Sirens wail, cities shut down as Taiwan simulates Chinese air raid
18/07/2025
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
Syria: Renewed Druze and Bedouin clashes, UN rights chief urges prompt probe
18/07/2025
New clashes rock Syria's Druze heartland as tribal fighters reinforce Bedouin
18/07/2025
Germany: Top EU officials gather to discuss stricter migration measures
18/07/2025
European interior ministers gather for meeting on migration policy in Germany
18/07/2025
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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Fashion Network
3 minutes ago
- Fashion Network
Developed Nations' highest US tariff takes effect on Switzerland
One of Donald Trump 's highest tariffs is now in effect on Switzerland after the government failed in its last-ditch effort to get the US president to lower the rate. The 39% surcharge on exports – from Swiss-made luxury watches to Nespresso coffee capsules – is the highest among developed countries and compares with just 15% on the neighbouring European Union. The punitive tariff applies to all products loaded onto a vessel for transport to the US after 12:01 a.m. New York time on Thursday — 6:01 a.m. in Zurich — according to guidance issued by US Customs and Border Protection. Pharmaceuticals and gold are so far exempt. It went into force after Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter wasn't able to secure a revised deal before the deadline set by Trump. She took a two-day emergency trip to Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday in an attempt to sway her US counterpart, but failed to meet Trump, instead only talking to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who's department doesn't lead trade negotiations for bilateral deals. The Swiss government plane is scheduled to land in Bern at about 7:20 a.m. local time. The tariff level stunned the Swiss after negotiations that they thought looked promising. But things came to a head late last week when Trump threw out a negotiated framework deal on a call with Keller-Sutter. He was particularly irked by Switzerland's bilateral trade surplus with the US of about $38.5 billion last year. The problem faced by the Swiss president — who also is finance minister — is that any concessions are likely to be politically costly at home without meaningfully curbing the trade gap. Switzerland's key exports include gold, pharmaceuticals, watches and medical devices and the driving forces behind the deficit mean a quick reduction is unlikely. If the 39% rate comes into effect across the board — including on pharmaceuticals — that would put up to 1% of Switzerland's economic output at risk over the medium term, according to Bloomberg Economics. Switzerland is home to pharma giants Novartis AG and Roche Holding AG. Trump has said on Tuesday that he'll announce tariffs on pharmaceutical imports 'within the next week or so,' adding that levies would eventually go to as high as 250%.
Euronews
4 minutes ago
- Euronews
Former Superman actor Dean Cain says he's joining Trump's ICE agency
Dean Cain, the actor best known for playing Superman in the 90s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, has announced he's joining US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - the controversial agency central to Donald Trump's intensifying immigration crackdown. Speaking to Fox News, Cain said he has spoken with agency officials and will be sworn in as an agent 'ASAP.' Pressed on why he decided to sign up, the 59-year-old actor explained: 'This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing. I truly believe this is the right thing.' He added: 'We have a broken immigration system. Congress needs to fix it, but in the interim, President Trump ran on this. He is delivering on this. This is what people voted for. It's what I voted for and he's going to see it through, and I'll do my part and help make sure it happens.' The announcement comes after Cain, who has long been a vocal supporter of Trump's and his MAGA movement, posted a promotional video to his social media channels, urging fans to join ICE. "ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America's streets. I like that. I voted for that. They need your help, we need your help, to protect our homelands and our families," he said. The timing of Cain's move comes as ICE has dramatically ramped up its operations. The agency has been granted an additional $75 billion (€64 billion) in federal funding - part of what Trump has dubbed his 'big beautiful bill' - and is now reportedly targeting a minimum of 3,000 arrests per day. These increasingly aggressive raids have swept up not only undocumented immigrants, but also individuals with legal protections and even American citizens. Critics argue that many of those detained are being forced through a deportation system that is rapidly abandoning the most basic principles of due process and care. In response, protests have broken out in cities across the United States. However, the Trump administration has taken a hardline stance against public dissent, prosecuting not only demonstrators but also civilians who film or verbally object to ICE arrests as they happen. Cain's decision to align himself with ICE has not gone unnoticed, particularly given his long-standing association with the Man of Steel character - an alien from another planet who was raised as an American and became a symbol of justice and hope. Social media users were quick to point out the irony, with one commenter writing, 'Superman himself would be disappointed in you, Dean.' Cain responded with a blunt retort: 'Not a chance.' This is not the first time Cain has waded into controversy in recent months. In July, he drew attention after publicly criticising James Gunn's critically and commercially successful Superman reboot, accusing the film - and Hollywood more broadly - of becoming too "woke.' Speaking to TMZ he said: "How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?' In our review of Superman, we wrote: "The 'silliness' of Gunn's approach feels bold in these current times – and the director knows what he's doing. He clearly understands that superhero fatigue has settled in; his reset doubles down on the fun factor without shying away from some real-world mirroring. This may not be anything new for Superman films, but the inclusion of xenophobia laced with cancel culture (aided by social media bots / monkeys) and the contentious Middle Eastern geopolitical dispute with obvious – but not overplayed - topical parallels to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict is a bold touch." We added: "You can almost hear nose-bleedingly annoying comments about Superman going 'woke' - the pithy last defence of those who never tire of shouting at clouds. But that's what Superman has always been: an alien humanitarian who fights for justice and for whom 'kindness is punk rock.'" Read our full review here.
Euronews
34 minutes ago
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Putin will meet Trump, but will he meet Zelenskyy?
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, are going to meet in the coming days, the Kremlin said on Thursday, adding that the venue and location have also been decided "in principle". The summit is slated for next week, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said, while noting that such events take time to organise and no date can be confirmed. The possible venue will be announced 'a little later," according to Ushakov. The announcement came after the US president's special envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow on Wednesday, where he met with Putin. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin revealed any details of what exactly was discussed. The Kremlin released a usual statement that the discussion was "constructive" and both sides had exchanged "signals". Trump told reporters on Wednesday he would not call it a 'breakthrough' and reiterated, 'I'm here to get the thing over with". With the meeting between Trump and Putin now confirmed and expected most probably next week, will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy be there too, and what does it mean for Trump's ceasefire deadline for Moscow set for Friday? Will Zelenskyy meet Putin? Following Witkoff's visit to Moscow, Trump said there was a "good chance" he could meet the Russian and Ukrainian leaders together in person "very soon" to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. When asked whether Zelenskyy and Putin had agreed to a three-way summit, Trump said there was "very good prospect" of that, but did not elaborate. On Thursday, the Kremlin played down the possibility of a meeting with the Ukrainian president. 'We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,' Ushakov said. Ushakov noted the idea of a three-way summit was mentioned at talks between Trump's envoy Witkoff and Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, but said the Kremlin had left that option "without comment". Trump and Zelenskyy had a separate call on Wednesday evening, after Witkoff's meeting with Putin. Ukraine's president said the European leaders were also on the call, where the discussion was focused on what was "spelt out in Moscow" earlier on Wednesday. 'Our joint position with our partners is absolutely clear – the war must end. And it must be done honestly. Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started,' Zelenskyy said. He later reiterated Kyiv's priorities. 'First – an end to the killing, and it is Russia that must agree to a ceasefire. Second – a format for leaders, so that such a meeting can lead to a truly lasting peace." "We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders. It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed," Zelenskyy explained. "Third – long-term security. This is possible together with the United States and Europe.' It is unclear if Trump's ceasefire deadline for Moscow set for 8 August will change should the meeting among the leaders be confirmed for next week, or if the meeting could be postponed without a ceasefire. 'We understand who calls the shots in Russia' Zelenskyy has been offering to meet Putin almost since the very beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. In May of this year, when Putin suggested that Russia and Ukraine should sit down for direct talks, Ukraine's president promptly responded that he would travel to Istanbul himself to meet with his Russian counterpart. Zelenskyy did go to Turkey, where he met with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but Putin was a no-show. The Kremlin instead sent a lower-level team, including the deputy foreign affairs and defence ministers, the head of its military intelligence and the presidential aide. Few rounds of the Istanbul talks format resulted in the largest prisoners of war exchange, but didn't bring ceasefire any closer. Since the talks restarted, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, while Kyiv intensified its calls for a meeting between the leaders. 'We understand who calls the shots in Russia, and thus Ukraine is once again offering to move beyond technical talks — not to exchange statements, but to actually meet at the level of leaders', Zelenskyy said with most of his calls left without comments by Moscow. But Trump's presence might change that. Speaking from the White House on Thursday, Trump said he had put an end to several wars since his return to office in January. 'I stopped five wars in the last five months, actually, and I'd like this to be the sixth, frankly," he stated.
