Donald Trump expressed scepticism at the idea of America providing security guarantees to Ukraine as the countries prepare to sign a minerals deal. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, will meet Mr Trump on Friday to finalise the agreement. It commits the countries to the idea of creating a joint fund to manage investments into Ukraine. It appears to have steered away from America’s initial brazen, extractive demands.
Tencent, a Chinese tech firm, launched a new artificial-intelligence model, Hunyuan Turbo S. It claims the model is faster than DeepSeek’s R1, which in January triggered a market selloff, hitting chipmakers like Nvidia. Investors feared that more efficient AI models would reduce chip demand. Tencent’s move underscores intensifying rivalry in China’s AI sector.
Hamas said it was ready for talks on a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal after Israel freed around 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four hostages. This completed the first phase of a fragile truce. The second was set to begin this weekend, but Israel insists it will not proceed with a deal if Hamas remains in power.
Austria’s three main centrist parties agreed to form a coalition government, excluding the hard-right Freedom Party (FPO), which won the most votes in September’s election. The government, Austria’s first three-party coalition since the 1940s, could take office next week, depending on a vote among the members of the NEOS party. Herbert Kickl, the leader of the FPO, dismissed it as a “coalition of losers”.
Andrew and Tristan Tate left Romania for America on a private jet after prosecutors lifted a travel ban. Andrew, a social influencer, is popular in alt-right online spaces. The pair are under investigation for human trafficking and money laundering, charges they deny. Romanian prosecutors say the case remains open. They also face sexual misconduct allegations in Britain, which they deny.
The share price of Seven & i, 7-Eleven’s parent company, plunged 10.5% after its founding family abandoned a $58bn buyout bid, citing financing issues. The failed attempt increases the chances of foreign ownership. The Japanese retailer now faces a potential $47bn takeover by Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Japan’s birth rate fell to a record low in 2024, with fewer than 721,000 babies born out of a population of about 123m—a 5% drop from the previous year—marking a ninth straight year of decline. Deaths outnumbered births more than two to one. A drop in marriages since the pandemic has contributed to the decline, despite government efforts to reverse the trend.
Figure of the day: 120, the number of public schools in Texas that teach mariachi, the most Mexican of music genres. Read the full story.
American politics matters intensely to the rest of the world. Read The US in brief—a daily update to help you keep on top of the political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.