WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he’s joining some of his top economic advisers on Wednesday for negotiations at the White House over tariffs and trade with a top Japanese official who is traveling to Washington for the talks.

The Republican president said in a post on his social media platform that he’ll attend the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies.

Trump recently announced a round of global tariffs but then quickly put them on hold for 90 days after the markets tanked.

The move put Japan’s 24% across-the-board tariff on hold, but a 10% baseline tariff and a 25% tariff on cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. remain in place.

“Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS.’ I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries,” Trump wrote in the social media post. “Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!”

Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa, was headed to Washington on a mission to convince U.S. officials to remove Trump’s tariff measures against the East Asian ally of the United States.

Akazawa is to hold his first talks with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer through Friday.

“I am prepared for the talks,” Akazawa told reporters at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport before boarding his flight to Washington. “I will negotiate in order to firmly protect our national interest.”

He said that both Bessent and Greer are “known to be pro-Japan and professionally talented” and that he hopes to build a relationship of trust with them. “I believe we can have good talks toward a win-win relationship that will serve national interest for both Japan and the United States,” he said.

Japan is among the first countries to start negotiations with the U.S.

___

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Authorities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa rescued a kidnapped American pastor during a deadly shootout on Tuesday at a house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS) released a statement announcing that an operation led by the agency “resulted in the successful rescue” of an American pastor who was kidnapped.

Though the news release did not name the pastor, 34-year-old Josh Sullivan, of Tennessee, was kidnapped by several armed, masked men last week at his church in the Eastern Cape, Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell.

AMERICAN PASTOR’S KIDNAPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA FUELED BY SOARING ARMED ROBBERY INCIDENTS IN RECENT YEARS

Police said they received tips that Sullivan was inside a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha. 

When they arrived at the home, suspects inside a car on the premises began firing at law enforcement and attempted to flee.

A “high-intensity shootout” took place and three unidentified suspects were killed. 

Sullivan was found inside the same car that the suspects were in, but he was “miraculously unharmed,” police said, adding that he is “currently in an excellent condition.”

‘SLOWING THINGS DOWN’ IS ‘KEY’ TO SAFE RETURN OF TENNESSEE PASTOR KIDNAPPED IN SOUTH AFRICA: RETIRED FBI AGENT

Josh Sullivan is from Maryville, Tennessee, and spent years observing the leadership of Fellowship Baptist Church Pastor Tom Hatley, according to congregation members on Facebook. (Facebook)

Tom Hatley, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, confirmed Sullivan’s rescue early Wednesday morning in a Facebook post.

“Josh has been released. I just got ‘the go ahead to let it be known’. SA media has started broadcasting. American media will follow. Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. Praise The Lord Jesus Christ!” he wrote.

Sullivan is from Maryville and spent years learning how to be a pastor under Hatley’s leadership, according to congregation members on Facebook.

Sullivan went to South Africa with his wife and two children in 2018 after the couple participated in a six-month internship there in 2015 as part of their Bible training to become missionaries.

Josh Sullivan, an American pastor from Tennessee, has been working as a missionary in South Africa with his wife and their children since 2018. (Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell/Facebook)

“It was during this time that the Lord began to stir their hearts specifically for the Xhosa people,” fellow Missionary Mark Coffey said. “They returned in 2018 as full-time church-planting missionaries, determined to share the Gospel and see lives changed. Josh committed himself to two years of language school and became fluent in Xhosa so he could preach, disciple, and minister more effectively.”

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

What is the European Union contribution to the Palestinian territories? Today we dive into the topic with Martin Konecki, who runs the European Middle East Project in Brussels.

Earlier this week, the EU held the first EU-Palestine High level political dialogue and announced it would send up to €1.6 billion to support the Palestinian Authority (PA) and fund projects in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Radio Schuman also reports on a new announcement on migration by the European Commission and an overview of drought in Europe.

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by David Brodheim. Music by Alexandre Jas.