BRICS nations slam Trump tariffs, condemn strikes on Iran
07/07/2025
Neighbour makes daring rescue of family trapped in burning Paris flat
07/07/2025
Spotlight on Arabic performances as Avignon festival gets underway
07/07/2025
Poland reinstates border controls with Germany, Lithuania amid migration fears
07/07/2025
Netanyahu heads to Washington but will 'victory lap' be overshadowed by Gaza?
07/07/2025
Texas flood death toll mounts as questions asked over warning system
07/07/2025
'Netanyahu wants to perpetuate status quo: No agreement, no political framework, no Gaza withdrawal'
Middle East
06/07/2025
Oasis: What's the story? "A man with a fork in a world of soup"
UK
06/07/2025
San Fermin bull-running festival kicks off in Spain
Europe
06/07/2025
Brics countries meet in Brazil and focus to moderate agenda
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France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
EU ministers weigh response to latest Trump tariff threat
The US leader Trump threw months of painstaking negotiations into disarray on Saturday by announcing he would hammer the bloc with sweeping 30-percent tariffs if no agreement is reached by August 1. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has insisted the EU still wants to reach an accord -- and on Sunday delayed retaliation over separate US tariffs on steel and aluminium as a sign of goodwill. "We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution," the president of the commission, which handles trade issues on behalf of the EU's 27 countries, said. This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now till August 1." The move by von der Leyen spurs hope that Trump's latest threat -- in which he also targeted Mexico -- has not killed off the progress made in negotiations that have taken place so far between Brussels and Washington. But EU officials insist the bloc remains clear-eyed on the challenges of dealing with the unpredictable US leader, and ready to hit back. Diplomats said that an additional package of reprisal measures will be presented to trade ministers at their meeting in Brussels on Monday that could be rolled out if Trump imposes the 30-percent tariffs. The EU threatened in May to slap tariffs on US goods worth around 100 billion euros ($117 billion), including cars and planes, if talks fail to yield an agreement -- although one diplomat said the finalised list was expected to be worth 72 billion euros. 'Defend European interests' EU nations -- some of which export far more to the United States than others -- have sought to stay on the same page over how strong a line to take with Washington in order to get a deal. French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday urged von der Leyen's commission to "resolutely defend European interests" and said the EU should step up preparation for countermeasures. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed and said he had spoken to Macron, Trump and von der Leyen in the past few days and would "engage intensively" to try to find a solution. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned Sunday that a "trade war within the West" would weaken everyone. The EU's suspension of its retaliation over US steel and aluminium tariffs had been set to expire overnight Monday to Tuesday. Brussels readied duties on US goods worth around 21 billion euros in response to the levies Trump slapped on metal imports earlier this year. But it announced in April it was holding off on those measures to give space to find a broader trade agreement. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has unleashed sweeping stop-start tariffs on allies and competitors alike, roiling financial markets and raising fears of a global economic downturn. But his administration is coming under pressure to secure deals with trading partners after promising a flurry of agreements. So far, US officials have only unveiled two pacts, with Britain and Vietnam, alongside temporarily lower tit-for-tat duties with China. In a letter published on Saturday, Trump cited the US's trade imbalance with the bloc as justification for the new 30-percent levies. The EU tariff is markedly steeper than the 20 percent levy Trump unveiled in April -- but paused initially until mid-July. © 2025 AFP
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
Trump says US will send Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine
President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States would send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine to help it fight off a Russian invasion, as his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin soured. "We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need," Trump said, without specifying how many, just two weeks after Washington said it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv. "I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection," he told reporters. The weapons delivery will be part of a new deal which Trump says will involve NATO paying the United States for some of the weapons it sends to Ukraine. "We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they're going to pay us 100 percent for them," Trump told reporters. The US president repeated that he was "disappointed" in Putin. When he first returned to the White House in January Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, but grew increasingly frustrated as Russian missiles continued with no ceasefire in sight. "Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," said the disgruntled Trump. US special envoy Keith Kellogg is due to begin his latest visit to Ukraine on Monday. Trump also said he would meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, when he previously said he would make a "major statement... on Russia."
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
Macron to raise defence targets, citing Russia threat
"We are living a pivotal moment," Macron said in a speech to the armed forces on the eve of the national Bastille Day holiday, denouncing "imperialist policies", "annexing powers" and the notion that "might is right", all a reference to Russia. "Never has peace on our continent depended to such an extent on the decisions that we take now," said Macron. France faced the challenge "of remaining free and masters of our destiny", he added. Macron said France's defence budget should rise by 3.5 billion euros ($4.1 billion) in 2026, and then by a further three billion euros in 2027. 'Present at their battle stations' "If you want to be feared, you must be powerful," he said, calling for "mobilisation" for national defence by all government departments. "Everyone must be present at their battle stations," Macron said. "We are still ahead, but if we remain at the same speed we will be overtaken tomorrow," he added. French military and security officials have been warning of global threats weighing on France, with Defence Chief of Staff Chief Thierry Burkhard saying on Friday that Russia posed a "durable" threat to Europe and that the "rank of European countries in tomorrow's world" was being decided in Ukraine, invaded by Russia in 2022. Russia currently views France as its "main adversary in Europe", Burkhard said. He also warned of the consequences of a diminished US commitment to Europe, along with cyber threats, disinformation campaigns and the risk of terror attacks. "We have to take account of the fact that there has been a change in strategic parameters," he said. On Sunday, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu weighed in, telling the La Tribune weekly newspaper that "it's our job to provide answers". France needed to make "a new effort" if it wanted to "depend on nobody" in the future, the minister said. France's defence budget has already increased sharply since Macron took power, rising from 32.2 billion euros ($37.6 billion at current rates) in 2017 to 50.5 billion currently, and is projected to reach 67 billion euros in 2030. 'Sacrosanct' defence budget If confirmed, the major defence spending boost could, however, threaten French efforts to cut deficits and reduce its debt mountain, amid pressure from the EU Commission on Paris to impose more fiscal discipline. The servicing of France's debt alone will cost the Treasury 62 billion euros this year. But Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who on Tuesday is to outline his budget plan for 2026, has declared the defence budget to be "sacrosanct" and exempt from budgetary cuts. In Sunday's speech, Macron rejected any financing of the additional defence spending through additional debt. Several NATO countries are boosting their military spending, after the alliance's members agreed last month to spend five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on security. Britain aims to increase its defence budget to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, and to 3.0 percent after 2029. Germany plans to reach a defence budget of 162 billion euros by 2029, equivalent to 3.5 percent of its GDP, while Poland already dedicates 4.7 percent of GDP to defence. "Very clearly, we need to revise our programming and strategy today, in light of the changing nature of risks," Macron said on Thursday. Lecornu this month detailed the most urgent needs for the French armed forces, including ground-to-air defences, ammunition, electronic warfare and space capabilities. In Sunday's interview, he said France was mostly worried about falling behind in "disruptive technologies" including artificial intelligence and quantum technology. Beyond budget increases, the French government is also seeking to boost "national cohesion" in the face of global crises, Elysee officials said. Macron is expected to outline a potential mobilisation drive for young people who should be given "an opportunity to serve", Elysee officials said.
