Australia's Albanese Labor government sworn in for second term
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was sworn in for a second term on Tuesday, following Labor's overwhelming election victory, which gave the party its highest majority since Australia's formation in 1901.
Labor secured at least 92 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, but the Liberal Party suffered significant losses. Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton lost his seat, and Sussan Ley was elected as the party's first female leader, as reported by Reuters.
Key cabinet roles remain unchanged, with Michelle Rowland appointed Attorney-General, Murray Watt as Environment Minister, and Tanya Plibersek as Social Services Minister.
Reuters claimed Albanese will travel to Indonesia and later to Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, where he will also meet EU leaders to discuss trade.
Trump considers attending Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey
President Donald Trump indicated on Monday that he may attend the next peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which is scheduled to take place in Turkey on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he was hopeful about the outcome of the meeting. “I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine,” he stated, according to Reuters.
The president is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar later this week. However, he indicated that he might change his travel arrangements. "I thought about flying over. I don't know where I'll be on Thursday. "I have so many meetings, but I was thinking about flying over there," Trump stated.
US and China agree to tariff truce, markets rebound
President Donald Trump announced a "total reset" in US-China ties after both countries agreed to lower tariffs on each other's products for 90 days. He stated that he intends to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping shortly and does not believe tariffs will return to their previous levels, according to BBC.
The agreement is a significant step toward lowering tensions in the continuing trade war. The United States will reduce duties on Chinese imports from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China will reduce levies on American goods from 125 percent to 10 percent.
Analysts believe the reduction are larger than projected, however 30 percent remains a high percentage. Following the announcement, US markets grew and rebounded to earlier this year's levels, indicating high investor confidence, BBC reported.
Iran-US nuclear talks in Oman turn more direct as tensions remain
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that nuclear talks with the US in Oman have grown "more serious and frank," with discussions focusing on concrete suggestions. The most recent discussion lasted three hours, and both sides agreed to continue negotiations, according to Xinhua.
President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed US efforts to remove Iran's nuclear facilities as "unacceptable." He underlined Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology, citing potential applications in healthcare and industry.
US authorities continue to push for the demolition of Iran's key nuclear sites, despite Iran's insistence that its program is entirely civilian and non-military, Xinhua reported.
