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China’s Xi hails ‘new golden era’ with Malaysia during trade tour

China’s Xi hails ‘new golden era’ with Malaysia during trade tour

Xi’s visit to Malaysia is part of a regional diplomatic charm tour amid stinging US tariffs. Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur as part of a regional push to shore up Beijing’s trade relationships. The diplomatic stop on Wednesday marks the second leg of Xi’s three-nation tour, which also includes Vietnam and Cambodia, and comes amid sharp tariffs imposed by the United States that are reshaping the global economic landscape. Sultan Ibrahim welcomed Xi in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed Istana Negara palace before his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the administrative capital of Putrajaya. Xi touted a “new golden era” of Chinese-Malaysian relations, following the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year. The king announced new cooperation between the countries in various fields, including artificial intelligence. Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects an honour guard during the official welcoming ceremony at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 16, 2025 [Vincent Thian/Pool via Reuters] “This is a hugely significant visit,” said Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Putrajaya. “It takes place during this unprecedented trade war that is developing with the United States, with both Malaysia and China finding themselves in the middle.” Advertisement Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the department of international and strategic studies at Malaya University, said the visit offered a chance to “test the waters for regional solidarity” amid the US trade disruptions. “It’s not just about friendship, it’s about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing,” she said. ‘Wake-up call’ Malaysia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, whose members are among the hardest hit by new US tariffs. ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 percent tariffs, and Cambodia, a significant producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands, was hit with a 49 percent duty. Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy, was hit with a lower tariff of 24 percent. Though the measures have been paused for 90 days, President Donald Trump has warned that no country is “off the hook”. McBride said Malaysia, a longstanding US ally, was likely “genuinely alarmed to find itself on this list of reciprocal tariffs” and saw it as “a wake-up call … to deepen ties with its biggest trading partner”, China. Despite robust economic ties, the two countries have had tensions over the South China Sea, where Beijing claims sweeping sovereignty over waters also claimed by Kuala Lumpur. “There has been an extraordinary sea change here, with a lot of the norms of international trade completely upended in a few short months,” McBride said. In Asia Pacific generally, he added, countries that usually align with the US economic model are increasingly turning to Beijing as a reliable trade partner. Advertisement Xi’s next trip will be to Cambodia, one of China’s staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has also extended its influence in recent years. On Thursday, he is expected to meet Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni as well as the prime minister and head of the senate. Adblock test (Why?)

Easter Monday could soon become federal holiday under new GOP proposal

Easter Monday could soon become federal holiday under new GOP proposal

Easter Monday could soon be a federal holiday under a new legislative proposal. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., are leading the way on legislation to make the day following Easter Sunday a holiday amid several other countries also recognizing the holiday. In a thread posted to X, Schmitt cited a poll that 81% of Americans celebrated Easter as of 2023, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. “This isn’t a radical idea. It’s a federal recognition of a tradition that is central to Western civilization—a tradition that’s already recognized as a public holiday in nations across (and beyond!) the West, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of Western Europe,” the Republican lawmaker said. WHITE HOUSE PLANS ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ HOLY WEEK AS TRUMP HONORS EASTER WITH ‘THE OBSERVANCE IT DESERVES’ “Easter is a floating holiday, it can fall from Mar 22 to April 25. The only two-month gap in our federal holiday calendar is April-May. An Easter Monday holiday fills the gap—creating a three-day weekend when workers and families need it most. Pro-worker. Pro-family. Pro-faith,” he added. “There are plenty of practical arguments for it, too. Easter weekend already generates around $15 billion for our economy. Making it a three-day weekend could boost that by an estimated 10-15%, adding up to $2 billion in economic activity while strengthening American families.” There are 11 public federal holidays, which means that the federal public sector is closed, along with many private sector businesses.  AHEAD OF EASTER AND AMID BIRD FLU, IS IT SAFE TO COLOR EGGS? The most recently added public holiday is Juneteenth, which is meant to recognize the abolition of slavery in the United States. It was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Christmas Day is the only traditionally religious holiday on the list. Easter is on Sunday, and it is often considered the highest holiday in the Christian faith as it honors the resurrection of Jesus after the crucifixion on Good Friday. Additionally, it is also widely regarded in the U.S. as a spring celebration with the Easter Bunny and egg hunts. UK SCHOOL FACES BACKLASH AFTER CANCELING EASTER CELEBRATION FOR ‘INCLUSIVITY’ “The passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in the history of the world. ‘Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld,’” Moore tweeted. Senate bill 1426 was introduced by Schmitt on Thursday, and it’s been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Major university medical center accused of hiding DEI programs, influential Senator calls them out

Major university medical center accused of hiding DEI programs, influential Senator calls them out

FIRST ON FOX: Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn sent a letter Tuesday to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) calling on the medical school to comply with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs at educational institutions.  The letter comes after VUMC reportedly took steps to hide many of its DEI resources as opposed to getting rid of them, following the president’s Executive Orders. Consumers Research, a conservative nonprofit that was following medical schools’ responses to Trump’s orders on ending DEI discovered that VUMC was taking steps to hide some of theirs behind password-protected web pages. In response to criticism, a VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that it was undergoing “a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.” VANDERBILT MED CENTER ‘HIDING’ DEI RESOURCES BEHIND PASSWORD-PROTECTED WEB PAGES: REPORT According to an updated review, VUMC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion website remains behind a password-protected web page. Same with the DEI web page on VUMC’s Department of Medicine website, resources touting “climate care is health care,” and a web page for the school’s “Inaugural Climate Change Action & Sustainability Summit.” Other resources which had previously appeared to be hidden behind password protected web pages – rather than deleted – such as a YouTube video about “The War on DEI,” appear to have been deleted since criticism over the matter was unleashed against the school. “Offices such as the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs are seemingly still active,” Blackburn said in her letter. “These offices have advocated for ‘collectively addressing systemic inequities’ and ‘confronting structural racism.’” Among the priorities of this program, was to hire “diverse biomedical researchers,” Black burn pointed out.  Blackburn also noted that VUMC was the recipient of more than $66 million this fiscal year from the National Institutes of Health – alone. Meanwhile, VUMC has invested over $17 million to support its “DEI and Belonging Program,” she said.  “This is only one of many examples of VUMC investing in DEI initiatives instead of lifesaving medical research,” Blackburn’s letter continued. “Additionally, VUMC’s track record on embracing harmful woke initiatives is grim,” Blackburn added. “VUMC has previously performed sex-change surgeries on minors before suspending the program after public outrage.” RED STATE LAWMAKERS WARNED ABOUT ALLEGEDLY ACCEPTING ‘DEI DOLLARS’ FROM HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION: WATCHDOG VUMC was investigated by Tennessee’s Attorney General’s Office in 2023 amid allegations that a doctor at VUMC was manipulating medical billing codes to evade insurance coverage-limitations for transgender treatments. The investigation followed a video released in 2022, which allegedly showed a VUMC doctor touting transgender surgeries for minors as “huge money makers” and telling anyone with a religious objection to providing them should quit. “President Trump has been clear on this issue. His recent executive orders correctly prohibited DEI programs at federally funded research institutions and ended the recognition of gender identity apart from biological sex,” Blackburn concluded in her letter. “As a beneficiary of federal funding, VUMC has a responsibility to align with the President’s executive orders and return to a focus on lifesaving research as opposed to woke DEI initiatives. Instead of covering up VUMC’s DEI initiatives, I urge you to comply with President Trump’s effort to responsibility allocate taxpayer dollars and immediately cease all DEI initiatives.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Senator told Fox News that “discriminatory” DEI programs, such as those at VUMC, actually serve to “do more harm than good.” She also urged VUMC to “put Tennesseans first” by fully complying with the president’s Executive Orders. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, VUMC said, “Vanderbilt University Medical Center is eliminating all DEI programs and is fully complying with Executive Actions on DEI. Shortly after the Executive Orders were issued, VUMC began removing related content on internal and external websites to reflect the termination of these programs. VUMC will continue to comply with federal mandates and directives.”

Texas poised to create its own version of DOGE as bill passes both chambers

Texas poised to create its own version of DOGE as bill passes both chambers

Texas will likely have its own Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) very soon after lawmakers passed a bill to create an efficiency office within the governor’s office.  The bill, known as Senate Bill 14 (S.B. 14) and inspired by Elon Musk’s DOGE, would create a new Texas Regulatory Office which aims to streamline state regulations and eliminate unnecessary rules. An advisory panel would also be established to work with the governor and help Texas state agencies cut red tape, eliminate unnecessary or burdensome rules and make regulations more cost-effective and transparent. The panel would be made up of business owners, researchers, state agencies and the public. DOGE UNCOVERS MASSIVE VA CONTRACT FOR ‘SALARY SURVEY DATA AND ANALYSIS’ — SAYS IT CANCELED IT, SAVING MILLIONS S.B. 14 has passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature and is heading to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law. Abbott has not publicly stated whether he will sign the bill. The bill was authored by Weatherford Republican Phil King while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said previously that it would help save taxpayers money and grow the Texas economy by “cutting red tape.” JASON CHAFFETZ: DEMOCRATS HAVE MADE A FATAL ERROR OPPOSING DOGE “I prioritized SB 14 because President Trump’s creation of the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ inspired me to find ways Texas can save taxpayers and businesses money by cutting burdensome regulations,” Patrick said, according to Fox 26. “The Texas Miracle will continue long into the 21st century because our common-sense, conservative approach to regulation will keep Texans prosperous and our economy strong.” The bill also requires agencies to write rules in plain language, reduce paperwork and fees, and justify new rules with clear cost and benefit analyses. It also gives courts more power to challenge agency interpretations of laws, shifting legal authority away from agencies. Additionally, it requires the development of an interactive website where the public can easily search for agency rules and forms as well as regulatory information by topic, industry, or North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. The Elon Musk-led DOGE has shaken up federal bureaucracies and uncovered billions of dollars in wasteful spending. Through canceling contracts, workforce reductions and more, DOGE says it has so far saved taxpayers $155 billion. 

Hawley urges Republicans to cut taxes for working-class voters who ‘put Trump in the White House’

Hawley urges Republicans to cut taxes for working-class voters who ‘put Trump in the White House’

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is urging his Republican colleagues to double down on tax cuts for the working-class Americans who make up President Donald Trump’s base. Hawley told Fox News Digital in an interview that tax cuts are “what Republicans are good at,” calling specifically for changes to the payroll tax. He says Americans should be able to apply income tax credits like the child tax credit, the mortgage deduction and charitable deduction, to their payroll taxes. Hawley, who first made the push in a Tuesday op-ed for the Washington Post, says he has spoken with Trump about the potential tax breaks and the president is “very supportive.” “These are the people who put Trump in the White House,” Hawley told Fox, referring to Americans who earn less than $80,000 per year. ELON MUSK DUNKS ON SEN CHUCK SCHUMER, DECLARING ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ DEMONSTRATE DOGE’S IMPORTANCE Debate over tax policy is raging in Washington as Republicans weigh what to put in Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget bill. Many Republicans support re-upping the 2017 tax cuts, but there are calls for more changes. Some Republicans, including the White House, have even flirted with raising taxes on the uppermost brackets in order to offset costs. “We’ve got this incredible national debt, and so at some point you’ve got to address the elephant in the room,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told the New York Times on Tuesday. “Can’t tell you if it’s going to happen or not.” Hawley has also said he would support raising some taxes to offset cuts in lower tax brackets if the president makes a push for it. TRUMP OPEN TO SENDING VIOLENT AMERICAN CRIMINALS TO EL SALVADOR PRISONS He proposed to Fox that one path toward raising more revenue would be to start taxing the endowments of America’s largest universities. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE Trump’s administration is already engaged in a pitched battle to reform America’s top educational institutions, threatening to withhold federal funding if they do not adequately address anti-Semitism and other issues on their campuses. Harvard, the university that has pushed back the hardest on Trump’s administration, has an endowment of roughly $53 billion. The other seven Ivy League schools have endowments totaling over $139 billion. Regardless of offsets, however, Hawley says the top priority should be securing tax breaks for the people who voted Trump into office. Hawley emphasized this focus in his op-ed for the Post, quoting Reagan-era columnist Robert Novak. “God put the Republican Party on Earth to cut taxes.”