Trump to impose 25% tariff on India – DW – 07/30/2025
US President Donald Trump has confirmed a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the United States as well as other financial penalties payable from August.
"While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
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Brazil Seeks WTO Relief Against Trump Tariffs
Brazil on Wednesday approached the World Trade Organization (WTO) for relief against a hefty trade tariff imposed by President Donald Trump on more than a third of US-bound exports from the Latin American powerhouse. The 50-percent tariff on several Brazilian goods went into force Wednesday over what Trump has termed a "witch hunt" against his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro, the former president on trial for plotting a coup. Sources in the government of incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told AFP Brasilia had filed a request for consultations with the US mission to the WTO -- the first formal step in the trade body's dispute settlement process. Trump's latest tariff salvo raised duties on Brazil from 10 percent to 50 percent for key exports including coffee, beef and sugar. Exempt were nearly 700 other exports including civilian planes, orange juice and pulp, Brazil nuts, and some iron, steel and aluminum products. Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin previously told journalists the new tariff would apply to about 36 percent of the country's exports to the United States, equal to trade of about $14.5 billion last year. Trump's Brazil tariff is among the highest imposed on US trading partners and was framed in openly political terms, sweeping aside centuries-old trade ties and a surplus Brasilia put at $284 million last year. In an executive order last week, the Trump administration lashed out at Brazilian officials for "unjustified criminal charges" against Bolsonaro, on trial for allegedly plotting to wrest back power after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula. Trump's order also charged that the Lula government's recent policies and actions threatened the US economy, national security, and foreign policy. US tensions with Brazil are not likely to dissipate soon, with a Brazilian judge on Monday placing Bolsonaro under house arrest pending the outcome of his trial for contravening a social media ban. The judge, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, presides over Bolsonaro's trial and was himself hit with financial sanctions this week as Washington claimed he had "taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt." Moraes has clashed repeatedly with the far-right in Brazil, and with tech titan Elon Musk over the spread of online misinformation. Bolsonaro risks decades in prison if found guilty on the coup charges that had allegedly also included discussions to assassinate Lula and other senior officials. The tariff hike on Brazilian goods came a day before a separate wave of higher duties on dozens of economies ranging from the European Union to Taiwan. Analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics estimate the pending increases would boost the average effective tariff rate for US imports to nearly 20 percent. This marks the highest level since at least the 1930s, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University.
DW
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Ukraine: Trump hails 'progress' after envoy meets Putin – DW – 08/06/2025
Donald Trump said a meeting between US envoy Steve Wikoff and Vladimir Putin in Moscow was "highly productive." Despite this, this White House says new US sanctions on Russia are still coming. DW has more. Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, for talks in Moscow. The meeting comes just days before a deadline set by Trump for Putin to agree to a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has urged patience regarding US-Russia relations, as anticipation builds around a potential meeting between Trump and Putin that has yet to be reserves in Ukraine are at their lowest in 12 years, analysis firm ExPro said on Wednesday. Storage facilities are currently less than a third full and the revelation comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Wednesday accused Moscow of deliberately undermining its preparations for winter by striking a gas facility in the Odesa region. It is not yet clear how Wednesday's attack on the the southern region's gas interconnector, which is used to supply US and Azeri gas through Bulgaria and Romania, will affect future gas collection. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff lasted around three hours. "A quite useful and constructive conversation took place," Ushakov told journalists. Putin and Witkoff discussed the conflict in Ukraine and the potential for improving US-Russia ties, Ushakov said. He added that Moscow had received certain "signals" from US President Donald Trump and had sent messages in return, without elaborating on details. The meeting comes just days ahead of a deadline set by Trump to agree to a Ukraine peace deal or face US sanctions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German politicians are debating whether to slash financial assistance for Ukrainian refugees. How does the country stack up against its EU neighbors when it comes to generosity in helping those fleeing war? Read the full story on aid provided for Ukrainian refugees in Germany and across Europe. Russian drones struck a gas pumping station in southern Ukraine, part of an LNG imports scheme from the United States and Azerbaijan, Kyiv's energy ministry said Wednesday. The ministry said the attack on the site near the Ukraine-Romania border was aimed "purely against civilian infrastructure" and targeting relations with Azerbaijan, the US and European partners. There was no immediate comment from Russia. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff for talks. The Kremlin did not immediately provide more information regarding the meeting. There had been doubts as to whether the two would meet during Witkoff's visit to Moscow but Russian state media said the meeting was to take place on Wednesday. Donald Trump has put a Friday deadline for Putin to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday two people were killed after a Russian attack set ablaze a holiday camp in central Ukraine. Describing it as a "zero military sense" strike, Zelenskyy condemned the "cruelty" of the attack, "aimed at instilling fear." "Right now in the Zaporizhzhia district, our medics and first responders are helping those wounded in a Russian strike on an ordinary recreation center," Zelenskyy posted on X. "Twelve people have been injured. As of now, sadly, two people are confirmed dead." The Kremlin claims the Zaporizhzhia region as part of Russia. Ukraine's defense minister has expressed gratitude toward the US for approving more than $200 million (€175 million) in deals to supply arms to Ukraine, funded by allies and arising from agreements between the US and Ukrainian presidents. "Grateful to the U.S. for approving over $200M in Foreign Military Sales for Ukraine," Denys Shmyhal posted on X. "The first package includes equipment, repairs, and technical support for M777 howitzers, valued at $104 million. The second package, worth $99.5 million, covers transportation and cargo consolidation and other logistical services." Entirely funded by partner countries, these packages are a boost to Ukraine's defense and regional security," he added. Patience is required over Russian-US relations, the Kremlin said Wednesday. In remarks carried by the Russian TASS state news agency, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There is, of course, inertia in this process," referring to the prolonged absence of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. "It takes time for efforts to bring bilateral relations back onto a normal track." TASS reported that for the first time in modern Russian history more than six months have passed without a summit between the leaders of the two nuclear powers. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian officials , with President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over the war in Ukraine just days away. It is unclear whether Witkoff will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has given the Kremlin until Friday to halt its offensive in Ukraine or face further sanctions. The White House has not been specific regarding potential penalties, but Trump has previously threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" targeting Moscow's remaining trade partners, including China and India. Trump said Tuesday that he would await the outcome of Witkoff's visit before moving forward. "We're going to see what happens," he told reporters. "We'll make that determination at that time." After arriving in the Russian capital, Witkoff was met by presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev, Russian state news agency TASS said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had had a "productive" conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump. The Ukrainian president said "the key focus" of their conversation centered around "ending the war." "Many months could have already passed without war, had Russia not been prolonging it," he continued. "Today, we coordinated our positions, Ukraine and the United States. We exchanged assessments of the situation: The Russians have intensified the brutality of their attacks. President Trump is fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities." Zelenskyy said the pair also spoke about sanctions on Russia with Trump's August 8 deadline for Putin to end the war looming large. "Their economy continues to decline, and that's exactly why Moscow is so sensitive to this prospect and President Trump's resolve," Zelenskyy said. Today's spotlight is firmly on Moscow, where US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with Russian officials, just days ahead of a deadline set by his boss. President Donald Trump has warned that if Russia fails to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by Friday, it will face new sanctions. However, the lack of urgency in Moscow over the past few days suggests Witkoff may leave empty handed. In fact, sources close to the Kremlin say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he is gaining ground in Ukraine, and that takes precedence over improving relations with the United States. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used this moment to press his case for tougher sanctions on Moscow in a call with Trump ahead of Witkoff's visit. We'll be covering all these topics in this blog, with a focus on the ongoing war in Ukraine.
DW
2 hours ago
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Gerrymandering in the US — why Democrats fled Texas – DW – 08/06/2025
Texas Democrats have fled the state to halt a redistricting vote aimed at cementing Republican power. President Donald Trump wants an electoral map that will help him in the 2026 midterms. Donald Trump has been back in the Oval Office as 47th president of the United States for a little over six months. In that time, he has kept the world economy busy with ever more punitive tariffs, hammered away at the foundations of American democracy, severely limited the rights of minorities such as the LGBTQ+ community in the US and militarized immigration policy. Opposition to the policies of Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans (GOP) has been voiced loud enough to be heard on the international stage on only a few occasions. Things have to be pretty spectacular to cut through the din, like the No Kings Day marches on June 14 — when millions of people across the country hit the streets to protest what they said was Trump acting more like an all-powerful monarch than a democratically elected president. Now, Texas' Democratic lawmakers are taking a stand. More than 50 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives — the lower house of the state's bicameral legislature — fled the state on Sunday in order to halt a key vote. Votes in the Texas House require two thirds of legislators to be present. There are a total of 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives in Austin, Democrats hold 62 of them — and according to media reports, at least 51 of those politicians are currently out of state. No quorum, no vote. At the center of the fight is an issue that never fails to make waves in US politics — the drawing of political districting maps. President Trump wants Texas Republicans to redraw theirs while they have the chance — and he wants it done before the November 2026 midterm those elected in the midterms are all members of the US House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Republicans have a lot of power in Washington these days; not only do they have the presidency, they also control both chambers of Congress — the US Senate and the US House of Representatives — where laws are written and passed, and important government positions filled. Whereas all 50 states each send two senators to Washington, things get more complicated when it comes to the number of representatives — with each state sending a different number, proportionate to their population. Texas has the second-highest number of representatives: 38 of them hailing from 38 different electoral districts. Each district operates on a simple majority, winner-take-all principle, meaning that the candidate with 51% of the vote wins the district and the seat — gaining the right to represent the district's citizens in Washington despite as many as 49% of them possibly voting for someone else. The GOP currently holds a 219-212 majority in the US House of Representatives with four seats vacant. When those seats are filled, Democrats could win back control of the US House by picking up just three seats. With an eye to the midterms, Trump began leaning on Texas Republicans to redraw voting maps to break up Democrat-leaning districts back in June. Although redistricting usually takes place every 10 years, following a census, this move after just five years has sparked a state battle with national implications — with Governor Greg Abbott calling a special legislative session scheduled to last until August 19 to force through the measure, and Democrats fleeing the state to keep it from happening. Right now, 25 of Texas' 38 US House seats are held by Republicans. Trump and his GOP want to maintain that dominance and even add seats. One way to make that a reality is to redraw electoral districts in a way that would benefit Republican candidates — a practice known as "gerrymandering." The term gerrymandering dates back to the year 1812, when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry ordered new lines be drawn to define voting districts. One of the new districts drawn up at the governor's behest looked like a salamander to some observers, leading newspapers to run cartoons and editorials featuring the portmanteau Gerry-mander — combining the governor's name with the animal. In establishing a district's borders, those drawing them can determine whether it will be populated by likely Republican voters (conservative, largely white Americans, without college degrees) or those more likely to vote Democrat (progressive, often Black voters, with college degrees). Our chart makes clear how one party can gain an outsized advantage depending on how districts are drawn. With Republicans in control of both chambers of the Texas State Capitol as well as having Greg Abbott in the governor's mansion, it is a foregone conclusion that they will do all they can to see Trump's plan through — if they can vote on it. Gerrymandering isn't illegal, on the contrary, it is part of the political process in the US. In 2019, the US Supreme Court ruled that federal courts have no power to weigh in on whether or not a state's districting maps are fair to both parties. Some state courts have also ruled that they have an obligation to stay out of the fray because they cannot decide political arguments. That usually leaves the drawing of district maps to state politicians, as is the case in Texas. Other states, like California and Michigan, have established non-partisan districting commissions to carry out the task. Others still do leave districting to their courts, and six states have a population so small that they only have one House representative anyhow — so they do not have to worry about the stress that would go into drawing district lines. Governor Abbott recently told Fox News that Democrats had forfeited their seats in the Texas House of Representatives "because they are not doing the job they were elected to do." Abbott criticized his Democratic colleagues' behavior as "un-Texan" adding, "Texans don't run from a fight." Whether the governor can legally vacate Democratic seats in the Texas House is not entirely clear. But the breach of legislative rules can, for instance, trigger financial penalties. Moreover, Abbott can continue to call special sessions in the Texas State House, meaning that he can demand a vote as soon as Democrats return — or can be brought back — to Texas. Abbott has also tasked state law enforcement with tracking down and arresting Democratic lawmakers. But Texas State Troopers have no authority beyond state lines and most Democrats who fled the state are reportedly hunkered down in Democratic strongholds like Chicago, New York and Boston. It looks like it could take some time to resolve the deadlock.
