Category: Flash News

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed held talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Alaghzi in Moscow on April 18th local time. Both sides discussed measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the latest developments in the Israeli Palestinian situation, and multiple topics of common concern. Mohammed reiterated during the talks that Qatar is committed to continuing efforts with regional and international partners to reduce conflict escalation and promote stability and peace in the region.

On April 19th, Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro stated on April 18th local time that Brazil hopes to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with BRICS countries to offset the impact of the US tariff policy. Brazil is the rotating chair of BRICS this year, and the BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting was held in the Brazilian capital Brasilia on April 17th. Brazilian Agriculture Minister Favaro said that the unprecedented trade protectionism of the United States will promote greater unity among BRICS countries and jointly seek new opportunities. The attending representatives unanimously agreed that under the impact of the US tariffs, the BRICS countries should strengthen agricultural trade.

On April 19th, with the dual support of policies and market environment, the issuance of new public funds has accelerated again. According to data, as of April 18th, based on the subscription deadline, the total issuance scale of public funds since April has exceeded 30 billion yuan. Among them, the issuance scale of equity products is nearly 23 billion yuan, accounting for over 70%. Through sorting, it is found that index funds have become the main force in newly issued equity products. The proportion of newly issued index funds is nearly 90%, and their size accounts for over 90%. From the perspective of segmented categories, over-the-counter index funds have become the main products.

On April 19th, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNHCR) announced on the 18th local time that the agency currently manages 115 shelters in the Gaza Strip, housing over 90000 displaced persons. Due to continuous attacks and blockades by the Israeli military, the influx of humanitarian aid has been hindered, further exacerbating the already dire situation. According to the United Nations, nearly 420000 people have been displaced again since the ceasefire negotiations broke down. On March 18th, the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza broke down, and the Israeli military resumed large-scale attacks on Gaza and prevented aid supplies from entering Gaza.

On April 19th, a parliamentary group meeting in support of Palestine was held in Istanbul on the 18th local time. Speakers and members of parliament from Spain, Egypt, Qatar and other countries attended the meeting to express their support for Palestine and oppose Israel’s atrocities. The attendees expressed that it is crucial for the Palestinian people to live with dignity and safety in their own country, which is essential for stability and peace. All parties should take stronger actions globally to support Palestine and compel Israel to take relevant responsibilities.

On April 19th, after Russia announced the end of a one month ceasefire on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, US President Donald Trump hinted that if the two sides cannot reach an agreement soon, he may give up efforts to strive for peace. If for some reason one of the two countries creates great difficulties, we can only say that you are stupid, “Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. Whether people are playing with us or not, my heart is like a mirror, “Trump said.” So I have to see the eagerness to end. I also think I see this eagerness. I think both sides have it

On April 19th, the China Shipowners Association issued a statement stating that on April 17th, 2025 local time, the Office of the United States Trade Representative issued a 301 investigation measure against China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding industries, which is significantly discriminatory and seriously violates international trade rules and the China US Shipping Agreement. It is a typical unilateralism and protectionism. The Chinese Shipowners Association, on behalf of all Chinese shipowners, strongly opposes and strongly protests against this, firmly opposes the accusations made by the United States based on erroneous facts and biases, and condemns its abuse of trade protectionism tools to disrupt the global shipping market order. The China Shipowners Association strongly demands that the United States cease investigations and actions based on political bias, revoke all discriminatory measures, truly respect international trade rules and market rules, and avoid causing serious damage to the normal development of the global maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding industries. The China Shipowners Association will continue to represent all Chinese shipowners, uphold an open and cooperative attitude, actively communicate with relevant parties including the United States, comply with the development trend of the international shipping industry, and jointly safeguard the sustainable and prosperous development of the global economy and trade.

On April 18th, the Federal Reserve stated that it is satisfied with the expectation of two interest rate cuts this year, but if inflation becomes more sticky, the number of interest rate cuts this year may be less than two. If economic growth slows down, further interest rate cuts will be implemented, and gradually lowering policy interest rates without a sense of urgency is the correct approach. The only commitment of the Federal Reserve is to restore price stability. The United States currently has a stable labor market, but still needs to achieve price stability.

On April 18th, the United Arab Emirates pledged to invest $1.4 trillion to strengthen its relationship with Washington and is optimistic about ensuring access to cutting-edge chips currently subject to US export restrictions. Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, a leading artificial intelligence company in the United Arab Emirates, said that the UAE has made “very good substantive progress” in acquiring advanced semiconductors from the United States. The United Arab Emirates has been increasing its investment in the technology and energy sectors of the United States to acquire chips that are crucial for it to become an artificial intelligence powerhouse. The United Arab Emirates currently belongs to the second level of artificial intelligence diffusion rules, which limit the number of processors that can be exported to most countries.

On April 18th, the Trump administration stated that it has requested Harvard University to provide records of foreign funding and some foreign relations over the past decade. The US Department of Education has written to the President of Harvard University, stating that the information disclosed by Harvard University between 2014 and 2019 is “incomplete and inaccurate”. Some analysts say that this is the latest upgrade action by the US government against Harvard University. Xiaocai Note: Recently, the US federal government has threatened to freeze federal funds and demanded that many universities “reform”. Harvard University, a well-known private institution in the United States, has chosen to be “tough”. On the 14th, Harvard University in the United States rejected the Trump administration’s request for significant reforms to its management structure, recruitment, and enrollment policies. The US government immediately announced the freezing of approximately $2.26 billion in federal funding for the school. On the 15th, Trump issued another threat to cancel Harvard University’s tax exempt status and demanded an apology from the university.