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Pope Francis, an energetic reformer who inspired widespread devotion from Catholics but riled traditionalists, died on Monday aged 88.The Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, spent 38 days being treated for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital before seeming to recover and leaving the facility on March 23.His death came just a day after he delighted the crowds of worshippers at the Vatican on Easter Sunday with an appearance on the balcony at Saint Peter’s Basilica.”Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.”This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.”His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church.”His death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the tiny Vatican City state will be handled by the camerlengo, a senior cardinal, currently Dublin-born Kevin Farrell.- ‘Humble pastor’ -Francis, whose real name was Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Jesuit to lead the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics and the first from the Americas.He took over after Benedict XVI became the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down — and cut a sharply different figure from the German theologian.A football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires who was often happiest among his flock, Francis sought to forge a more open and compassionate church.He strongly defended social justice, the rights of migrants and the environment, while also pushing through governance reforms and tackling the scourge of clerical sex abuse of children.But critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce. Francis’s desire to chart a different path was evident right to the end, with his decision to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica but in Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.Francis also rejected the tradition of popes having three coffins, instead choosing to buried in just one, made of wood and zinc, to reflect his role as a humble pastor.- Health issues -Francis had left open the possibility of stepping down if he felt unable to do his job, following the example of Benedict, who quit citing his ailing health.But he insisted for years that time had not yet come, and maintained a busy schedule, right up to hosting the prime minister of Slovakia shortly before his hospital admission.Francis, who had part of his lung removed as a young man, was visibly breathless in the days before going to the Gemelli, delegating aides to read his homilies at public audiences.Questions will now be asked whether the pontiff, known for being stubborn and refusing to take rest, should have been admitted to hospital earlier.Even after he was released from hospital and ordered to rest for two months, Francis did not wait long before making public appearances.He had been hospitalised with a respiratory infection in March 2023. That same year he also underwent surgery for a hernia, and in 2021 he had colon surgery.He suffered knee pain that required him to use a wheelchair, and had fallen twice in recent months.Yet he never took a day off and made frequent trips abroad, including a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour only last September.Huge crowds gathered wherever he went, a testament to his popularity and human touch, which saw him finish his Sunday Angelus prayer each week urging followers to pray for him and to have a good lunch.- Who am I to judge? -When Francis took over, the Catholic Church was mired in infighting and beset by a global scandal over clerical sex abuse of children and decades of cover-ups.He promised an end to impunity and changed Vatican law to help tackle abuse, though victims said he could have gone further.More widely, he initiated a major shake-up of the Vatican’s powerful governing body, including improving financial responsibility and allowing lay Catholics to lead Vatican offices.Throughout his papacy, Francis championed the poor and vulnerable and emphasised love over doctrine.”If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” he said at the start of his papacy.However, his detractors accused him of failing to uphold established Church doctrine, and his final months were marked by increasingly outspoken attacks by senior cardinals.Tensions with conservative Catholics marked the Synod congress that met at the Vatican at the end of 2023, part of a years-long global consultation on the future of the church — that Francis now leaves unfinished.

The Philippine and US militaries on Monday kicked off three weeks of joint exercises that will simulate a “full-scale battle scenario”, as the two allies seek to deter Beijing’s ambitions in the disputed South China Sea.As many as 17,000 personnel are expected to take part in the annual “Balikatan”, or “shoulder to shoulder” drills, which for the first time will include an integrated air and missile defence simulation, to be attended by President Ferdinand Marcos.Sophisticated US weapons including the NMESIS anti-ship missile system will also be deployed, including near a crucial chokepoint in the waters separating the northern Philippines from self-ruled Taiwan.”We will demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so,” US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James Glynn said at Monday’s opening ceremony in Manila.”Nothing builds bonds more quickly than shared adversity,” he said, without specifying a common threat.Philippines Major General Francisco Lorenzo added that the 40th Balikatan exercises would reinforce the country’s ability to address “contemporary security challenges”.The Philippines has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea.It has steadily deepened defence cooperation with treaty ally the United States since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on China’s sweeping claims to the crucial waterway.During a recent visit to Manila, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was “doubling down” on the alliance.”Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country — considering the threats from the Communist Chinese,” he said in late March.In response to the drills, Beijing accused Manila of “collusion with countries outside the region”.The exercises “undermine regional strategic stability”, said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.”This has already aroused strong aversion and opposition from regional countries,” he said.- Manila seeking military upgrades -Last year’s Balikatan featured tests of the US Typhon mid-range missile system.The Philippine Army subsequently said it was planning to acquire the Typhon, sparking warnings from China of a regional “arms race”.On Monday, Glynn said the Typhon system would again be present, along with the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, a short-range platform specialising in knocking out drones.The Philippines’ Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner said last month that Manila was seeking to upgrade its arsenal, with more missile systems, warships and fighter jets.On April 2, the United States said it had approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in long-coveted F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, though Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase”.A week later, the Philippines took possession of the first of two corvette-class warships with “advanced weapons and radar systems” acquired in a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.- ‘Inevitably’ involved -China considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory and has vowed to bring it under Beijing’s control one day.Given the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, Manila’s cooperation would be crucial in the event of any US conflict with China.On April 1, as Chinese ships and warplanes surrounded the self-ruled island in a simulated blockade, Brawner said his country would “inevitably” be involved should the democracy be invaded.While Manila later said Brawner’s comments were primarily referencing efforts to retrieve Filipino workers in Taiwan, its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with Washington gives US forces access to nine bases in the Philippines.Asked about Taiwan on Monday, Lorenzo said Balikatan could potentially “help deter” a conflict over the island.Both the US and Philippine militaries, however, stressed that this year’s war games would not address a potential Chinese invasion.Besides the United States, countries including Australia and Japan are sending smaller contingents to Balikatan.

Billionaire businesswoman, high priestess of social media, Oval Office invitee, effortless siren, mother of four: Kim Kardashian has mastered the 21st century like no one else. For almost two decades, she has been a constant presence in popular culture, an uber-celebrity whose every move commands attention, yet who never seems to be anything other than in complete control.While lesser stars have been consumed by fame, Kardashian remains at the height of her powers, defying criticism that she is really only famous for being famous.Kardashian, 44, is expected to testify at a French trial beginning April 28 over a 2016 robbery that cost her millions of dollars worth of jewelry — and in which she was held at gunpoint.Six people are charged over the heist, which netted items including a diamond ring gifted by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. – Fame -Born in Los Angeles on October 21, 1980, Kardashian spent her childhood on the periphery of fame.By 1991, after her parents were divorced, her mother Kris married the 1976 Olympic decathlon winner then known as Bruce Jenner, who has since transitioned to life as Caitlyn. A few years later, her father Robert was one of the high-flying lawyers who defended American football legend OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial. As a teenage friend of Los Angeles socialites Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, Kardashian garnered the first inklings of her own fame, being photographed with them at popular nightspots and appearing in their reality show “The Simple Life.”But it was in 2007 that she was catapulted into popular consciousness when an explicit four-year-old home movie she had made with her then-boyfriend Ray J was posted online.Cynics noted the tape appeared as Kardashian and her family were readying to promote “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” a fly-on-the-wall reality TV look at the family’s life of wealth, luxury, unbelievable cattiness — and startling mundanity.Planted or not, the footage burned Kardashian onto the public’s collective retina.”Keeping up with the Kardashians,” which followed the personal and professional trials of sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, was one of television’s longest-running reality shows.For some, it was must-see entertainment offering an insight into celebrity through the prism of a unique family.For others, as The Washington Times once wrote, it was vapid chaff that “illustrates our nation’s moral, spiritual and cultural decay.”Either way, the show was very, very good for business.A series of enterprises including KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance established Kardashian as a serious player in the fashion and lifestyle sector, propelled by the rise of social media, where she regularly posted thirst traps to build her brand.But it was the apparel label Skims that really brought in the big bucks.The firm unapologetically celebrates the female form, boasting “technically constructed shapewear that enhances your curves.”A 2023 investment round valued the company at $4 billion, and Forbes estimates Kardashian’s personal net worth is now $1.7 billion.- Marriage to Kanye… and divorce -Her forays into the fashion and beauty worlds were supercharged by her relationship with West, her third husband.Their marriage in 2014 — the year of that “Break the Internet” photoshoot for Paper magazine involving her shapely bare buttocks and lots of champagne — was a “historic blizzard of celebrity,” according to The New York Times.They flew to France for a pre-wedding rehearsal at the Palace of Versailles, where they arrived in a gold-plated carriage before flying on to Italy to tie the knot.Four children later, the couple’s relationship ran into difficulties, as West’s behavior became increasingly erratic. His bizarre, but truncated 2020 bid for the US presidency degenerated into rambling self-confession.Kardashian appealed for empathy for her husband, who at one time spoke of living with bipolar disorder, but by 2021 was filing for divorce.Kardashian says she has tried to protect the couple’s children from the inevitable hurt of their parents’ split.”You want to be sensitive because they’re just kids, and it’s hard to go through no matter what age,” she told GQ in 2023.”Ultimately what matters is that kids feel loved and heard.”They are certainly seen: Kardashian’s 357 million Instagram followers are given regular updates on the children.Since her split with West, Kardashian had a high-profile romance with comedian Pete Davidson, and was linked to NFL player Odell Beckham Jr.Amid the parenting, the television shows, the endless red carpets and the multi-billion-dollar business, Kardashian has also found time to launch a legal career.After embarking on an apprenticeship with a prison reform group, she successfully petitioned US President Donald Trump to pardon a grandmother serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense — and then visited him at the White House.In 2021 and on her fourth attempt, she passed California’s “baby bar” exam, a seven-hour slog for first-year law students with a pass rate of only around 20 percent.Her late father, she mused, “would be so proud.””He would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now.”

The Philippine and US militaries on Monday kicked off three weeks of joint exercises that will simulate a “full-scale battle scenario”, as the two allies seek to deter to Beijing’s ambitions in the disputed South China Sea.Around 17,000 troops are expected to take part in the annual “Balikatan”, or “shoulder to shoulder” drills, which for the first time will include an integrated air and missile defence simulation to be attended by President Ferdinand Marcos.Sophisticated US weapons including the “highly mobile” NMESIS anti-ship missile system will also be deployed, including near a crucial chokepoint in the waters separating the northern Philippines from self-ruled Taiwan.”We will demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so,” US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James Glynn said Monday at the Balikatan opening ceremony in Manila.”Nothing builds bonds more quickly than shared adversity,” he added, without specifying a common threat. Philippines Major General Francisco Lorenzo added the exercises would reinforce the country’s ability to address “contemporary security challenges”.The Philippines has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea.It has steadily deepened defence cooperation with treaty ally the United States since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on China’s sweeping claims to the crucial waterway.During a recent visit to Manila, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was “doubling down” on the alliance.”Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country — considering the threats from the Communist Chinese,” he said in late March.While the bulk of visiting forces involved in Balikatan will be from the United States, countries including Australia and Japan are sending smaller contingents.- ‘More missile systems’ -Last year’s Balikatan featured tests of the US Typhon mid-range missile system, which was left behind following the exercises.The Philippine Army subsequently said it was planning to acquire the Typhon, sparking warnings from China of a regional “arms race”.Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner last month said the Philippines was indeed looking to upgrade its arsenal.”We are looking at acquiring more missile systems to complete the integration of our air and missile defence,” he told New Delhi’s Raisina Dialogue, adding more warships and fighter jets were also being sought.On April 2, the United States said it had approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in long-coveted F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, though Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase”.A week later, the Philippines took possession of the first of two corvette-class warships with “advanced weapons and radar systems” acquired in a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.- ‘Inevitably’ involved -Given the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, Manila’s cooperation would be crucial in the event of any US conflict with China.On April 1, as Chinese ships and warplanes surrounded the self-ruled island in a simulated blockade, Brawner said his country would “inevitably” be involved should the democracy be invaded.China considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory and has vowed to one day bring it under its control.While Manila later said Brawner’s comments were primarily referencing efforts to retrieve Filipino workers in Taiwan, its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with Washington gives US forces access to nine bases in the country.Two of those are located in Luzon’s northernmost Cagayan province, which will host live-fire drills during Balikatan this year. 

US Vice President JD Vance began a four-day visit to India on Monday as New Delhi looks to seal an early trade deal and stave off punishing US tariffs.Vance’s visit comes two months after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House.A red carpet welcome with an honour guard and troupes of folk dancers greeted Vance after he stepped out into the sweltering sunshine of New Delhi, where he is set to meet with Modi.Vance’s tour also includes a trip to Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum commissioned by a Mughal emperor.The US vice president is accompanied by his family, including his wife Usha, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, with New Delhi’s broadcasters dubbing the visit “semi-private”.Modi, 74, and Vance, 40, are expected to “review the progress in bilateral relations” and also “exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest”, India’s foreign ministry said last week.India and the United States are negotiating the first tranche of a trade deal, which New Delhi hopes to secure within the 90-day pause on tariffs announced by Trump earlier this month. “We are very positive that the visit will give a further boost to our bilateral ties,” India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters last week.Vance was welcomed at the airport by Ashwini Vaishnaw, a senior member of Modi’s government.- ‘Special bond’ -Vance’s visit comes during an escalating trade war between the United States and China. India’s neighbour and rival faces US levies of up to 145 percent on many products.Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods.India has so far reacted cautiously.After the tariffs were announced, India’s Department of Commerce said it was “carefully examining the implications”, adding it was “also studying the opportunities that may arise”.Modi, who visited the White House in February, has an acknowledged rapport with Trump, who said he shares a “special bond” with the Indian leader. Trump, speaking while unveiling the tariffs, said Modi was a “great friend” but that he had not been “treating us right”.During his visit to Washington, Modi said that the world’s largest and fifth-largest economies would work on a “mutually beneficial trade agreement”.While the United States is a crucial market for India’s information technology and services sectors, Washington has made billions of dollars in new military hardware sales to New Delhi in recent years.Trump could visit India later this year for a summit of heads of state from the Quad — a four-way grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information on forthcoming US air strikes on Yemen in a private Signal chat group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, the New York Times and CNN reported on Sunday.AFP was not able to independently verify the reports, which detailed what would be the second time Hegseth has been accused of sharing sensitive military information on the commercial messaging app with unauthorized personnel.Last month, The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief was inadvertently included in a Signal chat in which officials including Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz discussed the strikes, which took place on March 15.The revelation sparked an uproar, with US President Donald Trump’s administration facing a scandal over the accidental leak. A Pentagon Inspector-General’s probe into that leak is ongoing.Hegseth is facing increasing criticism from within his own camp, with three former staffers penning a statement decrying their dismissals and his own former Pentagon spokesman all but calling for him to be fired on Sunday.The Times reported that Hegseth had shared information in the second Signal group chat on the same March 15 strikes that were discussed in the accidental leak.The information shared “included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen,” the newspaper reported.The outlet said that unlike the accidental leak where journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly included in the group, this group chat was created by Hegseth. The other chat was initiated by Waltz.”It included his wife and about a dozen other people from his personal and professional inner circle in January, before his confirmation as defense secretary,” the Times’ reported, citing unnamed sources.Hegseth’s wife Jennifer is a journalist and former Fox News producer. The group also included his brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, both of whom serve in roles at the Pentagon.Parlatore also continues to serve as Hegseth’s personal lawyer, the Times reported.Responding to the report, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell accused the New York Times of being “Trump-hating media.””There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways they try to write the story,” he said, without providing further specifics.The Pentagon did not respond to AFP requests for specific details on what was shared in the defense secretary’s Signal group chat.- ‘Unconscionable’ -Trump largely pinned the blame for the earlier leak on Waltz, but has dismissed calls to fire top officials and insisted instead on what he called the success of the raids on the Yemeni rebels.This week, three top Pentagon officials were put on leave pending investigations into unspecified leaks in the Defense Department.Deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, senior advisor Dan Caldwell and Colin Carroll hit back on Sunday, releasing a statement saying Pentagon officials had “slandered our character with baseless attacks.””At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with,” they said in a joint statement posted on social media.”While this experience has been unconscionable, we remain supportive of the Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon great again and achieve peace through strength.”Hours after the latest reported leak, Hegseth’s former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot published a scathing opinion piece describing “a month of total chaos at the Pentagon.””President Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer,” wrote Ullyot.Democrats were quick to pounce on the latest allegations, with Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed calling for the Pentagon Inspector-General to include the latest allegations in its probe.”If true, this incident is another troubling example of Secretary Hegseth’s reckless disregard for the laws and protocols that every other military servicemember is required to follow,” he said in a statement.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele offered Venezuela Sunday a trade of 252 Venezuelans deported to his country by the United States for an equal number of political prisoners held by President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.The offer followed a broadside from President Donald Trump against US Supreme Court judges who on Saturday ordered a halt to removals like that of the Venezuelans, which the administration has carried out under an obscure wartime law.”I want to propose to you a humanitarian agreement calling for the repatriation of 100 percent of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported,” Bukele wrote to Maduro on X.The prisoners would be sent “in exchange for the release and handing over of an identical number from among the thousands of political prisoners that you hold,” he added.The Salvadoran leader, who was hosted at the White House last week, said that “all the Venezuelans we have in custody were detained as part of an operation against gangs like Tren de Aragua in the United States.”In little more than a month, 288 migrants accused by the Trump administration of belonging to gangs including Tren de Aragua — now defined as a terrorist organization by Washington — have been shipped to El Salvador.The US is paying Bukele’s government to imprison them in the country’s notorious CECOT prison outside the capital San Salvador.Late on Sunday, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab described Bukele’s prisoner exchange offer as “cynical,” demanding a “complete list” of the detained migrants along with an accounting of what crimes they are accused of and whether they had been given due process.- Trump takes on judges -The Trump administration has clashed with judges at home over the deportations.The Supreme Court’s Saturday order at least temporarily halted what rights groups warned were imminent deportations of Venezuelan migrants being held in Texas, who have been accused of being gang members.More broadly, the decision temporarily prevents the government from continuing to expel migrants under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act — last used to round up Japanese-American citizens during World War II.Administration officials from Trump down have claimed that illegal immigration and gang activity amounts to an “invasion” of the United States and this justifies using the law.Trump lashed out Sunday on his Truth Social platform, not specifically naming the high court but slamming the “WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue.”The White House has been butting heads with federal judges, rights groups and Democrats who say Trump has trampled or ignored constitutionally enshrined rights in rushing to deport migrants, sometimes without the right to a hearing. “We’re getting closer and closer to a constitutional crisis,” Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN.In the most publicized case, Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia was sent to CECOT without charge.The administration admitted that Abrego Garcia had been included among the deportees due to an “administrative error,” and the Supreme Court ruled that the government must “facilitate” his return.Trump has since doubled down, however, insisting that Abrego Garcia is in fact a gang member, including posting an apparently doctored photo on social media Friday of a gang symbol tattooed on his knuckles.Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, who met Abrego Garcia on Thursday, said the man was bewildered by his detention and felt threatened in prison.On Sunday, Van Hollen challenged the Trump administration to provide evidence that it is respecting US laws in its deportation sweep.”I’m okay with whatever the rule of law dictates,” he told CNN, “but right now we have a lawless president… who is ignoring the order of the Supreme Court of the United States to facilitate (Abrego Garcia’s) return.”- Political prisoners -Bukele claimed Sunday that many of the Venezuelan detainees now in his country “have committed murder, others have committed rape, and some had even been arrested multiple times before being deported.””Unlike our detainees… your political prisoners have not committed any crime. The only reason they are imprisoned is because they have opposed you and your electoral frauds,” he told Venezuela’s Maduro.Maduro claimed victory in a disputed presidential election last year, sparking mass protests and a crackdown that left 28 people dead and 2,400 behind bars. About 500 of those remain locked up, though activists say dissident arrests have continued.Bukele added that he was seeking the release of prominent Venezuelans such as Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of Maduro’s 2024 presidential challenger Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia; journalist Roland Carreno; activist lawyer Rocio San Miguel; and opponents who have been holed up for more than a year in Argentina’s Caracas embassy.He also cited 50 citizens of other nations, among them Americans, Europeans, Middle Easterners and Latin Americans.”Our foreign ministry will send formal correspondence,” he said.

Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in the US presidency have showcased his unique ability to shock — and sometimes entertain — with outrageous remarks that pull no punches.From stroking his own ego to berating American allies, here are some of Trump’s most memorable quotes since he returned to the White House:– “I was saved by God to make America great again”Trump cast himself as a messianic-like figure on his first day back in office, as he recounted to US lawmakers how he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Pennsylvania last year.– “A Dictator without Elections”The president’s extraordinary verdict on Volodymyr Zelensky marked a major shift in previously friendly US relations toward the Ukrainian leader, who accused Trump of succumbing to Russian “disinformation.” Trump later walked back the comment made in February on his Truth Social platform, asking a journalist, “Did I say that?”– “These countries are calling us up, kissing my ass”This mocking remark about world leaders made at a Republican conference in April came as countries desperately sought to temper Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which upended global markets before he announced a 90-day pause.– “The Riviera of the Middle East”Trump’s startling vision for a US-led takeover and transformation of war-torn Gaza into a luxury resort drew audible gasps at a February news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.– “Canada should become our Cherished 51st State”America’s northern neighbor was furious about this Truth Social post by Trump in February, which sparked real concerns among some Canadians of a looming US annexation attempt.– “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States”Trump set the tone for hostile trade relations with the EU at his first cabinet meeting in February, reversing course on a decades-long record of US backing for the 27-nation economic and political bloc. — “This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED”Trump, the first convicted felon to be elected president, drew a rare public rebuke from the Supreme Court chief justice after he called for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg in a Truth Social post in March.Boasberg was one of several judges to curtail Trump’s executive power — in this case over migrant deportation flights — due to concerns about the legality of his administration’s actions.

Josh Staph fears the fun-packed shelves of his toy warehouse might start looking joyless in the months ahead, with made-in-China flying discs and model gliders grounded -– like much of his product line –- by Donald Trump’s tariffs.”Things have ground to a halt,” said Staph, chief executive of Duncan Toys Company, which has a warehouse in Indiana. With his products now facing a steep 145 percent levy, “we stopped shipping goods into the US,” he added.Nearly 100 days into President Donald Trump’s White House return, US businesses are scrambling to adjust to fast-changing trade policies.The $40 billion toy industry, which heavily relies on production in China, is hard hit, companies tell AFP.Of over $17 billion worth of toys imported to the US last year, more than $13 billion came from China.Duncan’s entire product range is designed and developed in the United States, Staph said, but Chinese factories make almost all the toys.Firms there have developed specialized abilities to produce intricate parts for items like its best-selling yo-yos.Most American toy companies have halted shipments since Trump imposed new tariffs on many products from China this year, Staph said.The move raised the duty that US firms pay when they import any Chinese-made toys — from plushies to action figures — from zero to 145 percent, more than doubling import costs.”It’s pretty debilitating,” Staph added. “As a business leader, after 100 days of the administration, I’d say that the most challenging part is the uncertainty.” “It’s tough to build any sort of strategy and go for a plan when we know that things are changing almost on a daily basis.”- ‘Tariff surcharges’ -Rita Pin Ahrens, who runs three toy stores including one in Washington, started receiving “tariff surcharges” of 15 percent to 25 percent in March. She expects them to mount to 145 percent.Many of the thousands of toys she sells are either imported from places like China, or are partially made in the world’s second biggest economy.Still, she said: “We’re trying to minimize the cost to our consumers.”This has meant holding off purchases that become too pricey or stocking up before tariffs kicked in. And shipment delays have already begun.”It has been a complete nightmare,” she said. “I am really, truly worried about whether we can actually sustain the store.”Many US brands are small businesses with limited cashflow, said Greg Ahearn, chief executive of industry group The Toy Association.They struggle to pay sudden tariffs on containers of toys that may have already been manufactured.Meanwhile, “production of toys has all but stopped in China,” he said.- ‘Difficult Christmas’ -Staph of Duncan Toys said inventory to supply US retailers like Target and Walmart through year-end holidays has not entered the country yet.Typically, toys produced in spring arrive over the summer for shipping in the fall as stores prepare for the holiday shopping boom, with around 90 percent of stock coming from overseas.”If this isn’t cleared up in 30 to 60 days, it’s going to be a really difficult Christmas season with empty shelves in a lot of major retailers,” Staph warned.And if tariffs remain in force, “the pricing of those toys that are even available will probably be twice, if not more, the price they were last year,” said Ahearn of The Toy Association.While the United States makes some toys, many products require hand labor and it will take years to grow the US manufacturing base, Ahearn believes.The injection molding process used to produce many items requires extremely large, heavy tools that cannot be moved and must be installed from scratch.Companies were ready to work around Trump’s 10 percent additional tariff on Chinese imports, imposed in February over China’s alleged role in the fentanyl supply chain.But in March, Trump raised the level to 20 percent. In April, the figure exploded to 145 percent.Staph hopes the toy industry can gain exemptions, noting that Trump has begun targeting specific industries.”Toys are important for children’s development,” Ahrens said, noting that toys were excluded from tariffs during Trump’s first administration.”I really urge the president to do that again.”

A businessman and television personality long before he turned politician, US President Donald Trump has shattered the mould of how White House leaders typically act — and talk.On stage he often appears to be shooting from the hip, with his meandering digressions, catchphrases, blunt insults and constant use of superlatives.But what stands out from a closer look at Trump’s distinctive rhetoric style? As he reaches the first 100 days of his second term, here is a roundup of findings from an AFP analysis of 433 hours of Trump’s public speaking.These are compared with millions of sentences of conversations and speeches from average Americans transcribed by the collaborative project American National Corpus.- Winners and losers -Competition-related rhetoric dominates, with the world frequently divided between “winners” and “losers”,  “us” and “them”, those who are “very interesting” and those who are “pathetic”. The data shows that competition-related words are 5.4 times more present than in the speech of regular Americans.Trump also uses superlative adjectives twice as much as average, and superlative adverbs 3.6 times more than average.Descriptions of others are rarely neutral in Trump speak. They are rather depicted as enemies or insulted as animals or pollutants, often through schoolyard-type nicknames like “Sleepy Joe” Biden or “Crazy Kamala” Harris.The demonizing simplifies issues — or oversimplifies — on purpose.”Mapping politics onto warlike competition results in a problematic reduction in complexity,” wrote linguist Anthony Koth from the Rice University, in his contribution to the 2022 book “Linguistic Inquiries into Donald Trump’s Language.” Rules, referees, and opponents become “one and the same: the enemy or opposing force whose objective is to deny Trump”.Linguist Ulrike Schneider from the University of Mainz pointed to Trump’s recent rhetoric on global tariffs.Politics and the economy are a zero-sum game, “where one’s perceived losses come about because of another’s perceived illegitimate gain,” he told AFP.- Trump as exceptional -Trump seeks to appeal to the common American while simultaneously emphasizing a vision of himself as an exceptional figure.”I think that’s what (his) language does, he performs being ordinary and he performs being extraordinary: strong and clear in his vision,” said Schneider.”You need to be perceived as the guy next door. But at the same time you also need to prove that you’re this kind of messiah, this leader figure”, said Schneider.Trump uses a superlative every 19 adjectives — twice as often as the average American (every 41 adjectives).Among his favourites is “greatest.” He insists he is there to beat records, his pledges and actions are “never seen”, “never happened”, “like never”, preferably “in the history of our country”.The data finds that Trump says “in the history of our country” on average every five minutes.- Businessman banter -Before the White House Trump was a property developer and TV star on “The Apprentice,” where he played a successful tycoon. He continues to talk in the same style, with repetitive, short sentences — two words shorter than the standard — and relentlessly self-promoting.One of his most unusual traits is to refer to himself in the third person: Trump says the word “Trump” every six minutes.For example, take the president’s performance at an Oval Office meeting this April where he signed a decree ending protections for a large swath of ocean. At the ceremony, he boasted that he had previously ended the protections during his first term, only for his successor, Biden, to return the area to a no-fishing zone.”I did it last time. And they undid it. That’s why we have to stay president for a long time,” Trump said, referring to himself as “we.”