Syria: Renewed Druze and Bedouin clashes, UN rights chief urges prompt probe
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Sirens wail, cities shut down as Taiwan simulates Chinese air raid
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Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan kill 63 people in 24 hours
18/07/2025
Child labour rises in Gaza as families struggle to survive
18/07/2025
Spain taming fire that belched smoke cloud over Madrid
18/07/2025
New clashes rock Syria's Druze heartland as tribal fighters reinforce Bedouin
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Germany: Top EU officials gather to discuss stricter migration measures
18/07/2025
European interior ministers gather for meeting on migration policy in Germany
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Trump threatens to sue WSJ over story on alleged letter to Epstein
18/07/2025
Russian deputies back fines for clicking on 'extremist' content
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LeMonde
25 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Brazil, citing trial of ally Bolsonaro
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday, July 30, implementing an additional 40% tariff on Brazilian products, bringing the total trade duties to 50%, the White House announced. Trump had threatened Latin America's largest economy with the move as punishment for what he has termed a "witch hunt" against his far-right ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro. The announcement saw Trump make good on a threat to wield American economic might to punish Brazil – and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in particular – for what he has termed a "witch hunt" against former president Bolsonaro. Unlike the tariffs Trump is slapping on economies around the world, the measures against Brazil have been framed in openly political terms, sweeping aside centuries-old trade ties and a surplus that Brasília put at $284 million last year. The moves dramatically increased the pressure on Moraes, who has emerged as one of the most powerful and polarizing people in Brazil – and a consistent thorn in the far-right's side, after clashing repeatedly with Bolsonaro and others over disinformation. The Brazilian government's "politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of (Bolsonaro) and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil," the White House said in a fact sheet announcing the tariffs. It also cited Brazil's "unusual and extraordinary policies and actions harming US companies, the free speech rights of US persons, US foreign policy, and the US economy," and singled out Moraes by name. It did not state what date the tariffs would come into effect, but Trump had previously cited August 1. The new duties were announced shortly after the US Treasury slapped sanctions on Moraes, which followed a similar move by the State Department earlier this month. The sanctions provoked a swift and furious response from Brasília, where Attorney General Jorge Messias slammed them as "arbitrary," "unjustifiable" and "a serious attack on the sovereignty of our country." There was no immediate reaction from Brasília to the tariffs announcement, but President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had earlier denounced Trump's threats as "unacceptable blackmail." Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly plotting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election to leftist Lula. He risks up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say the plot included a plan to arrest and even assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Moraes. Brazil has insisted it will proceed in its prosecution of Bolsonaro, and Trump's intervention in the case has so far improved Lula's popularity, as the Brazilian leader appeals for national unity in the face of US "interference." 'Witch hunt' Both Marco Rubio, America's top diplomat, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued statements Wednesday announcing the new sanctions against Moraes. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey "Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies," Bessent said. Secretary of State Rubio accused Moraes of "serious human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention involving flagrant denials of fair trial guarantees and infringing on the freedom of expression." Moraes, 56, has played a controversial role in fighting disinformation. He was an omnipresent figure during the polarizing 2022 election campaign, aggressively using his rulings to fight election disinformation on social media. That included blocking the accounts of some prominent conservative figures. Last year, he ordered the shutdown of tech titan Elon Musk's X network in Brazil for 40 days for failing to tackle the spread of disinformation shared mainly by Bolsonaro backers. Bolsonaro has called Moraes a dictator, while his son Eduardo, an MP, had lobbied for US sanctions against the "totalitarian" judge. On Wednesday Eduardo Bolsonaro said the US action was "not about revenge, it's about justice," he wrote on X. "Abuses of authority now have global consequences." The US Treasury cited the Magnitsky Act for the sanctions. It freezes US-based assets and bars travel to the country for foreign officials accused of human rights abuses or corruption. Trump's private media company has also sued Moraes over his social media-related orders.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Trump punishes Brazil with tariffs, sanctions over trial of ally Bolsonaro
The announcement saw Trump make good on a threat to wield American economic might to punish Brazil -- and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in particular -- for what he has termed a "witch hunt" against former president Bolsonaro. Unlike the tariffs Trump is slapping on economies around the world, the measures against Brazil have been framed in openly political terms, sweeping aside centuries-old trade ties and a surplus that Brasilia put at $284 million last year. The moves dramatically increased the pressure on Moraes, who has emerged as one of the most powerful and polarizing people in Brazil -- and a consistent thorn in the far-right's side, after clashing repeatedly with Bolsonaro and others over disinformation. The Brazilian government's "politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of (Bolsonaro) and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil," the White House said in a fact sheet announcing the tariffs. It also cited Brazil's "unusual and extraordinary policies and actions harming U.S. companies, the free speech rights of U.S. persons, U.S. foreign policy, and the U.S. economy," and singled out Moraes by name. It did not state what date the tariffs would come into effect, but Trump had previously cited August 1. The new duties were announced shortly after the US Treasury slapped sanctions on Moraes, which followed a similar move by the State Department earlier this month. The sanctions provoked a swift and furious response from Brasilia, where Attorney General Jorge Messias slammed them as "arbitrary," "unjustifiable" and "a serious attack on the sovereignty of our country." There was no immediate reaction from Brasilia to the tariffs announcement, but President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had earlier denounced Trump's threats as "unacceptable blackmail." Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly plotting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election to leftist Lula. He risks up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say the plot included a plan to arrest and even assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Moraes. Brazil has insisted it will proceed in its prosecution of Bolsonaro, and Trump's intervention in the case has so far improved Lula's popularity, as the Brazilian leader appeals for national unity in the face of US "interference." 'Witch hunt' Both Marco Rubio, America's top diplomat, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued statements Wednesday announcing the new sanctions against Moraes. "Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies," Bessent said. Rubio, the secretary of state, accused Moraes of "serious human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention involving flagrant denials of fair trial guarantees and infringing on the freedom of expression." Moraes, 56, has played a controversial role in fighting disinformation. He was an omnipresent figure during the polarizing 2022 election campaign, aggressively using his rulings to fight election disinformation on social media. That included blocking the accounts of some prominent conservative figures. Last year, he ordered the shutdown of tech titan Elon Musk's X network in Brazil for 40 days for failing to tackle the spread of disinformation shared mainly by Bolsonaro backers. Bolsonaro has called Moraes a dictator, while his son Eduardo, an MP, had lobbied for US sanctions against the "totalitarian" judge. On Wednesday Eduardo Bolsonaro said the US action was "not about revenge, it's about justice." "Abuses of authority now have global consequences," he wrote on X. Trump's private media company has also sued Moraes over his social media-related orders. The US Treasury cited the Magnitsky Act for the sanctions. It freezes US-based assets and bars travel to the country for foreign officials accused of human rights abuses or corruption.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
'Ours forever': would-be Israeli settlers march on Gaza
Waving Israeli flags alongside the orange banners of Gush Katif -- a bloc of settlements dismantled in 2005 -- the marchers went from the town of Sderot to the Asaf Siboni observation point, overlooking the ruins of Beit Hanun. Israel's withdrawal from Gaza 20 years ago ended 38 years of military presence. About 8,000 settlers were evacuated and 21 communities demolished. But a vocal fringe never gave up the dream of return -- and now, amid war with Hamas and with hardliners in government, some believe the time is ripe. Veterans of Gush Katif have been joined by a new generation of would-be settlers ready to move in if the army gets out of their way. "As a movement, 1,000 families -- you see them today marching -- we are ready to move now, as things stand, and to live in tents," said 79-year-old Daniella Weiss, a former mayor of the West Bank settlement of Kedumim. "We are ready with our children to move into the Gaza area right away, because we believe this is the way to bring quiet, peace, to put an end to Hamas," she told AFP. "It's only when we hold on to the soil, to the grains of sand, that the army will raise a white flag," she said. Far-right groups joined the protest, marching toward the border chanting: "Gaza, ours forever!" Loudspeakers blared: "The way to defeat Hamas is to take back our land." 'God and the government' Much of Gaza has been ruined by the Israeli offensive launched in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. International NGOs have accused Israel of forcibly displacing civilians and committing war crimes -- with some alleging genocide, a charge Israel fiercely rejects. The official policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is that the Gaza operation was launched to destroy Hamas and rescue Israeli hostages -- not to restore settlements. But the would-be settlers say they have been in talks with hardline members of the ruling coalition and believe there may be a political opening, despite the fact that reoccupation is deemed illegal under international law. They were further buoyed this week when Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in a speech at the Gush Katif museum, declared: "It's closer than ever. It's a realistic work plan. "We didn't sacrifice all this to transfer Gaza from one Arab to another Arab. Gaza is an inseparable part of the land of Israel. "I don't want to go back to Gush Katif -- it's too small. It needs to be much bigger. Gaza today allows us to think a little bigger." The marchers heard him. "I have faith in God and in the government," said Sharon Emouna, 58, who came from her settlement in the occupied West Bank to support the Gaza return movement. "I'm just here in support, to say that the land of Israel is promised to the Jewish people and it's our right to settle there," she said. And if any Palestinians want to remain in Gaza, Emouna added, they would benefit from living alongside the settlers. On Wednesday, however, it was Israeli soldiers who blocked the final short walk to Gaza, across a parched landscape of low brush scorched by the summer sun. A continuous stream of families approached the border, close enough to glimpse the apocalyptic silhouette of smashed Palestinian homes left by the fighting -- and, perhaps, what they hope will become home again.
