Mark Carney Walks Back Davos Remarks After Call With Donald Trump, Says U.S. Treasury Secretary 
Japan PM Sanae Takaichi Clarifies Taiwan Stance, Stresses Importance of U.S. Alliance 
ICE Blocked From Entering Ecuador Consulate in Minneapolis During Immigration Operation 
Los Angeles Mayor Says White House Must Reassure Fans Ahead of FIFA World Cup 
Japan Urges Fishermen to Avoid Senkaku Islands as China Tensions Rise 
EU-India Trade Deal Offers European Carmakers a New Opening in India’s Competitive Auto Market 
Philippines and U.S. Conduct Joint Naval Exercises at Scarborough Shoal Amid South China Sea Tensions 
Trump, Walz Seek De-Escalation After Minneapolis Deportation Crisis and Agent Shake-Up 
Trump Raises Tariffs on South Korean Autos, Escalating Trade Tensions Despite Prior Deal 
Starmer’s China Visit Signals New Era in UK–China Economic Relations 
Kim Jong Un Signals Expanded Nuclear Plans Ahead of Workers’ Party Congress 
Sam Altman Criticizes ICE Enforcement as Corporate Leaders Call for De-Escalation 
Trump Says Administration Will ‘De-Escalate’ Federal Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota After Deadly Shootings 
U.S., Denmark and Greenland Begin Talks to Ease Tensions Over Arctic Security 
U.S. Returns Seized Oil Tanker to Venezuela in Rare Policy Move 
Jerome Powell Attends Supreme Court Hearing on Trump Effort to Fire Fed Governor, Calling It Historic 
U.S. and Taiwan Strengthen AI, Semiconductor, and Drone Cooperation at High-Level Economic Talks 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington welcomed the progress that was made so far between the United Kingdom and the European Union in the ongoing talks on the Northern Ireland trade deal. Blinken’s comments come amidst optimism from both sides in reaching a solution to the issues surrounding the deal.
In a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly after the meeting in Washington, Blinken said Washington welcomes the progress made so far on the ongoing talks. Blinken also reiterated the US stance that there must be a solution that is acceptable to all parties involved. Cleverly and Blinken’s meeting mostly focused on support for Ukraine, but the two top diplomats discussed other key issues, such as the ongoing talks on the trade deal.
“And we’re heartened that in recent days the United Kingdom and the European Union have made substantive progress toward a negotiated solution,” Blinken told reporters.
Cleverly said he updated Blinken on the talks that he described were done “in good faith with a genuine desire to get resolution to these important issues.”
While US President Joe Biden has often highlighted the importance of maintaining the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, US officials said Washington would not take sides on the matter of the post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the bloc. The UK and the EU agreed on Monday to move forward with the talks even as there are still gaps that remain between both sides after a months-long deadlock.
The British Prime Minister’s office said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would not be extending the deadline to replace the remaining European Union laws that are in place even after the UK left the bloc. The debate on the legislation to replace EU laws is set to happen on Wednesday amidst criticism from those opposed that it could result in a weakening of protections that existed through the country’s EU membership.
The government said the legislation was not aimed at watering down such protections but instead would create a regulatory environment that will fuel economic growth. The most important provision in the bill automatically invalidates secondary retained EU law by December 31, which led to uncertainty among businesses and the concern that the scale of replacing EU laws would take up government resources.
