USA | Worker dies in raid on plantation

Trump criticized Canada for failing to stop the flow of the synthetic drug into the United States. In the tariff dispute, instead of cooperating with the United States, Canada retaliated with its own tariffs in response to an earlier U.S. tariff announcement.

Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has demanded $20 million in damages from the US government, accusing it of false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. "I hope this serves as a deterrent to the government," the student told Reuters on Thursday. "Trump has made it clear that he only understands the language of money." Khalil's lawyers filed a corresponding demand with the Departments of Homeland Security and State.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security called the demand "absurd" and stated that the government acted within its legal authority. The 30-year-old Palestinian, a permanent resident, was arrested in March and detained for more than 100 days for advocating for the Palestinians. A federal judge ordered his release in June, ruling that the government was violating his right to free speech. President Trump had announced plans to expel foreign students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests.

A study by the World Travel & Tourism Council identifies the USA as the only country worldwide with declining tourism revenue. In a forecast for 186 countries, the organization estimates that the USA will receive approximately $12 billion less from tourism than before. The British firm Oxford Economics, which also forecasts tourism trends, predicts a decline in visitor numbers of 8.2 percent – previously, it had hoped for a 9 percent increase. "While other countries are rolling out the welcome mat, the US government is putting up the 'closed' sign," said Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the WTTC, in a statement.

The Trump administration is apparently urging African countries to accept migrants from other countries if they are deported by the U.S., two officials familiar with the talks told Reuters on Thursday. The plan was presented to the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon during their visit to the White House on Wednesday, according to a U.S. official and a Liberian official, both of whom declined to be identified.

Donald Trump's immigration policy continues to face legal resistance, even after a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the US president. A federal judge in New Hampshire on Thursday again prohibited the government from implementing Trump's decree prohibiting the automatic granting of citizenship to certain children born in the US who do not have at least one parent who is American or who is permitted to live permanently in the country as a "green card" holder. Denying citizenship is an "irreparable harm," Judge Joseph Laplante ruled. After all, it is "the greatest privilege that exists in the world."

Various lawsuits are pending against Trump's decree, arguing that more than 150,000 newborns would be denied citizenship each year if the order were to take effect nationwide as planned at the end of July.

In a similar case, Laplante had already concluded that Trump's decree was unconstitutional. Other courts reached similar conclusions in other cases, subsequently issuing preliminary injunctions to temporarily halt the measure nationwide. However, the Supreme Court took issue with precisely this approach at the end of June. While it didn't rule on the merits, it did limit the ability of judges to block this and other Trump measures nationwide.

Former U.S. Representative George Santos caused a stir with a post on X. The politician, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison for fraud and false statements, is apparently worried about his safety behind bars. "I'm on my way to prison, folks, and I need you to hear this loud and clear: I am not suicidal. I am not depressed. I have no intention of harming myself, and I will not willingly engage in sexual activity while I'm in there," he wrote.

Apparently, he was referring to the death of alleged sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He died in custody; officially, it was declared a suicide. However, there is speculation that the entertainment entrepreneur was murdered.

The 50 percent punitive tariff on copper imports announced by US President Donald Trump is set to take effect on August 1, according to Trump's social media post. Trump announced the tariff on Tuesday. As a result, the price of copper in the US rose sharply. It was recently about a quarter higher than the price on the London Stock Exchange, which is important for the global market.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California for continuing to allow transgender athletes to participate on women's sports teams. Female athletes at educational institutions in California are "exposed to unfair competition and reckless endangerment by the participation of men on women's sports teams," the department said Wednesday (local time). It accuses California of violating a law prohibiting gender discrimination in federally funded educational programs.

California's Department of Education allowed the "illegal discrimination against female athletes by allowing male participants," it said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva intends to respond to the punitive tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump with countermeasures. Any unilateral increase in tariffs will be met in accordance with Brazil's economic reciprocity law, according to a statement from his office. Lula called an emergency meeting in which he consulted with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, among others.

The Brazilian food industry expects the punitive tariff announced by US President Donald Trump to have a significant impact on US consumers. The coffee exporters' association Cecafé stated that US consumers would bear the burden of the 50 percent tariff. The association of citrus exporters, CitrusBR, stated that the measure affects not only Brazil but also the US juice industry. The beef association Abiec called it an obstacle to international trade. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and supplies around one-third of the coffee consumed in the US. In addition, more than half of the orange juice sold in the US comes from the South American country.

The Secret Service allegedly followed former FBI Director James B. Comey in unmarked cars and in street clothes and tracked the location of his cell phone, according to the New York Times. The surveillance allegedly began one day after he posted a picture of the beach and the numbers "86 47" on social media in May. The Trump camp viewed this as a threat against the president. The number 86 is often used in the US as slang to denote removal, and the number 47 could represent the 47th US president, Donald Trump. Comey is reportedly already under FBI investigation.

The US is setting import tariffs on Brazil at 50 percent. President Donald Trump announced this. The rate is very high compared to tariffs on many other countries. In April, Trump had announced a tariff of 10 percent. The US president said the new tariffs were due to the "very unfair trade relationship" with the country, which he described as "anything but reciprocal." However, political reasons could also play a role: retaliation for the ongoing prosecution of the country's former president, Jair Bolsonaro . He is close to Donald Trump, and the US president has publicly defended his former counterpart on several occasions. Here is an overview of the Trump administration's global tariff measures.

According to President Donald Trump, the United States will consider Ukraine 's request for an additional Patriot air defense system. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday (local time) that Trump is considering sending the country another such system in light of the massive Russian attacks. Asked if he could confirm this, Trump told reporters about Ukraine: "They would like it. They've asked for it."

Such weapons systems are very rare because many have been sent to Ukraine. He said he knows that Ukraine has requested another Patriot system, Trump said. "We'll have to look at it." It's a very, very expensive system. If the US decides to go ahead with it, it would be the first time Trump has authorized the delivery of a major weapons system to Kyiv, beyond the number authorized by the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden . Trump had recently expressed anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin . He accused him of spouting "a lot of nonsense" and criticized Putin for killing too many people.

Ukraine urgently needs Patriot air defense systems to better protect itself against constant Russian air and missile attacks. The US-made Patriot air defense missile system is among the most modern in the world. It is used to combat enemy aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The US has so far provided Ukraine with three Patriot systems, Germany has delivered another three, and a consortium of European countries has sent one, a former Pentagon official told the WSJ. However, due to maintenance work, not all of them are operational at the same time.

Jeffrey Epstein's actions also trouble many supporters of Donald Trump. The fact that his administration wants to close the case is making many suspicious. Read the full article here .

US President Donald Trump has announced the next wave of letters containing customs regulations against other countries, effective August 1. The European Union was initially not among them. The new letters are addressed to Iraq, Libya, Algeria, Moldova, the Philippines, and Brunei. Since Monday, the US President has been announcing the new customs rules for goods entering the US.

This is the current status starting August 1st:

Japan: 25 percent, South Korea: 25 percent, Malaysia: 25 percent, Kazakhstan: 25 percent, South Africa: 30 percent, Laos: 40 percent, Myanmar: 40 percent, Tunisia: 25 percent, Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30 percent, Indonesia: 32 percent, Bangladesh: 35 percent, Serbia: 35 percent, Cambodia: 36 percent, Thailand: 36 percent, Libya: 30 percent, Iraq: 30 percent, Algeria: 30 percent, Moldova: 25 percent, Philippines: 20 percent, Brunei: 25 percent.

According to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, the U.S. Senate could soon impose new sanctions against Russia. "We're on our way," Graham, who introduced the corresponding bill in the House chamber in April, told Politico magazine. U.S. President Donald Trump told him it's time, "so let's do it now," Graham said.

According to Graham, his sanctions package has a clear majority in the Senate. After the package was first announced, Graham declared that the planned sanctions would "break the back of Russia's economy." Among other things, the draft calls for punitive tariffs of 500 percent on imports from countries that continue to purchase Russian oil and gas. However, it has not yet been voted on due to fears that Trump could potentially veto the process.

Recently, however, Trump had become increasingly frustrated with Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities. "We get a lot of nonsense from Putin," Trump said at the White House on Tuesday . "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out it's meaningless." Already on Monday (local time), Trump had called for a swift end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and emphasized that he was not at all happy with Putin.

According to Fox News, the FBI has launched a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. The investigations are reportedly related to possible misconduct in previous investigations into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. However, the exact scope of the investigation is unclear, according to the report. Then-CIA Director John Ratcliffe, appointed by Donald Trump, also referred Brennan to the Department of Justice for criminal review.

Reuters has not yet been able to independently verify Fox News's information. The FBI declined to comment. The Department of Justice and the CIA also declined to comment. Neither Brennan nor Comey have yet responded to journalists' inquiries. An investigation does not necessarily mean subsequent charges.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump expressed his anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of spouting "a lot of nonsense." He had previously reiterated his support for a swift end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and emphasized that he was not at all happy with Putin. Therefore, the US would send some defensive weapons to Ukraine – he had approved this. Last week, it was reported that the US had stopped delivering some previously promised weapons – including anti-aircraft missiles.

According to a media report, the US President is considering sending an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine in light of the massive Russian attacks. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this, citing two officials. According to the report, the White House asked the Pentagon for options for the delivery of additional weapons, including a Patriot system. This would be the first time Trump has approved the delivery of a major weapons system to Kyiv, beyond the number authorized by the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

In Washington, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for the second time within 24 hours. The meeting, which begins Tuesday evening (local time) at the White House, will focus, according to Trump, "almost exclusively" on the situation in the Gaza Strip with the goal of ending the "tragedy" there.

"It's a tragedy, and he wants to solve it, and I want to solve it, and I think the other side wants that too," Trump told reporters before Netanyahu's arrival. Netanyahu, for his part, responded to a question about whether a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip was imminent, saying, "We're certainly working on it."

A proposal from international mediators for a 60-day ceasefire is on the table. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated that he hopes for an agreement within a few days. "We are confident that by the end of this week we will reach an agreement that will lead us to a 60-day ceasefire," Witkoff said. The proposal would include the return of ten live hostages to Israel, as well as the return of nine dead hostages, Witkoff added.