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Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to the United States on Friday, wrapping up his trip in Washington. As he departed, senior U.S. government officials saw him off at the airport, where a 21-gun salute was fired in honor of the occasion. The ceremonial farewell was noted as a sign of the formal regard accorded to the visit.

The United States and China have reached a trade agreement to lower tariffs on $30 billion worth of non-sensitive goods, following a meeting between President Trump and President Xi this week. The deal is expected to reduce prices on a range of consumer products, including small appliances, toys and holiday items, easing costs for shoppers in both countries.

Forest fires in Indonesia are sending smoke and haze across the sea toward Singapore, just as the city-state prepares to host its Formula One Grand Prix. Race organisers are drawing up contingency plans in case air quality deteriorates further. The regional haze is an annual problem linked to seasonal burning in Indonesia, and its arrival ahead of the major sporting event is drawing wide attention and concern.

US intelligence assessments indicate Saudi Arabia has not ruled out pursuing nuclear weapons, even as American senators move to block a proposed deal with Riyadh backed by President Trump. The combination of intelligence findings and congressional pushback has reignited debate in Washington over nuclear proliferation risks in the Gulf and the terms of any US-Saudi cooperation agreement.

The European Union has announced 710 million euros in additional humanitarian aid for people affected by natural disasters and conflicts worldwide. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the funding, with the largest share earmarked for Africa. The package is aimed at crisis relief across regions hit hardest by catastrophe and war.

The US Senate has voted down a war powers resolution intended to rebuke President Trump over military action against Iran. The measure would have sought to limit or block further hostilities without congressional approval, but it failed to advance. The rejection keeps Trump's Iran policy intact and underscores the ongoing divide in Congress over presidential war authority and US involvement in the conflict.

A military commander has confirmed that September 30 is the final date for all foreign military presence in Iraq, according to regional reporting. The announcement sets a firm deadline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country and is drawing attention across the region, with observers weighing its implications for Iraq's security arrangements.

South Sudan's Senior Presidential Envoy has voiced support for strengthening the country's emergency preparedness as Ebola outbreaks continue in neighbouring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The endorsement, highlighted by the World Health Organization's regional office for Africa, underscores concerns that South Sudan could be exposed if the outbreaks spread across borders, and reinforces calls for vigilance, surveillance and readiness of health systems.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran is facing deepening economic isolation as Washington pressures other countries to reduce or cut their economic ties with Tehran. The comments point to a renewed American push to squeeze Iran's economy through diplomatic and financial pressure, and the remarks are drawing attention as observers weigh how far the US campaign will go and how other governments will respond.

The United States has rejected a United Nations declaration on pandemic preparedness, preventing its adoption by consensus. The move blocks a unified international statement on coordinating responses to future global health emergencies. Details on the US objections and possible next steps at the UN remain limited as outlets pick up the story.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the surgical strikes stand as a bold example of India's counter-terrorism policy, reaffirming the government's willingness to act across the border against militant threats. The remarks underscore New Delhi's position that decisive military action remains central to its national security doctrine.

New polling related to the Texas Senate race is drawing attention, with people discussing what the numbers could mean for the contest. Specific figures and candidates named in the polls are not yet clear, but political watchers are weighing whether the results signal a shift in a race that has drawn national attention.

President Trump is planning to roll back fuel economy requirements for vehicles in the United States that were introduced under the Biden administration. The move would ease emissions and efficiency standards imposed on automakers, and it is drawing attention from the auto industry, environmental groups and policymakers amid ongoing debates over US climate policy.

The trending term relates to a France 24 report citing calls for Israelis and Palestinians to 'reboot relations', with the argument that the absence of a diplomatic path risks 'perpetual war'. The report frames the conflict as being stuck without a political route forward. Beyond this single headline, there is no additional evidence of what commentators or audiences are saying, so the wider discussion around the term is not clear from the available posts.

A US Senate committee has voted to hold Anthony Fauci, the former top US infectious disease official, in contempt of Congress. The vote escalates a standoff with Republican lawmakers who have investigated his role in the federal response to Covid-19 and related research funding. Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades before retiring in 2022, has denied wrongdoing.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Department of Homeland Security to proceed with an overhaul of its immigration database ahead of the midterm elections, over the dissents of the Court's liberal justices. The ruling clears the way for DHS to implement changes to the system during the election period, a move the dissenting justices opposed but whose specific practical effects have not yet been detailed in coverage.

Gharibabadi, an Iranian judiciary official, said Israel's nuclear arsenal cannot be ignored, according to the Mehr News Agency. The statement forms part of Iran's ongoing criticism of Israel's undeclared nuclear capability and calls for international scrutiny of weapons programs in the region.

President Emmanuel Macron was absent from the Pope's mass in Paris, but reacted on X by posting a video of the popemobile circling the Arc de Triomphe through a jubilant crowd. "Concord and Fraternity. France is proud to welcome Pope Leo XIV," the president wrote, saluting the pontiff's visit despite his own no-show at the service, a choice drawing comment and debate.

China has sent two giant pandas to a zoo in the United States in a renewed instance of what is widely known as panda diplomacy, Beijing's long-standing practice of lending pandas abroad as a gesture of goodwill. The arrival of the bears marks a fresh chapter in US-China cultural exchange at a time when bilateral relations remain strained, and the pandas are expected to draw large crowds.

Former staffers have leveled allegations of hostile workplace behavior against Mary Peltola, and the claims could shape Alaska's competitive US Senate race. The Anchorage Daily News examined how the accusations might land with voters in a contest where character questions can prove decisive. It remains to be seen whether the allegations alter the race's dynamics or fade as campaigns intensify.