Why Uruguay is a Classic Car Paradise – DW – 06/27/2025
Ukraine's female mechatronics experts
With several hundred thousand Ukrainian men on the front lines, back home women are taking on traditionally male jobs. From electricians and welders to plumbers and car mechanics, they are reshaping the workforce.
Testing the BYD Dolphin Surf
The Dolphin Surf is EV maker BYD's 10th model in Europe. The low-cost car boasts a nice design, solid range and eco-friendly features. The 2025 Urban Car of the Year betters many rivals in terms of space and equipment.
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Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
India Reels From US Tariff Hike Threat
Indian exporters are scrambling for options to mitigate the fallout of US President Donald Trump's threatened tariff salvo against the world's most populous nation. Many warn of dire job losses after Trump said he would double new import tariffs from 25 percent to 50 percent if India continues to buy Russian oil, in a bid to strip Moscow of revenue for its military offensive in Ukraine. "At 50 percent tariff, no product from India can stand any competitive edge," said economist Garima Kapoor from Elara Securities. India, one of the world's largest crude oil importers, has until August 27 to find alternatives to replace around a third of its current oil supply from abroad. While New Delhi is not an export powerhouse, it shipped goods worth about $87 billion to the United States in 2024. That 50 percent levy now threatens to upend low-margin, labour-intensive industries ranging from gems and jewellery to textiles and seafood. The Global Trade Research Initiative estimates a potential 60 percent drop in US sales in 2025 in sectors such as garments. Exporters say they are racing to fulfil orders before the deadline. "Whatever we can ship before August 27, we are shipping," said Vijay Kumar Agarwal, chairman of Creative Group. The Mumbai-based textile and garment exporter has a nearly 80 percent exposure to the US market. But Agarwal warned that is merely triage. Shipping goods before the deadline "doesn't solve" the problem, he said. "If it doesn't get resolved, there will be chaos," he said, adding that he's worried for the future of his 15,000 to 16,000 employees. "It is a very gloomy situation... it will be an immense loss of business." Talks to resolve the matter hinge on geopolitics, far from the reach of business. Trump is set to meet Vladimir Putin on Friday, the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries' presidents since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. New Delhi, with longstanding ties with Moscow, is in a delicate situation. Since Trump's tariff threats, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging a "peaceful resolution" to the conflict. Meanwhile, the US tariff impact is already being felt in India. Businesses say fresh orders from some US buyers have begun drying up -- threatening millions of dollars in future business and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands in the world's fifth biggest economy. Among India's biggest apparel makers with global manufacturing operations, some are looking to move their US orders elsewhere. Top exporter Pearl Global Industries has told Indian media that some of its US customers asked that orders be produced in lower-duty countries such as Vietnam or Bangladesh, where the company also has manufacturing facilities. Major apparel maker Gokaldas Exports told Bloomberg it may boost production in Ethiopia and Kenya, which have a 10 percent tariff. Moody's recently warned that for India, the "much wider tariff gap" may "even reverse some of the gains made in recent years in attracting related investments". India's gems and jewellery industry exported goods worth more than $10 billion last year and employs hundreds of thousands of people. "Nothing is happening now, everything is at a standstill, new orders have been put on hold," Ajesh Mehta from D. Navinchandra Exports told AFP. "We expect up to 150,000 to 200,000 workers to be impacted." Gems, and other expensive non-essential items, are vulnerable. "A 10 percent tariff was absorbable -- 25 percent is not, let alone this 50 percent," Mehta added. "At the end of the day, we deal in luxury products. When the cost goes up beyond a point, customers will cut back." Seafood exporters, who have been told by some US buyers to hold shipments, are hoping for new customers. "We are looking to diversify our markets," says Alex Ninan, who is a partner at the Baby Marine Group. "The United States is totally out right now. We will have to push our products to alternative markets, such as China, Japan... Russia is another market we are really looking into." Ninan, however, warns that is far from simple. "You can't create a market all of a sudden," he said. A person stands in a supermarket in the 'Little India' neighborhood of New York City AFP Indian businesses say fresh orders from some US buyers have begun drying up -- threatening millions of dollars in future business and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands in the world's fifth biggest economy AFP Jewelry is on display at a store in the 'Little India' neighborhood of New York City AFP Among India's biggest apparel makers with global manufacturing operations, some are looking to move their US orders elsewhere AFP Seafood exporters, who have been told by some US buyers to hold shipments, are hoping for new customers AFP
DW
6 days ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: Merz invites Trump, Zelenskyy to meeting – DW – 08/11/2025
German Chancellor Merz has invited Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a virtual meeting ahead of Trump's planned meeting with Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, EU ministers are also meeting via video link. DW has more. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a virtual meeting on Wednesday, It comes ahead of a summit in Alaska later this week where Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European Union foreign ministers are also meeting via video link to discuss the upcoming Alaska summit, The EU has already expressed concern over the lack of Ukrainian presence in Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday invited US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and several European leaders to a virtual meeting, to take place on Wednesday ahead of the Trump-Putin summit later this week. The German chancellery said in a statement that the talks would concentrate on "the current situation in Ukraine with a view to the planned meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin." The chancellery also said the talks would focus on "further options for action to put pressure on Russia" as well as "preparations for possible peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security." The foreign ministers' virtual huddle on Monday is more of a debrief after smaller talks with the US near London than deliberations on concrete EU action. There's little new in Europe's position — but in a way, that's the point. The EU's big players have spent the last few months trying to demonstrate their commitment to Ukraine by maintaining military, financial and political backing in the face of shifting US policies and a drawdown in support from across the Atlantic. Aware there will likely be no seat for Europe at Friday's Trump-Putin talks, the EU now seems keen to remind both sides that it, too, is key to any potential peace accord. Frozen Russian central bank assets, extensive EU sanctions on Moscow, ongoing support to Kyiv and a possible role as future security guarantors — these are some of Europe's areas of leverage. The bloc also wants to send a message to Moscow that trying to cut a deal directly with Washington won't cut Europe out of the picture. EU capitals will be watching Friday's talks "extremely attentively" — one diplomat told DW — conscious of how quickly things could move. US Vice President JD Vance said an eventual negotiated settlement would probably leave both Russia and Ukraine unhappy in one way or another. With the gap in positions so wide, it's likely Europe would find itself in the same boat. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a "long conversation" with Narendra Modi on Monday, where the Ukrainian president "informed" the Indian prime minister "about the Russian attacks on our cities and villages." "And this is at a time when there is finally a diplomatic possibility to end the war," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "Instead of demonstrating readiness for a ceasefire, Russia is showing only its desire to continue the occupation and killings. It is important that India is supporting our peace efforts and shares the position that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine's participation." Zelenskyy's remarks come amid concerns over the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy and Modi also "discussed in detail the sanctions against Russia." India has been heavily criticized in the West for increasing imports of Russian fossil fuels in the face of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. India's oil purchases from Russia grew nearly 19-fold from 2021 to 2024, from 0.1 to 1.9 million barrels a day. And Zelenskyy "noted that it is necessary to limit the export of Russian energy, particularly oil, to reduce its potential and ability to finance the continuation of this war. It is important that every leader who has tangible leverage over Russia sends the corresponding signals to Moscow." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday warned against capitulating to the demands of Vladimir Putin ahead of talks between the Russian president and Donald Trump. The US-Russia summit is set to take place in Alaska on Friday and will be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021. Kyiv is concerned that Trump and Putin could strike a deal requiring Ukraine to cede territory. "Russia is dragging out the war, and therefore it deserves stronger global pressure," Zelenskyy wrote in a statement. "Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore must not receive any rewards or benefits. And this is not just a moral position, it is a rational one." "Concessions do not persuade a killer," he added. Russia has become increasingly reliant on drones in its attacks on Ukrainian cities. Mass production of the Iranian-designed weapons began a year ago in Tatarstan, in central Russia. Independent Russian reporters say that children are involved in drone production and development. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video EU foreign ministers on Monday are to discuss a Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meeting in Alaska later this week. The ministers are set to meet via video link, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also planning to join. Trump and Putin will meet on Friday, but the EU has insisted that Kyiv and European powers should be part of any arrangement to end the war that began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Over the weekend, European leaders pushed for Ukraine's involvement in the talks, amid fears that a meeting without Kyiv could see if forced to cede swaths of territory. "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and Finland and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement, urging Trump to put more pressure on Russia. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he hoped and assumed that Zelenskyy would attend the Alaska summit. Leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden — also said no decisions should be taken without Ukrainian involvement. Talks on ending the war could only take place during a ceasefire, they added in a joint statement. "The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine's and the whole of Europe's security," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance said Washington is working on arranging a meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy. "We're at a point now where we're trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict," Vance said during an interview on Fox News. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said that seven Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russia's air defense systems overnight on Sunday and into Monday morning. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry and a regional official said three people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes targeting the regions of Tula, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine. European Union foreign ministers are set to hold talks via video link ahead of a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The Europeans want to push for Ukraine's involvement in any peace talks with Russia. Monday's meeting comes amid an apparent stance change by Trump toward Ukraine and Russia, with him threatening harsher sanctions against Russia if it doesn't agree to a ceasefire.
Local Germany
7 days ago
- Local Germany
Is Germany headed for a period of austerity?
Over the weekend, economics expert Veronika Grimm spoke up to warn that the government's budget plans aren't sustainable. Grimm, who is a member of Germany's Council of Economic Experts, which evaluates the country's economic policies, warned that, "We will not be able to finance the system [as it is] in the long term." She added, "This also means that we will have to cut benefits from time to time." "We need more honesty in pension, long-term care and health insurance about which services we can really afford and which we cannot," she told the Funke media group. Grimm suggested that people living in Germany need to be aware that the state-funded pension system, as well as long-term care benefits for the elderly, will likely need to scaled back in the future. Appearing to speak directly to government leaders, she said, "If you make promises to people that you can't keep in the end, then they don't make private provisions, even though many could." The black-red coalition government - comprised of the conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) - has so far embarked on an ambitious spending spree. They quickly succeeded in loosening the country's debt brake and getting approval to significantly up the country's debt in order to fund massive expenditures in defence and infrastructure, as well as maintaining the pension system. But as they pour money into these areas, they've also warned about needing to cut back spending elsewhere. Cuts in unemployment benefits and health insurance Introducing Germany's budget for 2026 , Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) warned that the country's new debt will be "one of the biggest domestic challenges" to navigate in the coming year. Advertisement To that end, we've heard a number of proposals from leading politicians about where budgets could be trimmed back. For example, CSU chair Markus Söder said last week that he'd like to see Bürgergeld (citizen's allowance) benefits scrapped for all Ukrainian refugees - as opposed to just the new arrivals as the black-red coalition had already agreed. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann has advocated more broadly for the complete withdrawal of Bürgergeld from recipients who don't accept work offers. Another area that could see services cut back: statutory health insurance benefits. According to media reports, a gap of around €12 billion will be seen for health insurance funds from 2027. The government has so far neither confirmed nor denied the figure, but chairman of the board of directors of statutory health insurance provider Techniker-Krankenkasse (TK) confirmed the financing gap and openly criticised the Finance Minister. German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil arrives for a press conference to present a draft of Germany's federal budget for the year 2026. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) For his part, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had spoken in favour of reducing health insurance expenditures in his summer interview with ARD . "Where does personal responsibility begin?" Merz quipped. READ ALSO: After busy first 100 days, Germany's Merz faces discord at home Pensions guaranteed until 2031 One place the government doesn't want to makes cuts is to pension payments. This week, the Federal Cabinet launched a pension law intended to ensure a stable pension level until 2031, it will also expand pensions for millions of mothers ( Mütterrente ). READ ALSO: Tax cuts and pensions - How Germany's budget changes could impact you Advertisement Funding for the pension system is to be paid for with taxpayers' money. Working people and employers are set to see pension contributions rise slightly in 2027 - from today's 18.6 to 18.8 percent. Increasingly large pension costs are all but guaranteed in Germany's future. As The Local columnist, Brian Melican put it in a recent op-ed on the issue : "As pensioners make up an ever-growing proportion of the electorate, no major party will campaign to make them even marginally worse-off." Criticism of austerity politics Responding to Grimm's warning, SPD parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese told the Funke newspapers, "The neoliberal approach of seeking solutions only by cutting benefits for citizens in our country is too simplistic and does not get our approval." Green parliamentary group vice-chairman Andreas Audretsch further criticised that women would be plunged into old-age poverty if pensions were to be further reduced. "We have to look at other adjusting screws, for example, by enabling people to work..." Austerity measures, particularly cuts to government services and increases in taxes, have been linked to adverse impacts on the poorest segments of the population. Also, research has linked austerity measures with both electoral abstention and votes for non-mainstream parties. In other words, cuts to services and welfare in Germany could be expected to boost votes for far-right and far-left parties - exactly the opposite of what conservative CDU/CSU leaders say they are trying to avoid.
