President Donald Trump has announced that Nigeria will be among countries facing an additional 10% tariff for aligning with what he described as the “anti-American policies of BRICS.” President Trump made the declaration on Sunday via a post on Truth Social, adding fresh uncertainty to global trade relations. Trump’s announcement, which did not elaborate on any specific policy of BRICS, came as the group’s meeting was underway in Rio de…

For the first time in over 100 years, the Seine River has been officially opened to the public for swimming, as Parisians and tourists alike braved the waters this weekend following a landmark environmental overhaul. City authorities gave the green light after a massive clean-up project transformed the iconic river, once infamously polluted, into a safe and swimmable public space. …At the wake of 2024 Paris Olympics This move comes…

US tariffs will kick in on August 1 if trading partners from Taiwan to the European Union do not strike deals with Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday. The rates will “boomerang back” to the sometimes very high levels which President Donald Trump had announced on April 2, before he suspended the levies to allow for trade talks and set a July 9 deadline for agreement, Bessent told CNN.…

Residents across central Texas observed a day of prayer on Sunday as the death toll from Friday’s catastrophic flash floods rose to at least 82, with dozens still missing and search efforts shifting from rescue to recovery. Authorities confirmed that the sudden flooding, triggered by torrential pre-dawn rain, caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet (8 metres) in just 45 minutes, devastating riverside communities and leaving a trail of…

Iran has begun mass deportations of Afghan refugees and migrants after a government-imposed deadline expired on 6 July.

The United Kingdom has re-established diplomatic relations with Syria for the first time in over a decade, Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed on Sunday during a landmark visit to the Syrian capital, Damascus. Marking the first visit by a British minister to Syria in 14 years, Mr Lammy described the development as a “renewed hope for the Syrian people” and pledged Britain’s support for rebuilding the war-torn country. “It is…

Brussels is entering a critical week as EU leaders scramble to secure a last-minute trade agreement with Washington in a bid to stave off punitive US tariffs that could reach as high as 50%. With only two days of negotiations remaining before President Donald Trump’s 9 July deadline, tensions are mounting on both sides of the Atlantic. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Friday that talks, which continued through…

Israel has continued its air assault on Gaza, launching fresh waves of strikes just hours after Hamas announced it was ready to enter immediate talks on a US-backed 60-day ceasefire proposal, raising cautious hopes of a pause in hostilities that have now stretched into a 21-month war. The militant Islamist group’s announcement on Saturday fuelled optimism that a temporary truce, and perhaps the foundation for a permanent settlement, could be…

Pete Hegseth, the United States defence secretary, has reportedly halted a crucial shipment of military aid to Ukraine, citing unsubstantiated fears that America’s weapons stockpiles have become dangerously depleted. The aid package, which included air defence missiles and precision munitions, had been pledged during Joe Biden’s presidency to support Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched in 2022. The Pentagon’s sudden reversal, however, has sparked widespread concern and confusion among…

World leaders from India, the United States and Taiwan paid tribute on Sunday to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as he marked his 90th birthday, a milestone that casts a renewed spotlight on the future of Tibet and rising tensions with China. The revered figure, who calls himself a “simple Buddhist monk”, celebrated the occasion in India, where he has lived since 1959 after fleeing Tibet during…

In a striking shift that raises questions about the ideological direction of BRICS, neither Russia’s President Vladimir Putin nor China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the upcoming summit in Brazil, set to begin on Sunday. This marks a rare absence for both leaders, who have historically been staunch advocates of the bloc once seen as the developing world’s alternative to the G7. Xi, 72, has been a fixture at BRICS…

³Donald Trump has announced that discussions with China over a possible deal involving TikTok are set to begin on Monday or Tuesday, stating that the United States “pretty much” has a deal in place for the sale of the popular short-video app. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, the US president said, “I think we’re gonna start Monday or Tuesday … talking to China, perhaps President Xi…