US 'pressure' on Putin playing a 'huge' role in Ukraine peace talks, expert says
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Gerry Adams donates to ‘good causes' after BBC pays 100,000 euro damages
Gerry Adams has said he has made donations to 'good causes' after the BBC paid the former Sinn Fein president 100,000 euro (£84,000) in defamation damages. The broadcaster lost a defamation case earlier this year after Mr Adams took them to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme and an accompanying online story. They contained an allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson. Mr Adams denied any involvement. In May, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euro (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. Johnsons Solicitors, which represented Mr Adams in his action, confirmed that the BBC has discharged the order of the court in relation to the compensation to their client. Mr Adams said he intended to donate any damages awarded to good causes. The law firm said donations have been made to 'Unicef for the children of Gaza', local GAA organisations, a support group for republican prisoners and their families called An Cumman Cabhrach, to the Irish language sector, to the 'homeless and Belfast based-youth, mental health and suicide prevention projects' and others. The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Fein leader's legal costs, potentially in the order of millions. However, it is understood the final amount of costs have yet to be determined.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
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US Roasters Shun Coffee From Brazil After 50% Tariffs Kick In
(Bloomberg) -- American coffee buyers are shunning fresh deals with top grower Brazil after President Donald Trump's 50% tariff took effect this month. Chicago Schools Seeks $1 Billion of Short-Term Debt as Cash Gone A Photographer's Pipe Dream: Capturing New York's Vast Water System A London Apartment Tower With Echoes of Victorian Rail and Ancient Rome Why New York City Has a Fleet of New EVs From a Dead Carmaker Princeton Plans New Budget Cuts as Pressure From Trump Builds Companies are avoiding new contracts and looking for wiggle room in existing ones to avoid having to pay the higher levies, according to a dozen brokers, roasters and exporters contacted by Bloomberg. Some US buyers are asking for extended shipping timelines in the hopes that tariffs may be eased later, according to Brazil's exporter group Cecafé. Deals between the US and Brazil have 'totally stalled,' said coffee broker Thiago Cazarini. 'No one's really buying anything.' About a third of America's unroasted coffee typically comes from Brazil, a country Trump has been immersed in a trade conflict with, in part due to what he calls the 'politically motivated persecution' of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. A political ally of Trump's, Bolsonaro faces trial for an attempted coup against the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in a 2022 election. Trump first announced 10% tariffs on Brazil and other countries in April, before imposing 50% levies on the South American agricultural power that kicked in on Aug. 6. One roaster, Florida-based Zaza Coffee, gets about a quarter of its beans from Brazil and currently has 14 to 16 weeks left of those supplies. After the beans are used up, the company is looking to replace them with coffee from Central America, Peru and Mexico, said JP Juarez, Zaza's director of coffee innovation. 'We have a certain window within this 14 weeks that maybe something can change in the case of the tariffs,' Juarez said. But 'in the scenario of keeping the tariffs at those levels, probably we are not going to ask for Brazilian coffee.' Many roasters are reluctant to change longstanding blends on what could turn out to be a short-term policy. The country's dominant share makes its beans nearly irreplaceable, with few alternative origins able to match its volumes, according to Christian Wolthers, chief executive officer of Florida-based importer Wolthers Douqué. Roasters may also not want to alter the profile of the blends customers are accustomed to. Brazil is the world's top exporter of arabica, which is considered smoother than robusta and is the only bean used by coffeehouse chain Starbucks Corp. 'Roasters have blends that they like to keep as consistent as they can in any given cost environment,' Rabobank analyst Jim Watson said. Even so, coffee trade between the US and Brazil may continue to slow, in line with a trend seen so far this year. The Cuban-style coffee brand Café Aroma is among the roasters 'working to import coffees where the applicable tariff has more predictability,' vice president Bernadette Gerrity said. It's also buying more coffee futures to help protect against higher costs. Colombia, Vietnam and Honduras are the next biggest sources of coffee for the US in terms of quantity, according to the Department of Agriculture. Vietnam primarily produces robusta, a cheaper variety that most Americans only know from instant coffee. US imports of those beans could climb to 'historical highs' as tariffs on the nation are only 20%, according to Laleska Moda, market intelligence analyst at Hedgepoint Global Markets. The US could also boost imports from Indonesia and Uganda, which have substantially lower tariffs than Brazil, she said. Limited offers for Honduran coffee are already priced 30 to 40 cents per pound above the futures market, while Colombian exporters haven't been offering prices at all in case the market surges later, said Tomas Araujo, a senior trader at StoneX. A shift away from Brazilian beans in the US would likely divert more of those supplies to Europe, offering relief for buyers there that are seeking traceable beans to comply with the bloc's upcoming deforestation rules, according to Dave Behrends, head of trading at Sucafina SA. More beans would also go to the growing coffee market in China, leaving US roasters facing a pricier market. While New York-based Gregorys Coffee is lucky to have had its last shipment from Brazil arrive on Aug. 2 before the higher tariffs kicked in — leaving it supplied until mid-November — it will eventually need to import another batch it already contracted at the higher rate, said CEO Gregory Zamfotis. The company, as well as other smaller roasters, are bracing for the impact. 'Absorbing a 10% tariff is nearly impossible for a small business to do entirely on its own,' said Daria Whalen, the director of coffee at San Francisco-based Ritual Coffee Roasters. 'Some of that has to be passed to customers — and 50% feels staggering and insurmountable.' --With assistance from Anuradha Raghu. Foreigners Are Buying US Homes Again While Americans Get Sidelined What Declining Cardboard Box Sales Tell Us About the US Economy Women's Earnings Never Really Recover After They Have Children Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates Yosemite Employee Fired After Flying Trans Pride Flag ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
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Elections watchdog agrees to help Kyiv counterpart plan for post-war votes
Britain's elections watchdog has agreed to help its Ukrainian counterpart plan for post-war votes. The co-operation deal will see the Electoral Commission share with Kyiv best practice on cybersecurity and voter education when Ukrainians next go to the polls. Elections are on hold in Ukraine while the country is under martial law, following Russia's invasion in February 2022. 'The delivery of well-run elections that command public confidence and trust is crucial to a healthy and free democracy,' said watchdog chief executive Vijay Rangarajan. He added: 'We are proud to welcome our colleagues and friends from Ukraine to the UK and sign this agreement of co-operation. 'There is a lot that we can learn from each other and deepening the ties between us will help us share expertise and learning in the coming years. 'We stand ready to support Ukraine as it prepares for future post-war elections.' The memorandum of understanding with the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, signed in London, will see the two organisations share information intended to assist the Ukrainian authorities in planning for future post-war elections. The Ukrainian delegation took part in several meetings while in the UK, according to the watchdog, on mis-information, foreign interference, physical security and cybersecurity, as well as discussions about political finance regulation. 'I would call the signing of the memorandum between our institutions a landmark moment that will promote our co-operation and, through the exchange of experience and the adoption of best practices, will help to strengthen democratic values in Ukraine,' chairman of the Ukrainian commission Oleh Didenko said. 'As we prepare for challenging post-war elections, establishing co-operation and familiarising ourselves with important processes such as voting abroad and combating disinformation will enable us to prepare effectively and efficiently for the most challenging elections in our country's history.'
