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"Ukraine and U.S. sign minerals deal and Iran's failed plan for Syria."

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Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. Ukraine and the US sign a minerals deal, Trump struggles to explain weak economic data, and our special report on Iran's thwarted plan for Syria. Plus, our top photography from around the world in April 2025.

Today's Top News   Scott Bessent and Yulia Svyrydenko, Washington, April 30, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY/via REUTERS Ukraine and the US signed a deal heavily promoted by President Donald Trump that will give the United States preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals and fund investment in Ukraine's reconstruction. Here's everything you need to know about the critical minerals the deal. Trump counseled patience, cast blame and claimed victory in the face of a first-quarter US economic contraction and tariffs that have taken a bite out of his popularity, saying a resurgence was around the corner. Kamala Harris called for Americans to stand up together against Trump and what she called "the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history". Republicans in the US Congress are weighing steep cuts to the Medicaid health program as part of a wide-ranging budget package that also would cut taxes and raise spending on defense and border security. Nigel Farage’s populist Reform party looks to make big gains and top the polls in UK local elections. Listen to Andrew MacAskill on today’s Reuters World News podcast as he digs into this potentially massive shock on the British political landscape.  India's foreign minister said he has told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that perpetrators of the deadly attack in Kashmir last week should be brought to justice, as the US sought to calm tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. Australia's richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, is calling for Australia to follow the US lead by embarking on Donald Trump-style leadership to cut government largesse while boosting defence spending and energy security, as the country heads to the polls this weekend. Schools were closed and flights cancelled as New Zealand's capital Wellington was hit by its strongest winds in over a decade while a state of emergency was declared in parts of the South Island after 24 hours of heavy rain.

Business & Markets   The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady and sharply cut its growth forecasts, suggesting uncertainty surrounding US tariffs and the hit to exports could keep policy in a holding pattern for some time. The fortunes of Big Tech are diverging in a rapidly changing business landscape, as demand for artificial intelligence fuels growth in cloud and digital ads while consumer electronics take a battering from Trump's global trade war. Watch our daily rundown for more on markets. A much-delayed nuclear fusion project involving more than 30 countries is ready to assemble the world's most powerful magnet - a key part of efforts to generate clean energy by smashing atoms together at super-high temperatures. A senior US lawmaker has warned Ryanair against purchasing Chinese-made aircraft due to security concerns, following comments by the CEO of the low-cost Irish airline that he would consider buying Chinese jets at the right price, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Most Rio Tinto shareholders have voted against an activist fund proposal that the mining company review its dual listing in Sydney and London, agreeing with its board. Microsoft forecast stronger-than-expected quarterly growth for its cloud-computing business Azure after blowout results in the latest quarter, calming investor worries in an uncertain economy and lifting its shares 7% after hours. CK Hutchison is facing political hurdles as it tries to offload its docks business to BlackRock for $23 billion. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why China objects, and why it might create bigger problems for inward investment.

Iran had imperial ambitions in Syria. Secret embassy papers show why it failed   A torn poster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen in Syria's Sayyida Zaynab district. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky Iran dreamed up a US-style Marshall Plan to rebuild Syria after the civil war. It invested billions to build influence there. Documents from its looted embassy in Damascus reviewed by Reuters show how that plan went spectacularly wrong with the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Read our special report

And Finally... A guard takes a nap in front of Arabic writing that translates to, 'This is from the grace of my Lord', Karachi, Pakistan April 22. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro From the Pope's funeral to explosions in the Gaza strip, Reuters photographers captured some striking images in April. Scroll through a selection of our best photos from around the world last month.  View gallery

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