Reuters World News - Trump vs the EU, China-Japan tensions, and ‘AI-proof’ jobs

Episode Date: December 7, 2025

Tensions deepen between Washington and Brussels as the U.S. pushes Europe to take over NATO defense by 2027. Japan accuses Chinese jets of radar lock near Okinawa. Coffee growers reconsider the maligned robusta bean. Plus, young workers turn to trade jobs to stay 'AI-proof'. Listen to Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.  Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.  You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm Jonah Green in New York. It's Sunday, December 7th. Today, tensions deepen between Washington and Brussels over security and censorship. How young Britons are AI-proofing their careers. Plus, Japan says Chinese jets locked weapons radar on Japanese aircraft. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. Pentagon officials told diplomats in Washington this week that the U.S. wants Europe to take over most of NATO's conventional defense by 2027. The tight deadline struck some European officials as unrealistic. And it comes as the EU is still digesting a new U.S. national security strategy that denounces Europe as anti-democratic and says it faces civilizational erasure. Reuters European security correspondent Lily Baer has been following Europe's reaction.

Former European officials have described the rhetoric as shocking. Commentators have said that it echoes some of the talking points of the European far right. We've also heard some observers saying that the language reminds them of talking points from the Kremlin. in public, European officials have tried to reiterate how important the U.S. relationship is. But in private, what we've been hearing from diplomats is that they are concerned about this document. They are concerned about the tone on Europe. They're also concerned about some of the language on Russia because most European governments see Russia as a long-term threat to the continent. And they are concerned that the U.S. perspective on Russia is.

now quite different. Benin's military says it has foiled a coup attempt after a group of soldiers appeared on state television claiming to have seized power. The country's interior minister says forces loyal to President Patrice Talon stop the takeover, which is the latest threat to democracy in West Africa. Japan says Chinese fighter jets locked fire control radar on its aircraft in two dangerous

incidents near Okinawa on Saturday. Japan's defense minister Shinjero Koizuma posted on X that the radar eliminations went beyond what's needed for safe flight. Beijing denies it, accusing Japan of disrupting naval drills. The encounters near disputed islands are. the most serious in years and risk escalating tensions. Australia's defense minister Richard Marles met with Koizuma today in Tokyo, expressing deep concern and backing Japan.

The defense forces of Japan and Australia are engaged in the work of asserting the global rules-based order, which is fundamentally important for the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific and for the maintenance of a free and open Indo-Pacific. This week is shaping up to be a big one for the Fed, and our markets and finance podcast MorningBid, hosted by Mike Dolan, will be all over it. Hey, Mike, what's on the pod today? Hi there, thanks for having me.

Today's episode, we look at the week ahead, and most obviously the Fed meeting on Wednesday. We'll discuss that. And we're also looking at some of the 2026 outlooks, which are many of the morning about a possible re-acceleration of the U.S. economy and possible overheating. And then we'll also look at the Ukraine peace talks, which are dragging into another week and what their impact on energy markets will be. So for any of those stories, join us on the podcast.

We'll put a link in today's show notes. Anti-Hamas armed groups are emerging as a new factor in Gaza's power struggle. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged in June that Israel has been arming these factions as a way to undermine Hamas's grip on the territory. But this strategy took a hit last week when Yasser Abu Shab, leader of one of the most prominent group's popular forces, died while mediating a family dispute, according to the group. In November, his group published a video on social media, showing dozens of its fighters being ordered to conduct a security sweep to, quote, clear Rafa of terror, an apparent reference to Hamas.

Alexander Cornwell has been reporting on these factions from Tel Aviv. Some of these groups are located in what is more or less considered to be these days eastern Gaza, which is the area that Israel controls with Hamas in what is seen as western Gaza. The groups are separated from each other, so there's no direct confrontation so far. Also, in terms of sheer numbers, these groups, they're small, and they're not really considered to be a political threat to Hamas. Now, saying that, they can still serve as a challenge to Hamas. They do have weapons.

And this also comes as there is a push for Hamas to disarm and lay down its own weapons. We interviewed ahead of one of these factions located in Khan, Yunus, a Palestinian named Husam al-Astel, who said that his group had been recruiting more men since the ceasefire and also receiving international support. Now, he declined to say specifically from whom that support was coming from, but he did say there had been some degree of coordination with Israel, although not really getting into the details. President Donald Trump's Gaza plan calls for Hamas to disarm, but questions remain about U.S. involvement. We asked the U.S. about this, and a U.S. official said that the United States was not involved in,

quote, any such security operation, and we aren't providing any support. But the official also said that they wished them success in ridding Gaza of Hamas. Now, if you know coffee, you know that Robusta is thought of as the lesser bean. Your premium coffees will be 100% Arabica. But in Brazil, economic pressures and climate concerns over the production of Arabica beans has producers taking another look at Robusta. Commodities correspondent Oliver Griffin explains how this change could bring new flavors to your cup of Morning Joe. Arabica for so long has been kind of the banner coffee for quality, right?

If you look at any box, any store, most of them are going to say, we serve 100% Arabica coffee. Now, the changes we're seeing in the climate are making it necessary to kind of look for other ways to get specialty coffee. That's not to say that Robusta is in the inframdom, but Aravica is particularly something. In addition to resisting several diseases and being able to tolerate drier conditions, Robusta trees simply produce more coffee for less labor. Oliver says those factors are pushing farmers and coffee shops to try to make the best tasting cup of Robusta possible. I was talking to a coffee specialist and she was explaining to me,

you know, look, we don't compare red wine to white wine, right? And in some cases, that is the same thing with comparing rivers of coffee to Arabic coffee. You know, they can both be high quality. They can both be solid drinks, but they don't have to necessarily be in each other's arena either. As AI reshapes industries and sparks fears of job losses, more young people are turning to trade jobs. Students like Mariana Yaroshenko, an 18-year-old from Ukraine studying plumbing in London, say they want careers that feel AI-proof. That makes me realize when I was choosing my career path.

That's something that AI won't take over. Our correspondent, Katarina Demony, has been looking at why these jobs are attracting a new generation. These trades are very hands-on, right? Some people we spoke to, they basically told us, look, a robot is not going to be able to unblock a toilet. And they say that there are a lot of jobs that right now only humans can do. Right now, the stats don't show that plumbers necessarily make more than a consultant per se. But what people in the industry have told us is that if you become a plumber or an electrician, you have more chance to start your own business,

and then that obviously increases your earning potential. Katerina says many colleges in London have reported a surge of students signing up for trade courses. What they have told us is that over the past two, three years, they're seeing an increase in construction courses, enrollments, they are seeing a decrease in people, for example, enrolling in more artistic courses. Marina also told us she wanted to gain real-life experience,

of work quickly and she wanted to enter the workforce earlier on and start making money earlier than your average university graduates. For more on any of the stories from today, check out reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.