Germany ‘heading back to the 1930s'
Some of Germany's top economists have reacted with alarm to tariffs of at least 20 per cent announced overnight by Donald Trump on the European Union, which will have a particularly severe impact on German carmakers.
'The 1930s are back,' said Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING Germany, comparing the wave of trade barriers imposed by the White House to 1930s-era protectionist trade rules.
Mr Scholz, the outgoing Chancellor, described the tariffs as 'fundamentally wrong' and warned that there 'would only be losers' in terms of the global trade fallout.
'This is an attack on a trading system which has created prosperity all over the world,' added Mr Scholz, while his outgoing economy minister Robert Habeck complained of 'US tariff mania'.
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Why is Putin so scared of meeting Zelensky? How showdown with hero Vlad dismissed as a ‘Nazi comic' exposes his FAILURE
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have only met in person once before. The next time they set eyes on each other, it could expose the Russian tyrant as a fraud and a failure before the eyes of his people. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Zelensky and Putin attend a meeting on Ukraine with French President and German Chancelor at the Elysee Palace in 2019 Credit: AFP 5 Within three years of the meeting, their two countries would be locked in a full-scale war Credit: Reuters 5 In the days since Trump's separate meetings with the two leaders, Moscow has been quick to pour cold water on the prospect of a Putin-Zelensky summit Credit: Reuters When they first met, Zelensky was the freshly elected President of Ukraine, who soared to office with a landslide win - despite having no political experience. His past career was as an actor and comedian - rising to international fame with his role as an accidental president in the Ukrainian show Servant of the People. The contrast with the stony-faced macho image cultivated by Vladimir Putin could not have been more stark as they say down in 2019 for a summit in France. The pair did not shake hands at the tense, fruitless meeting. Within three years, their two countries would be locked in Europe's bloodiest war since 1945. Putin forced to 'accept failure' Donald Trump's renewed drive to bring the war to a close could bring a once unthinkable second meeting between Zelensky and Putin to reality. However, in the days since Trump's separate meetings with the two leaders, Moscow has been quick to pour cold water on the prospect. Zelensky, whose first language is Russian and performed in Moscow during Putin's rise to power, has said he is "ready" for a meeting with Vlad. But the very act of meeting with Zelensky could undermine Putin and the entire rationale for his war in the eyes of Russia. Scheming Putin WON'T draw a line under Ukraine - here's why he won't give up the Donbas Orysia Lutsevich, director of Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia program, told CNN that Putin "will have to accept the failure of sitting down with a President he considers a joke from a country that doesn't exist". Undermines Russia's war aims When the Russian despot ordered tanks to assault Kyiv in February 2022, his warped justification was based on claims that Ukraine was a fake country run by Nazis. Zelensky's Jewish identity makes the claim patently absurd, but for Putin to sit down with him would be a tacit admission of how ludicrous the claim was. For Vlad to meet Volod for talks, they would be sat there as two Presidents of legitimate, sovereign nations - something that the Kremlin's narrative could not possibly abide. And so long as Ukraine remains armed and sovereign, concession to Zelensky would prove Putin's war goals a failure. Russia has shown little indication of making major concessions so far, with the handover of vast swathes of Ukrainian territory to Moscow still Putin's core condition for peace. But to avoid Trump's wrath if talks fall through, Putin will want to shift the blame to Zelensky. Loggerheads over location His suggestion that the trilateral summit be held in Moscow - a predictably unacceptable proposal for Ukraine - could have been a calculated move to weasel out. And had the meeting been held in Russia's capital against the odds, Putin would have hailed it as a diplomatic coup for the Kremlin - and a chance to humiliate Ukraine's war leader. But Vlad's surrogates have taken to the airwaves to dampen expectations around a summit. Russia' Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said a meeting would have to be prepared "gradually... starting with the expert level and thereafter going through all the required steps". Lavrov added today that not involving Russia in discussions around Ukraine's security guarantees is a "road to nowhere". Disputes around the proposed location for the summit have also presented headaches for diplomats. While a Moscow meeting between the pair remains unlikely, other venues have also proved controversial. Suggestions for it to be held in Budapest were lambasted by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He said: "Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. "In Budapest. Maybe I'm superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place." Switzerland, Qatar and Austria have been floated as other prospective venues. But Putin will be wary of a European location - where most states would be obliged to arrest him under an ICC warrant. 5 Disputes around the proposed location for a summit have presented headaches for diplomats Credit: EPA
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Remote UK island village with gorgeous views where Donald Trump's mum was born
US President Donald Trump last month returned to Scotland, a country he often references as part of his family heritage. But the island village where his mother was born has long held mixed feelings about the president Last month, US President Donald Trump returned to a nation he frequently cites as part of his family roots - Scotland. And there's one tiny village that is particularly significant to the 79-year-old. During the visit, which ran from July 25 until Tuesday, July 29, the President visited both of his Scottish golf courses, Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire and the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, and held talks in Aberdeen with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney. Trump has consistently highlighted his deep personal ties to Scotland through his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and brought up on the Isle of Lewis in the breathtaking Outer Hebrides. According to VisitScotland: "With dramatic landscapes, a unique Gaelic culture and fascinating history, Lewis and Harris are a great place to start your Hebridean adventure. You will be blown away by wild mountains, immense white beaches, rugged coastlines and lunar landscapes." Like countless Scots in the early 20th century, Mary Anne emigrated to America seeking greater prospects, reports the Daily Record. Born in 1912 in the village of Tong, roughly three miles from Stornoway, she departed the island at the age of 18 to seek employment as a domestic servant in New York. In 1936, she married Frederick Trump, a prosperous property magnate and the son of German immigrants. The pair had five children together, with President Trump—known locally as Donald John—being their fourth child. Mary Anne gained American citizenship in 1942 and passed away in 2000 at the age of 88. Despite his regular mentions of his Scottish heritage, the president hasn't always received a warm welcome from inhabitants of his mother's birthplace. Her relatives came from the surrounding region, with the MacLeods on her paternal side hailing from Vatisker, situated just north of Tong. Tong itself boasts a distinctive heritage of political and cultural identity. From 1919 to 1921, the village, alongside neighbouring Coll and Gress, witnessed a sequence of land raids where local men confronted absent landowners by sowing crops and splitting sheep-grazing properties into agricultural plots. Tong's inhabitants were considered amongst the island's most radical. In a 1990s compilation of the Stornoway dialect, Tong's residents were still dubbed "Bolshiveeks." Village folk in Tong have previously expressed annoyance over Trump's absence of backing for the community, drawing comparisons with his sister's and mother's contributions. "He never gave a penny," residents have previously remarked, highlighting that Mary Anne MacLeod Trump helped finance the village hall's construction during the 1970s. His elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, also made a significant donation of £155,000 to a local care home and the Bethesda hospice. Locals have claimed that the president is "feeding off" the legacy of his mother and sister without giving back to the island that shaped their early years. Tong remains a traditional crofting village, located about four miles northeast of Stornoway. Crofting, weaving of Harris Tweed, and peat cutting are still part of daily life on the island. The area is also renowned for hosting the annual Lewis Highland Games and the Western Isles Strongman competition. Historically, Lewis was part of Norway until the 13th century, and by the 1800s, Tong's economy relied heavily on fishing, farming and weaving. However, widespread land clearances in the late 19th century saw many tenants displaced in favour of large-scale sheep farms and deer forests.
Business News Wales
3 hours ago
- Business News Wales
North Wales Producers Collaborate to Launch Salted Pilsner
Two North Wales producers have teamed up to launch a new sea-salted Pilsner. Halen Môn, the Anglesey Sea Salt company, and Polly's Brew Co, based in Mold, have collaborated to create Tide/Llanw, a 4.7% Salted Pilsner which will be canned and sold online through the two producers' web stores. Tide/Llanw is a classic Pilsner brewed with extra pale malt and Mittelfruh and Saaz, in honour of its Czech and German roots. The Pilsner has been named after the outdoor cafe and events space at the Halen Môn saltcote, and the can design features a blue marbled label inspired by Tide's location on the shores of the Menai Strait. Jess Lea-Wilson, brand director at Halen Môn, said: 'Our pure sea salt highlights flavour and when combined with Polly's classic Pilsner recipe, it brings out the sweetness of the malt, balanced with also enhancing the subtle flavours from the hops. 'It makes Tide/Llanw really crisp and refreshing – and a perfect partner for food-pairing. It will be great to bring out the flavour of grilled or barbecued foods, fresh seafood or anything with a bit of spice.' Rob Jones, brewery manager at Polly's, said: 'Our Pilsner has been one of our best-sellers and we're always looking to enhance and experiment with our beers. It's been great to work together with Halen Môn to develop this new recipe together – they've been really hands-on as we've worked to perfect the balance of sea salt in the recipe to create the flavour profile we were looking for. 'We have lots of experience collaborating with other breweries, so it's been great to do something a bit different in working with a food producer. And we're very proud that we're two North Wales businesses flying the flag for our regional produce.'
