BBC News Briefing

30 April, 2025

Alexandra Binley

Hello. The US and Ukraine say they're ready to sign a long-awaited minerals deal - we'll bring you the latest updates and analysis as we get them. In Vietnam, US President Donald Trump's tariffs mean the South East Asian nation must now pick between two of the world's superpowers - the US and China, a choice that could hit its economy hard. And finally, if you think your reflexes are good, the video below might make you think twice.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

US ready to sign Ukraine minerals deal

The initial agreement was due to be signed in February but fell apart following a heated exchange between Trump and Zelensky. Credit: Reuters

The US and Ukraine say they're "ready to sign" a minerals deal "today". Both sides have made some "last minute changes", US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, but the agreement remains "the same that we agreed to on the weekend". A draft seen by the BBC outlines the creation of a joint investment fund to prospect for critical minerals in Ukraine - my colleagues have also broken down some of the other key points here. US state department correspondent Tom Bateman writes that Zelensky looks to have "secured a significant concession from the US" on the backdated costs of weapons provided.

Get the latest

GET UP TO SPEED

Trump wears a navy blue suit, white shirt and red tie and is sitting behind a wooden table with US flags in the background. To his left is Marco Rubio who is dressed exactly the same and on his right is Pete Hegseth who has on a green tie

Trump praises tariffs after US economy shrinks

The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first quarter of the year as firms stockpiled imports ahead of tariffs, a report suggests.

Latest updates >

A split image shows three people - the woman on the left has braids and wears pink lipstick, the man in the centre is wearing a white T-shirt and sunglasses, and the woman on the right has her black hair in a bun and is wearing a white T-shirt

South African police officers found dead in river

The three officers had been missing for six days and were found with two others, 43 miles from where they were last seen.

What happened >

A man with black hair raises his arm and points his finger into the air. He is wearing sunglasses, a black jumper and a white and black keffiyeh around his neck

US releases detained Columbia student activist

Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who has permanent US residency, was detained by immigration authorities.

Watch as he's released >

Katy Perry has long black hair and is wearing a slim-fitting blue spacesuit. A large white space capsule can be seen behind her

Katy Perry 'battered and bruised' by space backlash

The singer reassured fans she is OK after facing criticism for taking part in an all-female space flight earlier this month.

More on the row >

AT THE SCENE

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Fifty years after the war, Vietnam faces a new US threat - tariffs

A woman with long black hair and a fringe that is parted in the middle has a small Vietnamese flag sticker on her cheek - a red rectangle with a yellow star in the middle.

Vietnam is celebrating 50 years of independence and the end of the war. Credit: BBC/Lulu Luo

Vietnam is a young country in a hurry along its path to prosperity. Its economy is growing at a steady 5% and it has flung its doors wide open to investment. For years it has walked a tightrope between Washington and Beijing, but now President Trump's tariffs mean it's being asked to choose between the two.

Rupert has short brown hair and is wearing a light blue shirt. He has a neutral expression on his face and is looking straight-forwards at the camera

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, Asia correspondent

Vietnam's authoritarian Communist leadership has embraced capitalism. They aspire to follow in China's footsteps, and have ploughed money and effort into becoming a reliable manufacturing hub, even an alternative to China. But that is a risky ambition during President Trump's trade war – it's partly why he is threatening a 46% levy against the South East Asian nation. That could shatter the country's economic potential.

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But it cannot escape its geography. Nestled beneath China's wide rump, it is once again on the frontline in a new American battle – which hopes to stem Beijing's rise as an economic superpower.

Keep reading

An impossible choice: South East Asia's export-driven economies have benefitted from both Chinese and US trade and investment, but that could be about to change, write Asia reporters Koh Ewe and Nick Marsh.

Xi's 'charm offensive': During a trip to South East Asian nations, China's president met with Vietnamese leaders, which Trump branded a ploy to figure out how to "screw" the US.

Tariffs retreat?: After meetings with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, his counterparts from the rest of the world are reporting back an assumption that America is edging away from what it cannot acknowledge was overreach, writes economics editor Faisal Islam.

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Parks' dark WW2 history

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