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California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump's spate of tariffs that have upended global trade.

The suit, which marks the first time a state has sued over the levies, challenges an emergency power Trump cited giving him authority to enact them, BBC reported.

California, the world's fifth-largest economy, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over tariffs, claiming they disproportionately harm the state's industrial and agriculture industries. Governor Gavin Newsom argues the levies—10% on most countries and 145% on China—damage California’s economy, which leads the U.S. in production. 

The White House dismissed the suit, defending the tariffs as necessary to address trade imbalances and a "national emergency" harming U.S. industries. California has already filed 15 lawsuits against Trump since January, according to BBC.

Legal experts note the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, cited for the tariffs, which has never before been invoked to impose tariffs.

Trump's tariff authority is also being questioned in other lawsuits filed by corporations and human rights advocates.

The reinstatement of US tariffs could have severe repercussions for export-oriented least-developed countries (LDCs) whose economies are particularly sensitive to external economic shocks due to their concentration of trade on a small number of products as well as their limited resources to deal with setbacks, according to the WTO Secretariat's latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report released on 16 April.

Under the current situation with the pause on US' "reciprocal" tariffs, LDCs may benefit from trade diversion as their export structure is similar to China's, especially in textiles and electronics, the report said. 

The volume of world merchandise trade is expected to decline by 0.2% in 2025 under current conditions, nearly three percentage points lower than what would have been expected under a "low tariff" baseline scenario, according to the report.  This is premised on the tariff situation as of 14 April. Trade could shrink even further, to -1.5% in 2025, if the situation deteriorates.

Services trade, though not directly subject to tariffs, is also expected to be adversely affected, with the global volume of commercial services trade now forecast to grow by 4.0%, slower than expected.

Director-General  of WTO Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: "I am deeply concerned by the uncertainty surrounding trade policy, including the US-China stand-off. The recent de-escalation of tariff tensions has temporarily relieved some of the pressure on global trade.”

However, the enduring uncertainty threatens to act as a brake on global growth, with severe negative consequences for the world, the most vulnerable economies in particular, she said,  in the face of this crisis, WTO members have the unprecedented opportunity to inject dynamism into the organization, foster a level-playing field, streamline decision-making, and adapt our agreements to better meet today's global realities."

At the start of the year, the WTO Secretariat expected to see continued expansion of world trade in 2025 and 2026, with merchandise trade growing in line with world GDP and commercial services trade increasing at a faster pace. However, the large number of new tariffs introduced since January prompted WTO economists to reassess the trade situation, resulting in a substantial downgrade to their forecast for merchandise trade and a smaller reduction in their outlook for services trade.

Regional goods trade forecasts

The latest forecast marks a reversal from 2024, when the volume of world merchandise trade grew 2.9%, while GDP expanded by 2.8%, making 2024 the first year since 2017 (excluding the rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic) where merchandise trade grew faster than output.

In 2025, the impact of recent tariff measures on merchandise trade is expected to differ sharply across regions.

Under the current policy landscape, North America is expected to see a 12.6% decline in exports and 9.6% drop in imports in 2025. The region's performance would subtract 1.7 percentage points from world merchandise trade growth in 2025, turning the overall figure negative. Asia is projected to post modest growth in both exports and imports this year (1.6% for both), along with Europe (1.0% export growth, 1.9% import growth). Both regions' contributions to world trade growth would remain positive under current policies, albeit smaller than in the baseline low tariff scenario. The collective contribution to world trade growth of other regions would also remain positive, in part due to their importance as producers of energy products, demand for which tends to be stable over the global business cycle.

The disruption in US-China trade is expected to trigger significant trade diversion, raising concerns among third markets about increased competition from China. Chinese merchandise exports are projected to rise by 4% to 9% across all regions outside North America, as trade is redirected. At the same time, US imports from China are expected to fall sharply in sectors such as textiles, apparel, and electrical equipment, creating new export opportunities for other suppliers able to fill the gap.

Most services growth in 2025 will originate from Europe, where exports are expected to grow by 5.0% under current policies. European growth will continue at 4.4% in 2026. Asian economies' services exports are projected to increase by 4.4% in 2025 and by 5.1% in 2026. Growth in services exports of North America will slow to 1.6% in 2025 but then accelerate to 2.3% in 2026, the report said. 

For the Middle East, services exports are expected to grow by 1.7% in 2025 and 1.0% in 2026. In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), growth of 1.1% in 2025 and of 3.5% in 2026 is anticipated. The outlook for 2025 is subdued for Africa and for South and Central America and the Caribbean, both of which are expected to record declines in 2025.

Former President Joe Biden delivered a significant address on Tuesday, during which he criticized President Donald Trump's administration for its perceived threats to Social Security.

Speaking at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago, Biden emphasized the critical importance of Social Security for millions of Americans and expressed grave concerns regarding its future under the current administration, CNN reported.

Biden, who has largely refrained from public appearances since departing from the White House in January, articulated his views against the backdrop of a broader Democratic initiative labeled as Social Security Day of Action.

CNN reports: In his remarks, he blasted the Trump administration's policies as hurtful and destructive. "In less than a hundred days, this new administration has caused so much devastation and destruction. "It's quite breathtaking," Biden added.

He specifically accused the new administration of significantly undermining the Social Security Administration, asserting that they have "taken a hatchet" to vital services that benefit millions of Americans.

Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposal for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, which conditioned the pause on the disarmament of Palestinian militant groups, BBC reported.

A Hamas official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the rejection ahead of the group’s formal response to ceasefire mediators.It comes as Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza.

Mediators had previously expressed optimism about reaching a deal soon, but concerns remain that temporary ceasefires could be undermined if they lack U.S. guarantees for a permanent resolution to the conflict, according to BBC.

The Israeli proposal also included a commitment to negotiate a lasting end to the hostilities, contingent upon Hamas and other militant factions agreeing to disarm. This information was provided by Egyptian mediators and both Hamas and negotiation officials, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Vietnam to stand against "unilateral bullying" in order to maintain a global free trade system, refraining from directly naming the United States. This appeal is part of Xi's diplomatic trip to Southeast Asia, which includes visits to Malaysia and Cambodia, Xinhua reported.

The timing of the trip is significant, as tensions rise from an escalating trade dispute between the US and China. Vietnam faces potential US tariffs of up to 46%, although a 90-day suspension was recently granted by the Trump administration.

As stated by Xinhua, Trump has criticized Xi's engagements with Vietnamese officials, suggesting it is a strategy to undermine American interests.

The trade war between the two countries has heated up, highlighted by the Trump administration's placement of 145% tariffs on a wide variety of Chinese imports, to which Beijing responded with its own 125% duties on American goods entering China.

Trump has stated that both Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin share responsibility for the "millions of people dead" in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

His remarks came during a meeting with the President of El Salvador at the White House, where he responded to reporters' inquiries.

"When you start a war, you have to know you can win," he said, also blaming President Joe Biden for the conflict, according to BBC.

Trump's remarks came in response to a recent horrific Russian missile strike on people in the northeastern city of Sumy, which has been described as one of the bloodiest attacks this year. He tweeted, "Millions of people dead because of three people: Putin at number one, Biden who had no idea what he was doing at number two, and Zelensky."

Tensions between Trump and the Ukrainian leader have been high ever since their heated confrontation at the White House in February, BBC reported.

Donald Trump claims that Chinese-made cellphones and other devices would not be spared from tariffs, stating that they are just going into a separate "bucket" of levies. 

As stated by BBC, European stock markets rose on Monday morning following Friday's official declaration that some of these products would be exempt from levies of up to 145%. 

China has urged Donald Trump to "completely cancel" his tariffs regime and "return to the right path of mutual respect". 

However, US sources stated on Sunday that products would be subject to a "semiconductor tariff", with Trump set to announce further information later, BBC reported.

In response to the United States' claim that it will limit visas for Chinese officials who create and implement rules that limit international access to Xizang, Chinese International Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated Monday that Xizang issues are internal Chinese affairs.

The US, by imposing unwarranted visa restrictions on Chinese officials over Xizang-related issues, has seriously violated international law and fundamental principles of international relations, Lin said according to the Global Times.

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Law on Foreign Relations" and the "Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law," China has decided to take reciprocal visa restriction measures against US personnel who have exhibited egregious behavior regarding Xizang-related issues, Lin said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Donald Trump to visit his country ahead of any deal with Russia to end the war.

"Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead," Zelensky stated during an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes program, BBC reported.

The interview was conducted before to the deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, which left 117 people injured and 34 dead, including two children.

Trump called the incident "horrible," while Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, charged Russia of war crimes, according to BBC.

There was no quick formal response from Russia, whose forces over the border are thought to be preparing for a major onslaught.

China’s exports jumped 12.4 per cent in March from a year earlier as companies rushed to beat increases in US tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The customs administration said that imports declined 4.3 percent, according to ABC News.

It claimed exports from the world's second largest economy increased by 5.8 percent in the first three months of the year compared to the previous year, while imports sank 7 per cent.

China's trade surplus with the United States was $27.6 billion in March, as exports increased by 4.5 percent. It has a $76.6 billion trade surplus with the United States in the first quarter of this year.

China is facing 145 per cent tariffs on most exports to the United States as of the most recent revisions in Trump’s trade policies, ABC reported.

However, the biggest increases in exports were to China’s Southeast Asian neighbors, which saw exports from China jump nearly 17 per cent in March from a year earlier. Exports to Africa increased by more than 11 percent.

The United States of America Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has sent out a strong message to immigrants over US visas.

In an editorial published by Fox News, He noted that US visas are a luxury rather than a right intended for those who contribute to the country's improvement, not its destruction, as previously indicated.

In response to President Donald Trump's administration's policies on illegal immigration, Marco stated that US law establishes clear guidelines for who can and cannot enter the United States.

"These regulations must be applied to all of the millions of visa applicants worldwide each year," he said, referring to US consulate officials.

This comes as a US judge ruled in favor of Trump’s administration’s immigration policy.

Many foreign students were forced to leave the United States within days after Trump revoked their visas, Fox News reported.

Iran and the United States will hold more negotiations next week over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, Iranian state television reported Saturday at the end of the first round of talks between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, Associated Press reported.

Iran’s state-run broadcaster revealed that U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly spoke” together — the first time the two nations have done that since the Obama administration. 

Tehran’s declaration that the two sides spoke face-to-face — even if briefly — suggests the negotiations went well even to Iranian state TV, which long has been controlled by hard-liners, according to Associated Press.

In a statement released Saturday afternoon, the White House described the discussions as “very positive and constructive,” while conceding the issues that need to be resolved “are very complicated.”

President Donald Trump's administration has exempted smartphones and computers from his reciprocal tariffs, including a 125% tariff on Chinese goods.

Late on Friday, US Customs and Border Patrol issued a notification stating that the commodities would be exempt from Trump's 10% worldwide tariff on most countries, as well as the considerably bigger Chinese import tax, according to BBC.

The move comes after US IT businesses expressed fears that the cost of products, which are often built in China, will soar. Other electronic gadgets and components, such as semiconductors, solar cells, and memory cards, are excluded as well.

Talks between the United States and Iran over Iran's nuclear programme have begun in Muscat, the capital of Oman. 

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state television his country wanted a "fair agreement", according to BBC.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a prior nuclear deal between Iran and international powers during the Obama administration, and he has often stated that he would negotiate a "better" deal. 

Iran had so far refused to renegotiate the deal. 

Although it's unclear if the two parties will meet in the same room, the discussions are regarded as a crucial first step in determining whether an agreement can be reached. The sessions on Saturday are anticipated to concentrate on creating a framework for the talks.

US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday, as Donald Trump urged the Russian president to "get moving" on a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The Kremlin said the assembly endured for more than four hours and centered on "viewpoints of a Ukrainian settlement", according to BBC.

Trump has communicated disappointment with Putin over the state of talks.

On Friday, he composed on social media "Russia has to get moving. Too many people ere [sic] DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war."BBC reported.

It comes as Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg denied suggesting the country could be partitioned.

China has filed a lawsuit against the US with the WTO after the US issued an executive order on Thursday (US time), announcing a further increase in the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" imposed on Chinese products exported to the US, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said Friday.

The spokesperson said that the US taxation measures are typical unilateral bullying and coercion practices, which seriously violate WTO rules and seriously undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order, according to the Global Times.