World briefs

CHINA’s top trade and monetary policy officials delivered a subtle push-back against trade demands made by Washington, giving Beijing’s own interpretation of progress made in talks over the enforcement of any deal and the role of currencies.

HONG KONG Over 7,000 new microbial species in the oceans were discovered by researchers from the HKUST. The new species shed light on human’s understanding of microbial biodiversity in the oceans and brought hope to the development of new drugs.

NORTH KOREA Kim Jong Un is showing signs he might fire his first rocket in 15 months. Long-time observers suspect he is bluffing.

USA A big chunk of the 2020 Democratic field began making Texas an unlikely early-state stop over the weekend and pushed back on big tech in front of young, social-media savvy crowds in a city where companies including Google and Apple have big footprints.

BREXIT British Prime Minister Theresa May refused to admit defeat for her European Union divorce deal, despite deadlocked talks with the bloc. The House of Commons is due to vote today on whether to approve a deal that it resoundingly rejected in January.

IRAQ Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (left) was in Baghdad yesterday, making his first official visit to the nation that Tehran once fought a bloody war against and later backed in the battle with the Islamic State group. He met with President Barham Salih (right) and, speaking to journalists, said that a “stable Iraq will lead to stability in the entire region.”

ALGERIA Teenagers and lawyers held protests yesterday, and workers held scattered walkouts, as their tense nation waits to see whether ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika offers any concessions in the face of unprecedented protests.