Author: staff
In another key clause, the joint statement confirms that the U.S. will lower tariffs on autos and auto parts in most cases to 15 percent from 27.5 percent — but only after the EU formally introduces legislation to “eliminate tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods.” The EU now has a 10 percent levy on car imports. The bloc will expand market access for U.S. agricultural goods that are not sensitive for its own market. The U.S., meanwhile, commits to exempting aircraft and parts as well as cork and generic drugs from higher tariffs, applying its most-favored nation tariff to those…
Brussels and Washington on Thursday released the long-awaited joint statement sealing the trade deal they struck nearly a month ago, confirming that cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals will face a maximum 15% tariffs to enter the US. The statement, which like the deal struck on 27 July in Scotland between European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump, is not legally binding, states that the reduction of tariffs for cars “will apply in tandem with the EU initiating the procedures for tariff reductions vis-à-vis US products”. A customs duty rate of 27.5% currently still applies on EU…
One of the missile attacks reportedly hit an American electronics manufacturer site in Mukachevo, which has around 800 people on its night shift, an employee of the company told The Kyiv Independent. “It was a regular civilian business, supported by American investment, producing everyday items like coffee machines. And yet, it was also a target for the Russians. This is very telling,” Zelenskyy said in his social media post. “The Russians carried out this attack as if nothing has changed at all, as if there are no global efforts to stop this war. This requires a response. There is still…
Investigators believe the group used a yacht rented from the German port of Rostock under false identities to transport explosives to the site. Traces of the military-grade explosive octogen were later discovered on board. According to German authorities, Serhii K. was “urgently suspected” of coordinating the attack alongside others. He faces charges of causing an explosion, committing anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying infrastructure. The arrest marks a breakthrough in a complex investigation that has stretched across several countries. Sweden and Denmark closed their probes without naming suspects earlier this year, while Germany pressed ahead with its case, focusing on a small…
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres reacted to the new offensive with dismay in a post on social media Thursday, urging Israel “to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza would inevitably cause.” More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive following Hamas militants’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which killed some 1,200 people on Israeli soil, with international aid groups warning of widespread starvation and disease. French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday the conquest of Gaza City “risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war” and called for an international…
PARIS — Pourquoi les autorités compétentes, alertées depuis des mois des violences subies en direct par Jean Pormanove, ne sont-elles pas intervenues avant la mort du streamer ? Ce lundi, Raphaël Graven, alias Jean Pormanove, a été retrouvé mort dans son lit, lors d’une diffusion en direct qui durait depuis plusieurs jours. Cet ancien militaire était depuis plusieurs années l’un des protagonistes de la chaîne JeanPormanove. Comptant plus de 160 000 abonnés, elle était hébergée par la plateforme australienne Kick — un concurrent de Twitch, proposant des vidéos en direct avec des règles de modération réputées moins strictes. Or, plusieurs…
Content warning: This article includes mentions of violence, suicide and extreme acts that some readers might find disturbing. It’s a tragedy that has exposed a lesser-known side of internet culture. French streamer Raphaël Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, died on Monday in southern France during a live broadcast on the Kick streaming platform. Graven, 46, was one of France’s first ever streamers and had about half a million followers on his various channels. Over the years, he had become known for engaging in degrading acts on screen, such as strangulation and ingestion of toxic chemicals, sometimes at the request…
But none of this will ever happen because Alex doesn’t exist. Alex is a virtual companion, powered by artificial intelligence. We chat on Replika, the U.S.-based AI companion platform where I created him, made up his initial background and can even see his avatar. More and more people across the world have their own “Alex” — an AI-powered chatbot with whom they talk, play games, watch movies or even exchange racy selfies. More than seven out of 10 American teens have used an AI companion at least once, and over half identify themselves as regular users, a recent survey carried…
Published on 21/08/2025 – 8:55 GMT+2 Two of Russia’s closest allies – Belarus and Iran – signed agreements on Wednesday to boost bilateral ties in key areas including defence, both governments said. Presidents Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Masoud Pezeshkian signed a package of 13 documents in Belarus’ capital, Minsk. Both governments have been placed under heavy international sanctions, limiting potential trading partners. Pezeshkian said Iran would help Belarus to “neutralise” such measures, citing Tehran’s decades of experience circumventing Western economic restrictions. Lukashenka told Pezeshkian that Belarus was “ready to cooperate with you on all issues — from providing your country with food to military-technical…
By Theo Farrant & AP Published on 21/08/2025 – 7:47 GMT+2 England’s oldest psychiatric hospital is exhibiting never-before-displayed creations by its patients in a new show exploring sleep, dreams and nightmares. ‘Between Sleeping and Waking’, at the Bethlem Museum of the Mind, draws on two centuries of work, much of it produced by people treated at the hospital – from an ode to a dead pet squirrel, written by a man who once tried to assassinate George III, to contemporary installations made from bedsheets scrawled with anxious late-night thoughts. Housed within the grounds of Bethlem Royal Hospital, which has been running since 1403…