Long-haul carrier Emirates reported on Thursday that it earned annual profits of $5.2 billion, with the state-owned firm declaring itself the world's most profitable airline as global aviation fully returned to flight after the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The profits came as the Dubai-based carrier served 53.7 million passengers out of its hub of Dubai International Airport, compared to 51.9 million passengers in the fiscal year prior. It had aftertax profits of $4.7 billion that same period.

China's exports to the United States tumbled in April while its trade with other economies surged, suggesting that President Donald Trump's tariffs offensive is hastening a shakeup in global supply chains.

Total exports from China rose 8.1% last month from a year earlier, much faster than the 2% pace most economists had been expecting. That was much slower than the 12.4% year-on-year increase in March. Imports fell 0.2% in April from the year before.

President Donald Trump on Friday floated cutting tariffs on China to 80% ahead of a weekend meeting as he looks to deescalate the trade war.

Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland in the first major talks between the two nations since Trump sparked a trade war with stiff tariffs on imports.

The EU on Friday pledged to disburse one billion euros ($1.1 billion) from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to Ukrainian arms companies as part of its support to Kyiv as it fights off Moscow's invasion.

"We have just made available 1 billion euros for the Ukrainian defense industry so that Ukraine could better defend itself," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The funding would "directly support Ukrainian defense companies", she added.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday an agreement with Britain on trade, which would be the first such deal since he launched his global tariffs blitz.

Trump provided no details about the scope of the agreement, which comes a month after he imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners on his April 2 "Liberation Day".

Syria's finance minister has said Qatar will help the Islamist-led government to pay public sector salaries for the coming months through a mechanism he said had been exempted from U.S. sanctions.

There was no immediate announcement from either the Qatari government or the U.S. Treasury.

President Joseph Aoun on Thursday visited the Central Bank in Beirut’s Hamra area and met with its newly-appointed governor Karim Souaid and his four deputies.

Ambassador Lisa Johnson held Wednesday a reception at her residence to honor the Lebanese delegation to the SelectUSA 2025 Investment Summit to be held in Maryland, May 11-14.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the largest annual event to promote Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the United States by bringing together international investors, U.S. state and local representatives and government officials to facilitate investment in the U.S. economy.

Wall Street is poised to open with gains as the Federal Reserve wraps up a two-day policy meeting where it will almost certainly leave interest rates unchanged despite pleas from President Donald Trump for a rate cut as he pursues a worldwide trade war.

Futures for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6% before the bell Wednesday. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7%.

China announced a barrage of measures meant to counter the blow to its economy from U.S. President Donald Trump 's trade war, as the two sides prepared for talks later this week.

Beijing's central bank governor and other top financial officials outlined plans Wednesday to cut interest rates and reduce bank reserve requirements to help free up more funding for lending. They also said the government would increase the amount of money available for factory upgrades and other innovation and for elder care and other service businesses.