Bessent Says US, China Made "Substantial Progress" On Deal After "Very Constructive" 2 Days Of Negotiations

Just hours after Trump praised China tariff talks, saying that "great progress" had been made and that a "total reset" of relations was on the table, the second day of trade negotiations between the US and China concluded moments ago, and there was more good news: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the US and China made “substantial progress” adding that they will share more details on Monday.

The announcement followed hours of meetings between Bessent, Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The talks were hosted by the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations, whose residence was used as the venue for the two countries’ teams.

Here are the Bloomberg and Reuters headlines after day 2:

BESSENT: US, CHINA MADE 'SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS' ON DEAL

GREER: IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW QUICK WE CAME TO AGREEMENT

THIS WAS A VERY CONSTRUCTIVE 2 DAYS

DIFFERENCES NOT AS GREAT AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT

BESSENT: COMPLETE BRIEFING COMING TOMORROW MORNING

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bessent-says-us-china-made-substantial-progress-deal-after-very-constructive-2-days

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Epstein Files Likely Destroyed, Claims Israel and UK Still Hold Remaining Evidence — Believes ‘He Didn’t Kill Himself’

Cenk Uygur: Okay, so, one more thing here, along these lines — Epstein files. How disappointed are you that they have not come out yet? And do you have a theory as to why they haven’t?

Rep. MTG: Yeah, I’m glad you asked me about that. You know what I’ve been saying for quite a few years now — I guarantee you, most of that information has already been destroyed. I can’t imagine that it still exists. And I would like—of course, we want to see all the information—but I just think it’s been destroyed. That’s my own personal opinion. But I think there are other foreign countries that probably have information on that as well, and it would be nice if they would release the information that they have.

Cenk Uygur: Oh, that’s interesting. Which foreign countries do you think might have information about that?

Rep. MTG: I would guess some of our greatest allies. Israel probably has information there. I would not be surprised at all if they did. The UK, I bet, would have information. I’m not sure who else, but I would suspect those countries.

Cenk Uygur: Are you disappointed that the Trump administration has not put it out yet?

Rep. MTG: I’m disappointed that many administrations haven’t put it out. The Biden administration should have put it out. I think a lot of people should have put it out. But again, I’ll go back to this: I—I have a hard time believing that it all still is there.

Cenk Uygur: Yeah. Any theories on what happened?

Rep. MTG: I have no idea. I couldn’t even tell you. Do I think he committed suicide? Nope. I don’t think so. But again, that’s just my opinion.

https://rumble.com/embed/v6r1enp/?pub=4

"Absurd Conspiracy": French Media Rushes To Quash Claims Macron, Merz & Starmer Caught Hiding Cocaine On Kiev-Bound Train

French media are on the defensive after journalists unexpectedly entered a train carriage carrying French President Emmanuel Macron, along with the German and British Prime Ministers, en route to Kyiv on Friday, which sparked a firestorm on social media with allegations of cocaine use by the top leaders.

"They [social media users] cite videos that allegedly show Emmanuel Macron discreetly hiding a strange white bag on the table," the French daily newspaper Libération said, adding, "And according to these accounts, Friedrich Merz even had a straw to use to take drugs. These conspiracy accusations fit with the narrative that Western elites are depraved and approach war unconsciously."

When reporters entered the room, Macron was meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a train ride from Poland to Ukraine.

The video.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1921568553553240099

Top Swedish official quits over gay dating app photo leak

Tobias Thyberg resigned as security adviser hours after images were sent to the prime minister’s office and news outlets

A former Swedish ambassador to Ukraine was forced to resign a top security position hours after taking up the role following the publication of explicit photos taken from a gay dating app.

Tobias Thyberg resigned from his post as Sweden’s national security adviser following the circulation of explicit images from the Grindr app to his political masters and the press. The scandal has sent shockwaves through the new NATO member’s political establishment, reportedly raising questions about the reliability of security vetting and possible foreign involvement.

Thyberg, who served as Sweden’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2019 to 2023, was appointed national security adviser shortly before midday on Thursday, according to a timeline published by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

About 30 minutes later, an anonymous email containing explicit photos, allegedly of Thyberg, was sent to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s office. The images, reportedly taken from an old Grindr account, were later shared with media outlets, including the Dagens Nyheter.

By midnight, Thyberg had informed the outlet that he would not assume the role, confirming the leak. “I should have informed about this but I didn’t,” he told the newspaper, referring to the pictures.

The paper noted that the images were not public, but were shared on a private channel, and that many were six or seven years old. It is unclear who accessed and distributed the pictures, but the Dagens Nyheter said the sender had used a private email service with strong encryption protection.

Kristersson has ordered an investigation into the scandal but refused to speculate about the potentially compromising materials. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer confirmed that the sensitive images had not surfaced during the security check, noting that Thyberg should have disclosed them voluntarily. Peter Hultqvist, a former Swedish Defense Minister, suggested that the scandal could disrupt the country’s cooperation with its international partners.

The outlet reported, citing sources, that there is speculation within the Swedish government that a foreign power may be behind the emergence of the images. Another source told the paper that it is “incomprehensible why this vulnerability was not discovered in the security clearance. The position is placed in the highest security class.”

The role of national security adviser in Sweden, which was only created in 2022, is not as prominent as its US counterpart, but it still has significant influence. The advisor reports directly to the prime minister and handles classified information. The position has come under increased scrutiny recently following the January resignation of Henrik Landerholm, who was indicted after allegedly leaving classified documents in a hotel room – a charge he denies.

https://www.rt.com/news/617372-swedish-official-quits-photo-leak/

Pipelineistan War: Syria Announces Major Natural Gas Deal With Turkey

Syria's interim Energy Minister, Mohammad al-Bashir, announced Friday that Damascus and Ankara have reached a deal for Turkey to deliver 6 million cubic meters (mcm) of natural gas per day to Syria within the next three months.

"I agreed with my Turkish counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar on supplying Syria with six million cubic meters of natural gas a day through the Kilis-Aleppo pipeline," Bashir told SANA.

His statement came hours after Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told CNN Turk late Thursday that Ankara "will provide natural gas to Syria from Kilis within the next three months."

"We have made rapid progress in Syria because our natural gas line has already extended to Kilis, near the Syrian border," the Turkish official said. "We will effectively be supplying fuel to the gas power plants there."

Bayraktar also noted that initiatives to deliver electricity directly to Syria alongside natural gas are underway. The Turkish minister stated Ankara is supplying about 200 megawatts to Aleppo and has finalized the required permitting for further exports.

"We plan to increase this by an additional 500 megawatts, aiming to reach between 700 and 800 megawatts of electricity exports in the coming months," he explained.

Bayraktar made the announcement hours after the Syrian Finance Ministry revealed that Qatar will provide $29 million per month for three months, with the possibility of extension, to help cover about one-fifth of public sector salaries.

Late last month, Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced that they would settle Syria’s $15 million debt to the World Bank, allowing the international lender to resume its activities in the country after a hiatus of more than 14 years.

Ankara, Doha, and Riyadh were key players in the 13-year war in Syria, alongside US intelligence agencies.

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/pipelineistan-war-syria-announces-major-natural-gas-deal-turkey