Trump-Xi Trade Talks Reset, Israel Strikes Beirut
Andrew Sheves Good morning.
☪️ عِيد مُبَارَك
🇨🇳** 🇺🇸 Trump-Xi Trade Talks Reset**
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resume trade talks “shortly” after a 90-minute call that appeared to break an impasse over rare earth minerals and other disputes that had derailed their Geneva agreement. Trump acknowledged the trade relationship had gotten “a little off track” but said they were now “in very good shape,” though he didn’t specify whether China agreed to speed export licenses for critical magnets needed by US companies. The leaders exchanged invitations to visit each other’s countries, but tensions remain over technology controls and Taiwan, with both sides having just 90 days under their Geneva tariff reduction deal to reach a broader agreement. More - Bloomberg
🇱🇧** Israel Strikes Beirut**
Israel bombed southern Beirut on the eve of Eid Al Adha, targeting what it called an underground Hezbollah drone factory that produces “thousands” of drones funded by Iran. The strikes occurred despite a six-month-old ceasefire and forced thousands to flee densely populated neighborhoods after evacuation warnings, drawing condemnation from Lebanese leaders who called it a “flagrant violation” of international accords. Lebanon’s government maintains the attacks, along with continued Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon, constitute ceasefire violations, while Israel cites self-defense provisions in the November agreement. More - BBC
Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary
More Unstable
🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇧🇯 Benin, 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso, 🇧🇮 Burundi, 🇨🇲 Cameroon, 🇨🇫 Central African Republic, 🇹🇩 Chad, 🇰🇲 Comoros, 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic Of The Congo, 🇩🇯 Djibouti, 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea, 🇪🇷 Eritrea, 🇸🇿 Eswatini, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇬🇦 Gabon, 🇬🇳 Guinea, 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau, 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇸 Lesotho, 🇱🇷 Liberia, 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇱 Mali, 🇲🇷 Mauritania, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇪 Niger, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇳 Senegal, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇹🇿 Tanzania, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇪🇭 Western Sahara, 🇿🇲 Zambia, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
More Stable
No countries were more stable over this period
Unchanged
🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇼 Botswana, 🇨🇻 Cape Verde, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇳🇦 Namibia, 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe, 🇬🇲 The Gambia
Regional News Summary
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to grapple with severe instability, marked by violence and human rights abuses. Recent reports from Human Rights Watch indicate that Rwanda-backed rebels have executed civilians, underscoring the dire situation in the region [SOURCE - ASIAONE]. Compounding these issues, former President Joseph Kabila has been banned from reporting, raising significant concerns about press freedom in the country [SOURCE - BBC].
In the business sector, Glencore-backed Cobalt Holdings has scrapped its planned London listing due to uncertain market conditions, refl
Carpe tomorrow!