News from Around the World

UK set for new PM as Theresa May quits

Theresa May has said she will quit as Conservative leader on 7 June, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister.

UK pledges £2m to help end stigma and shame of period poverty

The UK government has announced £2m to support organisations around the world to end period poverty by 2030.

U.S.-China Trade Talks End. Now High-Level Talks Can Begin.

BEIJING — Three days of trade negotiations between midlevel American and Chinese officials ended in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon with progress in identifying and narrowing the two sides’ differences but little sense of when they might reach a deal.

The trade talks could help clear the way for higher-level talks later this month, when President Trump attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Vice Premier Liu He, China’s economic czar, is expected to come to Washington sometime after that.

U.S., China Face Thorny Obstacles to Lasting Trade Peace

BUENOS AIRES—The trade truce between the U.S. and China calms their economic battle and opens a brief window for the two nations to explore whether they can bridge deep divides on a range of difficult disputes.

After a weekend dinner between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Group of 20 summit here, the U.S. postponed its threat to increase tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. But it set a timeline of only about three months for the two sides to negotiate several issues that have proved largely intractable in the past.

U.S. Trade Negotiators Heading to Beijing Next Week

WASHINGTON—The U.S. is dispatching its chief trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to Beijing early next week to continue trade talks as a March 1 deadline to reach an accord nears, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday.

U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against World Bank Arm on Immunity

The U.S. Supreme Court opened some American-based international organizations to lawsuits, ruling that a World Bank affiliate must defend against allegations it is responsible for environmental damage caused by a power plant in India.

U.S. Economy Grew at 2.1% Rate in Second Quarter

WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy grew at a healthy clip in the second quarter as higher consumer spending offset a decline in business investment, keeping the decadelong expansion on track despite trade tensions and cooling global activity.

Gross domestic product, a broad measure of goods and services produced across the economy, rose at a 2.1% annual rate in the second quarter, adjusted for seasonality and inflation, the Commerce Department said Friday.

U.S. Blames Iran for Oil Tanker Attacks as Gulf Tensions Climb

The Trump administration blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers near the entrance to the Persian Gulf as fears rise that high-stakes diplomatic efforts won’t avert a military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.

“The United States will defend its forces, interests and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability,” Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told reporters Thursday in Washington, noting that Iran had previously threatened to curtail oil transport in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. and Chinese Trade Negotiators Planning for Delay of December Tariffs

U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators are laying the groundwork for a delay of a fresh round of tariffs set to kick in on Dec. 15, according to officials on both sides, as they continue to haggle over how to get Beijing to commit to massive purchases of U.S. farm products President Trump is insisting on for a near-term deal.

U.N. Climate Summit Kicks Off With $200 Billion Pledge From World Bank

Katowice, Poland, has coal in its blood. Situated in the industrial region of Silesia, it transformed from a village to a bustling city 150 years ago when vast coal reserves were found in the area. Today it still supplies most of Poland’s coal – on which the country is 80% dependent for its electricity.