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  • Galaxy S25 drops to irresistible price ahead of Amazon Prime Day

    Galaxy S25 drops to irresistible price ahead of Amazon Prime Day

    If you’re looking for a compact and powerful smartphone, the Galaxy S25 fits the bill perfectly. With a 6.2-inch display, it’s not a particularly large phone. Meanwhile, its insanely powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite, complemented by 12GB of RAM, delivers high-end performance and can handle anything you throw its way.There’s just one issue. With a starting price of around $800, the entry model in the Galaxy S25 lineup isn’t exactly budget-friendly. Fortunately, you can often spot it at a sweet discount, letting you snag one for much less than usual. And guess what? This bad boy is heavily discounted even now!

    Galaxy S25 128GB in Navy: Save $120 on Amazon!

    $120 off (15%)

    You can now score the Galaxy S25 with 128GB of storage for just under $680, saving you $120. With 12GB of RAM and the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, it delivers blazing-fast performance. Add in its stunning display and impressive camera setup, and you’ve got one of the best compact phones around. Don’t miss out!


    Buy at Amazon

    Yep! That’s right! You can indeed save quite a sum on this handsome fella, as long as you opt for its 128GB version in Navy. Amazon is currently offering a hefty $120 discount on this particular variant, allowing you to score one for just under $680. Just don’t wait too long and take advantage of this generous promo now, as you never know when it could expire.

    You definitely don’t want to miss out on this deal! After all, the Galaxy S25 is one of the best phones on the market right now, and it’s more than just a compact handset with stellar performance. For instance, it rocks a 50MP main camera and a 12MP snapper for selfies, both of which take beautiful pictures with vibrant colors. It also delivers stunning visuals, as its screen utilizes AMOLED technology, has a sharp 2340 x 1080 resolution, and supports HDR.

    So yeah, the Galaxy S25 offers a ton of value, especially at its current price on Amazon. Therefore, act fast! Tap the offer button in this article and grab one at a great price today!

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  • AI can provide ’emotional clarity and confidence’ Xbox executive producer tells staff after Microsoft lays off 9,000 employees

    AI can provide ’emotional clarity and confidence’ Xbox executive producer tells staff after Microsoft lays off 9,000 employees


    • An Xbox executive suggested that laid-off employees use AI for emotional support and career guidance
    • The suggestion sparked backlash and led the executive to delete their LinkedIn post
    • Microsoft has laid off 9,000 employees in recent months while investing heavily in AI.

    Microsoft has been hyping up its AI ambitions for the last several years, but one executive’s pitch about the power of AI to former employees who were recently let go has landed with an awkward thud.

    Amid the largest round of layoffs in over two years, about 9,000 people, Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, suggested that AI chatbots could help those affected process their grief, craft resumes, and rebuild their confidence.

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  • Pakistan building collapse site cleared with 27 dead

    Pakistan building collapse site cleared with 27 dead


    ISLAM QALA/KABUL: Nearly 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the start of June, the United Nations’ migration agency said on Monday, after Tehran ordered those without documentation to leave by July 6.


    From June 1 to July 5, 449,218 Afghans returned from Iran, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration said, adding that the total for the year so far was 906,326.


    Tens of thousands of Afghans streamed over the border from Iran in the days before a return deadline set for Sunday, the United Nations said, sparking an “emergency” situation at border points.


    In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people, out of the six million Afghans Tehran says live in the country.


    Numbers of people crossing the border have surged since mid-June, with a peak of more than 43,000 people crossing at Islam Qala in western Herat province on July 1, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday.


    The UN migration agency IOM said more than 250,000 Afghans returned from Iran in June.


    UNICEF country representative Tajudeen Oyewale said this was an “emergency” situation in a country already facing a “chronic returnee crisis,” with 1.4 million Afghans returning from traditional hosts Iran and Pakistan this year.


    “What is concerning is that 25 percent of all these returnees are children… because the demographics have shifted” from individual men to whole families, crossing the border with scant belongings and money, he said on Thursday.


    He noted Islam Qala could accommodate the vast numbers but was inadequately equipped in terms of services, saying, “When you start hitting more than 20,000 people (a day) that is completely beyond the planning scenario that we have.”


    The agency has engaged emergency processes to ramp up water and sanitation systems built for 7-10,000 people a day, along with vaccinations, nutrition and child-friendly spaces.


    Many people crossing reported pressure from authorities or even arrest and deportation.


    “Some people are so afraid that they don’t leave the house themselves… They send their young children out just for a piece of bread, and even those children get arrested sometimes,” said 38-year-old Aref Atayi of the pressures Afghans face in Iran.


    “Even if I have to beg in my own country, it’s still better than staying in a place where we’re treated like this,” he told AFP on Saturday, as he waited at the IOM-run reception center for some support to help his family resettle.


    Massive foreign aid cuts have impacted the response to the crisis, with the UN, international non-governmental groups and Taliban officials calling for more funding to support the returnees.


    The UN has warned the influx could destabilize the country already grappling with entrenched poverty, unemployment and climate change-related shocks and urged countries not to forcibly return Afghans.

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  • Lumio Arc 5, Arc 7 projectors launched in India with support for Netflix and Google TV

    Lumio Arc 5, Arc 7 projectors launched in India with support for Netflix and Google TV

    Lumio Arc 5, Arc 7 projectors (Source: Lumio).

    The Lumio Arc 5 and Arc 7 projectors run Google TV with Netflix certification and feature a smart setup system for auto-focus and keystone correction.

    The Indian home projector market has a clear gap, with most available options being either low-end devices or expensive high-end models.

    Lumio is moving to address this with the launch of its new Lumio Arc projectors, the Arc 5 and Arc 7, in the country.

    These projectors are aimed at the mid-range segment, a category that remains largely unserved in India.

    Lumio has stated its goal is to address common issues you might face with projectors, such as bad app support, weak sound, and difficult setup procedures.

    To tackle software and content issues, both the Arc 5 and Arc 7 run Google TV and have Netflix certification. This gives you access to the Google Play Store’s library of applications and content.

    For customer assistance, Lumio has established a service network with over 200 locations across India and provides a 1-year warranty with the projectors.

    The Arc 5 for smaller spaces

    The Lumio Arc 5 is a compact projector made for bedrooms, dorms, or for you to take on your travels. It weighs just 1.33 kg and can project a Full HD 1080p HDR10 image up to 100 inches in size.

    The projector has a brightness of 200 ANSI lumens. For audio, it includes 5W speakers with Dolby Audio support and dual passive radiators, which are designed to improve bass output.

    The Arc 7 for living rooms

    The Arc 7 is the more powerful of the two, designed for larger living areas. It increases the brightness to 400 ANSI lumens and features a more capable sound system with two 8W stereo speakers and a larger passive radiator for better audio performance.

    Like its smaller counterpart, it also supports a screen size of up to 100 inches. Both models use a sealed ArcLight Engine, a design intended to keep dust out of the optics to maintain image quality over time.

    Lumio Arc 5 and 7 projector features (Source: Lumio)
    Lumio Arc 5 and 7 projector features (Source: Lumio)

    Hardware and smart features

    Internally, the projectors are powered by the MediaTek 9630 chip, which is paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

    This processor includes a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 CPU and a Mali-G52 GPU, enabling features like 4K content decoding and HDR support.

    To simplify the user experience, both projectors incorporate a Time-of-Flight sensor for automatic adjustments. This enables features like instant autofocus, auto-keystone correction, and obstacle avoidance.

    Lumio has branded this technology “STR8 (Smooth Trapezoidal Recalibration)”. Lumio also developed a new remote, the Minion Noir, which has dedicated buttons for Google Assistant, Netflix, and YouTube.

    It also includes a button for TLDR, which is Lumio’s dashboard for live sports updates and music content.

    Pricing and availability

    The Lumio Arc 7 is scheduled for release on Amazon.in on July 12 for ₹34,999 ($409). An early bird price of ₹29,999 ($350) will be available during the Amazon Prime Day sale from July 12 to July 14.

    The Arc 5 will be available in the last week of July for ₹19,999 ($234).

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  • China says BRICS not seeking ‘confrontation’ after Trump tariff threat

    China says BRICS not seeking ‘confrontation’ after Trump tariff threat


    WARSAW: The elegant 72-year-old Russian put her hand on her heart as the verdict fell. Five and a half years in prison for posts opposing the war in Ukraine.

    Then, according to a witness who saw her in the dock, “her nose began to bleed.”

    Yet only a few years before, Evgeniya Mayboroda had been an ardent fan of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and had celebrated his annexation of Crimea.

    A photo taken in the court in Shakhty shows her shock as the sentence was pronounced — her punishment held up as an example of what can happen to even model citizens if they question the war.

    Mayboroda — who comes from the Rostov region bordering Ukraine — was accused of sharing “false information” on the Russian army on social media and of “making a public appeal to commit extremist activities.”

    Even before she was convicted in January 2024, the posts on her social media feed — thick with pictures of cats and flowers — had put her on the Russia’s “terrorist and extremist” watchlist.

    Curious to discover how a pro-Kremlin pensioner could so quickly become an enemy of the state, AFP tracked her down to a penal colony where she said her faith and prayers were sustaining her.

    We also talked to those who know her and were able to piece together a picture of this unlikely rebel, whose strange story says much about today’s Russia.

    Evgeniya Nikolaevna Mayboroda was born on June 10, 1951 near the coal-mining town of Shakhty and met her husband Nikolai at the local technical institute.

    They both got jobs at a facility just outside the city — he was a miner in an elite squad, while she worked in the power station above ground. They had a son, Sergei, in 1972.

    The Mayborodas were the ideal Soviet family. As mine workers they occupied a privileged place in the communist hierarchy and were able to travel regularly across the Eastern Bloc.

    But when the USSR collapsed in 1991 so did their world. Not only was there no money to pay their wages but the socialist values they believed in were replaced by a wild, cowboy capitalism.

    Then on Miners’ Day 1997, an important date in the Soviet calendar, Sergei, their only child was killed in a car accident. He was 25.

    “We were at the burial. Evgeniya was in such a state that she can’t remember it,” a friend of the family, too afraid to give her name, told AFP.

    “Her son was everything to her.”

    The mine shut down in 2002 and, less than a decade later, her husband died after a sudden illness and Mayboroda found herself alone.

    She took refuge in religion and was soon back on her feet, again taking pride in her appearance. Photos show that even on a budget, she kept her sense of style, always with a little touch of mascara.

    “She is a leader in life,” a friend said. “She is hard to break.”

    At the end of 2017, she discovered social media and joined VK (Russia’s equivalent to Facebook). Her page shows her political evolution.

    For five years she shared hundreds of pictures of cats and flowers, religious messages or nostalgic reminiscences about life in the good old USSR.

    And she was effusive in her praise of President Vladimir Putin, posting some 30 photos of him from March to August 2018, hailing him as a marvellous leader who was making Russia great again.

    In one of them, Putin tells Donald Trump that Russia would give Crimea back to Ukraine “if the United States gives Texas back to Mexico and Alaska back to Russia.”

    She also called former Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko — who accused Putin of having him poisoned — a “moron.”

    Like many Russians laid low by the crisis of the 1990s, Mayboroda was receptive to the Kremlin’s rhetoric that Russia had regained its power and stability under Putin.

    Then something changed. In the summer of 2018, a sudden raising of the retirement age saw discontent with the government spread beyond the big cities.

    “Normally Putin, as a great popular leader, likes to position himself as referee, guaranteeing the interest of the people,” said French sociologist Karine Clement, a specialist on Russian protest movements.

    “But this was the first time he spoke up to defend a reform that, let’s say, went against the interests of the poor.”

    While his popularity plummeted, there were no large protests.

    At around the same time, the mood of Mayboroda’s posts about politics began to change.

    She started to share posts denouncing poverty in Russia, contrasting it with the country’s vast natural resources.

    Tatyana Vasilchuk, a journalist from the independent outlet Novaya Gazeta, said the Maiski area where Mayboroda lived was wracked by neglect and unemployment when she visited.

    “It was drowning under rubbish,” she said.

    In 2020, Mayboroda made clear her opposition to a change in the constitution allowing Putin to stay in power until 2036, reposting a message that said: “No to an eternal Putin… No to eternal lies and corruption.”

    Then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    “One of the motors” for Putin going to war, Clement said, was his need to silence opposition and “restore control.”

    On her VK account, Mayboroda — who had family in Ukraine — criticized the invasion and even expressed support for the Azov Brigade, a Ukrainian unit founded by far-right militants.

    While some Azov members were neo-Nazis, its dogged resistance on the battlefield, particularly during the siege of Mariupol in 2022, won it hero status in Ukraine and recruits beyond ultranationalist groups.

    In Russia, where all opposition — particularly online — is tracked, her posts did not go unnoticed.

    The security services have locked up hundreds of people for criticizing the conflict and Mayboroda’s turn came in February 2023.

    Police raided her home and she got her first jail term and a fine. A more serious criminal investigation was also opened, which led to her conviction last year.

    Investigators accused her of criticizing the Russian assault on Mariupol in which thousands of besieged Ukrainians died.

    They also said she reposted a disturbing video in which a young girl, sat in front of a screen showing a swastika, holds a knife and declares in Ukrainian that Russians should have their throats cut.

    The video seems to support the Kremlin line that Russia had gone into Ukraine to fight “neo-Nazis,” playing on the admiration some Ukrainian nationalist groups have for those who fought with the Germans against Soviet leader Joseph Stalin during World War II.

    Mayboroda was accused of being a Nazi for reposting the video, which had in fact been published by a pro-Kremlin account on VK. Ukraine’s SBU security service claim the clip was part of a Russian “propaganda campaign.”

    “She does not support that ideology,” a source close to the case told AFP.

    Mayboroda, who regularly crossed the border to visit her Ukrainian relatives before the war, told the court that one was wounded in a Russian strike on a building in Dnipro in the summer of 2022.

    Yet at the time Mayboroda did not see how dangerous her online comments were, a friend told AFP. She compared the pensioner — who is now 74 — to a “lost lamb” who she still loved despite being “in the wrong.”

    Expert Clement said she could understand how Mayboroda became politicized once she saw through the Kremlin line.

    Beyond prosecuting its opponents, the Kremlin tries to “scramble minds” with a fog of often contradictory disinformation to stop “the forming of mass political movements,” Clement said.

    This strategy of confusion allows it to present the invasion as “a fight against Nazism,” she added, even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish.

    Russians are cynical about politics after watching oligarchs present their ultraliberal reforms that robbed the poor in the 1990s as an advance toward “democracy,” the expert argued, a distrust which now works in favor of Putin’s authoritarianism.

    “You have to be very smart to navigate public life in Russia,” she said, adding that a “thirst for community” was part of the reason why so many have got behind the war.

    Despite that, Mayboroda’s plight has garnered attention from opposition media and NGOs both in Russia and in exile. The banned group Memorial quickly recognized her as a “political prisoner,” and Kremlin critics said her jailing showed the growing intensity of repression.

    Unlike thousands of Ukrainian prisoners who human rights groups say are being held in secret and sometimes tortured, as a Russian citizen Mayboroda’s prison conditions are much better.

    Theoretically she can receive letters, though censored by prison authorities, and occasionally make phone calls.

    In June, after a six-month wait, AFP was able to talk to her during a mediated and recorded 10-minute call from her prison in the Rostov region.

    During the spring her friends said she was depressed and unwell. But her tone during this call was surprisingly upbeat given she has been behind bars for 18 months.

    “The hardest thing for me was losing my freedom. It’s very hard… But my faith and prayers help me,” she told AFP, her voice sometimes cut by the crackly line.

    Asked why she reshared the video of the girl calling for Russians to be killed, she said “it happened by accident. It was stupid.”

    She insisted that she detested “hate” and “lies,” and that she believed in “love and the joy of living.”

    Her opposition to the war was on simple moral grounds, she said. “I am a (Christian) believer. Thou shalt not kill.”

    Nor could she see why the invasion had to happen. “Why all this? I don’t understand.”

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  • How to follow the World Orienteering Championships

    How to follow the World Orienteering Championships

    Over the next week, the world’s most prestigious orienteering competition will take place – the World Orienteering Championships in Kuopio, Finland.

    And you have great opportunities to follow it whether you are at the arenas in Kuopio or at home.

    At the arenas:
    Find the program and tickets for the arenas on the WOC 2025 website

    From home:
    All three races, Middle, Long and Relay, will be produced in a high-quality TV production that takes you close to the competitions with lots of modern technology: Drones, running cameras and GPS tracking.

    Eight TV providers have acquired the rights to show the World Championships. These are:
    YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), SRG (Switzerland), ERR (Estonia), ORF (Austria), CzTV (Czechia) and TV8 Mont Blanc (France).

    In addition, the races can of course be followed on IOF TV with English commentary by IOF’s experienced commentators Katherine Bett and Jonas Merz.

    Tickets cost 9/25 EUR for one/all races and are available on IOF TV.


    Photo: Timo Mikkola

    Norwegians can watch the competitions on langrenn.com, where Kjell-Erik Kristiansen will be commentating in Norwegian.

    Tuesday’s qualification can be followed on IOF LIVE, where there are start lists, live results and GPS tracking.

    The same services are available on IOF LIVE the rest of the week.

    All times in IOF LIVE are local Finnish time: EEST (UTC +3)

    WOC 2025 homepage – WOC 2025 Facebook – WOC 2025 Instagram


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  • Dragon Blox Codes (July 2025)

    Dragon Blox Codes (July 2025)

    Update: added new Dragon Blox codes on July 7, 2025

    Dragon Ball Z is one of the first shonen anime series I used to watch when I was still in school, and it wasn’t so popular among the kids my age. Naturally, this show is really close to my heart, so I don’t miss out on any chance to try a game based on this series. Dragon Blox is one such experience on Roblox where you can start as a powerful Saiyan, complete quests, gain powerful abilities, and take down enemies. So, redeem the following active Dragon Blox codes to get some free wish tokens and build your Saiyan character to be one of the most formidable ones in the game, by unlocking new stats and abilities.

    All New Dragon Blox Codes

    • TENWISHES: Get 10 Premium Wish Tokens (NEW)
    • 1BILLIONWISHES: Get 20 Premium Wish Tokens (NEW)
    • SMOLWISH: Get 5 Premium Wish Tokens (NEW)
    • SUMMEREVENT: Get 10 Premium Wish Tokens (NEW)
    • ANEWWORLDSOONMAYBE: Get 20 Premium Wish Tokens (NEW)
    • OOPSIE: Get 20 Premium Wish Tokens
    • INFUSEDREWORK: Get 10 Premium Wish Tokens
    • SUMMERISCOMING: Get 5 Premium Wish Tokens
    • BPUPDATE: Get 10 Premium Wish Tokens
    • FREEPREMIUMSAGAIN: Get 10 Premium Wish Tokens

    Expired Dragon Blox Codes

    For more games and experiences based on shonen anime, try playing Blox Fruits, Jujutsu Infinite, and Ghoul RE. You may further check out our Roblox game codes master list, as here you will find a huge variety of some of the best and popular games on this platform.

    How to Redeem Dragon Blox Codes

    Redeeming the codes for Dragon Blox requires you to spend at least 3 hours inside the game. Once that’s completed, you can follow the given steps:

    • Launch Dragon Blox on your Roblox app.
    • Click on the Menu button on the left side of the screen.
    • Click on the Redeem Codes button below.
    • Enter a working code in the text box.
    • Click the Redeem button to get all your rewards.
    Image Credit: Dragon Blox/Roblox (Screenshot by Bipradeep Biswas/ Beebom)

    How to Get More Dragon Blox Codes

    To get more codes for the game, the best way is to bookmark this page right away. This will ensure that you can get access to all new rewards just by visiting this page and you don’t have to look at all the social links for the game.

    However, if you want to hunt down the codes yourself, the official socials are your best bet. To start, you can go ahead and join the official Dragon Blox Discord server. Here you will find all the new codes in the ‘codes‘ channel. Finally, you can consider joining the G RBLX Games community to get regular updates related to the game.

    So, that’s all about the active codes for Dragon Blox. Did we miss out on any new codes in the game? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them right away!

    Bipradeep Biswas

    A Computer Science graduate with a passion for gaming, currently specializing in Minecraft and popular Roblox games.


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  • The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar drops to all-time low on Amazon

    The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar drops to all-time low on Amazon

    Last week, Amazon knocked the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar Edition by a whopping $350, making it an incredible pick for premium GPS watch seekers. We thought the model would bounce back to its original price soon, but we were wrong. In fact, the timepiece has become even cheaper—in fact, it’s now at its lowest price ever!

    The 47mm Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar is 44% off

    $400 off (44%)

    If you’ve been refraining to get the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar, now’s your chance to act! The premium multisport watch just became cheaper than it’s ever been, offered for $400 off its original price. The promo is live at Amazon, but it won’t last long. Hurry up and save big before it’s too late.


    Buy at Amazon

    For a limited time, the ~$900 model has dropped to just under $500, saving you a stunning $400. That’s an absolutely jaw-dropping price cut Amazon has never launched before—and it won’t last long. So, if you’ve been refraining for now, know that this sale is simply too good to pass up.With its 47mm durable case with a titanium rear cover and sapphire lens protection, this Garmin watch is made to withstand the test of time. It’s not just durable, though—the device offers excellent sports and wellness tracking.

    With everything from morning report to HRV status and Pulse Ox measurements, the timepiece has it all. There are even thousands of ski resort and golf course maps available, while TopoActive maps help you better track your outdoor adventures.

    Another standout feature here is the built-in LED flashlight. It has multiple intensity and strobe modes, allowing you to keep active even after sunset. Let’s not overlook the battery life that other smartwatches can only envy. You can keep this Garmin model on your wrist for up to 22 days between charges, which is indeed impressive.

    However you look at it, the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar is one very well-rounded multisport watch. Undeniably expensive at its standard price (costing as much as a flagship OnePlus 13), the model is a great choice right now. If it sounds good enough to you, now’s your chance to save $400 with Amazon’s stunning limited-time sale. And remember—act fast because it might vanish any minute.

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  • ICC announces Sanjog Gupta as new Chief Executive Officer

    ICC announces Sanjog Gupta as new Chief Executive Officer

    Sanjog will commence his new role on 7 July and is keen to continue the recent growth of cricket around the world.

    “It is a privilege to have this opportunity, especially at a time when cricket is poised for unprecedented growth and enjoys the passionate support of almost two billion fans worldwide,” he said.

    “These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women’s game scale in popularity. Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force-multipliers for the Cricket movement around the world.

    “I look forward to contributing to the next phase of cricket’s evolution, expanding its global footprint, enhancing the fan experience, and working closely with ICC Member Boards to build on our strong foundations.”

    Sanjog began his career as a journalist and joined Star India (now JioStar) in 2010 and over the years, held multiple leadership roles across content, programming and strategy.

    He became Head of Sports at Disney and Star India in 2020, playing a key role in scaling the Sports portfolio, including multi-language, digital-first and women-focused coverage.

    He was appointed CEO of JioStar Sports in November 2024.

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  • Trump threatens 10% tariffs on BRICS-aligned nations as leaders gather in Brazil

    Trump threatens 10% tariffs on BRICS-aligned nations as leaders gather in Brazil

    President Donald Trump said the US will impose an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the “Anti-American policies” of the BRICS group of developing nations, whose leaders kicked off a summit in Brazil on Sunday.

    With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and the disruptive “America First” approach of the US president, BRICS is presenting itself as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars.

    In a joint statement from the opening of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro released on Sunday afternoon, the group warned the rise in tariffs threatened global trade, continuing its veiled criticism of Trump’s tariff policies.

    Hours later, Trump warned he would punish countries seeking to join with the grouping.

    “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” wrote Trump in a post on Truth Social.

    Trump did not clarify or expand on the “Anti-American policies” reference in his post.

    Trump’s administration is seeking to finalize dozens of trade deals with a wide range of countries before his July 9 deadline for the imposition of significant “retaliatory tariffs”.

    The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates as members.

    Saudi Arabia has held off formally joining, according to sources, while another 30 nations have expressed interest in participating in the BRICS, either as full members or partners.

    Indonesia’s senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, is in Brazil for the BRICS summit and is scheduled to go to the US on Monday to oversee tariff talks, an official told Reuters. India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    In opening remarks to the summit earlier, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva drew a parallel with the Cold War’s Non-Aligned Movement, a group of developing nations that resisted joining either side of a polarized global order.

    “BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement,” Lula told leaders. “With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again.”

    BRICS nations now represent more than half the world’s population and 40% of its economic output, Lula noted in remarks on Saturday to business leaders, warning of rising protectionism.

    Growing clout complexity

    Expansion of the bloc has added diplomatic weight to the gathering, which aspires to speak for developing nations across the Global South, strengthening calls for reforming global institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the International Monetary Fund.

    “If international governance does not reflect the new multipolar reality of the 21st century, it is up to BRICS to help bring it up to date,” Lula said in his remarks, which highlighted the failure of US-led wars in the Middle East.

    Stealing some thunder from this year’s summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping chose to send his premier in his place. Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending online due to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to his war in Ukraine.

    Still, several heads of state were gathered for discussions at Rio’s Museum of Modern Art on Sunday and Monday, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    However, there are questions about the shared goals of an increasingly heterogeneous BRICS group, which has grown to include regional rivals along with major emerging economies.

    In the joint statement, the leaders called attacks against Iran’s “civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities” a “violation of international law.”

    The group expressed “grave concern” for the Palestinian people over Israeli attacks on Gaza, and condemned what the joint statement called a “terrorist attack” in India-administered Kashmir.

    The group voiced its support for Ethiopia and Iran to join the World Trade Organization, while calling to urgently restore its ability to resolve trade disputes.

    The leaders’ joint statement backed plans to pilot a BRICS Multilateral Guarantees initiative within the group’s New Development Bank to lower financing costs and boost investment in member states.

    In a separate statement following a discussion of artificial intelligence, the leaders called for protections against unauthorized use of AI to avoid excessive data collection and allow mechanisms for fair payment.

    Brazil, which also hosts the United Nations climate summit in November, has seized on both gatherings to highlight how seriously developing nations are tackling climate change, while Trump has slammed the brakes on US climate initiatives.

    China and the UAE signaled in meetings with Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in Rio that they plan to invest in a proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions about funding conservation of endangered forests around the world.

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