Welcome to MindLab

Global headlines today ranged from trade and markets to science and sport: Canada and China moved to deepen economic ties with reciprocal tariff cuts that include lower duties on some Chinese electric vehicles and Chinese cuts on Canadian canola after leaders met in Beijing; Asian shares were mixed while U.S. futures edged higher as Wall Street steadied, and Japan’s finance minister signalled readiness to take decisive action to address the yen’s recent weakening. In industry cooperation, Japan’s prime minister and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni agreed to strengthen critical-minerals supply chains, and tech policy developments saw TikTok begin an EU rollout of stronger age-verification tools aimed at better protecting young users. Scientific and human-interest stories brightened the day too: a new high-resolution map has revealed Antarctica’s sub-ice landscape in unprecedented detail, four astronauts safely splashed down after NASA’s first ISS medical evacuation, and Moroccan fans celebrated their team’s run to the AFCON final. Early results in Uganda’s presidential vote show President Museveni with a commanding lead so far.