While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 15, 2025
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Vietnam's leader To Lam (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Xi calls on China, Vietnam to ‘oppose unilateral bullying’ on regional tour
Chinese leader Xi Jinping on April 14 called on his country and Vietnam to “oppose unilateral bullying”, Beijing’s state media reported, during a regional tour as leaders confront US tariffs.
Mr Xi is in Vietnam for the first leg of a South-east Asia tour, with Beijing trying to present itself as a reliable alternative to an erratic US President Donald Trump, who announced – and then mostly reversed – sweeping tariffs this month.
He was welcomed to Hanoi on April 14 with a 21-cannon salute, a guard of honour and rows of flag-waving children at the presidential palace, before holding talks with Vietnam’s top leaders including General Secretary To Lam.
Mr Xi told Mr Lam their two countries must “jointly oppose unilateral bullying, and uphold the stability of the global free trade system as well as industrial and supply chains,” according to the Xinhua news agency.
Trump floats exceptions for auto parts facing 25% US tariffs
REUTERS
President Donald Trump said he is exploring possible temporary exemptions to his tariffs on imported vehicles and parts to give auto companies more time to set up US manufacturing.
“I’m looking at something to help car companies with it. They’re switching to parts that were made in Canada, Mexico and other places, and they need a little bit of time, because they’re going to make them here,” Mr Trump told reporters on April 14 in the Oval Office.
The president was asked what short-lived product exclusions he was considering but did not specify how long a potential pause or lowering of auto levies would remain in place.
Israeli makes new Gaza ceasefire proposal but prospects appear slim
PHOTO: REUTERS
Mediator Egypt has presented a new Israeli proposal for a Gaza ceasefire to Hamas, Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on April 14, but a senior Hamas official said at least two elements of the proposal were non-starters.
Citing sources, Al Qahera said mediators awaited Hamas’ response. But senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri’s assessment suggested the militant group was unlikely to agree.
Mr Abu Zuhri told Reuters the proposal did not meet the Palestinian group’s core demand that Israel commit to a complete halt of hostilities.
Trump blames Zelensky and Biden for ‘millions’ of deaths in Ukraine war
AFP
US President Donald Trump resumed his attempts on April 14 to blame Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to prevent the war in Ukraine, falsely accusing him of responsibility for “millions” of deaths.
Mr Trump – who had a blazing public row in the Oval Office with Mr Zelensky six weeks ago – said the Ukranian shared the blame with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the February 2022 invasion, and then-US president Joe Biden.
The Republican told reporters that there were “millions of people dead because of three people.”
Ex-Conservative MP among 15 charged over 2024 UK election timing bets
A former British MP and close aide of ex-prime minister Rishi Sunak was among 15 people charged with gambling offences in relation to the timing of the 2024 general election, a watchdog said on April 14.
The Gambling Commission launched a probe in June 2024 after allegations that senior Conservative figures had placed bets on the highly-anticipated timing of the election called by Mr Sunak – plunging his already troubled party into further scandal.
Craig Williams, a parliamentary candidate and Mr Sunak’s ministerial aide, and Nick Mason, the party’s then chief data officer, were among 15 people charged by the Gambling Commission for alleged bets.
