White House to end US tariff exemption for all low-value overseas packages

Under Trump order, parcels valued at or under $800 outside of international postal network to face ‘all applicable duties’

The United States is suspending a “de minimis” exemption that allowed low-value commercial shipments to be shipped to the United States without facing tariffs, the White House said on Wednesday.

Under an executive order signed by Donald Trump on Wednesday, packages valued at or under $800 sent to the US outside of the international postal network will now face “all applicable duties” starting on 29 August, the White House said.

Continue reading...

18 EU countries turn to new defense fund as U.S. no longer considers Europe’s security a priority – PBS

  1. 18 EU countries turn to new defense fund as U.S. no longer considers Europe’s security a priority  PBS
  2. EU members eye €127 billion in loans for defense procurement  Defense News
  3. European countries to borrow billions from EU to rearm Ukraine  politico.eu
  4. Eighteen EU members apply for a total of $147 billion from defence fund  Reuters
  5. EU capitals ask Brussels for nearly €130B to spend on defense  politico.eu
Posted in Uncategorized

Pressure piles on Merz to punish Israel over Gaza – politico.eu

  1. Pressure piles on Merz to punish Israel over Gaza  politico.eu
  2. Middle East: Germany announces plan to airlift aid to Gaza  DW
  3. Merz Calls on Israel to Stop ‘Catastrophic’ Crisis in Gaza  Bloomberg.com
  4. Germany, Jordan want to supply Gaza by air – here is how it could work  Defense News
  5. French, UK, German foreign ministers may visit Israel next week to push for Gaza aid — Merz  The Times of Israel
Posted in Uncategorized

France and Britain Thought the Jews Would Be Pushovers – Commentary Magazine

  1. France and Britain Thought the Jews Would Be Pushovers  Commentary Magazine
  2. What Countries Recognize a Palestinian State: A Map  The New York Times
  3. Statehood remains a distant dream for Palestinians as nightmare unfolds in Gaza  AP News
  4. Opinion | Macron’s View of Palestine Fits the Progressive Model  The Wall Street Journal
  5. Portugal makes cautious move towards recognising Palestinian state  Reuters
Posted in Uncategorized

Calls for UK air traffic control boss to resign as new glitch disrupts flights

System restored after Nats limited flights due to technical problems that raised fears of repeat of chaos in August 2023

The head of the UK’s air traffic control company is facing calls to resign after the second disruption to flights in two years due to technical problems.

Hundreds of flights were delayed after the air traffic control (ATC) system went down for about 20 minutes on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

Ukraine parliament to vote on law to restore powers of anti-corruption bodies

Move follows protests in Ukrainian cities over bill passed last week that curtailed independence of two bodies

Ukraine’s parliament will vote on a new law on Thursday that would restore independence to two anti-corruption bodies, backtracking on a law passed last week that curtailed their powers and led to a political crisis.

Last week’s legal changes prompted rare wartime street protests against the president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and accusations that the presidential office was trying to protect powerful associates from anti-corruption investigations.

Continue reading...

Children and elderly people most vulnerable as Gaza famine deepens, warn experts

Aid agencies, governments and UN’s food security monitor report evidence of worsening starvation, particularly among under-fives

Humanitarian experts and doctors are warning that children, elderly people and those with pre-existing health conditions are most at risk of famine in Gaza.

Pro-Israeli activists and Israel’s foreign ministry have tried to challenge the veracity of shocking pictures that have appeared in the international media, despite widespread and well-documented evidence of growing and worsening famine under conditions of Israeli restrictions on aid.

Continue reading...