China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain dealsNew Foto - China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals

BEIJING (Reuters) -China warned the Trump administration on Tuesday against reigniting trade tension by restoring tariffs on its goods next month, and threatened to retaliate against nations that strike deals with the United States to cut China out of supply chains. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June that restored a fragile truce, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors on both sides of the Pacific are watching to see if it will unravel or lead to a lasting detente. On Monday, President Donald Trump began notifying trade partners of sharply higher U.S. tariffs from August 1, after he delayed all but 10% of his April duties on most countries to give them time to strike deals with the world's largest economy. China, initially singled out with tariffs exceeding 100%, has until August 12 to reach an agreement with the White House to keep Trump from reinstating additional import curbs imposed during tit-for-tat tariff exchanges in April and May. "One conclusion is abundantly clear: dialogue and cooperation are the only correct path," the official People's Daily said in a commentary, referring to the exchanges in the current round of China-U.S. trade tension. The article was signed "Zhong Sheng", or "Voice of China", a term the paper uses to express views on foreign policy. Reiterating Beijing's view that Trump's tariffs amount to "bullying", the paper added, "Practice has proven that only by firmly upholding principled positions can one truly safeguard one's legitimate rights and interests." The remarks set the stage for another round of tariff war should Trump stick to what the ruling Communist Party's official daily said was "a so-called 'final deadline.'" The average U.S. tariff on Chinese exports now stands at 51.1%, while the average Chinese duty on U.S. goods is 32.6%, with both sides covering all their trade, the Peterson Institute for International Economics said. The paper also took a swipe at regional economies that are considering striking tariff reduction deals with the United States that cut China out of their supply chains. Last week, Vietnam secured a tariff reduction to 20% from 46% with a deal for goods "transshipped" through it, typically originating from China, to be subjected to a levy of 40%. "China firmly opposes any side striking a deal that sacrifices Chinese interests in exchange for tariff concessions," the paper said. "If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will respond resolutely to protect its legitimate interests." (Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals

China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals BEIJING (Reuters) -China warned the Trump administration on Tuesda...
France's Macron makes a state visit to the UK with migration and Ukraine on the agendaNew Foto - France's Macron makes a state visit to the UK with migration and Ukraine on the agenda

LONDON (AP) — FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macronarrives in Britain on Tuesday for a state visit mixing royal pageantry with thorny political talks about stopping migrants fromcrossing the English Channel in small boats. Macron andPrime Minister Keir Starmerwill also try to advance plans for a post-ceasefiresecurity force for Ukraine, despite apparent U.S. indifference to the idea and Russia's refusal to halt the onslaught on its neighbor. Macron's three-day visit, at the invitation ofKing Charles III, is the first state visit to the U.K. by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the British government's desire to reset relations with the bloc that the U.K. acrimoniously left in 2020. The president and his wife,Brigitte Macron, will be driven to Windsor Castle by horse-drawn carriage, greeted by a military honor guard and treated to a state banquet hosted by the king and Queen Camilla. The British royals made astate visit to Francein September 2023. Macron also will address both houses of Britain's Parliament in the building's fabulously ornate Royal Gallery before sitting down for talks with Starmer on migration, defense and investment. At a U.K.-France summit on Thursday, senior government officials from the two countries will discuss small-boat crossings, a thorny issue for successive governments on both sides of the channel. Britain receives fewer asylum-seekers than Mediterranean European countries, but thousands of migrants each year use northern France as a launching point to reach the U.K., either by stowing away in trucks or — after a clampdown on that route — in small boats across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The U.K. has struck a series of deals with France over the years to increase patrols of beaches and share intelligence in an attempt to disrupt the smuggling gangs. It has all had only a limited impact. About 37,000 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2024, the second-highest annual figure after 46,000 in 2022. More than 20,000 people made the crossing in the first six months of 2025, up by about 50% from the same period last year. Dozens of people have died attempting the crossing. Starmer, whose center-left government was elected a year ago, has pledged to "smash the gangs" behind organized people-smuggling. His plan rests on closer cooperation with France and with countries further up the migrants' route from Africa and the Middle East. The U.K. also aims to strike deals with individual nations to take back failed asylum seekers. British officials have been pushing for French police to intervene more forcefully to stop the boats, and welcomed the sight of officersslashing rubber dinghieswith knives in recent days. U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the French are "bringing in important new tactics to stop boats that are in the water." Britain also is pushing France to let officers intervene against boats in deeper waters, a change the government in Paris is considering. Campaigners for migrants' rights and a police union warn that doing so could endanger both migrants and officers. Starmer spokesperson Tom Wells said some of the tactics being discussed are "operationally and legally complex, but we're working closely with the French." The two leaders have worked closely together to rally support for Ukraine, though they have taken contrasting approaches to U.S. PresidentDonald Trump, with Macron more willing to challenge the American president than the emollient Starmer. Britain and France have led efforts to form an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine to reinforce a future ceasefire with European troops and equipment and U.S. security guarantees. Trump has shown little enthusiasm for the idea, however, and a ceasefire remains elusive. British officials say the "coalition of the willing" idea is alive and well, with Macron and Starmer due to join an international videoconference on Thursday to discuss planning for the force. Starmer spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday about the "significant progress being made by military planners," the British leader's office said.

France's Macron makes a state visit to the UK with migration and Ukraine on the agenda

France's Macron makes a state visit to the UK with migration and Ukraine on the agenda LONDON (AP) — FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macronarri...
Hunter Biden helped make campaign decisions, was major fixture in father's orbit, author saysNew Foto - Hunter Biden helped make campaign decisions, was major fixture in father's orbit, author says

Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden's son, helped make campaign decisions and often sat in on phone calls alongside his father, Wall Street Journal reporter and author Josh Dawsey told ABC News on Sunday. "What we found out over the course of reporting for our book is, Hunter Biden [was] a major figure in the president's orbit," Dawsey said during ABC's "This Week." "He was often on these calls, he would pipe in to calls, he was helping him make campaign decisions, and the president was very concerned about his son. It was one of the things that was an albatross on him as he tried to run for re-election." Dawsey spoke to ABC News hostGeorge Stephanopoulos, who asked the reporter to discuss his new book, "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," and about reporting that Hunter was a "burden" on his father's re-election efforts. "One of the scenes in the book is that the president has a big month ahead in June of 2024. He has European. He, he has the first debate withDonald Trump, as you saw that didn't go so well. But the thing he's telling his friends he's always concerned about is that his son is not convicted in this court," the reporter said. Doj Releases Special Counsel David Weiss' Report On Hunter Biden "He's just constantly worried about him, he thinks that the prosecutors are trying to break him and, as you see, ultimately, he decides topardon his son," Dawsey continued after noting Biden offered to testify for Hunter. Read On The Fox News App The Wall Street Journal published an excerpt from Dawsey's book, which he wrote with reporters Tyler Pager of The New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post, on Thursday. The excerpt revealed thatHunter told peoplethat he had an interest in his father abandoning his presidential campaign. "Hunter called in from Los Angeles and made clear that he supported whatever decision his father made. But he told him, 'I sure would love having you back.' What Hunter meant was that being president took up all his father's time. He often told people that he had more of an interest in his father abandoning his campaign than anyone," the book excerpt, published by theJournal, read. New Book Reveals Biden's Inner Circle Worried About His Age Years Before Botched Debate Performance Biden exited the race in July 2024 after his disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump and subsequent pressure from top Democrats to drop his re-election bid. Original article source:Hunter Biden helped make campaign decisions, was major fixture in father's orbit, author says

Hunter Biden helped make campaign decisions, was major fixture in father's orbit, author says

Hunter Biden helped make campaign decisions, was major fixture in father's orbit, author says Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden...
White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas floodingNew Foto - White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding

The White House and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz defended the National Weather Service and accused some Democrats of playing politics in the wake of devastating floods in Texas. "I think this is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks," Cruz said at a news conference with local officials in Kerr County on Monday morning. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later began her briefing on the offensive, calling out those who've questioned whether federal cuts to the NWS impacted staffing levels or forecasting abilities as the tragedy unfolded. "Unfortunately, in the wake of this once in a generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media," Leavitt said. "Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning." MORE: Texas flooding live updates: 90 dead in the state, 11 missing from Camp Mystic Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, on Monday called for an investigation into whether cuts made to NWS in the administration had any correlation to the level of devastation. "Following the disastrous and deeply devastating flash flooding in Texas this weekend, I write to urge you to immediately to open an investigation into the scope, breadth, and ramifications of whether staffing shortages at key local National Weather Service (NWS) stations contributed to the catastrophic loss of life and property during the deadly flooding," Schumer wrote in a letter sent to Commerce Department Acting Inspector General Roderick Anderson. Officials said at least 104 people, including more than two dozen children, are dead after heavy rain led to flash flooding in Texas. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told ABC News that NWS planned for extra staffing at the NWS Austin/San Antonio local office ahead of the event. The local office had five NWS employees working compared to the two that would normally be scheduled. In a statement to ABC News, the NWS highlighted that they gave briefings to emergency management the day before the tragic event and mentioned some alert lead times. "The National Weather Service is heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in Kerr County. On July 3, the NWS office in Austin/San Antonio, TX conducted forecast briefings for emergency management in the morning and issued a Flood Watch in the early afternoon. Flash Flood Warnings were issued on the night of July 3 and in the early morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met. The National Weather Service remains committed to our mission to serve the American public through our forecasts and decision support services," the NWS said. Leavitt, from the podium on Monday, ran through the specific timeline of alerts sent by the NWS and emphasized the extra staff in place at the NWS Austin/San Antonio office. She noted the office issued a flood watch at 1:18 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. Then, a flash flood warning was issued for Bandera and Kerr counties at 1:14 a.m. on Friday, July 4 that was upgraded with more serious warnings at 3:35 a.m.. "So, to any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed," she said. Leavitt was asked on Monday why the warnings were sent at a time when people were likely asleep and what, if anything, the administration is doing to ensure that these alerts come out sooner in the future. "This was an act of God, it is not the administration's fault that the flood hit when it did but there were early and consistent warnings," Leavitt said. "And again, the National Weather Service did its job." MORE: Texas flooding timeline: How rapidly rising waters killed dozens Cruz, at the local news conference in Texas, pushed back on NWS claims but said there would be a "period of retrospection" after the immediate recovery efforts to analyze what happened and what went wrong. "In the wake of every tragedy, there are things that are predictable," Cruz said. "One of the things that's predictable is to see some people engaging in, I think, partisan games, and trying to blame their political opponents for a natural disaster. And you see that with a hurricane, with a tornado, with a wildfire, with this flooding, where people immediately say, 'Well, the hurricane is Donald Trump's fault.' I think most normal Americans know that's ridiculous, and I think this is not a time for partisan finger pointing and attacks." "Now, after we come through search and rescue, after we come through the process of rebuilding, there will naturally be a period of retrospection where you look back and say, 'Okay, what exactly transpired, what was the timeline, and what could have been done differently to prevent this loss of life?' And that's a natural process," Cruz added. "I think it should not happen in a bitter and partisan sense, but it should happen in a reasonable sense of saying, what lessons can we learn?" President Trump is still planning on visiting Texas on Friday, the White House said, though plans are not yet finalized. Trump was asked about NWS on Sunday if he was going to investigate whether cuts at NWS left key positions vacant. "No, no. They didn't," Trump said. MORE: Texas flash flooding disaster raises questions about rescue and recovery efforts Trump then tried to pin blame on former President Joe Biden, his Oval Office predecessor, before walking the comment back. "I'll tell you: If you look at that -- what a situation that all is. That was really the Biden setup. That was not our setup. But I wouldn't blame Biden for it either. I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it's just so horrible to watch," Trump said. ABC News' Mariam Khan and Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.

White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding

White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding The White House and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz defended the Nati...
Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nationsNew Foto - Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations

WASHINGTON (AP) — PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as newtariffrates on a dozen other nations that would go into effect on Aug. 1. Donald Trumpprovided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs. "If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge," Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. The letters were not the final word from Trump on tariffs, so much as another episode in a global economic drama in which he has placed himself at the center. His moves have raised fears that economic growth would slow to a trickle, if not make the U.S. and other nations more vulnerable to a recession. But Trump is confident that tariffs are necessary to bring back domestic manufacturing and fund the tax cuts he signed into law last Friday. He mixed his sense of aggression with a willingness to still negotiate, signaling the likelihood that the drama and uncertainty would continue and that few things are ever final with Trump. "It's all done," Trump told reporters Monday. "I told you we'll make some deals, but for the most part we're going to send a letter." South Korea's Trade Ministry said early Tuesday that it will accelerate negotiations with the United States to achieve a mutually beneficial deal before the 25% tax on its exports goes into effect. Imports from Myanmar and Laos would be taxed at 40%, Cambodia and Thailand at 36%, Serbia and Bangladesh at 35%, Indonesia at 32%, South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 30% and Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Tunisia at 25%. Trump placed the word "only" before revealing the rate in his letters to the foreign leaders, implying that he was being generous with his tariffs. But the letters generally followed a standard format, so much so that the one to Bosnia and Herzegovina initially addressed its woman leader, Željka Cvijanović, as "Mr. President." Trump later posted a corrected letter. Trade talks have yet to deliver several deals White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump, by setting the rates himself, was creating "tailor-made trade plans for each and every country on this planet and that's what this administration continues to be focused on." Following a now well-worn pattern, Trump plans to continue sharing the letters sent to his counterparts on social media and then mailing them the documents, a stark departure from the more formal practices of all his predecessors when negotiating trade agreements. The letters are not agreed-to settlements but Trump's own choice on rates, a sign that the closed-door talks with foreign delegations failed to produce satisfactory results for either side. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute who formerly worked in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, said the tariff hikes on Japan and South Korea were "unfortunate." "Both have been close partners on economic security matters and have a lot to offer the United States on priority matters like shipbuilding, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy cooperation," Cutler said. Trump still has outstanding differences on trade with the European Union and India, among other trading partners. Tougher talks with China are on a longer time horizon in which imports from that nation are being taxed at 55%. The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump mischaracterized the trade relationship with the U.S., but it would "continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States" after having proposed a trade framework on May 20. Higher tariffs prompt market worries, more uncertainty ahead The S&P 500 stock index was down 0.8% in Monday trading, while the interest charged on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes increased to nearly 4.39%, a figure that could translate into elevated rates for mortgages and auto loans. Trump has declared an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, suggesting they are remedies for past trade deficits even though many U.S. consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea. The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks. Trump's ability to impose tariffs through an economic emergency is under legal challenge, with the administration appealing a May ruling by theU.S. Court of International Tradethat said the president exceeded his authority. It's unclear what he gains strategically against China — another stated reason for the tariffs — by challenging two crucial partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, that could counter China's economic heft. "These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country," Trump wrote in both letters. Because the new tariff rates go into effect in roughly three weeks, Trump is setting up a period of possibly tempestuous talks among the U.S. and its trade partners to reach new frameworks. "I don't see a huge escalation or a walk back — it's just more of the same," said Scott Lincicome, a vice president at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank Trump initially roiled the financial markets by announcing tariff rates on dozens of countries, including 24% on Japan and 25% on South Korea. In order to calm the markets, Trump unveiled a 90-day negotiating period during which goods from most countries were taxed at a baseline 10%. So far, the rates in the letters sent by Trump either match his April 2 tariffs or are generally close to them. The 90-day negotiating period technically ends Wednesday, even as multiple administration officials suggested the three-week period before implementation is akin to overtime for additional talks that could change the rates. Trump signed an executive order Monday to delay the official tariff increases until Aug. 1. Congressionally approved trade agreements historically have sometimes taken years to negotiate because of the complexity. Administration officials have said Trump is relying on tariff revenues to help offset the tax cuts he signed into law on July 4, a move that could shift a greater share of the federal tax burden onto the middle class and poor as importers would likely pass along much of the cost of the tariffs. Trump has warned major retailers such as Walmart to simply "eat" the higher costs, instead of increasing prices in ways that could intensify inflation. Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at The Atlantic Council, said a three-week delay in imposing the tariffs was unlikely sufficient for meaningful talks to take place. "I take it as a signal that he is serious about most of these tariffs and it's not all a negotiating posture," Lipsky said. Trade gaps persist, more tariff hikes are possible Trump's team promised 90 deals in 90 days, but his negotiations so far have produced only two trade frameworks. His outline of a deal with Vietnam was clearly designed to box out China from routing its America-bound goods through that country, by doubling the 20% tariff charged on Vietnamese imports on anything traded transnationally. The quotas in the signed United Kingdom framework would spare that nation from the higher tariff rates being charged on steel, aluminum and autos, though British goods would generally face a 10% tariff. The United States ran a $69.4 billion trade imbalance in goods with Japan in 2024 and a $66 billion imbalance with South Korea, according to the Census Bureau. The trade deficits are the differences between what the U.S. exports to a country relative to what it imports. According to Trump's letters, autos would be tariffed separately at the standard 25% worldwide, while steel and aluminum imports would be taxed on 50%. This is not the first time Trump has tangled with Japan and South Korea on trade — and the new tariffs suggest his past deals made during his first term failed to deliver on his administration's own hype. In 2018, during Trump's first term, his administration celebrated a revamped trade agreement with South Korea as a major win. And in 2019, Trump signed a limited agreement with Japan on agricultural products and digital trade that at the time he called a "huge victory for America's farmers, ranchers and growers." Trump has also said on social media that countries aligned with the policy goals of BRICS, an organization composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, would face additional tariffs of 10%. ___ Associated Press writer Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa contributed to this report.

Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations

Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations WASHINGTON (AP) — PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday s...

 

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