S. —Beijing has been allowing such rhetoric to promote the perception that it has the upper hand over Trump. China has taken a hard line on the trade dispute, with its Commerce Ministry saying Thursday that the U.S. should revoke all unilateral tariffs against China if it “truly wants to solve the problem.” Even as the potential impact on their populations begins to sink in, the two countries are far from reaching the kind of trade deal Trump says the tariffs are designed to extract. They can’t even agree on whether talks have started. Trump said Thursday that U.S. and Chinese officials had met that morning, without specifying who the officials were. Asked about Trump’s remarks on Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry again disputed that any talks were taking place. “There have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the U.S. on tariff issues,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. “The U.S. should not mislead the public.” Commenters on China’s heavily censored social media have been quick to seize on any suggestion that Trump might blink. Earlier this week, after Trump said the U.S. was “going to be very nice” to China and that final tariffs would “not be anywhere near” 145%, one of the top trending hashtags on the Chinese social media platform Weibo was #TrumpWimpsOut. Chinese social media users have also satirized what they see as Trump’s strongman aspirations. On RedNote, a Chinese platform similar to Instagram, AI-generated images show Trump dressed like a Chinese emperor. Others have made fun of the idea of the United States reverting to a nation focused mainly on manufacturing, with one AI-generated video depicting Trump, Elon Musk, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio working on a production line in blue jumpsuits. Content creators on platforms not accessible in China have also joined in the online mockery. A parody account on YouTube produced a video called “The Song of MAGA,” in which Trump, Musk, Vance and Rubio march together in front of a banner that says “Serve the people,” a political slogan often used by the Chinese government. “The Lord of Eternal Tariffs” joins other Chinese nicknames for Trump that have been around since his first term, such as “King Know-It-All.” One popular transliteration of Trump’s name is “Trump Builds the Nation” — the nation being China, which some say could become more influential in the world as the Trump administration withdraws from it. Joking aside, there are indications that both China and the U.S. are looking for ways to minimize the impact of the tariffs on their economies and people. Last week, for example, the Trump administration said that smartphones and other consumer electronics, which are among the biggest Chinese exports to the U.S., would receive tariff exemptions. Asked Friday about reports that China was considering exempting some U.S. imports from the 125% tariff, Guo, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said he was “not aware” of the situation. But Beijing is openly pushing a campaign to help companies whose exports could be blocked sell them to the domestic market instead. Six Chinese online retailers, including JD.com and PDD, now have designated sections to help exporters sell their goods to Chinese consumers, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. Walmart’s China unit has rolled out a similar channel in response to Beijing’s call for the “integrated development of domestic and foreign trade,” it said Thursday. At Joy City mall in Beijing, there are new signs that say “Exports turned domestic” and “Support Chinese-made products.” The section sells a wide range of products, including clothes, shoes, suitcases, canned food and even fine porcelain. Experts say the campaign may not gain much traction given that the Chinese government has struggled for years to boost domestic consumption. It’s “naive” for Chinese exporters to make up for their losses by selling in other markets since there are many products that only Americans will buy, such as Christmas decorations, said Andy Xie, an independent economist in Shanghai. “People need to accept the reality that a lot of businesses will eventually all shut down,” he said.

President Donald Trump said in a new interview that he was joking when he promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war in the first 24 hours of his second term. Trump also said Chinese President Xi Jinping has called him about tariffs, and he addressed the Supreme Court's order that his administration work to facilitate the release of Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison. Those were just some of the areas the president touched upon in a wide-ranging interview with Time magazine to mark his first 100 days in office, which has been consumed by efforts to reshape the federal government, push the limits of presidential power and bring about an economic sea change through sweeping tariffs. A transcript of the interview was published Friday. Ending the war in Ukraine Trump told Time that he was speaking "figuratively" when he promised to end the Ukraine-Russia war on the first day of his second term. "Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point," Trump said. "Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that it will be ended," he added. Trump said repeatedly on the campaign trail that he would end the war within his first 24 hours in office. But that promise never came to fruition, and he has conveyed that negotiations have been more difficult than expected. "The war has been raging for three years," he told Time. "I just got here, and you say, what’s taken so long?" The president also said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin would "rather go and take the whole thing" when it comes to Ukraine's territory, although he said Thursday that Russia has conceded that it cannot do so. In the interview with Time, which took place Tuesday, Trump said, "Crimea will stay with Russia. And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along." Speaking to reporters on Thursday, however, Trump stopped short of saying Russia would keep control of Crimea, saying only that it would be “very difficult” for Ukraine to get the peninsula back. Russia took control of Crimea during the Obama administration, which Trump has falsely claimed President Barack Obama gave to Russia. Trump also told Time that he doesn't think Ukraine will ever be able to join NATO and that its government's aspirations to join the alliance provoked Russia. "That’s, I think, what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining NATO. If that weren’t brought up, there would have been a much better chance that it wouldn’t have started." Phone call with Xi Trump said in the interview that China's Xi called him about tariffs, though he didn't provide any details about when their conversation took place. NBC News has reached out to the White House for comment. "He's called," Trump said, "And I don't think that's a sign of weakness on his behalf." Asked what Xi said to him, Trump said, "We all want to make deals. But I am this giant store. It’s a giant, beautiful store, and everybody wants to go shopping there. And on behalf of the American people, I own the store, and I set prices, and I’ll say, if you want to shop here, this is what you have to pay." The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., declined Friday to comment on any call between Xi and Trump. As part of his new tariff policy, Trump has imposed duties of 145% on Chinese imports. Trump said earlier this week that the U.S. is "actively" speaking to China about the trade war, but Beijing on Thursday denied that there have been talks. “China and the U.S. have not engaged in any consultations or negotiations regarding tariffs, let alone reached an agreement," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said. Trade deals? Trump claimed in the Time interview that he has "made 200 deals" when it comes to tariffs, but there's no evidence that any agreement has been presented so far. His goal has been to broker trade agreements with 75 countries in less than 90 days. Asked to clarify his comment that he has made 200 deals, Trump said, “100%.” The president was then asked to share with whom these deals have been made and gave a long answer about his tariff plans without naming any country. Trump said that the deals would be announced "over the next three to four weeks, and we’re finished, by the way.” "I'll be finished," the president added when asked again to clarify what he meant. "Now, some countries may come back and ask for an adjustment, and I’ll consider that. We’re a department store, a giant department store, the biggest department store in history. Everybody wants to come in and take from us. They’re going to come in and they’re going to pay a price for taking our treasure, for taking our jobs, for doing all of these things. But what I’m doing with the tariffs is people are coming in, and they’re building at levels you’ve never seen before." Abrego Garcia case Trump suggested in the interview that he hasn't been involved in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man whom his administration mistakenly deported to El Salvador, despite the Supreme Court's order that the administration must help "facilitate" his return to the U.S. "I leave that to my lawyers," Trump said when asked if he was helping with Abrego Garcia's release. "I give them no instructions. They feel that the order said something very much different from what you’re saying. But I leave that to my lawyers. If they want — and that would be the attorney general of the United States and the people that represent the country. I don’t make that decision." Trump said he hasn't asked El Salvador President Nayib Bukele to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. "I haven’t been asked to ask him by my attorneys. Nobody asked me to ask him that question, except you," Trump said to Time. The White House has said that Abrego Garcia will "never" come back to the U.S., and officials have maintained that he is a member of the MS-13 gang, which his lawyers and family have denied. Asked if he's violating his oath by not obeying a Supreme Court order, Trump said, "I’m not defying the Supreme Court. I never defy the Supreme Court. I wouldn’t do that. I’m a big believer in the Supreme Court, and have a lot of respect for the Justices." Third term as president In the Time interview, Trump again discussed the idea of serving a third term as president, which he cannot do under the Constitution. Trump claimed he hasn't "looked at even the possibility" when questioned about his past comments that he might seek another term. But when asked about methods he's previously referred to that could make it possible, he said, “I’d rather not discuss that now, but as you know, there are some loopholes that have been discussed that are well known. But I don’t believe in loopholes. I don’t believe in using loopholes.” The Trump Organization, meanwhile, has begun selling red hats embroidered with "Trump 2028" in white block letters.

Suzanne Dumont knows who she will vote for in Canada's election, though it's a decision made "not from my heart, it's from my head". The 70-year-old from Quebec City considers herself a sovereigntist, but hopes when Canadians go to the polls on Monday they'll elect a majority government to take on Trump. The Bloc Québécois, a federal party that supports independence and only runs candidates in the predominantly French-speaking province, can't deliver on that, she says. Supporting the Conservatives is "unthinkable" to Ms Dumont, so this time she will be voting Liberal. In Montreal, Louis Plouffe is picking up groceries at the city's Jean-Talon market. He tells the BBC that he thinks the Bloc "defends Quebec's interests well" as an opposition party in Parliament. Still, "it's not being in power", the 65-year-old says, and he wants a government with a strong mandate "ready for the wave that's coming" from the US. And while Mr Plouffe has reservations about the Liberal leader, he believes Mark Carney has come across as credible and confident in interviews. He too will vote for the party. "Canadian patriotism is on the rise in Quebec", said Émilie Foster, an adjunct professor in politics at Carleton University. "We prefer to be part of Canada instead of being part of the United States, if we have to choose," she says. Sébastien Dallaire, a pollster with Léger, puts it this way: "It's hard to say now is the time to talk about Quebec sovereignty, or now is the time to do things specifically to defend Quebec, when clearly there's a national crisis and everybody is staring not at Ottawa as the adversary, but as Washington as the clear opponent." A recent Léger survey suggests that almost 40% of voters for the Bloc believe an independent Quebec would have less influence than Canada as a whole in dealing with the US. The Liberals are currently polling at about 46% in the province, with the Bloc a distant second at 25%, slightly ahead of the Conservatives, who have long struggled to gain real traction there. Quebec can be a wildcard in general elections, and winning the province - which holds 78 seats of the 343 in the House of Commons - can propel a party to power. The abandonment of smaller parties - like the Bloc, the left-leaning New Democrats or the Green Party - is a trend seen nationwide as Canadians rally around either the Liberals or the Conservatives in the face of a new threat from their neighbour. Carney, a former central banker for Canada and the UK, is seeking to paint himself as the leader most able to help the country navigate the crisis. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is billing himself as the change candidate who can restore the "Canadian promise". It has been a remarkable election campaign, one sparked by the resignation of longtime Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then overshadowed by an unprecedented intervention from an American president which transformed the state of the race. Trump's tariffs are expected to hit Quebec especially hard. The province is one of the biggest suppliers to the US of aluminium, a sector hit by Trump's 25% tariffs. Its significant forestry and dairy industries are also in the president's sights. Quebec also fiercely protects its identity and its culture as a distinct society, and has twice held referendums on whether to seek independence from the rest of Canada. That's why the US president's repeated digs at Canada's sovereignty has sparked such disquiet here. Bloc MP Louis-Philippe Sauvé, a former political aide, is fighting to hold on to the seat he won just last September in a special election in the southwest Montreal riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun - an upset victory in a district considered a Liberal stronghold. The riding is historically working-class, and in recent years parts have become some of the trendiest in the city. Gentrification has brought pressures, and Sauvé tells the BBC during a pause while campaigning that issues like housing, homelessness and immigration all come up as he goes door-knocking, just as they did six months ago. "That's all still there, but for sure this general election is very much monopolised by challenges posed by the US, the Canada-US relationship," he says. "That's really what everyone's talking about." He admits some frustration that it's become the "ballot box question". "Trump won't be president of the United States for eternity," he adds. "The housing crisis will still be a problem in the next few years." The Bloc's struggles come despite a consensus that party leader Yves-François Blanchet hasn't had many stumbles in the campaign. His pitch is that the party can be a check on federal powers, warning that Ottawa might sell out provincial interests if push comes to shove in trade and security talks with the US, which are expected to launch shortly after the 28 April election. And in a number of ways, Carney is also an unusual choice for Quebec voters. Born in western Canada, his French can be shaky - usually a political liability in the province. Even Trudeau, widely viewed as bilingual, faced scrutiny over his linguistic abilities. Carney has given his own French a six out of 10. Ms Dumont said she would "never" rate him that high. Carney has also come out against sensitive issues for many Quebecers, including saying that a Liberal government would intervene if a bill that expands French-language requirements in the province were challenged at the Supreme Court. "I have a hard time explaining the lack of reaction by Quebecers," says Bloc MP Sauvé of Carney's enduring popularity in the province. "It's like there is a Teflon effect." The Liberal candidate in the riding, Claude Guay - the former CEO of IBM Canada who is taking his first run at politics - says Quebecers have taken notice of things like Trump signing an executive order making English America's official language. (French is Quebec's official language, while Canada is officially bilingual.) "The threat of the 51st state, for example, really impacts the opinions of people that may have been sovereigntist and they're thinking: 'Well, do we have a better place in Canada?'" he says. Still, no one suggests that the issue of Quebec sovereignty has been settled. About 30% of Quebecers currently back independence even as some are opting to vote with the Liberals this election. For Mr Plouffe, the shopper at the Montreal market, however, now is just not the time to take the leap. "It's not saying it won't happen, and I won't say I won't support it. But we're not ready," he says.

Canadians are set to vote on Monday in an election seen as one of the most consequential in years, as the country looks to its future amid a trade war with the US. So what are the main federal political parties promising? Their platforms address key issues on the minds of voters, from their approach a suddenly volatile US-Canada relationship to the rising cost of living to energy and climate change. Here is a breakdown on where each party stands on some of the major issues: On the cost of living Canada, like many countries, has been grappling with higher prices for everyday goods while wages have failed to keep up, and all the parties are pitching ways to keep more money in the pockets of Canadians. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives are proposing tax cuts for people in the lowest tax bracket, with the Liberals promising a one-percentage-point cut and the Conservatives proposing dropping the tax rate from 15% to 12.75%. Conservatives are also in favour of removing the federal sales tax on purchases of all new homes and Canadian-made cars, while the Liberals have vowed to scrap sales taxes on homes under C$1m ($720,000; £540,000) for first-time buyers. The Bloc Québécois, a party that focuses on Quebec interests and only runs candidates in the province, wants to pass a bill that would increase Old Age Security - benefits for pensioners - payments by 10%. The party also wants to limit credit card interest rates. The left-wing NDP has proposed scrapping the federal sales tax on essentials like energy, phone and internet bills. It has also vowed to double the income received by Canadians with disabilities. On Trump's tariffs and US-Canada relations The main theme of the campaign has been how Canada's next prime minister will tackle a trade war with its closest economic ally and neighbour, after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and threatened its sovereignty. Most of the leading federal parties agree on some form of retaliatory tariffs in response to those put in place by the US, though they have different ideas on how the money raised by these levies would be used. The Conservatives promised to put it towards tax relief, especially for workers affected by tariffs. The Liberals have also said they would use money raised by counter tariffs to help workers and businesses and the NDP vowed to put "every dollar" collected towards supporting those affected. Additionally, the Liberals have said they will spend C$5bn on measures to diversify trade internationally and within Canada and invest in infrastructure like ports and railroads, and C$2bn to protect Canada's auto industry. The Conservatives are also remove trade barriers between provinces, and will call a meeting with premiers within a month of taking office. They also want to pursue a trade and mobility agreement with the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The Bloc has called for pandemic-style support for affected workers and are pushing for more support for Quebec's aluminium industry, which has suffered under Trump's metals levies. The NDP have proposed a 100% levy on all Tesla products if Trump moves ahead with his full threatened tariffs on all Canadian goods, and to bar the president from the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta in June. On defence spending Canada has been criticised - including by President Trump - for lagging behind on its military spending, falling well short of the Nato target (which is 2% of a country's GDP). Both the Liberals and the Conservatives say they will aim to reach that goal by 2030. The Liberals say they will spend C$18bn over the next four years, which will go to purchasing new equipment like submarines and heavy icebreakers that can be used in Canada's north. The Conservatives are pledging C$17bn in that same time frame, and are vowing to build new Arctic military bases in Iqaluit and Churchill, Manitoba. The NDP has a longer timeline of 2032 for reaching the Nato target. The party would also cancel Canadian contracts for US-built fighter jets and aircrafts, and also bolster and set up new military bases in the north. On housing Home prices have skyrocketed in the last decade across the country. The Liberals want to create a standalone federal entity that would act as a developer for affordable housing. Through it, a Liberal government would supply C$25bn in debt financing for prefabricated home builders. They have also vowed to more than double annual housing starts in Canada to 500,000. Conservatives want to tie federal funding to cities based on the number of homes they have built. Their goal is to build 2.3 million homes in Canada in the next five years - about 460,000 a year. Conservatives would also sell off 15% of federal buildings so the land can be used for the construction of affordable homes. The NDP's platform is focused on building three million affordable homes in the next five years by speeding up approvals and spending C$1bn for the construction of rent-controlled homes. The party has also vowed to set aside federal land to build a total of 100,000 rent-controlled units by 2035. On energy and climate One of the Conservatives' key promises was doing away with an unpopular consumer carbon pricing pricing programme put in by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Liberal leader Mark Carney repealed it in his first week as prime minister. A similar tax on large industrial emitters, however, remains in place. The Liberals have vowed to "improve" that tax to maintain the push on reducing emissions while ensuring Canadian companies are still competitive. They plan to support carbon removal and sequestration technologies and speed approval of clean energy projects. Conservatives say they will repeal all carbon pricing, which they say will in turn reduce regulations and help boost the economy. They also want to scrap a cap on oil and gas emissions, and do away with Bill C-69, an environmental assessment act for major infrastructure. They have promised to bring in a tax credit to boost clean Canadian manufacturing to help lower emissions. The Liberals, on the other hand, want to build a Canada east-west electricity grid, though Carney has said that he, too, is open to the construction of new pipelines to reduce dependence on the US. The NDP said they would keep the industrial carbon price, and is against building an LNG pipeline in Quebec. It also opposes a proposed pipeline that would transfer oil from Alberta to New Brunswick, prioritising an east-west electricity grid instead. The NDP, the Bloc and the Green Party want to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies while the Bloc wants a cap on oil-and-gas sector emissions. The Greens additionally want to transition to a fully renewable electricity system by eliminating coal, oil, and gas-fired power generation and invest in solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. They also want to cancel all new pipelines and oil exploration projects.

HONG KONG — China on Thursday directly contradicted President Donald Trump’s claims that Beijing and Washington are actively discussing resolutions to a trade war that threatens to upend the global economy. While Trump said Wednesday that the world’s two largest economies are “actively” talking, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson responded that “China and the U.S. have not engaged in any consultations or negotiations regarding tariffs, let alone reached an agreement.” The spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, made the comments at a briefing in Beijing, saying that reports of ongoing talks were false. He added that while China is open to negotiations, “if it’s a fight, we will fight to the end.” At 145%, Trump’s tariffs are higher on China than any other country. As he ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese goods in recent weeks, citing unfair trade practices, Beijing has responded in kind, bringing its total tariff on U.S. goods to 125% — levels that amount to a mutual trade embargo. The prospect has raised fears of a global recession, sending markets whipsawing as trade tensions have done the same. Relations briefly appeared to improve Wednesday after the Trump administration signaled that it was discussing reducing tariffs with China. Still, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave conflicting accounts of the state of negotiations Wednesday, with Bessent saying “both sides are waiting to speak to the other,” without providing further detail. The secretary reiterated remarks he made the previous day, predicting near-term de-escalation. “I don’t think either side believes that the current tariff levels are sustainable, so I would not be surprised if they went down in a mutual way,” he told reporters Wednesday in Washington.Trump, meanwhile, said that “everybody wants to be a part of what we’re doing” and that the U.S. and China had direct contact on trade “every day.” A senior administration official told NBC News on Wednesday that the U.S. is speaking with China on tariffs but at a low level that has not involved Cabinet officials. The mixed messaging came a day after Trump made comments that were interpreted as a potential softening toward Beijing. Rather than playing hardball with China, the U.S. is “going to be very nice” and the final tariffs “will not be anywhere near” the current 145%, the president told reporters Tuesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied Trump was softening his tone, telling Fox News that “there will be no unilateral reduction in tariffs against China.” Those comments poured cold water on U.S. stocks, which pared earlier gains Wednesday and slipped in premarket trading Thursday. Asian markets ended Thursday mixed, while European indexes fell in early trading. The suggestion that tariffs could soon come down “reflects the pain that these tariffs have imposed and are likely to impose on U.S. businesses and U.S. customers, if continued,” said Lee Branstetter, a professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Talking about tariff reductions before winning any concessions from China or even starting serious talks looks like a climbdown, Branstetter said. “That, to me, is consistent with the view that the president did not really think through the consequences of his tariff decisions,” he added. “They have now become much more evident to him.” Growing impact The impasse between the U.S. and China is causing growing anxiety as the implications become clearer. This week, the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts for the U.S., China and most other countries, citing the effect of U.S. tariffs. The White House is also increasingly concerned about possible shortages on U.S. retail shelves as orders begin for the holiday season at the end of the year. A spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd, a Germain container shipping group, said Thursday that its customers had canceled 30% of shipments to the United States from China over concerns about their trade dispute. After a similar battle over tariffs in Trump's first term, China — which has long been preparing for a second trade war with the U.S. president — has not rushed to offer concessions or set up meetings with U.S. trade officials. “We don’t care about what he wants,” said Wu Xinbo, a government adviser serving in China’s Foreign Ministry and a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. The U.S. and China may exchange some information at the working level, but that’s not negotiation, he said. “Trump just wants to send some reassuring signals to the domestic market, suggesting that ‘The Chinese are talking to us, don’t worry.’ But that’s not the case,” Wu said. In the meantime, China faces its own pressures, including a slowdown in its export-driven economy that would only be made worse by tariffs. If domestic demand doesn’t pick up to compensate for the drop in exports, China may need to negotiate, said Gary Ng, senior economist for Natixis in Hong Kong. It’s “quite hard” to convince the rising Chinese middle class to once again accept a decline in their living standards, Ng said. Other factors, such as the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping doesn’t have to answer to voters, may buy China some time. “I think the Chinese have taken the measure of Donald Trump,” Branstetter said. “They’ve determined that he really can’t afford the economic and political cost that high tariffs, even on China alone, would generate, that he would fold pretty quickly if pushed. And that seems to be exactly what’s happening.”

SRINAGAR, India — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday to pursue, track and punish terrorists and their backers in a strong reaction to a deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir, where police have identified two of the gunmen as Pakistani. At a speech in India’s eastern state of Bihar, Modi folded his hands in prayer in remembrance for the 26 men who were shot and killed in a meadow in the Pahalgam region of Indian Kashmir, exhorting thousands gathered at the venue to do the same. “We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth,” Modi said, referring to the attackers, without referring to their identities or naming Pakistan. His comments are, however, bound to further inflame ties between the nuclear-armed rivals after India downgraded ties with Pakistan late on Wednesday, suspending a six-decade-old water treaty and closing the only land border crossing between the neighbors. Both countries later canceled visas for their nationals to each other’s countries Thursday. Indian authorities said all visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked with effect from Sunday, adding that all Pakistanis currently in India must leave before their visas expire based on the revised timeline. The country also announced other measures, including cutting the number of diplomatic staff and closing the only functional land border crossing between the countries. In return, Pakistan closed its airspace for all Indian owned or Indian operated airlines, and suspended all trade with India including to and from any third country. Pakistan’s Power Minister Awais Lekhari called the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty “an act of water warfare; a cowardly, illegal move.” Police in Indian Kashmir published notices on Thursday naming three suspected militants “involved in” the attack, and announced rewards for information leading to their arrest. Two of the three suspected militants are Pakistani nationals, the notices said. They did not say how the men were identified. India and Pakistan control separate parts of Kashmir and both claim it in full. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday a cabinet committee on security was briefed on the cross-border linkages of the attack, the worst on civilians in the country in nearly two decades. Misri, the top diplomat in India’s foreign ministry, did not offer any proof of the linkages or provide any more details. New Delhi will also pull out its defense advisers in Pakistan and reduce staff size at its mission in Islamabad to 30 from 55, Misri said. India has summoned the top diplomat at the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi, local media reported, to give notice that all defense advisers in the Pakistani mission were persona non grata and given a week to leave, one of the measures Misri announced. Modi has also called for an all-party meeting with opposition parties to brief them on the government’s response to the attack. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave on Thursday, shouting slogans and pushing against police barricades. In Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled to hold a meeting of the National Security Committee to discuss Pakistan’s response, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X. The Indus treaty, mediated by the World Bank and signed in 1960, regulated the sharing of waters of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. It has withstood two wars between the neighbors since then and severe strains in ties at other times. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were weak even before the latest measures were announced, as Pakistan had expelled India’s envoy and not posted its own ambassador in New Delhi after India revoked the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir in 2019. Tuesday’s attack is seen as a setback to what Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have projected as a major achievement in revoking the special status Jammu and Kashmir state enjoyed and bringing peace and development to the long-troubled Muslim-majority region. India has often accused Islamic Pakistan of involvement in an insurgency in Kashmir, but Islamabad says it only offers diplomatic and moral support to a demand for self-determination. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Kashmir since the uprising began in 1989, but it has tapered off in recent years and tourism has surged in the scenic region.

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen was allowed to leave the Chinese territory to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City. Zen, a 93-year-old retired bishop, left Hong Kong on Wednesday night after applying at a court to get back his passport, his secretary told The Associated Press in a text message on Thursday. Authorities confiscated his passport after his controversial arrest under a Beijing-imposed national security law in 2022. Zen is among the critics in recent years who have said the Vatican’s agreement with Chinese authorities on the appointment of bishops betrays pro-Vatican Chinese Catholics. He has also criticized Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the official charged with negotiations with Beijing, as a “man of little faith.” Parolin is considered one of the main contenders to be the next pope, given his prominence in the Catholic hierarchy. On Tuesday, media reports said Zen had issued a critique of the Vatican, questioning why pre-conclave meetings started as early as Tuesday. The AP could not independently verify the reports, but Zen reposted the reporters’ posts about his statement on his X account. Given his age, Zen will not be among the cardinals voting in the conclave for a new pope. His secretary said Zen would return to Hong Kong after the late pope’s funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday. But she was unsure about his exact return date. It was not the first time Zen had to go through the city’s court to leave Hong Kong. In 2023, he went through similar procedures to pay his respects to the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He met Pope Francis in a private audience during that trip, but suffered health issues and was hospitalized for a time after his return to the city. Last November, he was seen attending the national security trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. He could walk on his own at that time. Zen was first arrested in 2022 on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces under the security law. His arrest sent shockwaves through the Catholic community at that time. While Zen has not yet faced national security-related charges, he and five others were fined in 2022 after being found guilty of failing to register a now-defunct fund that aimed to help people arrested in widespread 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. A hearing on his appeal against the conviction is scheduled for December. Separately, Hong Kong cardinal Stephen Chow will travel to the Vatican for the conclave, the city’s Catholic Social Communications Office said Thursday. In 2023, a Beijing bishop who was installed by China’s state-controlled Catholic church as an archbishop visited Hong Kong at the invitation of Chow. It was the first-ever official visit by a Beijing bishop to the city. Experts at that time said Chow’s invitation was a symbolic gesture that could strengthen the fragile ties between China and the Vatican. Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic ties following the Chinese Communist Party’s rise to power and the expulsion of foreign priests. Since the break in ties, Catholics in China have been divided between those who belong to an official, state-sanctioned church and those in an underground church loyal to the pope. The Vatican recognizes members of both as Catholics but claims the exclusive right to choose bishops.

China has launched three astronauts into space to replace the crew on the Chinese Tiangong space station, marking a further step in the country’s ambitions for a crewed mission to the moon and exploration of Mars. The Shenzhou 20 spaceship took off as planned atop China’s workhorse Long March 2F rocket at 5:17 p.m. local time (0917 GMT). It will reach the Tiangong about 6.5 hours later. The rocket lifted off from the launch center in Jiuquan, on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. The spaceship will remain in space before returning the current crew. The Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace,” space station has made China a major contender in space, especially since it was entirely Chinese-built after the country was excluded from the International Space Station over U.S. national security concerns. China’s space program is controlled by the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party. The addition of mechanical arms to the three-module station has also raised concerns from some that China could use them to disable satellites or other space vehicles during a crisis Since first launching a man into space in 2003 — becoming only the third country to do so — China’s space program has advanced at a steady pace. The space agency has also landed an explorer on Mars and a rover on the less-explored far side of the moon, and aims to put a person on the moon before 2030. The Shenzhou, or “Celestial Vessel,” 20 mission will be commanded by Chen Dong, who is making his third flight. He will be accompanied by fighter pilot Chen Zhongrui and engineer Wang Jie, both making their maiden voyages, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Unlike previous crews, Shenzhou 20 is entirely male. They will replace three astronauts currently on the Chinese space station. Like those before them, they will stay on board for roughly six months. The spaceship is due to be launched into space atop China’s workhorse Long March 2F rocket at 5:17 p.m. local time (0917 GMT) and reach the Tiangong about 6.5 hours later. The three-person crew was sent in October last year and they have been in space for 175 days. They are due to return on April 29 after a brief overlap with their replacements. The Tiangong, fully assembled in October 2022, can accommodate up to six people at a time. While in space, the astronauts will conduct experiments in medical science and new technologies and perform space walks to carry out maintenance and install new equipment, the Manned Space Agency said.