Apple to invest additional $100 bn in US

Apple will invest an additional $100 billion in the United States, taking its total pledge to $600 billion over the next four years, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday.Trump announced the increased commitment at the White House alongside the tech giant’s CEO Tim Cook, calling it “the largest investment Apple has made in America.” “Apple will massively increase spending on its domestic supply chain,” Trump added, highlighting a new production facility for the glass used to make iPhone screens in Kentucky.In February, Apple said it would spend more than $500 billion in the United States and hire 20,000 people, with Trump quickly taking credit for the decision. It builds on plans announced in 2021, when the company founded by Steve Jobs said it would invest $430 billion in the country and add 20,000 jobs over the next five years.”This year alone, American manufacturers are on track to make 19 billion chips for Apple in 24 factories across 12 different states,” Cook said in the Oval Office.Trump, who has pushed US companies to shift manufacturing home by slapping tariffs on trading partners, claimed that his administration was to thank for the investment.”This is a significant step toward the ultimate goal of… ensuring that iPhones sold in the United States of America also are made in America,” Trump said. Cook later clarified that, while many iPhone components will be manufactured in the United States, the complete assembly of iPhones will still be conducted overseas.”If you look at the bulk of it, we’re doing a lot of the semiconductors here, we’re doing the glass here, we’re doing the Face ID module here… and we’re doing these for products sold elsewhere in the world,” Cook said.- ‘They’re coming home’ -Trump has repeatedly said he plans to impose a “100 percent” tariff on imported semiconductors, a major export of Taiwan, South Korea, China and Japan. “We’re going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors,” he told reporters Wednesday at the White House.Taiwanese giant TSMC — the world’s largest contract maker of chips, which counts Nvidia and Apple among its clients — would be “exempt” from those tariffs as it has factories in the United States, Taipei said Thursday. While he did not offer a timetable for enactment of the new tech levies, on Tuesday he said fresh tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors and chips could be unveiled within the coming week.The US is “going to be very rich and it’s companies like Apple, they’re coming home,” Trump said.Trump specified further that “Apple will help develop and manufacture semiconductors and semiconductor equipment in Texas, Utah, Arizona and New York.” He noted that if tech companies commit to manufacturing their wares in the US, “there will be no charge.”Apple reported a quarterly profit of $23.4 billion in late July, topping forecasts despite facing higher costs due to Trump’s sweeping levies.The tariffs are essentially a tax paid by companies importing goods to the United States. This means Apple is on the hook for tariffs on iPhones and other products or components it brings into the country from abroad.

Mexican authorities accuse Adidas of cultural appropriation

Officials in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca accused sportswear giant Adidas of cultural appropriation after the fashion brand debuted sandals similar to a traditional design from the region.The Oaxaca Slip-On sandals were created by American fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has Mexican heritage, but drew pushback from both state and local officials in Oaxaca, which has one of the highest Indigenous populations in the country.Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara first addressed the issue during a press conference on Tuesday, saying the sandals were a “reinterpreted huarache model,” particularly one that was uniquely found in the state.In another instance, Isaias Carranza, a Oaxacan legislator of Indigenous Zapotec descent, wrote on his Facebook account: “The Adidas company, in conjunction with designer Willy Chavarria, appropriated a unique design of the traditional huaraches (sandals) from the people of the Hidalgo Yalalag village.”Jara also threatened to take legal action against Chavarria.”This huarache is from Yalalag…we are also going to ask our Yalalag siblings to work with us so we can file a complaint” against the designer, he said at the press conference.For its part, the Ministry of Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca said in a statement that using cultural elements for commercial purposes without the consent of Indigenous peoples was “a violation of our collective rights,” demanding that Adidas stop selling the sandals, publicly acknowledge their origin and begin a process of “dialogue and redress of grievances” with the Yalalag community.The controversy is the latest instance of Mexican officials denouncing major brands or designers using unauthorized Indigenous art or designs from the region, with previous complaints raised about Chinese fast fashion company Shein, Spanish mega-brand Zara and high fashion house Carolina Herrera.Adidas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s ‘dividend’ promise for Americans leaves open questions

If Donald Trump is to be believed, millions of Americans could receive a financial slice of the fortunes generated by the US president’s sweeping tariffs.But the eyebrow-raising suggestion from a leader with a flair for creating headlines is largely opaque — with key questions left open about how the giveaway would be funded. Trump himself has acknowledged the difficulty in splashing cash at a time when the United States faces crushing debt.”We have so much money coming in, we are thinking about a little rebate,” Trump said last month, “but the big thing we want to do is pay down debt.”He has since referred to the so-called rebate as a “dividend,” and said it could be for “people that would be middle income people and lower income people.”His idea has, naturally, roused interest. Republican Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill in July that would see $600 checks sent to each adult and dependent child in American families.Trump has a track record in dishing out money — or at least taking the credit for it.During the Covid pandemic, he insisted that his name be put on government checks distributed to tens of millions of Americans as financial support. – Looming questions -Trump’s latest plan raises a key question: How will it be financed?The United States faces a national deficit that worsened from October to June compared to the same period a year earlier. That was despite a rise in revenue generated by tariffs that Trump has slapped on dozens of US trading partners. Handing out cash to Americans would add to the deficit and increase the country’s debt, which was at more than $36.8 trillion by early August.Trump, when explaining his dividend idea, has claimed the United States is raking in trillions of dollars from other countries thanks to his protectionist agenda. The Republican has also cited large investments promised by Japan and the European Union — deals that coincided with agreements on US tariffs. But foreign leaders paint a different picture. Japan, for example, has stated that its $550 billion pledge will largely be in the form of loans and guarantees — certainly not just hard cash. And Trump’s claims about the revenue generated by tariffs can also be misleading. The president claims — wrongly — that tariffs are paid by foreign countries to the US government. Yet, in reality, it is importers in the United States that are on the hook.Most economists note that American consumers therefore end up paying more as businesses, facing rising costs, raise prices on their products. 

Sudan says army destroys Emirati aircraft, killing 40 mercenariesThu, 07 Aug 2025 01:28:33 GMT

Sudan’s air force has destroyed an Emirati aircraft carrying Colombian mercenaries as it landed at a paramilitary-controlled airport in Darfur, killing at least 40 people, the army-aligned state TV said Wednesday.A military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the UAE plane “was bombed and completely destroyed” at Darfur’s Nyala airport.The airport has …

Sudan says army destroys Emirati aircraft, killing 40 mercenariesThu, 07 Aug 2025 01:28:33 GMT Read More »

Sudan says army destroys Emirati aircraft, killing 40 mercenaries

Sudan’s air force has destroyed an Emirati aircraft carrying Colombian mercenaries as it landed at a paramilitary-controlled airport in Darfur, killing at least 40 people, the army-aligned state TV said Wednesday.A military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the UAE plane “was bombed and completely destroyed” at Darfur’s Nyala airport.The airport has recently come under repeated air strikes by the Sudanese army, at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023.There was no immediate comment from the RSF or from the United Arab Emirates.Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to find out how many Colombians died in the attack. “We will see if we can bring their bodies back,” he wrote on social media platform X.State TV said the aircraft had taken off from an airbase in the Gulf, carrying dozens of foreign fighters and military equipment intended for the RSF, which controls nearly all of Darfur.The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has long accused the UAE of supplying advanced weaponry, including drones, to the RSF via Nyala airport.Abu Dhabi has denied the accusations, despite numerous reports from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations.Satellite images released by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab have shown multiple Chinese-made long-range drones at the airport of the South Darfur state capital.In June, three witnesses told AFP that a cargo plane was bombed shortly after landing at Nyala airport.On Monday, Sudan’s army-aligned government accused the UAE of recruiting and funding Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF, claiming it has documents proving that.Reports of Colombian fighters in Darfur date back to late 2024 and have been confirmed by UN experts.This week, the Joint Forces — a pro-army coalition in the vast western region of Darfur — reported over 80 Colombian mercenaries fighting on the RSF’s side in El-Fasher, the last Darfur state capital still under army control.Several were reportedly killed in drone and artillery operations during the RSF’s latest offensive, the coalition said.The army also released video footage it said was of “foreign mercenaries believed to be from Colombia”.AFP was not able to verify the videos.In December, Sudan said Colombia’s foreign ministry had expressed regret “for the participation of some of its citizens in the war”.Colombian mercenaries, many former soldiers and guerrillas, have appeared in other global conflicts and were previously hired by the UAE for operations in Yemen and the Gulf.In his post Wednesday, Petro said he was moving to ban mercenary activity, calling it “a trade in men turned into commodities to kill.”Sudan’s war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million and plunged the nation into the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis.

Foot: Son Heung-min, nouvel astre de Los Angeles et de sa communauté sud-coréenne

Le Sud-Coréen Son Heung-min s’est engagé mercredi avec le Los Angeles FC, qui espère passer dans une nouvelle dimension sportive, commerciale et culturelle avec l’attaquant vedette.Son transfert en provenance de Tottenham, attendu depuis plusieurs jours, est estimé à 26 millions de dollars (environ 22 millions d’euros) par ESPN et The Athletic, un nouveau record pour le championnat nord-américain (MLS).Son, 33 ans, avait assisté mardi soir en tribunes au succès de sa nouvelle équipe contre le club mexicain Tigres UANL 2-1 en Leagues Cup.”J’ai trouvé le match incroyable, les supporters n’ont pas arrêté de chanter. Je n’avais qu’une envie, c’était de courir sur la pelouse pour montrer de quoi je suis capable”, a expliqué le joueur lors d’une conférence de presse alternant entre anglais et coréen mercredi après-midi au BMO Stadium.Pull gris, t-shirt et pantalon noirs répondant à ses cheveux de jais, Son a été présenté en grande pompe devant une centaine de personnes mêlant fans, médias et invités, dont la maire de la ville Karen Bass qui a souhaité “bienvenue à la maison” à “Sonny”.Le joueur, qui s’est dit “en bonne forme et prêt à jouer”, a signé un contrat jusqu’en 2027 avec des options pour deux années supplémentaires.Son débarque en pleine saison MLS auréolé de son statut de star de Premier League après dix saisons à Tottenham (454 matches, 173 buts) dont il était sur la fin le capitaine, finissant par remporter un trophée au printemps avec la Ligue Europa.- Atout sportif et coup marketing -L’attaquant va retrouver en Californie le gardien français Hugo Lloris, son ancien coéquipier chez les Spurs, avec lequel il avait terminé 2e du championnat anglais en 2017 ou encore finaliste malheureux de la Ligue des champions en 2019.”On a beaucoup parlé lorsque les rumeurs de transfert ont débuté, il ne me disait que des bonnes choses à propos de LA. Hugo m’a aidé dans mon choix. Le revoilà, mon capitaine”, a souri Son, très à l’aise.Si le Sud-Coréen s’ajoute à la liste des stars dans leur trentaine à rejoindre la MLS (David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry…), qui compte dans ses rangs l’Argentin Lionel Messi à Miami, son arrivée revêt une importance particulière pour le LAFC, sacré champion en 2022 puis finaliste en 2023.La jeune équipe créée en 2018 saisit ainsi l’opportunité marketing de séduire l’importante communauté coréenne du pays (1,8 million de personnes selon le Pew Research Center) et surtout de la ville de Los Angeles (320.000 personnes), en enrôlant cette icône nationale.”Vous verrez des drapeaux, coréens ou de la ville de Los Angeles, que nous serons fiers d’agiter (…) on a commencé à préparer quelques motifs pour des tifos pour qu’il se sente bienvenu”, explique à l’AFP Josh Lee, coprésident du groupe de supporters “Tigers”, basé dans le quartier très animé de Koreatown, situé à quelques kilomètres du stade.Justin Huh, qui sort de la boutique du stade maillot or et noir sur le dos, veut, lui, “faire partie de cette vague”, et planifie de “venir autant que possible au stade”, notamment lors du prochain match à domicile le 1er septembre contre San Diego.”J’anticipe avec sa signature un impact similaire à celui qu’a pu avoir l’arrivée de Shohei Ohtani (star du baseball) aux Los Angeles Dodgers sur le marché japonais”, raconte cet Américain d’origine coréenne, habitant de Koreatown âgé de 26 ans, tout juste converti en faveur du LAFC.- Objectif Mondial-2026 -Sportivement, Son a les moyens de briller rapidement en MLS, même si sa dernière année dans le nord de Londres s’est avérée moins flamboyante que les précédentes.Le LAFC avait fait de la place dans son effectif avec le départ début juillet de l’attaquant français Olivier Giroud pour Lille, après être sorti la tête basse de la Coupe du monde des clubs en juin (deux défaites, un nul).La franchise de la mégapole californienne, actuellement 6e de la conférence Ouest de MLS avec trois matches en moins que le leader San Diego, pourra aligner Son en attaque avec l’ancien Stéphanois Denis Bouanga ou encore le Turc Cengiz Ünder.Le capitaine de la Corée du Sud, qui compte plus de 130 sélections et trois Coupes du monde (2014, 2018 et 2022) à son actif, va ouvrir dès cet été un chapitre important de sa carrière en Amérique du nord, avant la Coupe du monde 2026, co-organisée par les Etats-Unis, le Mexique et le Canada, pour laquelle son pays est déjà qualifié.Clin d’œil de l’histoire, son sélectionneur Hong Myung-bo, héros de l’équipe nationale lors de la Coupe du monde 2002 à domicile (4e place), avait, lui, terminé sa carrière de joueur en MLS, dans le club rival du LA Galaxy (2003-2004).